Getting Organised
For many years, I have shared my living room with my schoolwork. I love making materials to share with the children I teach, and the surfaces would quickly fill up with coloured card and art materials. When I moved into my apartment, I decided to turn my second bedroom into a study where I could keep my work. I looked forward to meeting Benjamin Franklin’s advice of “A place for everything, everything in its place.”
For a while, everything worked well and I was proud of myself for sticking to my resolution. When materials were complete I took them to school and there was plenty of space for new projects. Then online teaching started, and instead of going to school a castle, a puppet theatre, a shopping centre and number lines started to jostle for space on my dining room table.
While my neighbours thought the projects were beautiful and were very curious about what I was teaching, they agreed that I would need to find another home for them. So this weekend I decided to create space for my work by tackling some spring cleaning.
I prefer to do spring cleaning at the end of winter when it is still chilly outside, as once it starts to warm up I would much rather be in my garden in the sunshine. A chore doesn’t have to be a bore, and I knew that once I got started I would enjoy seeing everything neat and tidy again.
“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what then is an empty desk a sign?” ~ Albert Einstein.
I love this quote, comparing my mind to my dining room table – creative, imaginative and overflowing with ideas. By the end of the weekend my table was definitely uncluttered but not empty. It was ordered and held the potential for many new and exciting projects.
While doing spring-cleaning and sorting cupboards and washing may be easier and quicker when you do it yourself, it is important to include your children to in these activities from an early age.
“Cleaning with kids in the house is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos.”
Encouraging your children to take responsibility for their belongings and living space is good, but the major benefit to be gained from taking part in theses activities is the development of the skills of sorting and classification. Many children begin to sort naturally according to basic attributes.
As this is an important and essential part of the beginning of mathematical skills and an important part of every child’s developmental journey, any chance to practice these skills is a valuable learning opportunity. Through including your child in these household tasks which involve the sorting of concrete, real-life objects you can help them to refine and expand their skills which will lead to the development of a range of reasoning and high order thinking skills
“It is not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do themselves that will make them successful human beings.”
~ Ann Landers
For a number of years parents have debated the value of homework. They argue that their children spend many hours at school being taught academic subjects by their teachers, so why do they then need to reteach the work to their children when they get home. The answer is that learning doesn’t happen when children are taught over and over, it occurs when they are able to remember what they have been shown and can use the knowledge to complete their homework independently.
Many parents say that homework also takes up too much time and that the kids need to be able to relax and have a break from “schoolwork”. If a teacher knew that this break would take the form of activities like curling up with a book, doing a jigsaw puzzle, building a Lego model or baking cupcakes they would happily scrap homework as the children would still be learning.
While children will learn a lot of things at school, there are important lessons and skills that they will need in life that they can only learn at home. Encouraging your children to take on age appropriate household chores will help them to master important life skills which will help them to achieve greater independence. Teaching them how to take care of themselves and their own living space develops self-sufficiency, and having the opportunity to experience accomplishment and feel good about themselves will build their self-esteem.
Project Ps
Pride
Children need to be encouraged on a regular basis to take pride in their work. I’m not saying that you should be trying to turn them into perfectionists, but it is important to encourage your children to make an effort and to try their best. If poor work ethic and sub-par work is left unchecked these undesirable qualities will become the norm and it will be difficult for your child to break these bad habits.
Nobody likes to be nagged and have his or her work criticised. When children aren’t taking
pride in their work, they do need to own up to it. A gentle way to help your child to acknowledge that the work isn’t their best and that they need to try a bit harder is to get them to do an evaluation.
1. Did your project turn out the way you planned?
2. Is your project neatly made?
3. Is your project attractive?
4. What did you enjoy most about the project?
5. Which is your favourite part of the project?
6. What would you do differently next time?
Praise
Praise is always a good thing and we all benefit from it. Instead of just telling your child that they have done a good job or that their project is great, acknowledge their strengths and point out the areas where you can see that they have put in extra effort. Being specific and using descriptive comments will boost your child’s selfesteem and show them that you appreciate the work they have put in and the care they have taken.
Packing Away
I’m always pleased to see your children packing away at the end of their lessons. While it sometimes takes time to tidy up, I’m glad to see them taking responsibility for their belongings. Packing away after they have been busy with a project which involves cutting, gluing, painting and colouring is however a lot more challenging for and it is a good idea to get the children to come up a packing up plan before they get started. Mimi and Morena’s includes packing away music which does help to speed up the process.
Ways you can help are to give the children a project box or tub. To keep it neat have containers to keep small objects in , a pocket file for coloured paper and pictures that they have cut out and a stationery holder made from tubes and boxes. You can also make a checklist or take a picture of the contents and stick it on the outside.