I know that you're enjoying yourself.
You're on holiday.
You're enjoying the sunshine or you enjoying, you know, Log
fires and glasses of red wine.
But there comes a point.
. In January, when we, as teachers have this little annoying voice in our
head, and we start to think about.
Going back to school.
What are we going to do?
How are we going to set up you already, perhaps have been on Amazon.
You've been to KMart you've been to Target you've been wherever,
and you already starting to buy.
Well, this episode is here to tell you to take a chill pill and stop buying.
And don't buy anything for your classroom or anything don't spend
any money on your classroom.
Until you've listened to this episode.
And I'm going to direct you in this episode to some of the previous
episodes which we're actually at the beginning of 2024 to give you a
start on how you set up a classroom and everything that goes into getting
organized for the back to school year.
So I want to just start by saying, in episode 41.
I spoke about something that is more important than your classroom
decor and your most important thing
when we going back to school is to think about how an earth you
are going to engage those kids.
What are you going to do to keep them curious and questioning?
Because there's nothing more infuriating for a teacher
than a kid who sits at a desk.
And you see those eyes and there's nothing.
There is nothing behind them.
There's no light.
For me as a teacher, that was always my biggest fear is I
don't want to see kids like that.
I don't want to see kids that are not switched on.
I want to see kids that are eager and ready to learn.
And so I think our biggest challenge is not what colors we're doing our classroom.
But what are our strategies that we are going to use to keep the kids
in our class, engaged interested in what we're teaching them.
So I think we need to make curiosity a priority when we're planning our lessons.
And when we're planning the way we set up our classrooms.
We should not be thinking what pretty colors can I put in?
But rather, what can I put into my classroom
that's going to get these kids interested in learning.
So that was episode 41.
How to make curiosity a priority for back to school and I'll leave
a link to that in the show notes.
Episode 40.
The one just before that was actually what started getting my goat was when
I was seeing all these teachers on Instagram, putting up these amazingly
decorated classroom, spending a fortune.
And I was just asking myself why.
We do not need to spend a fortune on decorating our classrooms.
We are not on the block.
And the block is an Australian program where people are competing
to see who's got the most beautifully decorated and designed house.
We are not doing that.
Our aim is to see if we can get kids to learn, not who's got the smartest
and who's got the nicest and prettiest classroom.
And so I really think that instead of spending your money on Amazon, everywhere
else, Start thinking about things that are really important, because a lot of
that decoration is just fluff and, you know, without a shadow of a doubt, the
kids come in there before, you know it
it's a mess anyway, and they've destroyed half the stuff that you put in there.
So let's not spend our money on decorating our classrooms, but rather
on buying things, perhaps if you have too, I prefer going to secondhand shops
and op shops where you can get some really interesting old things that are
going to get kids asking questions.
And of course your classrooms should be attractive.
You want kids to want to walk in and think, oh, this is a
really nice space to learn in.
But remember.
That overwhelm is also a big problem.
You do not want to bring everything from home, including the kitchen sink and
stick that in your classroom because kids are going to get overwhelmed by that.
Keep things simple.
Keep things easy.
And you also want to think about your colors.
You know, we love all those pretty colors, but actually it's the natural
colors that keep kids calm, think about nature and try to replicate the
colors of nature in your classroom.
Not primary colors.
You want to think about, you know, soft blues, thinking about the ocean
thing about mountains, soft greens.
Think about the earth.
Sort of soft beigey, browny colors.
That's what you want in your classroom, because those colors are calming.
And that's what you want.
You do not want kids bouncing off the walls.
And also remember that more and more of our classes have now got neurodivergent
kids and a lot of stuff and a lot of bright colors all cause overwhelm.
So think about what you can do to keep calm environment.
Then I want to talk about the outdoor learning environment as well.
And this was a big episode.
It was episode 12 of the podcast and you really need to go and listen to that one.
Because our outdoor environment is just an extension of our indoor environment.
It's not just a bare base.
And one of my interviews last year, I interviewed Victoria Hackett and
she's the outdoor classroom expert.
And you can go and listen to that episode too.
I'll put a link in the show notes where you can learn and listen to
how do we set up outdoor classrooms?
So that they too can spark curiosity in our children.
It's not just about sending them outside.
It's about how do we set up the outdoors?
Just not with spending money.
Just using the things that you've got and using natural things wood, sticks,
stones, all these kinds of things.
