​Sometimes I smile at how lucky I am to be a teacher. To help in any small way shaping hearts and minds is a true gift. Other days, I could curl under a blanket and never emerge. Hide, watch Netflix or bury my head in a book for enjoyment. If anyone tells you they love every day and every moment of teaching, I would say lucky you! I love my job 99 percent of the time. It brings me joy to help with creating “wow” or “ah ha” moments. Those little one percenters however challenge me. So what pushes my buttons as an educator? Is it the same as yours?

Meetings that run over: a given. I have yet to meet a teacher who says no I love it when a meeting goes over. Or please, ask a few more questions with one minute until home time. Now the obvious one is out of the way let’s continue.

Inefficiency: productivity and effectiveness are two things that I value immensely. Teachers have so little time to spare that what time we do have is precious. Sometimes however, my idea of efficient isn’t always the same as others. There are certain things that need to be covered, I understand that. However, being as productive as possible is what every one of our kids deserves.

Too many night events: I miss my life, I miss my husband and I wish that I had more time with people at nights. I highly value work / life balance. It is something that I firmly believe in. After all, our students don’t deserve tired, run down teachers drowning themselves in coffee to survive. In the ideal world they deserve the best of us and eliminating as many night events as possible would support this. It would allow educators more rest and recovery time.

Too much talk and not enough planning: discussion is valuable. Discussion is great for sharing ideas, clarifying understandings and proposing scenarios. At the end of the day, discussion needs to happen in order to led to a best fit action, decision or outcome. I am more than happy to chat about educational content but our students need us to be prepared and ready. They need us to provide rich, targeted and engaging content. Information can often be summarised in emails and if I had to pick what was more valuable for kids, planned experiences wins every time. All of us become frustrated at times with the amount of time spent chatting as opposed to planning.

Round and round we go: it gets to a stage, as I get older, that some things have been said in the industry for years. It even gets to a point where what is said gets reinvented or renamed. The core business of educating the whole person still is the goal. Often, I find myself thinking how similar ideas, concepts and strategies are and that I have heard them all before.  

A lack of decision: there is nothing more frustrating than sitting through meetings and professional development with no action or decision. We have all been there. Time and energy has been invested and there is no end result. Nothing changes despite all of the time and resources invested. 

I often wonder if I am alone in my one percenters. Are they common or do different things push people’s buttons?
 
#education #teaching #twocreativeteachers

For teachers who have just returned to work this year, we all know that saying.
“Nothing beats the beginning of year teacher tired”. Truer words can never be spoken. In eighteen years of teaching, I have found ways to manage the tiredness factor (asleep by 7 if I am lucky) but not the amount of tasks. Productivity, in the face of holiday mode, is next to impossible. Your only job was getting up a week ago and all of a sudden having seventy tasks to do .Information comes from so many sources, you are lucky to know what  the day and date it is.
 
So what exactly have I learnt that can help calm the storm? Here are my top 5 tips for surviving the back to school blues:
 
It eventually gets done: every year I think the mountain of work in front of me is impossible. It will never get done and I will be doomed to fail miserably. Yet bit by bit, I chip away and things magically seem to fall into place and I get into a routine.
 
Let the little things go: really at the end of the day, no one really cares or notices if I don’t have that one display up or I miss trying that one strategy. Progress not perfection will be my mantra this year. Never has someone chased me because I didn’t have that display or try that strategy. (Fingers crossed this year isn’t a first). 

Pick one or two new things to try: Your head swirls with hundreds of exciting ideas. The possibilities, the new information, the fresh start, the new content and so on. Meetings are constantly full of fresh strategies and parents provide new information that you want to use to help their child. It is impossible to get it all done. I have learnt to get excited over one or two things to avoid being overwhelmed.

Know that you are not alone: take comfort in the fact that every teacher around the world goes through this stage. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Hundreds of teachers dread alarms, miss their sleep ins and wish that the meeting would end fifteen minutes early.

