A Spring Clean in the Spring Holidays

Here in beautiful, south-east Queensland, it is school spring holidays . Yeah! Not only do I have my own lads home on holidays to enjoy, but it is time to refresh and recharge the batteries before facing the last busy term of the school year.

I also enjoy the process of a good old-fashioned spring clean:
......spring clean my ideas,
......spring clean my strategies,
......spring clean my class files and storage systems.

In starting with my zany pencil case and all the odds and ends stored here, I thought I would share a few of my life's essential contained in this case. Apart from all the usual items you would find in a pencil case, I couldn't be without my red, blue, green and yellow hard plastic pop-sticks. They are a fantastic tool for quickly sorting children into groups as well as allowing small groups to take turns fairly and monitoring points given in a game situation. I am always thinking of new uses for these handy little inclusions.


A few small, shiny, coloured crystals fall form the corner of the case. Note to self: I must add more of these! When a class is working well and don't want to distract from the learning environment but I do want to affirm a student's behaviour, I simply place a crystal on their work. As relief staff, I may not know every one's name and this is another way around that issue if the class is new. At the conclusion of the lesson, I gather the people with the crystal awards and suitably reward them for their work. The crystals are given back to me. At other times I may give the responsibility to one child to be a "secret spy" if the class is to move off to assembly or perhaps the library. The secret spy is given three crystals and has the responsibility to award them to three worthy class members. If the spy chooses wisely, they too ,have a crystal on their desk as a reward. Again the crystals are returned at the end of the day. Another strategy, is using the crystal to acknowledge people who wish to contribute ideas to a group discussion or hands on activity but have to wait their turns. I know who is next by the crystals!

Lastly, I have used crystals to heal a broken heart! When held in a hand or deep in a
uniform pocket, they can give the owner the power to overcome their troubles and allow happiness to return! It is not just little girls who like coloured bling! Hee,hee! ( The only warning I have is that if using these in younger classes, a child doesn't put the crystal into their mouth!)

Magnetic pegs, my calculator, my double dice, my digital timer that needs replacing from overwork, my favourite Koosh ball and a gorgeous purple gel pen all tumble form the case only to returned clean and ready for term 4.... the final term full of all the Christmas busy-ness How I make good use of these items and more are all in "Relief Insight" Handbook for Teachers.

For now I must get ready for our family adventure to the Gold Coast and the beautiful Gold Coast Hinterlands. With three sons and a husband who loves to explore in our 4WD, life is always an adventure rather than a holiday. I know we are going top be living, laughing and learning these holidays! Wish us luck!

Live, laugh and learn!
Blessings for your teaching journey....
Carmel