Housekeeping: Toiletries as Art Materials

Besides cardboard, these are some other possible art materials that can be collected free. Hotel toiletries! I usually bring my own toiletries overseas and will collect these from the hotel for use in the art room. To hasten collection, it helps when you get your family to do the same :D They are excellent for doing mark making or paint splatters

Housekeeping: Caring for Art Supplies

Coloured ends of markers and pens

Mirror corners with air-dry clay

I usually do an introduction of myself to a new cohort of students by sharing about myself in different contexts through photographs. What I am particularly fond of is to sneak in some artroom management rules as I talk. I showed the children how other children from another country lived differently. We discussed about school facilities and lifestyle inconvienence which are evident from the photos. Then we do a comparsion between their lives and the children in the photos. The point of the discussion is really for the children not to take things for granted. An explicit teaching of a hidden curriculum meant that the children are expected to cherish art supplies and prevent the stationeries' premature death. This year, I have the table corners painted to match the colours of the labelled art supplies. This labelling would prevent accidental theft and will require children to be more responsible when it comes to returning supplies to its rightful storage place.

Housekeeping: Storeroom

I have these God-sent white tubs in the storeroom. Just ignore the lonely tub that's labelled because I forgot to budget for more labelling tape.

These wired baskets are great for sorting out supplies in the art room. Supplies are placed within reach of the kids for easy retrieval.

Our school just bought some new guitars and thanks to the music teacher who donated these boxes for art cause :D

It's the last week of school and the kids helped to cut the cardboard into smaller pieces!

A friendly reminder for the future successor of the art storeroom placed behind the door.