Don’t forget to enjoy: the one thing that I always remind people is to find the little moments and enjoy. You may not love every aspect of your grade or new school but find one little thing a day to be grateful for. Stop and enjoy that moment. Celebrate those little wins.  

So, it begins again. The speed race that is teaching. Zero to one hundred by the end of the first day! Today, I want you to know that you are not alone and someone feels your pain.
 #education #teacher #backtoschool #twocreativeteachers #teaching

​Ok, so it is finally done and dusted. I have officially changed classrooms and survived. It is a massive thing in teaching that many people underestimate. It would be like asking people to pack up and move a big room in their house. I was lucky enough to have a very patient and understanding teaching partner who made the move fifty times easier and put up with my stress. So now, looking back and sitting here enjoying a coffee, are a few tips that I would like to share:
1.     Do a small amount each day: instead of looking at it as one major move in one day, if possible start earlier and do a small amount each day. I selected one area a day to pack up, clean and cull. One shelf, one box or a few folders. Whatever it is, try to start small and the earlier the better of course.
2.     Clean as you go: this was the most obvious and easiest thing but can often get overlooked. Once you have cleared the space, clean it immediately. This helps to make the process run quicker and build momentum. It also makes you feel like you are making progress which makes the job seem a little less overwhelming.
3.     Cull before you pack: if you have the luxury of a little time or at least a spare few minutes don’t just shift things into boxes and dump it. Over the years I had accumulated so much stuff that I didn’t even realise. I found the best part was sorting and culling things before I packed. You can donate items that you will not use to the art teacher or offer them to other teachers if they are still in good condition. I looked at the condition of the items and either threw them or donated them.
4.     Box according to year level: I have been lucky enough to teach grade one to grade six so I have resources that span across all year levels. It is easier to box my resources according to the year level. I boxed up all the junior items that I won’t need for now. That doesn’t mean that I keep everything. Worksheets and little things that I could locate and find again I throw out. Books, manuals, supplies and games are the only things that I tend to keep. After all, you never know when you will get that call to move.
5.     Ask for help: if you are lucky enough to work in a team, ask for help. Whether it is shifting boxes or needing time. I was truly blessed to have understanding leaders who gave us a little extra time if we needed to move. My teaching partner was very helpful as always and of course, I had some older kids come and move smaller items of a trolley. This made the transition much quicker and smoother.
6.     Negotiate with the teacher whose room you are moving into: this is essential. Again, I had an amazing teacher on the other end who was flexible and made small amounts of space at a time for me even though he was moving himself. You can’t just go and dump all your boxes on the next teacher and leave them to work in that space. On the same token, you have a responsibility to leave the space clean for the next teacher. Think of how you would want to walk into a that space.
7.     Establish areas: I found it easier to fully clear one space and then work from there. I packed my office into boxes and used that space to leave anything that I needed to move. Then I used a spare table to make a donate pile. Finally, I just threw what I needed to each night in the bin or the dumper.
The good news is that you will survive a move and that it will get done. It is an enormous job that many people underestimate. Support is a huge key and if you are moving, I hope you get some! Good luck if you are moving year levels or classrooms this year and feel free to drop us a moving tip if you have any. #survivethemove #twocreativeteachers

​As I start writing this article, I need to be honest. I started in the “NO WAY” camp for school concerts. A few experiences years ago, put me in that camp. The issue for me was the challenge of managing kids in between numbers, the dismissal at the end of the concert and the time that it took to prepare. So when, after 8 years of concert free bliss, the school decided to do a concert I was sceptical and inwardly groaning. There were all those thoughts and more racing through my mind. Notes, costumes, medicine, rehearsal etc.
 
However, this time something changed. I had a passionate and talented dancing teacher next to me. My community teacher partner was a fantastic dancer and loved to dance. Not only that, another one of our junior teachers also did dancing and was also very talented and excited. Both of these teachers brought passion that was contagious. Passion and enthusiasm are definitely catchy. I found myself slowly and reluctantly engaging in the process. My community teaching partner planned to the dance and showed the kids step by step in such a way that even I could understand. It started to make me like dance, just a little more.
 
