How to move classrooms with less stress


Are you moving classrooms at the end of the year?

This can be one of the most stressful times in even the most experienced teacher's life. You have everything set up how you want it (often how you need it!) and now you're being asked to pack up all of your worldly belongings and shift them to the other end of the school. It feels like moving house, except you don't get to pick the house, when you move or even the movers!

How to move classrooms with less stress. 5 easy steps teachers can take to help them with end of year classroom pack up and tidy.
It doesn't have to be too stressful though.

Here are my 5 tips for making a smooth transition to your new classroom.


1. Start stripping your walls early. 

How to move classrooms with less stress. 5 easy steps teachers can take to help them with end of year classroom pack up and tidy.
I know your room looks pretty, what with all those wonderful pieces of artwork made by the students and your carefully cut and arranged bulletin board, but it all needs to go. Most schools require the walls to be completely stripped of all blu-tak, staples and pins - leaving the walls completely washed down and clean for the next teacher. I realise this can feel like a huge task but just think of how you would want the walls to look when you go into your new room. Leave your room in a state you'd wish to find it in yourself. So start early. Students do pick up on the 'end of school' vibe once that learning wall is packed away but seriously.. who are you kidding! You and your students both know the heavy duty learning is over and it's time to wrap things up, so don't be afraid to start a little earlier than normal.

2. Get your students to help. 

Students have lots of energy, and teachers are often feeling exhausted at the end of the year, so why not take advantage of this by getting them to help out. Get those tall students stripping the hard to reach pins on the wall (without standing on a chair of course!) and those bright students that love a 'task' so set them up with any sorting activities (sorting pins, piles of blu-tak etc.. ). Students will be more engaged and on-task if you find a job to included them. It is their classroom as well remember.

3. Do you really need that?

Seriously. DO. YOU. NEED. THAT? I know you're going to use it one day but.. when is that actually going to happen? I keep an expanding file with all my bulletin board materials stored in it, organised by terms so that I have my learning materials ready (this is the real beauty of teaching for many years on the same year level!). Do you have extra copies of handouts? Keep one on file and throw out the rest. Do you have piles of student work? Check your school policy on retention of records (ours is 5 years) and only keep what you need to, label and place into boxes. Make sure you take any assessment pieces to the shredder - never to the bin! Be ruthless! If you haven't used that item/worksheet/activity in the last 2 years you're never going to use it. Take it home and store it there (that's a whole other blog post!).

How to move classrooms with less stress. 5 easy steps teachers can take to help them with end of year classroom pack up and tidy.

4. Get some busy work handy early on.

Keep your students busy so you can focus on the clean up and organisation. My students are always either working on their Farewell Folders or their Christmas Card Art. Depending on the school, sometimes movies are allowed (my school only allows them if they are related to the curriculum). There was always a hundred different things we were going to watch that we ran out of time for during the year. Now is THAT time my friend! ABC iView has a great range of curriculum friendly videos and older students will enjoy exploring My Place which has an interactive website and short movies to watch.

5. Label everything!

This last one goes without saying really, but I'll say it anyway! Write your name on everything. I don't just mean your pencil box I mean on the back of posters, on each letter of your bulletin board display, on boxes of assessment and on sticky notes taped firmly to your personal belongs that are moving to your new room. Things do get lost - often. I have often found the odd poster or piece of lettering that lost its way to its new home, but without a name on the back it often goes in the bin. Name it or lose it.

How to move classrooms with less stress. 5 easy steps teachers can take to help them with end of year classroom pack up and tidy.

Moving can be stressful but just remember the joy you'll have of setting up a new learning environment at the start of next year! Now THAT IS fun!

How to move classrooms with less stress. 5 easy steps teachers can take to help them with end of year classroom pack up and tidy.  #foundationintofirst #teachers #endofyear #classroom

Christmas Food Crafts For Kids

Christmas food crafts for kids that are super easy to make this holiday season! Perfect for  primary school teachers to take into the classroom during the last week of school or any holiday celebrations.

