Drawing and Describing a Place: Exploring Settings in Novel Studies

How important is the setting when we’re exploring a novel? For some people the obvious answer is - well it depends on the novel. But many novels we explore in the classroom have rich and vivid settings and many of those settings benefit from a closer look. Here’s one easy way you can explore the settings when you engage in a novel study with your class.

Why settings are important

There are a range of reasons why settings are important to our stories. Sometimes even the seemingly mundane setting - a school or a suburban house - still tells us a lot about our characters and the events which are happening. But many settings are important for other reasons.

Sometimes the setting plays a starring role in the action of the story. The twisty path which requires Annemarie to move a little slower in Number the Stars has a direct impact on the events of the story. Similarly the magic of Terabithia comes as much from the place itself as it does from Jess and Leslie playing there with their imaginations - and has a direct impact on the most important part of the story. The different places Rowan and the other characters journey through in Rowan of Rin often decides who can go on and who will have to stop the journey at that point.

Other settings set the scene to allow us to better understand the story. Barringa East Primary tells us so much we need to know about the whole neighbourhood - and Erica Yurken - when we read Hating Alison Ashley. The refugee camp and then the detention camp which Jamal and Bibi find themselves in during Boy Overboard allow us to see both opportunities and hopelessness. 

Sometimes the settings allow us to ask more questions. What does Coraline’s other house tell us about her real house? What does Leslie’s house tell us about her and her parents in Bridge to Terabithia? Why do the Rangers live tucked away in little cabins in the Ranger’s Apprentice books?

Why should we draw the places?

Once we recognise that the settings are important, we need to look at how our students can further explore them. One easy way is to look at what that setting contains.

By drawing the settings, students are looking at them from a different point of view, away from the words on the page. Students may not draw a setting perfectly, but they can think about what details they should include, beginning to think about which features are the most important. Students can also use this experience of drawing the setting to develop more questions about it. They might ask why an author chose to include a particular detail or why one aspect of the setting was more important to the main character than another.

Students can go further by labelling or annotating their drawing. They can add words, arrows or symbols to their drawing to add extra meaning or to help them gain a better understanding of the place created by the author.

Another way to draw the setting is from the bird's eye view, like a map or a diagram showing the different elements of the place. Students might like to combine a map and a drawing to show a better understanding of the setting.

Why should we describe the places?

Once students have moved the words from the book into pictures on a page, they can go back and describe the setting in their own words. This helps students to cement their understanding, to show how the characters interact with the setting or how the setting plays a role in the narrative.

An easy way to write a description is to think about what the setting looks like, what it sounds like and what it might feel like to the people who are standing in that setting. This way of describing a setting ensures that the experiences of the characters is related back to the setting. Students can also write a more traditional description or they could reflect on how a stranger or a different character might describe the setting differently to the main characters. 

These words and drawings can be placed together and students might like to return to one or both of them to adjust them as they continue to look at the novel. You can also combine the different drawings and descriptions in the class, allowing students to explore the different ways their classmates experienced the same setting. This is a great activity to put together as a classroom display or to show in the school office or the school library.

Have you drawn and described settings with your students? Share your experiences in the comments!

Related posts to read:

• Exploring Author Intention

• Addressing Controversial Topics in the Classroom

• 3 Ways to Engage Students with Folding Vocabulary Lessons

• The What Would You Take? Project - A Hands On Classroom Activity

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5 Ways to Help Students Learn When They Can't Be at School

We’re currently in one of those moments - the moments which history remembers. With a pandemic spreading around the world and countries slowly (or quickly) shutting down, our own governments are having to make some tough decisions about what happens next.

For many of us, that means schools closing. Which comes with a wide range of challenges - have our students got access to technology? Have they got an environment in which they can learn? How can we make sure they cover the curriculum in the best way possible?

I definitely don’t have all the answers, but I’ve been thinking about some ways which might make it a little easier to get learning to our students over the coming weeks and months.

1. Use Information Sheets and Activities

When we teach science and social studies, so much of it revolves around content and learning basic facts and concepts. Information sheets can be excellent for providing this information to students, allowing them to also explore content reading.

One way to share information sheets is as a PDF file - with a PDF reader like Adobe Reader allowing students to add their own notes to the sheet. If students have access to a printer or are provided with a package, these can be highlighted and written on as well.

Follow up activities can be as easy as identifying key information and vocabulary in the resource, through to developing further questions, turning the information into a diagram, creating a poster or cartoon about the information or creating a series of comprehension questions for other readers.

The Australian Government mini units for Year 4, 5 and 6 are designed around information sheets and follow up activities. To only send students the pages you wish to send them from a purchased resource, you can use the Print as PDF feature in Adobe Reader to save those particular pages, then share them with your students.

2. Research Activities

Research activities are great across a wide range of subjects. Want to explore the works of a particular author when school returns? Ask students to research that author! Want students to understand the daily importance of maths? Ask them to investigate some of the ways they’re using maths every day at home! Want kids to travel without travelling? Ask them to research a country!