At the same time, a concert team was implementing plans. They had checked out the venue, planned a tight timetable, looked at movement in between numbers, spaces to hold students and ways to get on and off the stage seamlessly. It seemed to be managed. One confident staff member was brave enough to tackle to the sound, backgrounds and screens. The team prepared all the concert notes which was a huge relief. Then my teaching partner gave some examples and links for costumes and we emailed them to parents. There was a long list of questions but I was really surprised about how enthusiastic and positive the parents were. They were just as engaged and when I tried to pinpoint why it was because their kids were fully engaged and excited. Parents wanted to get involved and support their children. Suddenly costumes became a bonding experience not a hassle which was an outcome I didn’t expect.
 
Over the next eight weeks, we had a two hour time slot on Fridays to rehearse. We built in extra rehearsals in the last week. I was amazed at how these little six and seven year old’s could absorb this dance so quickly and enthusiastically. They were determined to learn the dance. My teaching partner and I also heavily focused on mindset and the management of feelings as well as the dance aspect. It seemed to become a much deeper learning experience. We performed for anyone who come in the door to build their confidence.
 
The day come and I watched these little kids up on the stage dazzle and amaze the crowd. They knew the dance so well they didn’t even need us there with them. They smiled and remembered their steps. And we were first! I couldn’t believe how excited the kids were, how ready they were and how engaged they were. They come of stage buzzing, excited and proud of themselves and each other. As I watched our kids on stage, I was reminded that the kids and their experience is at the heart of what I do and why I want to teach. Even more surprisingly, was how many parents went to trouble of emailing such positive feedback to us!
 
The concert, the way that it was run and more importantly, the confidence, enjoyment and pride I saw in the all the children was worth every single second of stress. So what have I learnt about school concerts that made a difference:

1. You need passionate people to drive the concert: this was essential as passion is contagious and pushes people to a higher standard. Passionate and driven people tend bring others on board. My community teaching partner also helped bring confidence to me and changed my opinion about concerts.
2. You need a strong management team: this eliminated so much stress. Everything such as maps, plans and notes was pretty much handed to staff on a platter. Every possible scenario had been thought of and plans were in place. All staff members were utilised whether in a class or not. Ushers, runners, extra people supporting teachers and more. This was a key element of the concert success.
3. The kids are at the heart of this and need to enjoy some of the experience: there are times when kids start to drop off in enthusiasm. Usually towards the end when it is simply a matter of drill and practise. However, this comes back closer to the date. The sense of pride was exceptional on the night. All children come off with a smile on their face.
4. The concert experience needs to be strengthened with personal skill development: managing nerves, what to do when you make a mistake, how to be positive about an experience, savouring the moment, taking pride in what you do, teamwork, accepting feedback, dedication, gratitude, persistence and of course performing for an audience were a small snapshot of the skills that we were able to build into the concert experience. Life skills that needed to be used in an authentic and real life experience.

So, now I have changed sides, I can safely say that when the next school concert date is announced I will not be so skeptical or resistant. The kids just shone and their smiles beamed across the stage. Those moments alone, were worth every second! We would love to hear of your concert experiences! #schoolconcert #twocreativeteachers

We seriously have the best customers! We are so thankful for all of your kind words. There are products being sold left, right and centre and we are deeply humbled and excited by future opportunities. Please accept a small product sample. These chalk circles of the Days and Months are versatile and a popular product. They are best printed in landscape. Happy teaching! #twocreativeteachers

​I have been doing workshops in different levels for a few years now. I started experimenting with a senior grade and have spent the last few years developing with a team in juniors. So what have I learnt? Stopping and reflecting is still one of the most powerful tools in an educator’s toolbox. If I am being honest, I still love so many elements of them but there is still a long way to go. I don’t think that anyone will ever get the perfect workshop system. There are some great systems that I have seem but I can still see pitfalls in many of them. So what are the current barriers that I experience in workshops.

