You now have your degree in teaching art, and you walk into the room of excited pre-teens, and have to get the job done in thirty minutes, maybe forty-five, if you are lucky. Here are five easy steps to follow on that first day!

First- Look at their faces and ask them their names. Let them know that you heard that they were a very good class. This makes them proud of themselves and they want to prove it to you. Let them know that you will not teach unless they can listen. Show them that you have a signal that will tell them to be quiet. Hold up your pointer finger and tell them that if you do this, they must listen or the lesson will be stopped. Demonstrate what a whisper is and what normal talking sounds like. Show them that whispering can be loud enough to hear, and that they are allowed to whisper to each other if they want to talk. Remember, this is their break from classwork, so they may have things to say! Some classes or students will challenge you, and get too loud, so you will have to stop the lesson. This makes them realize you mean business! Collect the supplies.Tell them they can finish it the following week. The first class is the time when they will learn that you are there to teach, and not babysit while their teacher is out of the room. Ask the teacher if the class responds to another strategy to gain a teaching moment. Use it. Quiet and respect for you, and for art, will make your first experience in the classroom good for you and for your students for the rest of the year.
Check the time!

Next- Present your lesson. Be animated about your lesson. Show lots of pictures from books that show families. Talk about what a family is. Listen to the children if they raise a hand to ask a question. If they talk too loudly, or if someone disrupts the class, hold up your finger and do not continue until they are quiet. You may have to wait for some groups. Talk to the child who disrupts the class. Let that child know that you like her or him, but dislike what they did. Eventually, they will know that they will be interrupting the whole class unless they listen. Reward good behavior by writing the "well behaved" child's name on the board and draw a star next to the name.

Then- Since this is the first day, hand out 12x18 paper and let them draw their family. You will learn about them, and you will see if there is a student who just doesn't like to draw. Tell that student that some people have talent with color and design. They could represent their family with shapes and color. The drawing will still give you an idea about their family. Be positive. Walk around the room and tell them what a good job they are doing. Tell them to sign their names because all artists sign their work. Remember, you are not training the next Picasso, yet. You are making them happy with what they can do on the paper, and happy with the rules you have as an art teacher.

Also- Organization is key to success. If they sit in rows, stand in front of each row and hand out the paper to the first person. He or she takes the material and hands it back to the person behind. In reverse, have the last child in the row pass his or her paper and supplies to the person in front of them to be collected from the front of the room. If they sit at tables, make one person the captain of the table responsible for coming up to get supplies for the lesson. The captain can choose someone at the table to bring the work and supplies back up front.

Importantly- Check your clock or watch. You have to budget your time efficiently. You will need about five minutes to hand out materials, five minutes to present the lesson, fifteen minutes for the students to work on the project, and five minutes to clean up the room. Ask each child to look on the floor, and pick up any scraps. Have one child take the scrap basket up and down each row, or to each table. Reward the row or table who cleaned their space quickly, by writing the row or table down in your plan book. The children like when you write down positive things about them.

In conclusion, always be upbeat and positive. Always check the time! The first class involves giving positive reinforcement about your rules so you can teach effectively. Your work time could be very limited. Maybe certain classes will not get art in the first few weeks, but they will know that when they listen, and you present meaningful projects, they will enjoy their precious time with you. When you are back in your art closet or room, choose the best drawings for the school art show later on in the year. Good luck and have fun!

Mary D. Bogin is a 30 year veteran teacher. Teaching art, reading, and writing to hundreds of classes over the years, have given her efficient methods and strategies for teaching. Visit http://www.mdbogin.wordpress.com for more great methods on teaching, and other stories about life.