Research can be honestly difficult for students, so you may like to provide some scaffolding - either in the form of additional questions for students to take a closer look at (eg. What are 3 important things in the history of that country? What are some popular foods in that country?) or by providing some additional research tools.

Click here to download some research tasks you might like to share with your class. To allow you to easily load these onto online classrooms or closed learning spaces, these are available as a collection of jpg images and on a PDF.

If you’re considering a novel study for Boy Overboard, The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger’s Apprentice) or Nim’s Island this year, there are also research resources available which students may be able to explore before they read the book.

3. Writing Activities

Writing is one of the easiest tasks to set for home. Students just need something to write on and with - whether it’s paper and pencil or a laptop or device. Students can even experiment with some of the dictation tools available!

Writing tasks can be easily shared - on a piece of paper in a package, in an email to parents, through an online classroom. Students can send their work back too - even if they need to photograph it to send it through.

Writing tasks can be fiction or nonfiction, reflective or imaginative, big or little. You can set text prompts, picture prompts or no prompts at all. And - just to make it even more attractive - writing also helps with reading.

Click here to download some writing tasks you might like to share with your class. To allow you to easily load these onto online classrooms or closed learning spaces, these are available as a collection of jpg images and on a PDF.

I also have a collection of Freewriting activities and prompts, and a blog post which you can share with your students.

4. Digital Resources

There’s definitely going to be a boom in digital resources appearing in the next few days and weeks, but they have both advantages and drawbacks. Good digital resources should be more than just worksheets with text boxes. They embrace moveable elements and different ways of engaging with learning. However, using them also involves an amount of technological know-how (including the most important ‘undo’ buttons on Google slides resources!)

One exciting option is to ask your students who have access to computers or devices to create their own digital resources using Power Point, Keynote or Google Slides. They can explore adding information, including moveable parts and text boxes, trying to add videos or audio, any required animations or transitions - and for some extra fun, linking from one slide to another.

There are currently 7 Government focused Galarious Goods digital resources available looking at types of government and elements of democracy. 

5. Character, Setting, Retelling and Whole Novel Exploration

You may have reached the end of your class novel before school was closed. Or you may have been given permission to read your class novel through an online classroom. Or students may be lucky enough to have their own copy of the novel. If this is the case, you can absolutely continue taking an in-depth look at this novel.

While it might be harder to do comprehension or vocabulary activities remotely, there’s lots of ways you can explore characters, settings or the novel as a whole. Ask students to create profiles of the main characters, to write letters between characters or to create lists of how the characters might behave if they were in lockdown. Ask them to create tourist guides of the settings or to compare one setting with another. And ask students to retell the story or to look at some of the themes or events from the novel.

You can find a free resource for Retelling here as well as free sample packs for Boy Overboard, Nim’s Island and Hating Alison Ashley. You can also find a wide range of Novel and Picture Book resources at Galarious Goods - many of which you can utilize in a home setting. 

Take care and stay safe

Related posts to read:

• Taking Care of Ourselves as Teachers

• 8 Free Resources for Classrooms Reading Boy Overboard

• 9 Brilliant Books to Read if You Love Nim's Island

• Explore the Pig the Pug Series with these Writing Tasks

• 3 Ways to Engage Students with Folding Vocabulary Lessons

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5 Things to Teach About Democracy in the Classroom

Democracy is such an important topic to teach in the classroom - but what should we be covering when we teach democracy? Here’s five things which will help students gain a better understanding of democracy - and where we find it in the world around us.

1. What is Democracy?

Before students can gain a deeper understanding of democracy, they need to understand what it is. They might like to start with breaking the word down - democracy is a Greek word meaning rule or strength by the people.

In our modern world, we understand democracy is a type of government where citizens get an equal say in how things are run - usually through voting.

This is a good opportunity to explore what voting looks like. Students may have accompanied adults as they vote and they can talk about what they see. You can also share photos of voting around the world - whether it’s Australians voting at an Antarctic station, a primary caucus in Iowa or voting in space!

Students can also talk about other places they see voting - whether it’s voting in the classroom or voting for a reality television show. 

2. Where Does Democracy Come From?

If you’re digging deeper into democracy, it’s good to know where it comes from - and how modern democracy is different. 

Democracy started in ancient Athens around 508-507 BCE. It was a change from ‘aristocracy’ - rule by the elite - with the idea that ‘the people’ of Athens should have a say in how the city state was run. The ‘people’ - those who got to vote and were involved in decision making - was quite restricted though - women, slaves and non-citizens were all excluded.

Students might like to reflect on how the development of democracy would have changed the life of Athenians who were able to vote. They might also like to research some of the features of democracy in Athens like ostracism and the red rope!

3. Common Features of Democracy

What features usually accompany democracy? From elections, to majority vote to the right to protest against the government, there are a range of features which people usually associate with democracy. These can change from country to country - not every country has free speech, for example - but the philosophy of everyone having the right to participate in decision making is usually behind these features.

Students might like to create a list of the features of democracy they know about and discuss why those features exist. They might also like to examine what can make democracy fairer and look at how some countries have worked to create fairer systems. To extend this, students might like to argue to a change to their own democratic system - from how the senate is created, to how votes are cast, to a change in who is allowed to vote.

