Miss Art of Teaching

Today, I decided to check out both Kmart and Target. Both played around with rose gold and had a similar pricing point.  Target focused on a marble x rose gold fusion. It is part of their Victorian rose gold collection. Price points started from $3-$10 Aud. The pricing seems quite fair and reminds me of the Aldi back to school sale earlier in the year. Aldi had staplers and tape dispenser around the same price point $8-10 Aud. They also had rose gold magazine dividers and pen holders. Kmart's rose gold collection played more with polka dots and the brown bag look. I quite like the folder except the material isn't suitable for wear and tear. It will get dirty quite easily. I love the long notepad that is designed to be placed beneath the keyboard. It retails for $3 Aud and it is a weekly planner. Overall, I think Target's marble x rose gold theme looks more sophisticated.  Although Kmart was a bit weak with their rose gold stationary selection, it made up f...

I have been taking my classes out due to the broken heater in my classroom. Sometimes it can be difficult juggling all the resources. I do have helpers but I want a neater system. I found a solution... $5 Aud storage boxes from the garage section at Bunnings.  I love how the case is clear so it's easy to see what is inside. It is quite generous in size (space and length). The dividers can be removed as well allowing flexibility in the way you may want to store specific items. With one of the boxes, I can stock it up with 1 x pastel pencil set, 2 x watercolour pencil sets, 1 x pencil set, 1 x graphite pencil set, 1 x posca pen set and some random pens. The pastel pencils, watercolour pencils and pens are from my own home collection. The rest are school property. I think teaching is the only job where you steal from your home! I have shared this teacher storage option on the 'Relief Teaching Ideas Community' Facebook group. It will make the lives of teachers easier as th...

Kikki.K is one of my favorite shops. It is a Swedish stationary brand founded by Kristina Karlsson. Besides being aesthetically pleasing to the eye their designs work well for the classroom teacher.  Today, I walked into the store to spend my $10 rewards birthday voucher. I was contemplating on what I needed in the classroom. I ended up purchasing the pencil shape notepad. I plan to laminate them and let students write on top of it for a lesson activity. If it is laminated the surface is almost like a whiteboard. I can also have words/procedures/names of artists/art movements on them and let students rearrange it into the correct order.  At the same time, I can use it as a classroom decoration by making it into a bunting.  I was very close to buying this massive sand timer. The RRP price is $20. I like it quite a bit but I have the smaller version. I spent some time today looking for a storage system for my scalpel knives. Students will be starting their...

Sometimes teaching can really take a toll on our wellbeing. I have been mentally exhausted due the tension in my senior class. I am constantly reflecting on what I can do better as a teacher. I value opportunities to grow as a teacher but at times it is also quite draining. Keeping up with what other teachers have to deal with on a daily basis has made me feel less alone. And you might ask...how? Speak to your co-workers and join relevant teaching Facebook pages. It provides you with an insight on the daily challenges that teachers battle. But it also reminds you why this profession is rewarding.  I have been quite jealous of the 'Teacher Appreciation Week' in America. Schools in Australia do not have a week dedicated to teachers. Actually I don't think we even set aside a day to appreciate what educators do but my daily conversations with my students remind me why I love my job even when sometimes it is also the same students who break my heart into a million tiny piece...

The last day of school is usually a breeze. The classes tend to be a bit smaller as not all students make the effort to go to school on the last day of the term. I try to use a bit of class time to organise the room to make it easier for myself when I return to work.  The start to my morning was horrible. I was stuck in a traffic jam that lasted for 1 hr and 10 mins. Usually it takes me 20-30 mins to get to work but today there was a major car accident just before the highway exit. I was a bit worried about getting to work late. The recent rain has made half the car park an unpleasant place to park. I had to drive my car through a pit of wet dirt to get through to the other side. For a minute, my car refused to move and I had to hit my accelerate hard. My demountable is adjacent to the car park so I could see my students as I was struggling to park.  Classes today were quite pleasant. All classes continued on with their practical artworks. While students were working, I wou...