Art Teacher 101: Rainbow Club Today!

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Rainbow Club Today!

My students love Rainbow Club Day! It allows for each student to choose an activity they want to be involved in for the entire class period ranging from play-doh, Lego's and blocks, free draw, and coloring sheets to color science activities, oil pastels, drawing chalk, paint, origami, paper airplanes, and puzzles. Students have the entire month to earn points and reach the top of the rainbow chart with the ultimate goal of all choices available to the class. The great thing about each activity is that it allows practice for important art skills, so even though we are having fun, we are still learning and practicing.

How to Earn Rainbow Club Points

Students start the day with 0 points and hope to spell the word ART and earn 5 points by the end of the 30 minute class. Classes can earn the letter “A” at the start (first 2-3 minutes of class) by walking down the hallway and entering the art room quietly. It also includes sitting down immediately and quietly in their assigned seats (1 point).

Students earn “R” during the middle of class time for following all classroom rules; quietly working, raising hands and taking turns speaking (no blurting), and using art supplies responsibly (2 points).

Students earn “T” at the end of class for cleaning up immediately when asked, putting all supplies away properly, and lining up quietly when colored table is called (1 point). If class earns all 3 letters “ART”, the class then receives a bonus point for a total of 5 Rainbow Club points at the end of art class. The total number of points is recorded in my white binder on the counter at the front of the room, under the tab “Rainbow Club”. Once a class earns a letter, I move it from the bottom of the marker board to the top of the marker board to show that the letter has been earned.

Each month will have two rainbow club “free” days in art (1 blue day and 1 white day) at the end of the month. Whatever level that class has reached will be the choices that class has for their “free” day in art. For example, if 1C only reaches green at the end of September on rainbow club “free” day, this class may only choose free projects from the green, yellow, orange and red strips of the rainbow. Because 1C only reached green, their class may NOT choose any items from the blue or purple areas of the rainbow. Although, if 1C reached purple on the rainbow chart with 30 points total, than 1C may choose any or all of the items from the rainbow club list.