As a Montessori guide, I’m sure you understand the significance of staging shelves. They provide students with the freedom and opportunity to work independently. While learning other important subject matter. But did you know that you can apply the same concept to an art shelf?
Encourage Independent Shelf Work
Many guides have expressed their frustrations of organizing an art Shelf with mediums & materials. Plus worry about students using it appropriately without overusing it. Fortunately, there is a method to stage an art shelf! You can set up the work, all while encouraging independent art learning. This can even complement other important Montessori lessons together.
I’m thrilled to share some ideas on staging an art shelf. Before diving into that, I’d like to share background on why stage an art lesson. I will also share the importance of setting up a staged art shelf.
Why Guides Struggle Art Shelf Work
“After traveling too numerous continents and visiting hundreds of Montessori schools worldwide, both AMS and AMI certified, I had the opportunity to observe firsthand the struggles teachers faced in presenting art lessons. It became evident that most schools did not have a designated art shelf in their classrooms.
While materials and nomenclature were organized for other subjects, art was often overlooked. This realization led me to understand why schools were struggling with offering art literacy. © 2024 Excerpt from: Montessori Art Elementary Guide – Second Plane 6-12 by Spramani Elaun
Occasionally, I did come across shelves that contained art materials, although without proper organization for student work. Motivated by this, I set out to create an art system that would emulate the aesthetics of an art studio, but within the confines of a staged shelf. Thus, my proprietary art staging system was born. A staged art shelf solves many challenges.
Art Staging System
Here are eleven compelling reasons why I recommend creating a staged art shelf. I do elaborate on each of these points in my book: Montessori Art Elementary Guide – Second Plane 6-12
- Ensures an art literacy program is happening in the classroom
- Represents all areas of art literacy
- Can support the artist process
- Supports sensory tactile learning
- Provides a framework for teaching an art lesson
- Helps students work independently
- Engages
- Stimulates the imagination and creative flow
- Provides flexibility for semi-motor control
- Supports choice
- Can track follow-up work
- Supports the Montessori Great Lessons
Learning to stage art lessons will make your students curious. They will get excited to experiment with each lesson you prepare. When it comes to staging art lessons, one of the key benefits is it helps you stay organized. Especially when you have a busy schedule. This staged area can support all areas of visual arts like : drawing, painting and crafting.
Organizing Mediums & Materials
It is important to create a dedicated shelf that remains accessible to your students. This shelf serves multiple purposes, such as showcasing examples of demos and presentations. Your students can reference your examples in demos. Additionally, you can set up anticipatory sets for future lessons.
Make sure all the necessary art materials are organized within this designated area. Consider selecting specific art mediums & materials to focus on isolated movements. For instance, you may choose to focus on paintbrush key lessons. For example painting can be the domain focus.
You will want to stage paints, paintbrushes, painting paper, wash jars and napkins to wipe the paintbrush off between each brushstroke. A staged art shelf is a great way to introduce your students to art mediums they can explore and investigate. A stage center point for art study.
It important to demonstrate to your students how to use a staged shelf and prepare it for the next student. By providing clear instructions and showing them the proper use and maintenance. You can foster independence and responsibility. If you would like to learn all the details to staging a proper Montessori art shelf, check out my training below.
Get training on:
Take this 1 hour Training, How-to Stage A Montessori Art Shelf
How to Stage A Montessori Art Shelf
In this 1-hour pre-recorded video, Spramani shares her: – Proprietary staging system for Montessori classrooms – How to stage to meet the arts standards – What types of materials to stage – How to support group and independent work, and much more!
Strategies For Organizing an Art Shelf Summary:
This blog highlights the importance of properly staging shelves in a Montessori classroom. With a specific focus on Organizing An Art Shelf with Mediums & Materials. Spramani Elaun shares her background and motivation for teaching the significance of setting up a well-organized art shelf. She emphasize the benefits of creating a staged art shelf, such as promoting art literacy, supporting independent work, and engaging students’ imagination and creativity. The blog also provides tips for setting up a staged art shelf, including ensuring all necessary materials are accessible and demonstrating proper use and maintenance to students. Plus a resource video training on how-to stage a Montessori art self. Overall, encourages Montessori guides to prioritize the effective staging of art shelves to enhance students’ art learning experiences.
Source: Montessori Art Elementary Guide – Second Plane 6-12 by Spramani Elaun
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