Why art is the missing tool in your classroom management strategy?

Every teacher knows the feeling. It's 11 AM on a Wednesday. The children are restless. Transitions are chaotic. Focus is scattered. You've tried reward charts, strict routines, even raising your voice—but nothing seems to work for long.

What if the solution isn't stricter discipline or more rules? What if it's something softer, more human, more ancient?

What if it's art?

The problem with traditional classroom management

Most classroom management strategies focus on control—controlling behaviour, controlling noise, controlling movement. But control is exhausting. It pits teacher against student. It creates resistance, not cooperation.

Research from the Journal of Classroom Interaction shows that punitive classroom management strategies increase stress for both teachers and students, leading to higher burnout rates and lower engagement (Osher et al., 2010). When we manage through force, we lose the very thing we're trying to create: a harmonious learning environment.

Art as regulation, not control

Art—music, movement, painting—doesn't control children. It regulates them. It meets them where they are emotionally and physically, and gently guides them toward focus, calm, and joy.

Consider this: A simple humming melody during a transition can shift the entire energy of a room. A few minutes of rhythmic movement can release pent-up energy and restore attention. A watercolour session can calm an overstimulated nervous system.

According to research published in Arts Education Policy Review, integrating arts into classroom routines significantly improves emotional regulation, reduces behavioural issues, and enhances academic performance (Ruppert, 2006). Art isn't a distraction from learning—it's a foundation for it.

The three pillars of art as pedagogy

1. Music: Tone, rhythm, and melody guide transitions, focus, and emotion. A teacher's voice becomes an instrument—soft when children need calm, rhythmic when they need direction.

2. Movement: Movement is the foundation for order, attention, and joy. Form drawing, circle games, and rhythmic activities help children embody learning and release restlessness constructively.

3. Painting & Colour: Colour and form are tools to calm, focus, and renew energy. Wet-on-wet watercolour painting, for example, soothes the nervous system and cultivates patience and presence.

Why Indian classrooms need this now?

India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 calls for holistic, experiential, and arts-integrated education. Yet many classrooms still rely on rote learning and rigid discipline. The gap between policy and practice is wide—but art can bridge it.

Our children are overstimulated, over-scheduled, and under-nourished emotionally. They don't need more worksheets. They need rhythm. They need beauty. They need art.

What Teachers Are Saying

Teachers trained in art-based pedagogy report profound shifts: calmer classrooms, deeper student engagement, less teacher burnout, and more joy in teaching. One teacher from Balsam Academy shared, "I used to dread transitions. Now, with music and movement, they've become the most beautiful part of our day."

Ready to Transform Your Classroom?

This November, Sankalpam School of Thought is offering a 4-session webinar series:

Art as Pedagogy – Music, Movement, and Painting as Classroom Management Tools.

Dates: November 4, 7, 11, 18

Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM IST

Investment: ₹399 for all 4 sessions

Learn how to use music, movement, and painting to create a classroom that feels less like a battleground and more like a sanctuary.

Register here: www.sankalpamschoolofthought.com/teacher-webinar-series

References:

• Osher, D., Bear, G. G., Sprague, J. R., & Doyle, W. (2010). How can we improve school discipline? Educational Researcher, 39(1), 48-58.

• Ruppert, S. S. (2006). Critical evidence: How the arts benefit student achievement. Arts Education Policy Review, 107(5), 35-36.