4. Types of Democracy

There are two main kinds of democracy - representative democracy and direct democracy. In direct democracy, voters vote for all the decisions. In a representative democracy, voters vote for representatives who serve to make laws and decisions.

Many countries have a mixture of direct and representative democracy. In many countries, almost all laws are created by representatives. However, when the law is particularly big, or there’s a lot of conflict about passing it, laws might be referred to the public to be voted on. This is called a referendum.

Students might like to look at the benefits and drawbacks of both kinds of democracy and write a persuasive argument about which one they believe is better. They can also research notable referendum and talk about the different arguments people might put forward when they convince people to vote for laws.

5. Where Do We See Democracy?

It can be tempting for people to dismiss democracy as not important, but it’s essential for students to see the impacts of democracy all around us. From politicians belonging to different political parties, to newspapers being allowed to disagree with the government, to people being allowed to sign online petitions to ask the government to change something, democracy influences our lives more than we might realise.

Students can talk about the places they see democracy - or the influences of democracy - in their life and talk about how things might be different if only some people were allowed to vote. They can discuss how voting rights have changed over time and whether there are still changes required. They can also look at how different countries celebrate democracy - from democracy sausages in Australia, to I voted stickers, to election night parties.

How do you explore democracy in your classroom? Let me know in the comments below.

Related posts to read:

• What are Political Parties, Why Do They Matter and How Can We Teach Them?

• 7 Things You May Not Know About Government in Australia

• Australian Election Myths (And Teaching Ideas for a Better Understanding of Elections)

• 6 Great Books to Integrate With Australian Social Studies

• Different Types of Government (And How We Can Teach Them)

Looking for more?

• Follow the Galarious Goods TpT shop

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5 Reasons to Explore The House that Cleaned Itself in the Classroom

Frances Gabe was tired of cleaning her house. So she experimented with cleaning tools and designed and invented and adjusted her designs until she had a house that cleaned herself.

This real-life story is brought to life in the amazing picture book The House that Cleaned Itself by Laura Dershewitz and Susan Romberg. It’s a lovely and engaging book, perfect for the classroom. Here’s some reasons you should be exploring it in your classroom.

1. It’s a great biographical picture book

I adore biographical picture books. I love the way they highlight the lives of interesting people - both well known people and those who should be better known. I love the way authors manage to use limited space and words to explore complex lives. 

In the classroom biographical picture books show students how you can tell real stories through a familiar medium. They’re an accessible way of learning about the subject - using words and illustrations to allow students to gain a better understanding or inspiring students to undertake further research and reading about the subject. They allow students to get a good understanding of why the subject is important, why they are being written about, before they get into the details of how they got there. 

The House that Cleaned Itself is one of the best biographical picture books I’ve read. It’s incredibly clear - we meet our subject, see her problem, see how she works on that problem. She can see why she is remarkable and what challenges she faced. We can also read between the lines to see why she undertook these projects and what kind of person she was. We can wonder who else is similar to Frances Gabe and what qualities we would like to emulate ourselves.

We can also use this book as a template for biographical picture books of our own. This would be especially useful if you were researching inventors or scientists who have worked to solve problems.

2. There are so many opportunities for science exploration

The House that Cleaned Itself shows us that Frances Gabe didn’t just jump in and start inventing. Instead she did a whole lot of research, experimenting to see how different chemicals worked and hypothesising how she might use them.

There are so many science questions raised in the book which we can explore in the classroom. We can look at how water works and how it can be guided and moved in different ways. We can explore how we can effectively drain water from a space and even how we could collect and reuse water.

Frances Gabe also explored how she could protect belongings in her house. This is a great exploration we can continue in the classroom. We can experiment with the impacts of water on different surfaces - what it does when it touches or rests on paper or cloth or wood. We can experiment with different forms of waterproofing and make recommendations to use in a self-cleaning house.

Cleaning products is another area students can experiment with. During the 20th century cleaning became more scientifically influenced, especially as new machines and new cleaning products were invented. Students can experiment with different dishwashing methods or products, different ways of getting stains out of cloth even different methods of cleaning marks off a ‘wall’ surface. This is particularly good for exploring cleaning ‘old wives tales’ and whether natural kitchen products can clean as well as commercial cleaning products (and there’s an environmental angle students can also explore).

3. The book is all about design

Design is such an exciting subject to explore in the classroom. The House that Cleaned Itself is a perfect introduction to design thinking. Frances Gabe identified a clear big problem (she hated cleaning her house) but also lots of smaller problems (how would she clean her dishes? How could she protect her books? How would she drain the floor?). She experimented and brainstormed solutions and built prototypes. She engaged in troubleshooting when something didn’t work and went back and tried again. 

Students can reflect on the design process as they tackle their own design challenges. They can talk about big design problems - in their homes or classrooms, in their local community, in the world - and identify smaller problems which they can design solutions for. They can experiment, brainstorm and design. They might troubleshoot and fix issues, not being discouraged when something goes wrong.

