Cleaning up

I have been busy throwing paper out and getting organisation in. It's still a long way to go. I have bought a desk so that I can finally have a study of sort. Or at least a corner that will just be for my work and when it finally gets here I can really get stuck into it.
Assessment organisation is mt downfall so I'm hoping I can get that under control with some databases that rely less on paper. I have already designed one for SENA 1 and 2 our primary maths assessments but I need to work out the bugs. Tomorrow is d-day. Straight into to classroom teaching as I missed the Friday professional development day. I have my day planned so hopefully it shall run smoothly.

Work ideas

I have been inspired by random encounters over the last few days. I think I might dig out my mum's old typewriter for spelling practise in class. The weight of the letter compared to the weight of a computer keyboard might be good for developing fine motor strength and also quite fun with immediate results.
Listening to Neil gaiman last night also proved inspirational but I think I would need an older grade. He read a story that was just answering questions and the whole time I was just imagining the questions. This would be a great exercise for kids but I'm not sure of the age group... I might just have to try it.

Holidays again

My idea to regularly post fell way by the wayside due to the manic nature of the year. Thankfully the holidays have rolled around again so I have time to dabble in a bit of fun. My new years resolution. Regular posting.

Preparation

The last minute preparation for work has begun. Here I am awake at 1am Saturday night gathering spelling words and sending resources via the net to my fellow stage buddies. I am sure that they are all tucked up in bed for the night but I've never been one for an early night. 
Today I also spent quite a lot of time printing and laminating resources for the class. The spelling words were a more urgent matter but the flashcards and desk labels were way more fun. 
In between working stints, I hedged the back garden, sanded the mouldy kids tables so it could be repainted, culled more rubbish stored in the garage and raced some cars around the playroom. I also ate way to many raspberry bullets so sleep would have been difficult based on being so full I could burst.
I'm productive at the moment. The deadline of work has made me do more stuff around the home but I also want to feel ready this year. If the clutter around me is minimized I'm hoping my brain will feel less cluttered and I will be more able to deal with the everyday chaos that will reign come Monday.


Teacher resources I have subscribed to that I'm finding quite handy are;


http://www.teachthis.com.au/
Especially for Australian teachers. Plenty of print and go games, lessons and resources.


http://www.mathsbuilder.com.au/
Again Australian based content with print and go worksheets, assessment tools and smartboard games.


I'm hoping that eventually i'll be able to link some of own teaching creations here. I'm not sure how... It is an experiment in technology. Not sure they'll be useful either, but you never can tell.

The end of holidays

I'm a wife, I'm a teacher and I'm a mother to 2 boys. I also try and keep some semblance of myself once all the other labels are finished. I have come to the end of my long school holidays and will be heading back into work next week. The end of the holidays comes with many feelings. Dread at having to get out of bed. Dread at the workload that comes with returning to teaching a class. Excitement for the challenges and lessons ahead and meeting up with colleagues. This year at least it won't be fear of something new. It is my second year so the initial fear of being the new kid on the block has softened somewhat. 

The biggest challenge though is the usual issue. That of spreading myself too thinly. Yet again I attempt to juggle too many things at once hoping desperately that I might be at least doing one of my labels well. My fingers and toes are crossed.