I'm in no way a crafty person. Nor am I good in the kitchen. But I love involving kids in some fun Christmas craftivity and making something they can eat as well is just a bonus (but trying to get them to stop eating it before it is finished can be difficult!). It goes without saying that I don't condone bringing sugary treats into the classroom but... it's Christmas! It's not like it happens every day - right?

Christmas food crafts for kids that are super easy to make this holiday season! Perfect for  primary school teachers to take into the classroom during the last week of school or any holiday celebrations.

I saw two ideas, one on Pinterest and one in a Coles brochure, for Christmas trees and thought I'd road test them both and tell you which one is easiest to make (note: if you're in any way crafty you'll probably already know the answer to this just by looking at the pictures!). 

Christmas food crafts for kids that are super easy to make this holiday season! Perfect for  primary school teachers to take into the classroom during the last week of school or any holiday celebrations.

I gathered my ingredients and put on my bravest face without showing any fear to the children "Let's make Christmas Trees!". 


Christmas food crafts for kids that are super easy to make this holiday season! Perfect for  primary school teachers to take into the classroom during the last week of school or any holiday celebrations.

Firstly, Christmas Tree Cones. The kids were super keen to 'have a go' but I needed to add the icing on it first. I would recommend dipping the cones in icing rather than trying to spread it on the cones (they were a bit fragile). Pre-prepared iced cones that are set would be better and make the cones stronger but you'll need to find a way to make the candy stick to the cone with icing.  

Christmas food crafts for kids that are super easy to make this holiday season! Perfect for  primary school teachers to take into the classroom during the last week of school or any holiday celebrations.

Next the kids managed to put the decorations on the tree themselves. This bit was so much fun and took the kids a long time to play around with. I recommend doing these over a tray to catch all the mess though. 

Christmas food crafts for kids that are super easy to make this holiday season! Perfect for  primary school teachers to take into the classroom during the last week of school or any holiday celebrations.

The kids ate them as soon as they were done and I was thankful because they were messy!

Next we tried the Brownie Christmas Trees. 

Christmas food crafts for kids that are super easy to make this holiday season! Perfect for  primary school teachers to take into the classroom during the last week of school or any holiday celebrations.

These were by far the easiest to put together! The hardest bit was opening the candy canes from their wrapping! 

I baked the brownies, let them cool and then cut them into triangles. After that I dribbled on some icing and handed them to the kids. They attached the Smarties and pushed a broken candy cane into the base. We then dusted them with icing sugar. I'm definitely going to make these ones again as they were so easy and looked impressive when done!

Christmas food crafts for kids that are super easy to make this holiday season! Perfect for  primary school teachers to take into the classroom during the last week of school or any holiday celebrations. #techteacherpto3 #foundationintofirst

Have you ever tried these two ideas? Do you have another easy edible Christmas tree craft for kids? If so, add it as a link in the comments.  

7 Gifts under $25 that teachers will love!

Teacher Christmas gift ideas. Stationery, books, personalised bottles and more! Find out what your teacher wants this holiday season!

If you are teacher giving a gift to another teacher (secret Santa anybody?) or just a parent who wants to say 'thanks' to your child's teacher, then you're going to love this list of gifts teachers will really want.

Teachers don't want highly expensive gifts, really.. it can be embarrassing and awkward for other parents/teachers. Often our school policy doesn't allow us to accept gifts over $200, so why make everybody uncomfortable. A gift is a token of your gratitude to the other person, so this list is made up of gifts under $25.

I'm a classroom teacher, I work with other teachers, my friends are teachers... I know what teachers want.. here is our letter to Santa.

1. HANDMADE GIFTS

Teacher Christmas gift ideas. Stationery, books, personalised bottles and more! Find out what your teacher wants this holiday season!