4. The illustrations are perfect for further exploration

Meghann Rader’s beautiful illustrations are well worth exploring. Inspired by technical drawings, they tell us so much about Frances Gabe and the activities she was undertaking. Students can compare the drawings of Frances Gabe and the differences between the beginning of the book and later in the book. They can look at how the illustrator has used line to show movement - of water, of plants and of ideas. They can examine technical drawings and compare them to the illustrations - and use this style to create their own illustrations.

5. The additional material inspires more exploration

As with so many books from The Innovation Press, The House that Cleaned Itself includes additional material in the form of an authors’ note and bibliography. These easily prompt more questions for exploration - who are the other inventors who have worked out of their homes? How would Frances Gabe’s inventions be useful for NASA? Why was Frances Gabe’s invention mostly forgotten?

This additional material allows a deeper exploration and better understanding of the book and the subjects around it. It encourages students to take more time, to research issues raised in the book and additional material and to draw conclusions from this. It’s perfect for a classroom where students really think about books and the subjects they cover and it’s ideal for a classroom which values STEM education.

The House that Cleaned Itself is available from book retailers including Amazon and Book Depository. You can find more amazing books from The Innovation Press here.

If you’re exploring The House that Cleaned Itself in the classroom you can find a comprehensive book study here. You can also find a free activity from that book study here.

Related posts to read:

• Exploring The Girl With a Mind For Math in the Classroom

• Exploring Three Galarious Goods Picture Book Studies for Upper Primary

• Five Reasons to Use Picture Books in Middle Grades Classrooms

• Five Ways to Explore Picture Books in the Classroom

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5 Ideas for Teaching Community and Helpers After Disasters

As I sit to write this blog post, three states of Australia are dealing with deadly bushfires. The television and social media is filled with pictures and stories of devastation, and there’s very real fears for our native fauna and flora.

But amongst that, people keep finding moments which lift us. A volunteer firefighter mum who writes brilliant, raw and funny pieces. A pharmacist who lost his home, but continues to work - without electricity - to make sure his community has medication. So many different groups travelling hours to make sure evacuees and volunteers are well fed and looked after. We see how strong community can be in the worst of times and how people can come together to make the best of horrific situations.

I’m not a counsellor or trained in counselling in schools, but I know students will be starting the new school year in January and February, filled with big emotions and big questions connected to these fires. There will be a huge need for professional assistance, but we know that classroom teachers will also have to respond to the events of this summer - even in communities which haven’t been impacted.

At times like this, I am often reminded of the Mister Roger’s quote: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

There have been no shortage of helpers during these fires - helpers who remind us of all the best parts of community. Here’s a few ways you might like to explore community and helpers in the classroom.

1. Define the Idea of Community

What is a community? What does it look like? What does it feel like to be part of a community?

These might be easier questions to answer in some small towns - community can be partially defined by the borders of the town - but it can be more difficult when you’re talking about cities or suburbs. Students might look beyond the physical boundaries of a community and instead reflect on their school communities, different faith communities or the interest communities for both adults and children (sports, after school activities, service groups etc)

When looking at school community, students might write about what makes their community special. They might reflect on a school motto or school song, look at behaviour values that all students learn about or talk about special events which happen every year.

2. Who are the Helpers in our Community?

Who are the helpers in our community? Can we identify all of them?

This is a great challenge for students to create an ongoing list of all the people who help others in their community - from police, doctors and firefighters to teachers, road crossing guards and tuckshop helpers.

My making the list ongoing, rather than a one time activity, students can add new helpers as they learn about them. They also have a visual reminder of all the helpers who work in their community. Additionally, you can also use the list for other classroom activities.

3. Learn about what helpers do in the community

What exactly does a police officer do? What about a native wildlife carer? 

Investigating the roles of helpers in the community is the kind of activity you can do with students of all ages. You can choose one type of helper to explore or students can undertake individual investigations. Students can interview helpers or you can invite guest speakers to talk with the class. Students can create profiles, write news stories, write job descriptions - there are so many possibilities.

4. Learn about volunteering in your country

What is a volunteer? What do they do? What are some of the different types of volunteering you can do?

From surf lifesavers to service clubs like Lions to parents helping with reading in the classroom, there are so many different ways people volunteer. Students can examine the different ways people volunteer, why people volunteer and the benefits of volunteering. They can see what kind of volunteering kids and young people do. They can even create a campaign to encourage more volunteers.

5. Become helpers themselves

It can be easy to think that only adults are helpers. After all, children can’t be firefighters and they aren’t usually allowed to skip school to help koalas. But there are still ways they can be the helpers in their community.

Encourage them to think of small things they can do to create a better community. It might be looking at ways to make sure all students are included at play time, picking up litter without being told to or planting trees with their parents. It could be writing to local politicians about a local park or making sure a grocery story has a soft plastic collection bin. 

When big disasters happen, they might like to raise money to help certain causes. They might like to explore the different charities collecting money and learn which charities would be most effective. They could talk about different ways of fundraising and choose one which would be most effective for their community. They can learn about promoting their fundraising and how they can best communicate what they are trying to do.

They can also take on the important role of thanking the helpers in their community. Drawings, letters and cards can mean an awful lot - a reminder of why helpers are doing such an important job. It’s an easy way to make a big difference.