1. Level of preparation: if we don’t have time in team planning, then this is left to the individual. It is a hefty workload on top of normal classroom planning. It requires the time to gather resources. It also requires time to set up assessment and tracking documents as well as comments for reports and feedback. This is one of the most challenging aspects of workshops that I have found.
2. It doesn’t suit all students: majority of students love workshops. They love the movement, the short targeted time and even the variety of teachers. However, not all do. Some find the constant movement and need for flexibility challenging. Some clam up with different teachers and in different groups. While it is good to know and address these areas, there are some kids who workshops just don’t allow them to shine and do their best learning.
3. A variety of groupings is vital: it is so easy to group kids according to their needs. You get their data, group them and know that they are where they should be. They are getting targeted teaching. However, I have learnt the need for flexible groupings at times especially in maths. I have had low groups who have had no exposure to good mathematicians or good models of thinking. Yes, I can be that model but it is so different than with a peer guiding them. I find that the learners who need support often never have access to good thinkers and models and they miss that peer to peer learning. On the same token, some kids who need to celebrate their success are not given the chance to use their skills. Even in a high flying group, there is still always a lowest. I have had kids who are in a high performing group lose confidence because they haven’t had a chance to see how they are doing a good job. That’s why we can lock ourselves into the data and just grouping according to needs system.
4. Noise levels are a factor: as much as we love to think they are not, they are. Even in quiet working communities, distractions, noises and other teachers teaching all can take away from student learning. Noise levels become the focus on some workshops because you are conscious of time of task and noise not just the learning. Even with sensational kids, there is still times when noise impacts the learning.
5. You need to be on the same page and have the same expectations as a team: nothing brings workshops undone like disagreements over starting and ending times or when someone doesn’t follow through with the agreed expectations. It is vital to work as a team and have every member follow through on the agreed standards. This includes feedback, data, movement, noise and standard of work. You need to be airtight especially since your colleague’s information is what you often need to share with parents or on your report. There needs to be a level of trust between team members.
6. Time is needed for sharing: there needs to be a time when people in the team can just sit and share concerns and data. So many times, during the day I think that I have to catch a teacher and share valuable information about a student. Things that cannot be just written on a document because let’s be brutally honest, we don’t all make time to sit and review and read each other’s data. We just have to trust that our colleague has provided accurate feedback. There needs to be time set aside for continual discussion and timely feedback about students.

So, we will continue to work on addressing some of these barriers and keep striving to make a better learning experience for all students. While workshops still have so many documented and evident benefits, there are a few elements that still need addressing. Hopefully, with continual reflection and the intent to keep aiming high, we will get one step closer to improving student outcomes for all. Please, take the time with your team to continually and honest review your workshops. Feel free to share any things that you are finding challenging about workshopping #workshopreview #twocreativeteachers 

“Wow it must be nice to have holidays and finish at 3:30”. There it is. That statement that we all hear from most people when you share that you are a teacher. There are so many common misconceptions about teaching and most people think that it is like every other industry, that it is just a job. It has benefits and most people seem to focus on those aspects of the job. We know teaching is not a normal job. It is a unique job, that is one of the most incredibly stressful jobs on the planet. Trying to explain to people how different teaching is, is one of the most challenging parts of any social conversation. People have all had an experience of school and like it or not, school is one life experience that defines people. So, they often feel very passionate about having their say. I can’t tell you the amount of times people share their own school experiences when you say that you are a teacher. Often or not, sadly they are not all positives. The negative teachers or experiences stick with people more vividly. So, what exactly is it that makes our job so different from a normal job? After all, plenty of other people deal with customers or have negative reviews or experiences but it doesn’t seem to have the same impact. Why? Here are a few reasons that I can think of:

1.       Relationships: there are so many complex and deep relationships that develop on a daily basis. We are in a unique position where we don’t just know students but we often need to get to know their parents, grandparents, siblings and children in other grades and year levels. On top of that you need to know your own colleagues and people in the surrounding community. My husband often laughs when I say that I have had conversations or talked to over 100 people during my day. By 11:00 in the morning, I had often chatted to numerous colleagues, parents and then of course the kids in the class, workshops and then on yard duty.
2.     Most precious cargo: what is the one thing that families and parents value most in the world? Their kids of course! So as teachers, we see some parents advocate loudly for their kids, nervous parents and parents who are simply trying their hardest. We experience the range of emotions that come with different stages of parenting. We deal with a range of parenting styles and because everyone has an experience of school, we also have many ideas being thrown our way. Our job is unique because we deal with the most precious resource of the future: kids.
3.     Minimal protection: in most jobs, there are things like security, human resource managers and barriers that put space between people such as counters or desks. Teaching offers little of that. There is exposure to people all day and minimal space barriers. Kids can access your things, parents can line up at your desk as soon as you walk in the door, you can get on the spot bookings, be available by email at any time and of course often you are alone. I have seen and heard too many teachers in vulnerable positions. Teaching is a job that needs to look at better support structures and procedures for staff.
4.    No overtime or late night double pay: people sadly assume that when teachers stay at late night events, parent nights, interviews, school events, meetings or sports functions that they are paid. They are not. This is one area that I feel really separates teachers from other industries. I don’t know many industries where people are not paid for their overtime. Teachers stay overnight at camps for free, stay back for parent meetings free and attend school events free. Yes we get holidays. Holidays are often the time when we catch up on things that we cannot do during a term such as attend appointments or book to see people during the day.

So before we put teachers in a bowl and mix them with other professions, remember that teaching is a unique role. A job that cannot really compare to other jobs. Our job is one of a kind and let’s not compare teaching to other jobs because in my eyes, it’s not like other jobs. Maybe you have some of your own reasons and viewpoints so feel free to share. #TwoCreativeTeachers #teachingisnotlikeotherjobs

Clarity and expectations in the classroom and all areas of learning are essential. As part of our enhancing your Catholic classroom advice, the third article today will be on using prayer goals. Like all learning areas, children respond better when it is clear what they are working towards. Religion is no different. Children do not automatically know how to prayer, to calm their body and be ready for prayer. They also need to be taught how to engage in a Christian meditation as part of prayer. The clearer the expectations, the more supported children will feel. Here are few things that I have recommend implementing at prayer or meditation time:

1. We enter and leave a space quietly: even if that space is in a hall, a classroom or even over the speaker, there must be an expectation that children treat the time respectfully. Often when students enter and leave calmly, it adds to the sense of ritual.
2. Focus on an object: it is very hard for children to close their eyes during prayer. It feels like a long time frame for some little people and it is important that we help them out. Lighting a candle and reminding them that Jesus is here is a great focus point. It also begins to support children in calming their bodies ready for prayer.
3. Expect participation: participation in a prayer service can vary. It could be singing, listening or completing jobs. This is an important goal as children learn that it is not just entering a space and sitting quietly. Part of prayer is being present and engaged. 
4. Expect responses in an appropriate clear voice: This is one of my favourite goals that I like to push. Often in prayer, responses can be mumbled or quiet. Students need to be taught that this doesn't enhance the prayer experience. When children are expected to respond in a firm voice at an appropriate volume, the tone of the prayer session often changes.
5. Students are responsible for the prayer space: this is a shared community space. It is beneficial to guide the children towards taking responsibility for the space.
6. Stay in one spot and keep your hands and feet to yourself: an obvious one but there is nothing worse than a beautiful prayer session changed because children are getting up or touching things around them. This is one of the goals that I think is non negotiable.
7. Think about what is being said: in order to do this, students often need prompting questions or instructions during a prayer service. I like this goal because it moves children towards engaging in prayer. A quick way to check if children are thinking during a prayer session is simply to pose questions after and check to see what they have understood.  Over the years, I have been surprised by the deep insight or lack of insight. 

