THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

WHAT TO DO IN THE LAST FIVE MINUTES OF CLASS

DR. JENNIFER FISHER

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS

WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE?

1. Introduction
2. Why the Final 5 Minutes Matter
3. What Doesn’t Work
4. What Does Work
5. Questions and Discussion

WHO AM I TO TALK?

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Jennifer Fisher, Ph.D.

Assistant Teaching Professor of Art Education

University of Missouri-St. Louis

Instructor, Missouri Scholars Academy

Former teacher in the

Potosi R-3 and Kingston K-14 School Districts

WHY THE FINAL 5 MINUTES MATTER

5 minutes

x 32 class meetings

= 160 minutes

= 4 40 minute class periods

“SIT QUIETLY AND WAIT”

• Doesn’t work!
• Invites students to entertain themselves in “creative” ways
• No student learning is taking place
• Isn’t realistic (As adults, how often do we sit quietly and wait without our cell phones or reading material?)
• Sometimes discourages student conversations during the down time (As adults, how often do we sit next to others in total silence?)

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THE PROBLEM WITH “FREE DRAW”

• Students waste supplies/encourages wastefulness
• Disengagement
• Limited student learning taking place, because…
• …very few students will busy themselves with “free draw”
• “Here! I made you this!” overload, because…
• …students aren’t invested in the artwork

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IF ONE STUDENT IS FINISHED EARLY

• If the work is sloppy, they need to keep working

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• BUT, If the work is done well, and they want to keep working to grow their skills, they need to be engaged!

-don’t give them more of the same work

-encourage them to work in more challenging ways

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• If they’re totally finished with the project here are some meaningful ways to engage them…

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COLLABORATIVE WEAVING

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Frontload this collaborative effort

by teaching all students to

contribute to the weaving at the

beginning of the school year

ART LIBRARY

Create a library within your

art room that features books

about famous artists,

how-to-draw books, age-

appropriate art history

texts, and books with

interesting visuals. Add a

cheap rug and a comfy

bean bag!

COLORING PAGES

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Yes. I’m serious.

FINISH-THE-SKETCH PAGES

Insert a finish-the-sketch prompt

KHAN ACADEMY

For older students, Khan Academy

can be a great source of art

history information. This free

resource has tons of videos

about artists, movements, and

cultures from around the world.

ART ACTIVITY BOOKS

• Doubles as emergency sub plans
• Incorporate age-appropriate

readings about famous artists and

artworks

• Include finish-the-sketch pages
• Include coloring pages
• Can double as the students’

sketchbooks

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QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Jennifer Fisher, Ph.D.

1 University Blvd.

206 Fine Arts Building

St. Louis, MO 63121

314.516.7822

fisherjc@umsl.edu

Facebook: UMSL Art

Twitter: @UMSLart

Instagram: @UMSLart

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