Related posts to read:

• Get Students Involved to Make a Better World

• Addressing Controversial Topics in the Classroom

• 6 Great Books to Integrate With Australian Social Studies

• Exploring Australian Picture Books About Weather

Looking for more?

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So You Want To Be a Teachers Pay Teachers Seller?

Maybe you love creating engaging resources for your classroom which your students adore. Or you’ve had great success with a particular resource which has all your colleagues talking. Or you’ve got a bit of a following on Instagram and those followers are super enthusiastic when you show them your latest resources.

It’s time to monetise that interest and passion and get on Teachers Pay Teachers.

But - wait a moment - how can you make sure you're doing the right things when it comes to an unfamiliar venture? How can you avoid some big mistakes when it comes to Teachers Pay Teachers?

Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) is probably the biggest educational marketplace around. It attracts resource creators from around the world, creating everything from high quality, technological wonders, to engaging hands on classroom materials to worksheets quickly whipped up when a need was recognised.

If makes sense that a teacher who is passionate about creating resources would want to be involved in TpT. But, as a Teacher Seller with a number of years of experience, I’ve seen a rapid increase of new sellers who are unprepared, unprofessional, or - worst of all - are breaking the law as they step into the TpT world.

The good news is that there are ways to avoid that! Here’s some tips to help you avoid the most common pitfalls when it comes to TpT!

1. Check Your Employment Conditions

You’ve just made a new resource and you’re ready to post it on TpT . . . but wait! Does your job allow you to do that?

Your employer - the state, school district, religious educational authority or private school - probably had you sign a contract when you started teaching. Some of those contracts prohibit you from taking on other work. Others require you to get permission - from your Principal or the district or someone else - to engage in other work. Other employers may regard the resources you make to be their property, so you aren’t allowed to sell them. Or they might ask you to ensure that you restrict all TpT work to personal computers and personal time.

This is a really important thing to consider when you’re thinking about becoming a seller. Selling on TpT will take a lot of work - it can be years before you replace an annual income. You don’t want to be out of a guaranteed income because you unwittingly broke the terms of your contract.

Takeaway: Check your employment conditions and see if you can be a seller - and if you need permission to do so.

2. Register your Business

(Note: I’m approaching this tip from the Australian perspective - but it’s important to check if you need to do this if you live in other parts of the world!)

Did you know that you need to register your business name in Australia - unless you’re operating under your own name? The good news is that it’s a really easy online process and it’s very affordable. (You can read more here)

You might think that it wouldn’t apply to you if your business was only a hobby. It’s important to know that if you intend to make any profit, if you regularly carry out activities in the business - even setting up as a seller on TpT! - can qualify you as a business.

(You will also have tax obligations for any income you make from TpT - an accountant is the best person to talk to for more information)

Takeaway: Register your business if you’re required to - and make sure you keep receipts and paperwork!

3. Check Your Trademarks and Copyright

These are probably the biggest errors made by new sellers - and the ones which can get you in the deepest trouble.

First a note on terminology - copyright is the legal right for the creator of text, songs, images, photographs, films etc to determine who reproduces that work. Trademarks are symbols or words which are registered as representing a company or organisation - and only that company or organisation can decide who uses them. For example - the words and images of The Very Hungry Caterpillar are covered by copyright law, Eric Carle’s name is trademarked and cannot be used under trademark law.

New sellers may break copyright laws if they don’t take care with the images they use in their products. The creator (or owner, in some cases) of the image decides who can use the image. This means you cannot just save images from Google, from other websites or from social media to use in your resources without permission. This also applies to free resources.

(If you’re looking for images you can use, check out the fabulous and affordable clip artists on TpT or search for public domain images (make sure you check the terms of use for those images) or seek permission from the copyright owner)

As for trademarks . . . well lots of things are trademarked. Many popular brands are trademarked and cannot be used within resources. Author’s names might be trademarked and many educational programs are also trademarked. There are some great resources in the TpT forums and TpT University which will give you more information as well as searchable registers - but unless your work is completely your own, make sure you do your research. Trademark owners have the right to challenge your work and have it removed - and they often do.

Takeaway: Have a good understanding of copyright and trademarks - and do your research when you create new resources.

4. Be Original

You’ve seen a fabulous looking TpT resource on social media or in a shop and you know you can make something just like it. You’ll just change the words a bit and make it with images you like . . .

Don’t. Do. It.

Copying another seller is a deeply unethical thing to do. TpT is also a relatively small community and other sellers (and buyers) will notice if you do this - especially if you do it regularly. You’re also not producing the best possible resources - the best resources come from your own imagination, your own research and your own experiences.

Takeaway: Be your own fabulous self - it’s the best way to create resources and develop an audience.

5. Be a Professional - Treat your TpT shop like the business it is

It’s important, when it comes to TpT, to behave like you would in any other secondary income job. Real teachers will spend real money in your TpT store and by behaving as a business owner, you show them the respect they deserve as your customers.

What does that mean for you? It means being honest and just in your dealings with buyers - make sure the resources are of a high quality; take care to follow copyright and trademark laws; offer work that is original and thoughtful.

