This story offers a real-life example of the Responsive Classroom principle “How children learn is as important as what they learn.”

My goal was to teach my students to clear the art tables at the end of each class using a sponge:

Year 1: I tell the students: “The sponges are by the sink and they are to be used for washing tables and then returned to the sink area when finished.”

Year 2: I show students where the sponges are located and what they look like, telling them, “The sponges are to be used for table washing,” and then showing how they should be neatly put away when finished. I post Sink Rules.

Year 3: I tell and show students what sponges are and where they are located. I demonstrate how the sponges look at the beginning of the day (dry), how to get them wet, wring them out, pretend to wash a table, and then put the sponge away. I post Sink Rules and Reminders.
Time to interject. As you can see, I tried various ways of teaching students how to use sponges on the first days of school. Each year the results were a little better, but still there were many lakes and puddles around the room. Art time was lost, kids were dirty, the floor was slippery, and usually I was upset and frazzled. The students were trying to do their job and help clean up. But not all students natuarally have the foresight to see that a dripping sponge can make a mess, nor do they necessarily know what to do when there is the inevitable puddle.

Too lenient? Too strict?
I didn’t want to be too lenient and pretend the mess wasn’t happening, nor did I want to be unreasonably strict. The upshot was that all the messy results sometimes made me less willing to allow students privileges, and sometimes not want to do some projects at all.

As I tried different approaches each year, I was beginning to put myself in the students’ shoes and think what I would need to know to do a good job cleaning up. I didn’t go far enough back to the basics of touching a sponge and finding out how it works, but I was trying my best, through trial and error, to improve and to find the most efficient way to get my class running smoothly.

I am aware that children have different ways of learning, multiple intelligences, and that the best learning comes from hands-on and figuring it out for themselves. Without knowing it, in the ever-expanding sponge lessons and in other lessons I tried, I was stumbling onto some of the key concepts and ideas in the Responsive Classroom.

Last year, I started doing what I called “play day with clay.” Little did I know I was practicing the Responsive Classroom practices called Modeling and Guided Discovery -- I was just trying to keep my life saner! The class period began with me showing, telling, modeling, and recording what clay was and how to care for it. I modeled how to get the clay and tools, and how to properly put them away and clean up when they were finished.

After they knew how to do these things I encouraged them to practice, discover, and play with the clay and tools. Usually, I waited for a student to discover a neat use for a tool. They could share their findings with the class. Then we encouraged everyone else to try it too. The students LOVE this day, and so do I, because the next day, we are able to get started making bowls or whatever the direct lesson may be, and I do not have to deal with as much clay misuse, lost tools, or messes.

Better work
The most amazing result of the play with clay day was the quality of the work that followed it. I was stunned to see how much better the students’ artwork turned out! The clay projects were solid, creative, unique, and of very high quality. The students felt comfortable enough with the materials and the structure of the period that they were able to focus more on the project they were making. It was wonderful!

No more assuming
After the results of the clay lessons, I began to plan for a period of experimentation with other materials, like paints and oil pastels. But it never occurred to me until the Responsive Classroom 1 workshop to use this way of teaching for the most basic of things, like washing tables with a sponge. Now, in the first weeks of school I model and let children practice many more of the things I previously assumed they already knew.

I admit that I was a bit hesitant at giving up some of my precious art time for modeling and practicing clean up, but I reminded myself that it saves so much time and frustration later.

Stronger community
Another payoff from slowly building our routines and learning about materials together is a climate of community. Sometimes the homerooms that come to me are split up so much dur-ing the day that they aren’t familiar with each other. When the children do not know each other very well, expressing their creativity is more risky for them. In art class, we sometimes play quick games when there is time at the end of the period. This year I will incorporate cooperative games for the whole class as well as for individual tables, so the students feel more comfortable working near each other. In a safe space, they are much more likely to express their creative ideas and to work together during clean up time.

My hope is that my students will not only produce wonderful works of art, but will enjoy their time making art, remember what they have learned, and keep making art all their lives.

Sarah Pfahl teaches Art at Woodcrest Elementary School, Fridley, MN.

This article first appeared in Origins: A Newsletter for Educators, Fall 2004