Art Room Wishlist

As much as I've loved my various schools, being in many different classrooms has given me an appreciation for the things that make an art room work.  Here are a few basics that would appear in my dream classroom.

 

Sinks
In the three years I've taught art, I've had five classrooms (and one school in which I come to the individual classes).  Out of all of these rooms, only one has had a sink.   In a perfect world, you'd have two sinks - one where kids could wash their hands, and another deep, metal one for brushes, palettes, etc.

 

SMARTboard
One of my schools (the one in which I roam) has SMARTboards in most of the classrooms.  They are amazing!  So much easier to show pictures, drawing demonstrations, and short videos than on a blackboard or laptop.

 

Large tables
Both of my current schools have single-student desks in the classrooms. In my roaming-school, three grades have large tables and I'm always bowled over by how much simpler set-up and clean-up are with a single large space (and fewer legs to sweep between).  The worst?  This kind of desks for 1st graders.

 

Cupboard and counters
I like having plenty of room to store supplies and being able to hide them from view is an added bonus.  Counter space makes set-up much simpler, especially when you're pouring paint for your 2:00 PM class during your noon lunch break.

 

Circle area
Especially for the younger ones, it's nice to have an area where you can all sit and demonstrate a lesson or read a book.  It's much easier to keep an eye on everyone when they're clustered around your feet.

 

Linoleum floor
You'd think this would be a given, but one of my classrooms had carpet.  Luckily, we did not have to keep it in good shape, but it looked pretty grotty by the end of the year.

 

Bulletin boards
It's great to have ready-made space to display student work both inside and outside the classroom.  Display spaces near the main office or entry are great too!

 

Cleaning cupboard
A (locked) closet or cupboard with cleaning supplies *in* the art room makes life so much easier and the classroom cleaner.