It means being kind to your buyers by letting them know what they are getting for their money. The best (and easiest) way to do this is by having comprehensive descriptions and previews of your work. (This is also good business sense! People are more likely to buy when they know what they’re getting!)

It means pricing appropriately. Do some research around pricing; read posts in the forums or in various Facebook groups. Ask a TpT friend for advice if you’re really stuck. Think about what value your resource has to the buyer, rather than how much time you put into it (especially in the beginning when everything takes a loooong time). Follow TpT guidelines on free resources and sales.

And - a note on freebies. Don’t use TpT as a host for your free resources. They make the money to employ staff and maintain the website through sales. A percentage of $0 is always going to be $0. If you only want to offer free resources, create your own blog or website or Facebook page or email list where you can give them away.

Takeaway: Treat your TpT shop as a business - even if you have limited time to work in it. Your behaviour reflects on you.

Related posts to read:

• Why I Won't Share Anti-Parent Teacher Memes (and you shouldn't either)

• Taking Care of Ourselves as Teachers

• Don't Put My Child On Your Classroom Data Wall

• Using Printable Resources When You Have A Photocopy Limit

Looking for more?

• Follow the Galarious Goods TpT shop

• Follow Galarious Goods on Facebook

• Follow Galarious Goods on Pinterest

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How to Use Teacher Knowledge to Throw an Excellent Birthday Party

I have been wanting to throw a Harry Potter birthday party for years. And with my Harry Potter loving son turning seven, I finally got to bring all my party ideas to life.

As the party finished and we attacked the clean up, I realised how much my teaching background had helped to make the party a success. Here’s some ways it helped me - and you can use your teaching knowledge to throw an excellent party.

1. Being Prepared

Much like I collect random ideas for teaching resources, I spent a lot of time collecting ideas for the party. I kept a Pinterest board of inspiration, returned to my well-thumbed Harry Potter story and reference books, made detailed lists (and more lists) and had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted before the creating began.

This is the kind of ongoing preparation which can be super helpful in the classroom. Using pinterest or other note taking resources can help you keep track of any ideas you come across. Making lists as you go, and referring to source material - whether it’s books or websites or videos - can help you create effective learning units.

2. Being Flexible in My Planning

I really, really wanted a slime station for this Harry Potter party - it was the perfect way for a group of curious 6 and 7 year olds to explore ‘potions’. But - like lesson preparation going askew - I couldn’t get any of the safe recipes I found to work. I didn’t want to use ingredients which would require heavy adult supervision, so I needed to get to work finding a solution. It took a range of materials, several hours of testing, quite a number of absolute failures . . . and some barely remembered chemistry knowledge from high school, but I finally got there.

In the classroom, we have to be ready to admit when something isn’t working - and be prepared to adjust what we’re doing, do further research into the topic, or throw it out and try something different. We’re only doing our students a disservice if we stay inflexible, if we’re not willing to move on from something which isn’t working.

3. Using What We Have

“You’ll have a Sorting Hat, won’t you?” a friend asked about a week and a half before the party.

Oh. Right. About that . . . .

No. I hadn’t planned a Sorting Hat. But this was a party based on the first book alone (so we can hold other parties in other years if we want to!), so a Sorting Hat would be an excellent addition. It turns out that a cheap straw hat from the discount shop can be combined with a couple of pieces of paper, a stapler, some felt . . . and a lot of glue and paint to make a great Sorting Hat.

Knowing what I had available at home (everything except the hat) and having a pretty good idea of what I could do with the tools and supplies I had (glue and felt together are rather magical) allowed me to bring the Sorting Hat to life. The same principles apply in our classrooms. It’s good to know what we have available to us - whether it’s books, physical supplies in our rooms or resource rooms, technology apps and programs or just the knowledge we’ve picked up over the years - and to know how we can use them in different ways.

How can we use what we have better? By keeping it organised and up to date, keeping lists of books and materials and making notes of things which work well in the classroom or information we get from professional development sessions. And by taking a little time to learn how to use the tools we have - whether it’s science equipment, technology tools or digital resources. It takes a little investment to start with, but will save you big time in the long term.

4. Name Everything

While we did traditional gift bags, we kept them small (bookmarks, a slime recipe and a treat) and supplemented them with wands and the slime they created and the plants they potted as part of the party activities. With all these objects flying around (not literally, we’re not really magic!) and more than 20 guests, only 1 thing - a wand - was left behind at the end of the party. How did we achieve this?

Well, we did have some brilliant parents who kept an eye on everything, but we also had a space for names on absolutely everything. We used sticky labels on the plant pots (with another sticky label for plant care instructions). We hot glued tags onto the wands. We had a handful of permanent markers at hand to write names on the slime. We had permanent markers everywhere for naming!

We also had guests who were excellent at writing their names on things (thanks to their teachers!). Getting students to write their names on their work - no matter how old they are - makes life so much easier in the classroom. Being able to match a student with their work, without needing complex handwriting recognition or standing holding the lost work at the front of the room, makes life better for everyone.