Never underestimate the power of handmade gifts. I once received a handmade Christmas ornament by a crafty fellow teacher and I still put that decoration on the tree each year. One of my students gave me a cartoon drawing of the whole class with me in it and I've still got that! People really treasure handmade gifts as there is often a lot of love and thought that goes into them. Even just an old (clean) jar with some baking ingredients and a recipe can go a long way. You can see a selection of wonderful handmade gifts at the Organised Housewife

2. TEACHER BY GABBIE STROUD

Teacher Christmas gift ideas. Stationery, books, personalised bottles and more! Find out what your teacher wants this holiday season!

I'm currently reading this book and will write a short review soon, but I can already tell this is going to be a touching journey. Gabbie is an ex-teacher and has written about the ups and downs of life as a teacher. This book is a MUST for teachers everywhere. If you're a teacher giving to another teacher, don't worry if you think they may already have this book... I'm sure they will find a home easily for it with another fellow teacher. Click here for more information.

3. A PERSONALISED WATER BOTTLE

Teacher Christmas gift ideas. Stationery, books, personalised bottles and more! Find out what your teacher wants this holiday season!

This is another wonderful idea teachers love. Personalised anything is great for a busy classroom. I can't tell you how many times I've picked up a student's water bottle that happens to look like mine! Or have left a water bottle in a staff meeting room. These water bottles are under $15 and you can make it as bright and colourful as you'd like. For more information click here

4. PERSONALISED TEACHER NOTEPADS

Teacher Christmas gift ideas. Stationery, books, personalised bottles and more! Find out what your teacher wants this holiday season!


As teachers, having your name on something is more than just pretty, it's essential. It's so handy to have personalised property and notes are always being written and passed around. This would make a another wonderful gift idea for any teacher. For more information click here

5. A TEACHERS PAY TEACHERS GIFT CARD

Teacher Christmas gift ideas. Stationery, books, personalised bottles and more! Find out what your teacher wants this holiday season!

Teachers are always spending their own money on teaching materials and a TpT gift card is treated as gold for any resource-savvy teacher! You can set any amount on there that you'd like (it's far more discrete if you want to break the $25 gift-giving-threshold). Click here to find out more.

6. STATIONERY SETS

Teacher Christmas gift ideas. Stationery, books, personalised bottles and more! Find out what your teacher wants this holiday season!

We really can never get enough of stationery... we really can't! Every now and then a thoughtful parent will give me a small set of pins, bulldog clips, stables etc.. in a handy container and every year I use them all up! Especially if they are pretty! We teachers are always creating bulletin board displays and pinning student work up, we really need this item and again it saves us money because otherwise we'd buy it ourselves. Click here to find out more. 

7. TEACHER'S SWEAR BOOK

Teacher Christmas gift ideas. Stationery, books, personalised bottles and more! Find out what your teacher wants this holiday season!

This one made me laugh and, depending on your teacher, they would see the funny side of this as well. Teachers cannot swear in the classroom, so this little colouring book contains all the 'other' words we use instead such as 'fudge!'and 'Geez Louise!' and will give your teacher a good giggle. Click here to find out more about this book. 

What teacher gifts do you love giving or receiving?

Teacher Christmas gift ideas. Stationery, books, personalised bottles and more! Find out what your teacher wants this holiday season! #foundationintofirst #blog #teacherblog #christmas #gifts

Book Review: POW MAN - putting a positive spin on bullying

Book review: POW MAN - putting a positive spin on pulling! This text for primary school children, helps students develop a strategic approach to bullying in school.

I was recently asked to review a new book by Dave POW Tabain and Nadia Worland called POW MAN. A book that teaches children how to unleash the hero within. As soon as the book arrived, I quickly read it and then gave it the TRUE test of quality by passing it to my three children.

13 Year old - it's too babyish for me
11 Year old - it's great!
9 Year old - loved it!

After reviewing the contents again with my teacher's hat on, I felt this book definitely fits nicely into primary grades 2 through 5.

Book review: POW MAN - putting a positive spin on pulling! This text for primary school children, helps students develop a strategic approach to bullying in school.