Prayer is an important time. Children don't just know how to pray. They need to be shown, motivated and taught. I find that setting observable and measurable goals is one way to depth a prayer session.  To help, I will attach a link to the ones of the posters that we use in the classroom. #prayergoals #religion #catholicschool #twocreativeteachers 

​https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Catholic-Meditation-Manners-Posters-1952853 

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Prayer teams are one of the best things that my community teaching partner and I have introduced and developed. The concept isn't new at all. We have adapted a few things as teachers do and cannot believe how amazing these little kids do with the prayer space. They have created some truly beautiful prayer space and have the setting up and packing up down to an art. I could not be prouder of them. You may have some great tips and strategies to share with us as well. Here are a few things that I think strengthened our teams: 


1. Have clear expectations of how the space needs to be treated: my team teacher and I have been crystal clear from the start that this is a ritual act that needs to be treated seriously. It is an important job and that means it needs to be treated with respect. W spent a lot of time modelling how to set up the space. 

2. The materials need to be treated with the utmost care and respect: we focussed on how each item that they prayer team has access to needs to be treated and handled with care. This included even how the cloths need to be treated. It is amazing to see 6-8 years old fold silk cloths like a seasoned expert. We haven't had any broken objects in the two years since we started this. 

3. Make them the experts: it has become a job of tradition in the community. Each new prayer team sets that standard and the one after follows. The children become the teachers and they show others what needs to be done and how. Some days when I sit back and watch the handover between these teams, I am amazed at the level of expertise. The kid talk about church seasons, folding cloths, placing appropriate items. When you have a few of the same children the next year, the tradition is continued. Even getting kids who have changed grades to come back and share knowledge helps. 

4. Encourage creativity: some of the ideas that kids have blows me away. There placement of items, selection of objects and visually design on the floor is stunning some days. As soon as kids have the freedom to create, each group seems to bring something new and it keeps the space inviting and exciting. 

5. Get all the kids to watch how the prayer team packs up and where they place items: after we do our gratitudes, we always get the community to watch as the prayer team packs up. It creates a sense of ritual and shows how items are treated with respect. It also seems to create a sense of togetherness and that we are all responsible for our prayer space. 

Prayer teams are a wonderful way to help develop a sense of faith responsibility among students. It gives them a sense of pride in their faith and encouraged participation in prayer. I hope that these few tips help people to strengthen their prayer teams. The thing that gives me the most joy is watching the sense of teamwork and pride that kids show in their faith. 

Setting up a morning prayer routine
Part One: the prayer table or space 

Setting up a prayer space in a Catholic or Christian school is important. It is a visible sign of faith and it shows that faith is valued. It is often challenging to know what to put in a prayer space. When I started teaching, this wasn't something that was explicitly taught. I made many mistakes over the years and I am hoping to give you some simple things that you can do to enhance your prayer table or space in your classroom. 

Don't use it as another table to place things on: I must admit over the years, kids books, water bottles, sheets of paper and all other bits and bobs have been placed on my prayer table. This shows that the space wasn't valued. That it was just another table. If you want to create a sense of the sacred then the space and yes the table, need to be treated with respect. 

Find one to two appropriate icons: some of the icons around are very doom and gloom or too intense for young children. Icons depicting Jesus as a shepherd, a guide or light make the space vibrant, inviting and positive for children to look at. I know this sounds obvious, but children will be much more inclined to use and look at the prayer table if it is inviting. 

Have a battery operated candle in the centre of the space: the candle will give children a point to focus on during prayer times and will also remind them that Jesus is with them when they pray. The matches and lighting of candles can often be time consuming and draw away from the actual prayer. After all, who wants to sit there and watch a teacher trying to light a candle for 5 minutes? 

Try and place a cloth that matches the church season on the table: our Religious Education leader taught me this and I love the idea. Having the matching cloth with the Church season invites awareness and discussion among the children. 

Make the children responsible for the table: my community teaching partner and I find the children more inclined to engage with the space when they are responsible for it. We have a prayer team and in the next article, I will share what the prayer team do and how we developed one.

Display the prayers: the most obvious one as children, especially young children or new children still need help learning the prayers. 

Having a central prayer table or space set aside for display is a beautiful, visible way to engage children in prayer as well as remind them that their faith is important and valued.