5. Don’t Forget Your Classroom Management Tricks

Earlier, I mentioned the slime station. Slime. Slime ingredients including glue, glitter and food colouring. And 20-odd six and seven year olds (and a few siblings) with varying levels of reading mastery when it came to the instructions - even the visual instructions I made.

They clearly needed adult help, and - as the current slime expert in the house - I was the best placed to offer it. Despite their beautiful manners and behaviour, it was occasionally chaotic. In the midst of the chaos, I remembered my son telling me about the call and response chants his teachers use. I asked one of the guests for a quick reminder of the chant, used it . . . and wow, I had the calm I needed to organise the next steps for everyone involved. (Again, these kids have GREAT teachers)

We use our claps and chants and gestures because they work. Not all the time, and they can definitely become overused, but they can also give teachers and students lovely little pauses where we can all breathe and take a moment to consider what comes next. It’s definitely worth teaching a few to your students - you never know when you might need them - or someone else will benefit from them.

Now to apply everything I’ve learned to the next party. My 3 year old is considering themes as we speak . . . I wonder if 6 months will be long enough to prepare?!

Related posts to read:

• Taking Care of Ourselves as Teachers

• 5 Ways Teaching is Like the Beach

• Classroom Organisation for the Unorganised

• 5 Great Reads for Teachers Setting Goals

• 4 Ways to Use Amazing Songs To Make Your Lessons More Attractive

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Finding Communities to Support Us as Teachers

What does a community of support look like when you’re a teacher? How does a community like that help you learn? How does it lift you on those hardest of days? How does it challenge you? And why is a community so important?

When I started teaching, most of our teaching communities existed ‘in person’ - the community of other teachers in our school, the other teachers you meet at professional development opportunities, your friends from university.

The online teacher support space was very different from how it is today. Facebook and Twitter were fledgling sites, with invitations and limited reach. Yahoo groups were clunky things and message boards had all sorts of restrictive rules.

At that point, I found my online teaching community through blogs. Blogging allowed me to reach out and beyond the teaching community of South East Queensland to make teaching friends around the world. It allowed me to discover new ideas and new ways of teaching from the comfort of my home. Through comments on the blogs of others and eventually my own blog, I could ask questions, share what I was doing in my own classroom and clarify my own opinions about teaching and learning.

As technology has improved, we’ve been able to connect as teachers better than ever. We can find teachers everywhere; teachers who are passionate about different topics - from flexible seating to reader’s workshop to integrating STEM. We can still find people through blogs, but also on Facebook, Twitter, Slack, Instagram and more.

Why Are Teaching Communities Important?

For me, a teaching community reminds me that I’m a lifelong learner - that there’s always more in this world to explore and apply. I can follow a tweet to a blog post to academic studies to teachers in a group discussing how something looks in their classroom and I’m better for the experience.

Teaching communities can also be places of support when things aren’t going right. When we can talk about teaching issues in safe teaching communities, there’s usually someone else who’s been in a similar position and can offer advice.

A great online teaching community is also a place of celebration. A place where you can talk about the lesson which kept every student engaged, the elusive ah-ha moments we all chase or those rare days when you manage to clean your teacher’s desk and get out the door before dark!

Related posts to read:

• Taking Care of Ourselves as Teachers

• 5 Ways Teaching is Like the Beach

• Classroom Organisation for the Unorganised

• 5 Great Reads for Teachers Setting Goals

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Why I Won't Share Anti-Parent Teacher Memes (and you shouldn't either)

There’s a popular type of meme you might see on teaching focused Facebook and Instagram pages or shared by teachers you know. They make fun of the ‘stupid questions’ parents ask. They state that the work of parenting is only being done by teachers. They portray all parents as neglectful, aggressive, quick to jump to the side of the child and lying about the behaviour of their child. The worst go out of the way to mock the home situations of their students or engage in racist stereotypes.

These memes get shared a lot, which is great for the algorithms of the pages which share them. But I won’t share them. And you - as a teaching professional - shouldn’t share them either.

Memes can be incredibly funny. They can connect the seemingly unconnectable (I’m personally very fond of popular culture meets Socrates memes). They can be topical and thoughtful.

But they can also be cruel and hateful. They can make broad generalisations. And they can fracture relationships instead of building them.

An Anti-Parent Atmosphere

So many of the anti-parent teacher memes embrace an us and them narrative. They place teachers as all-knowing and infalible, while parents are portrayed as ignorant and unwelcome.

Some of this is a result of the media and governments stirring up anti-teacher sentiment across the 2000s and 2010s as a way to get easy headlines and quick ratings. This made teachers feel like they were constantly under attack while some parents jumped on teachers as easy targets. Parents and teachers were pitted against each other as opposing forces - unable to reason with or work with each other.

It’s easy to see the memes coming from this. A ‘harmless’ way for teachers to hit back at parents who might be frustrating them or who feel like they’re making the job much harder. But so many of these memes are lumping parents as one homogenous group. They’re hitting down at people who often have little power in the school system. And when you see enough of them, when you share enough of them, at least part of you is buying into the beliefs behind them. At least part of you begins to believe the lazy/aggressive/clueless/permissive parent narrative.

