It's a "Mat" ter of control

Do you have unruly students in your classes? How do you control those little ones that just want to turn somersaults through out the studio? How do you maintain some kind of control (or discipline) without feeling that you are the big bad bully?

To maintain a sense of order and control in my studio I have a class set of mats - all the same colour for the kids to sit and wiggle on to their hearts content. The mats give the children a boundary and give them the space they need to move until it's time to go the piano or participate in an off mat activity.

In the past I've had different coloured mats and sure enough someone would want the red one and all the red ones would be gone. Then there would be tears. So, I bought a set of yellow bath mats from IKEA for a reasonable amount.

A mat to sit upon gives your students room to wiggle, a boundary and you a feeling of fairness and guidelines for behavior in your classroom.