Why Routine Matters
How Bell Ringers Improve Classroom Management
Classroom management in the art room is often framed around materials, cleanup procedures, and behavior expectations. But research consistently shows that one of the most powerful tools for managing any classroom, including art, is far simpler: routine.
When students know what to expect the moment they walk into class, everything changes. Transitions are smoother. Focus increases. Disruptions decrease. And one of the most effective ways to establish that sense of predictability is through a daily bell ringer. In my classroom, we call them Journals.
What Research Says About Routine
Educational research has long emphasized that predictable classroom structures support student success. Studies on classroom management and cognitive load show that when students do not have to spend mental energy figuring out procedures, they have more capacity available for learning.
Routines help by:
Reducing anxiety and uncertainty
Supporting executive functioning
Increasing on-task behavior
Minimizing transition time
In other words, when students know exactly what happens first in class, they arrive mentally prepared instead of reactive.
The Power of the First Five Minutes in the Art Room
The beginning of class sets the emotional and behavioral tone for everything that follows. Without a routine, those first minutes in the art room are often filled with questions like:
What are we doing today?
Where do I sit?
Do I need supplies?
Can I talk?
Those questions are not signs of disinterest. They are signs that students are seeking structure.
A bell ringer answers those questions silently and immediately, before paint is poured, clay is passed out, or supplies are touched.
When students enter and see a consistent, familiar task waiting for them, they shift into learning mode faster. The room settles more quickly. The teacher gains time and attention without raising their voice.
Bell Ringers Reduce Management Issues in Art Class
One of the most overlooked benefits of bell ringers is how many management problems they prevent before they begin.
A strong art room bell ringer:
Gives students a clear task upon entry
Limits wandering and social drift
Prevents idle time, which often leads to disruption
Establishes expectations without verbal reminders
Instead of repeating directions or redirecting behavior, the art teacher can greet students, take attendance, prep materials, or check in with individuals while the class is already engaged.
Consistency Builds Student Independence in the Art Room
Routine is not about control. It is about independence.
When students know that every class begins with a bell ringer, they stop asking what to do. They stop waiting for instructions. They start taking ownership of the first moments of class.
Over time, this consistency builds:
Responsibility
Confidence
Self-regulation
Students learn how to enter, begin, and focus without constant reminders.
Why Bell Ringers Work Across All Grade Levels
Bell ringers are effective in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms because they tap into a universal need for structure.
For younger students, routines provide safety and clarity around expectations and materials. For older students, routines reduce resistance and power struggles by removing ambiguity about how class begins.
In art classrooms especially, bell ringers help manage materials, mindsets, and transitions by grounding students before hands-on work begins. They signal that art class is purposeful, focused, and structured, even when creativity is open-ended.
The Takeaway for Art Teachers & How Art Class Digest Can Help
If classroom management feels exhausting, the solution may not be stricter rules or louder reminders. It may be a stronger routine.
A daily bell ringer:
Sets the tone for learning
Focuses attention immediately
Reduces unnecessary questions
Supports calm, predictable classroom flow
When students know how class begins, everything else becomes easier.
Routine is not rigid. It is reliable. And reliability is one of the greatest classroom management tools we have.