When you start to believe this, even just a little, it’s ultimately going to backfire on you as a teacher. Parents know when they’re not respected or welcomed by teachers. They can see which teachers welcome parents into the room while they are pushed away. And they’re more likely to speak out about smaller issues. They’re more likely to share their concerns with other parents. They’re less likely to go out of their way to make your year easier.

A Lack of Empathy

Many anti-teacher memes rely on broad caricatures of parents instead of encouraging you to see the actual parents in front of you. Is the parent in the email really asking ‘stupid questions’? Or is English their second or third language and your instructions are unclear? Or do they have anxiety and they are in a better position to work with you when they have clarification? Are the parents neglecting ‘behaviour management’ at home, or have they been to a range of professionals and taken several courses to help them with their child’s behaviour and they’re hoping to work with you for a positive year?

So often we don’t really see what’s happening in the homes of our students. We don’t see parents holding together families with baby-sitters, doctors appointments, expensive therapy sessions and hours and hours of work. We don’t see the school refusal, the outbursts when the school day is finished, the serious discussions parents have as they work for the best for their children.

As a teacher, you’re also a newcomer to the life of the child. Parents have years of accumulated experience and they usually know their own kids. When they say that this behaviour is unusual or that it doesn’t happen at home, it’s worth listening to them and working with them to see if you can make a difference together. Afterall, how many parents of ‘model students’ tell you that they aren’t that well behaved at home? Plenty of children act differently in different situations.

And Don’t Forget . . .

When your frustration level is high, it can be easy to like or comment on an anti-parent meme on Facebook. But don’t forget how public those can be. It only takes one friend of one of the parents in your class to comment on the same post and they might see your like or comment.

Do you really want to parents in your classroom thinking that those are your beliefs about parents? Will that make your job easier?

Working With Parents

Actual aggressive behaviour from parents is not acceptable - it needs to be recorded, reported to your Principal and referred to your Union if required. And if you suspect a student is being harmed by their parent, you must go through the reporting procedures for that. But when the parent behaviour is annoying or frustrating, there are more productive ways of dealing than sharing anti-parent memes.

Take a moment to put yourself into the shoes of the parents if you can. Think about previous experiences they may have had at school as a student or a parent - can you reassure them and let them know that you want a positive relationship with them and their child? Acknowledge the ways schools have changed and explain any educational jargon you use. Give parents time to speak - don’t dominate the conversations - and let them know that they are welcome to ask follow up questions. Let all the parents know how and when they can communicate with you. Know that good relationships with parents will be rewarding for them, for your students and for you.

And for those parents who resist a positive relationship, take the higher ground. Be friendly and respectful and refuse to turn it into an us and them situation which will eat all your time.

Save your time for the Spiderman Socrates memes instead.

Related posts to read:

• Making Contact With Parents

• 5 Things School Parents Might Worry About (And how teachers can help those worries)

• Don't Put My Child On Your Classroom Data Wall

• Assessing and Addressing Waiting in Your Classroom

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5 Great Reads for Teachers Setting Goals

There’s lots of information for student goal setting out there, but what if you want to set some goals as a teacher? Whether you’re beginning a new school year or just looking to turn over a new leaf and try something new in your classroom, here’s 5 great reads to help you set thoughtful, effective and productive teacher goals.

Goal-Setting for Teachers - 8 Paths to Self Improvement

This comprehensive post from The Cult of Pedagogy is a great place to start if you want to set teacher goals, but you’re not quite sure what goal you want to set. Covering 8 different pathways teachers can explore, this post expands on these ideas and offers thoughtful goals - and a whole heap of resources - which you might like to explore. This would be the perfect place to start to set goals!

Setting Goals for a New Term

This is another great place to start if you’re not set on a particular teacher goal yet. This post explores some more traditional pathways in goal setting for teachers - from being more organised to improving student learning, with links for further reading.

Setting Goals for Going Back to School

This post takes you through the WHOLE process of setting teacher goals - from visioning what you want to happen to creating a plan to achieve the goal. It’s a really comprehensive post, filled with really detailed and usable information. Sit down with some paper and pens to go through this one in-depth!

Back to School: Back to Learning

This article takes a set of steps for guiding student learning and explores how teachers can use these steps to guide their own learning and goal setting. I really like the way these steps make a circle, reminding us that setting goals is a part of life-long learning, something which we can follow through again and again.

School Leaders: Setting Realistic Goals with Your Teachers

This article is aimed at school leaders, but I think it’s a worthwhile read for all educators. I particularly like the idea of asking the right questions - to make sure we’re making goals which are truly effective. There’s a lot of other good information about intention and mindfulness when we’re goal setting, as well as looking beyond SMART goals. I’d recommend reading through this one a few times - then forwarding it to your own school leaders!

How do you set goals as a teacher? Leave a comment below!

Related posts to read:

• Helping Our Students With Goal Setting

• 6 Fabulous Blog Posts for New Teachers

• Classroom Organisation for the Unorganised

• Don't Make Writing Goals with Blank Pages - Creating Writing to Make Writing Goals

• Writing Skills and Expectations Before Goal Setting

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