The biggest classroom management issue I’ve encountered in the art classroom is lack of student motivation. Art making requires a lot of time and enthusiasm, and if a student doesn’t want to do any work, it’s likely they won’t finish in time or have a final product that looks rushed. There are all sorts of reasons why a student doesn’t feel motivated, but regardless of reason, the educator is going to be the main influence on students becoming remotivated to work. Student encouragement is crucial, but knowing your students well is going to be more beneficial. Knowing the individual needs of each student, an effective teacher should be able to balance attention and encouragement for every individual. The art room can be a safe haven for students, where the atmosphere can be more relaxing from the rest of their complex lives. Sometimes students need to be in the art room not working. I’ve talked to teachers about this problem, and I’ve been told that usually you just have to let them not work, and just be sure to be consistently encouraging them. Most of the lack of motivation I’ve encountered personally is lack of interest. I haven’t taught in a situation where students were graded, and I feel like that aspect will help increase low student motivation, to some extent. I’m excited about student teaching to observe the differences between the affects of an academic environment versus the afterschool activities I’ve taught.