And how you actually think about going about setting up that outdoor space
so that it can be an extension of the learning that you're doing indoors.
So go and listen to episode 12 of the podcast after you're
finished listening to this one.
And then the last one that I want to talk about is episode 39.
And episode 39.
Is the ultimate back to school organization for teachers.
This was all about the big picture stuff that's necessary.
The things like you need, your planning, your organization.
Your start of the year.
How are you going to kick it off?
Where are you going to put the stuff?
Where are the kids going to put their backpacks?
Where are they going to put their drink bottles?
Where are they going to put their I dunno, their diaries or their folders or
whatever you might have in your classroom.
You've got to think about that organization.
How are they going to store their books?
Is it going to be easy for them to get to it?
Because remember, we're also got kids that struggle with executive function.
You want to make it easy for these children.
You want to make it easy so that they can get hold of their books and the necessary
equipment to get on with a lesson.
So think about your organization that is super important.
But then we also want to think about the provocations in our classroom.
What are we going to stick in our classrooms that is going to
cause children to ask questions and be interested in learning.
And so, again, as I've said earlier, go to op shops, go to second hand shops
and go and see what you can get there
that is related to what you were teaching.
The things that you have set up, the provocations that you have set up in
your room should link directly to your curriculum, to what you're teaching.
So whatever you're doing this first term for science or your humanities,
those are the kinds of provocations that you should be setting up in
your classroom for this first term.
And remember that in early childhood you want little different
rooms inside your classroom.
You want an area where kids can play with blocks.
You want an area where kids can go and explore scientific things where they
can experiment where they can grow seeds, where they can observe animals.
You want an area where there's perhaps still Lego or construction materials
where they can go and build and construct with recycling materials
for example, you want an area where there's a, where they can
go and be quiet and have a book corner and grab a book and read.
Perhaps you want an area where you can actually sit with a small group
of children when you're doing your guided reading practice for example.
When you're learning and teaching them about, comprehension strategies.
All these little areas in your room are really important in early childhood.
And don't think that when a kid gets to year two or year three, you now need
to take away the Lego and the blocks.
They're still only seven and eight.
They need those things to play with and to express themselves with.
And not forgetting, of course, manipulatives.
I've heard so many times, where in a year, two or year three classroom
there aren't even counters for children to actually come to grips
with real materials which can help them in their mathematical thinking.
We still need manipulatives and hands-on materials even in older year groups,
because you will have kids in your five that are still trying to grapple
with math concepts from year two.
So you need counters, you need materials that children can use, where they
can express their understanding in a concrete way with manipulatives.
And of course, that's another way you can actually assess them as
well, because you don't always need a worksheet for assessment purposes.
So this little podcast episode today is a short and sweet one.
And it's really just about encouraging you to think about why you're doing
things before you rush off and go and buy a million things before you
start setting up your classroom.
Just think about why, why are you putting.
This thing into your classroom.
Why are you choosing to put a block corner in this corner?
And as long as you really understand, and you know why you're doing things
then cool, go ahead and do them.
But you really do have to be very intentional.
You know that you hear that word a lot in teaching intentional being intentional.
But it is really true as much of a cliche that it is.
We do have to actually think before we do, and we have to understand
why we're doing so that if anybody comes in, admin comes in and asks
you, well, how come that's there?
How come that's there?
You can actually explain your thinking behind that and why
you've doing what you're doing.
So that's all for this week.
I just want to give you a heads up about next week's episode and that's
going to be with Daniel Barton
from Educated by Nature here in Perth, Australia, he is all
about taking learning outdoors.
So if that's something that you're thinking of doing next week's
episode with Daniel Barton is the perfect episode to listen to.
So don't forget.
So you should really follow the show, click that follow button.
So then you'll be notified every time a new episode is published.
That way you won't miss out.
And also listen, if you enjoy listening to blooming curious, then
could you please do me a favor?
Click on those three buttons and share the episode with a friend.
The only way this podcast grows, and the only way we get more
listeners is if you tell more people, word of mouth works, a treat.
So click on those three buttons, share with a friend.
And if you really like the podcast, please leave a review
that would really make my day.
So until next week, when it's Daniel Barton on talking about outdoor
learning, I will love and leave you.
And remember that curiosity is your superpower.
So stay blooming, curious.
I'll see you next week.