The Beauty of Bell Work: How to Use Bell Work in Art Class

Bell ringer, bell work or do now are all essentially the same thing. Bell work is a short activity that students can complete independently and quietly after the bell rings. The main purpose is to get students on task and in the mindset for my class. Here’s how to use bell work in art class.

Why is bell work important?

It is a great way to calm students and engage the part of the brain they need to learn in my class. The task should be meaningful and crucial to art. It can prepare them for the day’s learning, review past lessons or be a warm up to get them thinking creatively.

What is the purpose of a bell ringer?

Bell ringers give me and my students time to transition from period to period. They get settled, chat with their friends, get their supplies and get into the creative mindset.

I take attendance, pass out materials, or get presentations ready. The first five minutes of class can be hectic, it is better if everyone is busy and on task while I meet with a student who was absent or just simply catch my breath.

How long should bell work take?

Five minutes. I set a timer for 5 minutes. Actually I assign a student the job to set the timer. The students have the visual and an alarm is a great way to grab the attention of the students so I can begin my lesson.

My favorite art bell work

Bell work example page — Example of page of bell work I created. (Click to enlarge)

So, what do you use for art bell work. I’ve used a few things over the years and my new favorite is printed pages I designed that incorporate art history, criticism and literacy elements, as well as skill and technique sections all onto one page.

I made 36 pages (which for me covers a whole year of teaching). Each page is meant to last a week and includes five short activities. The five sections include: personal reflection, drawing skills and techniques, art history, creative thinking and art criticism. Each page features an artwork of the week that the art history and art criticism questions focus on.

I assign one section of the page every day, so meeting 5 times a week, we finish one page in a week. With each sheet my students learn about different art genres, art careers, art vocabulary and art history as well as practice creativity, technical skills, self reflection and art criticism.

I really enjoy this bell ringer, because it covers a lot of content in just 5 minutes a day. I’m including a picture of one of the pages if you’re interested in creating something similar, or you can click here to check out the bundle I have available.

Using sketch prompts as bell work

Sketch prompts are another great idea to use as bell work. My younger students use a sketchbook and make an entry everyday.

how to use bellwort in art class — Student bell work using daily sketch prompts.

I post the prompt of the day on the whiteboard. I also post the list of prompts for the week for students who miss a day. Trying to come up with prompts every morning was just another task I had to do each day and I had no record of the prompts for student who wanted to make up bell work, etc. So, I planned 40 weeks of bell work in one sitting, which took a few hours. This was the easiest solution to keep all the themes and prompts fresh in my mind. Each week is basically a different theme. I used PowerPoint and changed the slide size to 8.5 X11 so I could print the file and project it. This is the format I used.

Week 1: Draw something that is the color…
MONDAY – red
TUESDAY – yellow
WEDNESDAY – violet
THURSDAY – turquoise
FRIDAY – silver

The following weeks theme might be “draw something that starts with the letter…” and each day is a different letter. The next week might be “draw something that is a ___ shape” and each day is a different shape.

The prompts are intentionally very vague. I ask my students to think of this as a creativity exercise and draw the most unusual response. I tell them to draw for the full 5 minutes. If they finish before 5 minutes, they can add texture, detail, shading, color or a background. Just keep sketching! If you are interested in the drawing prompts you can find them on my TPT store. I have created 2 versions which I alternate year to year.

1st edition is available here.

2nd edition is available here.

Using worksheets as bell work

student working on art worksheets as bellwort — Student working on art worksheets as bell work

My older students work in a binder we filled at the beginning of the year with worksheets about drawing exercises and techniques.

I created 30 worksheets, and I assign one each week. It has been a great way to cover a lot of skills in one year. Often the worksheet relates to our current lesson, sometimes it is review. The worksheets take about 25 minutes to complete, which make it perfect for bell work. The students spend 5 minutes everyday working on the worksheet and I check to see it is complete at the end of the week. Check out the 30 page art worksheet bundle here.

I love bell work and the many benefits it has for the students and my own sanity

Thanks for checking out my post – Trista

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Related: Click here to read my How to Use Art Worksheets blog.

Related: Click here to read my Early Finishers Art Activities Ideas blog.

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I’ve been teaching art for over 20 years and I love it!

I have taught every grade from kindergarten to high school. This site features art education articles with art resources and ideas as well as art lesson ideas for all ages. My goal is to allow students to explore a variety of art materials, discover different genres and styles, and most importantly, have FUN!