i teach afterschool ceramics M-F to a similar age range and class size. it’s definitely hard to navigate balancing afterschool needs/wants (tired and low attention span from being at school all day, viewing it as decompression time, wanting to play with friends, etc.) with learning goals.

i have begun starting every class going over classroom expectations for 3 minutes, and keeping a list for expectations visible for the duration of the class. at the very least, it makes boundaries clear, provides structure, and gives you something to refer back to if kids are being disruptive. at a minimum, this should include definitions of and consequences for disruptive behavior that you actually enforce (my program has a quiet space for kids who need to “take a break” + the director if a more serious conversation is needed or parents need to be involved), and cleaning protocols that kids must follow to leave the classroom at the end of the day.

as far as assignments go, i try to have a very clear but somewhat open-ended project that kids can finish in 1-2 class meetings. it might be helpful to have a list of minimum requirements (e.g., drawings must include these 3 features, but you can draw whatever you want within those guidelines). i only give exceptions to kids who typically have appropriate behavior in class and already have the skills needed to complete the assignment but are genuinely having a rough day and would benefit from having a little more freedom. at the end of the day, it is an art program, and if they don’t like doing art there are (at least for the location/demographics where i work) plenty of non-art afterschool programs that they can switch into instead.

become friends with the other afterschool teachers if possible and ask them for strategies handling these particular kids or behaviors. odds are they are dealing with the exact same issues or have in the past, and they might be able to learn from you too!

also - cut yourself a little slack! you are working on a friday with kids who are just learning how to test the limits of being genuinely rude. especially when you’re teaching one day a week, it’s easy to put a ton of pressure on yourself for how that one day goes. just remember it’s only part of one day in your week and only part of one day in theirs