Material Management Trick

Last fall, I created a new strategy for instruction that made life in the art room so much easier. I like to have all art materials on the table before students arrive; however, sometimes having the material there is a distraction.

To solve this problem I made media magnets. They hang out in a pink box (that matches the boxes on the student tables) until I'm ready to have students use them. When it's time, I pull it out and stick it to the board in the order that we are using the material. Students shouldn't have anything out of the box unless I've taken it out.

It's also serves as a nice reminder of the order in which we are working with materials. If students get behind, they can look at the board and see if they should color or cut first.