Clean Up Time

Tips for getting your students to successfully clean up on time.

Oh my goodness! Getting your students to clean up correctly and on time to move to their next class can be like pulling teeth! How do you get your kiddos to pack up their art supplies, put everything back in the correct place, and still be lined up in time for the bell or for their teacher to pick them up? Here are some of my tips and tricks. If you have any, feel free to share below.

Tip #1 - Make it obvious and do it early

At the beginning of the school year or semester is the best time to make it really straight forward what your expectations are. First class, try putting some random supplies around the tables and have students work together the organize them and put them away properly. You can go through any mistakes afterward, and make it kind of a game. Have students edit things around the room that are improperly placed, and if it doesn't go well, keep doing it until the students have it down.

Tip #2 - Try a clean up song

I worked with Mrs. Burman, a teacher in an elementary school who plays a specific song when it is time for students to start cleaning up. It is a two and a half minute long song. She gives verbal warning before she puts the song on, then plays it through once. She gives another verbal warning once the song ends that she will be playing the song again and they need to be cleaned up before the end of the song. After the second song, students need to be cleaned up, sitting at their tables, quietly awaiting instruction.

"They are like Pavlov's dogs when they hear the clean up song." – Mrs. Burman

This gives students a total of five minutes to clean up and be ready to line up. I have witnessed it. It really works.

Tip #3 - Reward a job well done

What with PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) being so common in schools now, many teachers are required to have strategies for rewarding positive behavior in students. So how can we have a reward system for clean up?

Mrs. Burman, (what an awesome teacher) already has a plan. After playing her clean up song, she has little red caps like those from soda bottle, that she gives out to tables that have fully cleaned up and are sitting quietly. There are 7 tables in her classroom, so students can earn up to 7 clean up caps in a class. This doesn't always happen of course. Sometimes students don't finish in time. There are two students at each table. If one of them is cleaned up, but the other is not, Mrs. Burman gives the cleaned up student verbal appreciation, "That you for cleaning up. Your space looks great." However, if the whole table isn't clean (this includes the table partner across the way), the table will not receive a clean up cap. You have to be strict about what a cleaned up table looks like, or students will learn that there is some variation in what is okay and what is not. Be very clear about your expectation, and if they aren't met, don't give the reward. Remind students that there is always next time.

But what is the point of earning these caps? Once a class earns 50 clean up caps, they earn an ARTY PARTY! During an arty party, Mrs. Burman wears her art jumpsuit that the students painted, and here is an artsy video playlist that plays while students make artwork or play art games. Students get really excited about ARTY PARTIES even though they are just having art class with videos. It's a perfect way to get them excited about cleaning up!

Tip #4 - Make it a video

Are things still not working out? Maybe students just aren't understanding the system, and they need another reminder. Have you considered making a fun video to show them what needs to happen? Here is a video I made to show students how things should look in our painting studio:

This is not my song! I have no claim to it in anyway. It is:

Jump n' Move Written by Jan Kincaid, Simon Bartholomew, Andrew Levy and Jamal-Ski (as Jamal

Mitchell)London Music Ltd / Warner/Chappell Music Australia Pty Ltd / Sony/ATV

Music Publishing UK / Roughneck Reality Music / Mudslide Music Performed by

The Brand New Heavies featuring Jamal-Ski (as Jamalski) Courtesy of Warner

Music UK Limited / Delicious Vinyl Records

Students love a bumpin' song. It was stuck in their heads all day, which reminded them of the painting video. In the video, I am very clear with expectations, and I give students a chance to think about what I am doing. It was fun to show it. The students got really into it, and the painting studio never looked better after class. Consider making your own video to get students engaged and give them ownership over their art space.

Tip #5 - Rinse and repeat

Still having trouble keeping your art classroom in order? If things aren't getting put away correctly, have a day where you recap expectations, and have them redo the cleanup over and over again until they all have it down. If the classroom is a mess when they line up, have them go back and start again. It may take time out of class, but it will help in the long run. Clear expectations are key.

Don’t Forget:

Remind students that this space is theirs as much as it is yours. Have them take some ownership of the space, and remind them that it makes their time more meaningful if their art room is clean and organized. Don't get discouraged. They will get it eventually!