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Back to School in the Art Room
A Simple Guide for Art Teachers, Classroom Teachers, Homeschoolers & Studio Instructors
Start the school year feeling organized, inspired, and ready to create.
Whether you teach kindergarten artists, sixth graders, homeschool co-ops, or students in an art studio, the beginning of a new year can feel overwhelming. There are supplies to sort, lessons to plan, classrooms to arrange, and about a thousand other little details all competing for your attention.
Here’s the good news. You don’t have to do everything at once.
This guide will walk you through, one small step at a time.
Table of Contents
- Reset your mindset
- Walk through your space
- Art supply check
- Organize student materials
- Set up your teaching spaces
- Arrange tables and seating
- Display inspiration
- Organize your teacher area
- Plan the first month
- Prepare student helpers
- Simple systems that save time
- Ready, set, create
1. Reset Your Mindset
Instead of trying to make your classroom Pinterest-perfect, aim for a functional space first. Trust me, your art room will grow with your students.
Ask yourself:
✔ Can my students find what they need?
✔ Can they clean up easily?
✔ Is there room to display artwork?
✔ Will I enjoy teaching here?
Being perfect is impossible. Being prepared is enough.
2. Walk Through Your Art Room
Before opening a single box and starting to unpack…
Stand at your art room door and imagine you’re a brand-new student.
Can you immediately find:
• where to sit?
• where art supplies belong?
• where finished work can go?
• where to wash paint brushes?
• where students can line up (if necessary)?
Thinking about these things now will prevent many questions later.
3. Art Supply Check
Paper
Make sure you have enough of the following:
□ Drawing paper (Sulphite)
□ Construction paper
□ Watercolour paper
□ Cardstock
□ Scrap paper
Store paper flat whenever possible.
Drawing Supplies
Check your supply bins to see if you have enough:
□ Pencils
□ Erasers
□ Black permanent markers
□ Washable markers
□ Pencil crayons
□ Crayons
Painting Supplies
Sort through all of your:
□ Tempera paint
□ Watercolours
□ Paint palettes/paper plates
□ Messy mats
□ Brushes
□ Water containers
□ Paper towels
Be sure to throw away dried-up paint and frayed brushes (or save them for found object sculpture projects).
Adhesives
Check and restock:
□ White glue
□ Glue sticks
□ Tape
Extras
Don’t forget about:
□ Scissors
□ Clay (air dry or kiln-fired)
□ Modeling clay
□ Yarn
□ Tissue paper
□ Craft sticks
□ Pipe cleaners
□ Sponges
□ Texture tools (found objects)
Art Teacher Tip
Keep one hidden emergency supply box just for yourself. Your students never need to know about your secret stash. It’s a great way to prevent being caught off guard.
4. Organize Student Materials
Try organizing materials by category, because the quicker and easier your students can access supplies, the less time you’ll spend answering the question, “Where is the…?”
Drawing Center
- Pencils
- Markers
- Pencil Crayons
- Erasers
Painting Center
- Brushes
- Paint
- Water containers
- Aprons
- Messy mats
Cutting & Gluing
- Scissors
- Glue
- Tape
- Scrap paper
Label everything, even if your students can’t read yet. And remember, pictures can help younger artists become independent.
5. Set Up Your Teaching Spaces
Think about how students move around in your art room.
You may want areas for:
- Whole-group instruction
- Independent work
- Drying artwork
- Supply stations
- Finished artwork to display
- Early finisher activities
Think ahead to try to eliminate traffic jams later.
6. Arranging Tables and Seating
There really isn’t one perfect setup, so the best way to determine how to arrange the tables/desks in your art room is to think about how you teach, how your room is laid out, and what furniture you are able to access.
Tables
Tables are great for:
- collaboration
- sharing supplies
- group discussions
Rows
Rows can be helpful for:
- giving drawing demonstrations
- using technology
- separating challenging students
U-Shape (my favourite)
The U-Shape configuration is wonderful for:
- teacher demonstrations
- conversations
- seeing everyone’s work
- easily accessing students to offer help or encouragement
7. Displays
Your walls don’t have to be perfect on day one, so don’t rush to get everything done at once.
It’s always a safe bet to choose from posters that cover the elements of art, a colour wheel, artist quotes, student expectations and artwork examples.
And, be sure to leave plenty of room for student creations because nothing makes an art room feel more alive than student artwork.
Make the room work for you.
8. Organize Your Teaching Area
Your teaching/demonstration space should work for you and should include:
✔ Your lesson plans
✔ Attendance sheets (if needed)
✔ Your demonstration supplies
✔ A camera (optional)
✔ Sticky notes
✔ Labels (optional)
✔ Extra markers
Tip: Create a “Today” basket with everything needed for each class, so you don’t have any last-minute panic searches.
9. Plan Your First Month
Don’t reinvent the wheel. Inside The KinderArt Club, you already have everything you need to teach during your first weeks.
Week One
Focus on:
• Getting to know your students
• Learning classroom routines
• Introducing fun, confidence-building projects
• Sharing simple drawing activities
Week Two
Introduce:
- Line
- Shape
- Classroom expectations
- Art vocabulary
Week Three
Add:
- Color
- Painting
- Mixed media
Week Four
Begin:
- More involved projects
- Collaborative artwork
- Student choice
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