Essentially the story revolves around a young boy, Dave POW Tabain, his school friends and a bully at school. In order to help his friend Stu, who is bullied by Johno and his crew, Dave comes up with a 3 point plan - the POW Plan.

One of the things I really loved about this book is the language used by the writers. When I tested this book out with my own classroom students, they all enjoyed the slang words used such as "OMG!" and "told ya!" which gave the book a sense of realism for the situation Dave and his friends would encounter. It appears to be set in an Australian school, which also helped my students make a deeper connection to the characters.

The book is filled with cartoon-type illustrations, similar to other books for this age group, and is a gentle read with a powerful message. With bullying in and out of schools becoming a major issue, this book is well timed for pre-teens. Nadia Worland seems to have some great credentials for this topic as she has worked both as a teacher and facilitator for Positive Partnerships. Co-author Dave POW Tabain also has a good grounding as a motivational speaker and past kettle-ball champion.

The plan, that is revealed in the book, takes students through a step-by-step realistic solution to the bullying problem that Stu encounters. Being easy to read, realistic and down-to-earth, I feel this book is perfect to include in your classroom discussions around bullying.

The book can be purchased from various Australian bookshops or directly for the POW MAN website and teaching materials are also available through the publisher.


Christmas Around the World: Australia

Christmas around the world. Christmas in Australia. Learn how this holiday season is celebrated in Australia.


 I've lived in many different countries but nothing beats a Christmas in Australia!

Australians are a fun loving bunch of people and Christmas is a time to relax and have fun with friends and family. 

Christmas around the world. Christmas in Australia. Learn how this holiday season is celebrated in Australia.

Christmas preparations start as early as late October and by early November all stores are stocking Christmas trees and decorations. Most people start decorating their homes in late November (some even earlier!) but there is no set traditional date for decorating your home in Australia - everything is very relaxed. 

Christmas around the world. Christmas in Australia. Learn how this holiday season is celebrated in Australia.

December is the first month of Summer in Australia, which means Christmas is HOT! In December Australia experiences some of its hottest temperatures ranging from the mid 20s Degrees Celsius (70 Fahrenheit)  to above 30 Degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit). The temperature means people spend their Christmas mornings down at the beach in some places and in other areas families stay inside with their air-conditioning on. 
Christmas around the world. Christmas in Australia. Learn how this holiday season is celebrated in Australia.
The heat also dictates what type of food is eaten at Christmas time. Cold food is often the order of the day, due to the warm weather, with salads and seafood popular foods. Some people as so keen to get their seafood for Christmas they will line up at fish shops at 4 am on the day click here to read more!

Sweet treats include trifle and pavlova (soft chewy meringue base with cream and fruit on top). Chocolate treats are still enjoyed but because of the warmth of Christmas day, most chocolates will melt if not kept in air conditioning or the refrigerator. 

Christmas around the world. Christmas in Australia. Learn how this holiday season is celebrated in Australia.

Christmas around the world. Christmas in Australia. Learn how this holiday season is celebrated in Australia.

Carols by Candlelight is one tradition that Australians love. Every Christmas each state and territory hosts its own Carols by Candlelight and it is also shown on television on Christmas Eve. 

Children place Christmas sacks or stockings out for Santa and because Australia is one of the first places in the world to start Christmas Day, Aussie kids know Santa will visit them first!

Australian children love to sing an Australian Christmas song called Six White Boomers (click to watch it below). 


Christmas time also coincides with the end of the school year in Australia (late January to Early December) so Christmas concerts are often mixed with end-of-year celebrations and school graduations. 

You can find out more about Christmas in Australia in the Christmas Around The World: Australia pack where you can download maps, posters, brochures, flyers and these cute paper dolls to make.

Christmas around the world. Christmas in Australia. Learn how this holiday season is celebrated in Australia. #techteacherpto3 #christmas #australia #socialstudies #holidays