Aboriginal-Inspired Artworks

Artwork One: Nature Installation Artworks

I taught this lesson a couple of years ago now, but it has left an imprint on my memory. It was such a fun unit to teach and the students LOVED IT.

We actually started off by studying Andy Goldsworthy the installation artist, while studying Aboriginal culture and history. Goldsworthy's artworks are stunning. He uses only things found in nature to create his artworks and then he films/photographs them as "nature itself" destroys the artwork. 

Students were encouraged to explain their own message through a nature installation. This could be easily adapted so that students are explaining a Dreamtime story or a moral. Students are given a certain amount of time and can only use things found laying around the playground. They could not pull anything off trees or destroy bushes and plants.

Like Goldsworthy, we photographed the artworks being destroyed by nature over time.

Artwork Two: Vivid Opera House Design

This is another fun art lesson and is very appropriate as Vivid Lights are currently on in Sydney's CBD.

For those who haven't heard of Vivid, it's a light show in Sydney that projects images on some of our iconic buildings and structures. It's absolutely beautiful. Every year, the Opera House gets covered in lights and there's usually an Aboriginal design in amongst other designs.

For this lesson, I merged the Vivid lights show with NAIDOC week. Students were encouraged to paint an Aboriginal design onto an Opera House template. We then cut it out and glued it onto a piece of paper that was coloured in oil pastels and then painted over in black paint. Students then etched fireworks into the background.

I can't take credit for this lesson idea... It actually came from my Brother and Sister-in-Law but I can highly recommend it. It's such an easy lesson that looks very impressive in the end.

Artwork Three: Bark Paintings

I actually organised this lesson for Years 3-6 to complete when celebrating NAIDOC week at my school.

Students were given brown paper which they ripped around the edges to give a bark-effect. Students then chose a Darug Totem (Aboriginal Countries have different totems which are special to them) and sketched it out on the brown paper. Using a cu-tip, students dot painted their animal and the surrounding. They were also given oil pastels to draw designs on their animals.

The final results are impressive.

For more Aboriginal-Inspired artworks, games and activities... Check out my Pinterest Board: http://pin.it/KUjMPe-

Artwork Four: Aboriginal-inspired Stencil Handprints

I have been teaching this lesson to the whole of Stage 2 (Years 3 & 4) in our CAPA rotations time. It's been such a great lesson! I started by informing students about WHY Aboriginal people use stencil handprints and we looked at a variety of artworks that include stencil handprints. We then discussed different totems, symbols and traditions of the Darug people (we had an excursion only weeks before to Muru Mittigar which was perfect). Students already had knowledge about this, so they felt like experts. And then we got straight into making and creating.

I bought some spray bottles from a $2 Store in the 'Hair' section. I mixed paint with water so that we had a watery mixture and that's what students sprayed over their hand template.

A very quick and easy lesson that produces an effective piece of art.

I'm so happy that they're hung up and ready for NAIDOC week 2016.

Well I hope you found these ideas helpful and/or inspiring. I'd love to hear about any of your ATSI CAPA lessons and/or teaching ideas. Feel free to comment below or email me at rach.sellen@gmail.com

Eight tips to survive the transition back to work from maternity leave!

Recently I returned to teaching part-time after having a year off teaching. I had my bub a couple of weeks after starting maternity leave and I remember having so many mixed feelings about having time off. I was excited about what was to come, but I was also sad to be leaving students and colleagues. For me, I went on maternity leave at the end of Term 1, so I had a Year 6 class which I had to leave behind. I was so devastated as I really liked the class as a whole and I had built a strong rapport with them in that short term.

However, I didn't have the same mix of feelings when I returned to work after maternity leave. I just felt guilty. I felt guilty that I was going to be spending my day looking after 28 children, while my child was at home with his grandparents. It didn't seem right. Why was I looking after everyone else's children and not my own? 

Fortunately for me, I only had to go back two days a week and I knew he was being looked after by family. Although it was still hard.

But that wasn't the only thing I had to deal with. Teaching is always changing, always improving and evolving. In the short amount of time that I had off, so much had changed. Colleagues had moved on to new schools. There were new members of staff in their place. A new syllabus had also been introduced. And I just felt out of the loop, having not been trained in the program's we were now offering. I was no longer up to date with current research and felt as if my brain had turned to mush. I couldn't remember terms and acronyms I once used.

Needless to say, I cried all of the way home after my first day back.

But there is good news! I'm now getting close to the end of my first term back, and I'm happy to report the knowledge has slowly crept back. I feel like I'm in a better routine with juggling being a mum and working (although I still have really tough days). I also feel a little better about my son having quality time with his grandparents. I still miss him, but I don't cry the whole way to work anymore!

I thought today I'd compile a list of tips and tricks to help the transition back to work become a little easier. Now I have to say before I start, that I am no expert. I fail at these regularly... But they're just things I wish I was told before returning to work!

1. In the weeks before returning, schedule a meeting with your direct supervisor to catch up on what's been happening around the school. Take lots of notes- your memory isn't as good as it once was! 

2. Get a copy of the School Plan, to read up on what they're currently prioritising. Take note of any new programs or acronyms you're not familiar with.

3. Get a copy of the school calendar- my school actually emails it out to staff! Find out what is coming up, particularly things that involve your class/students.

4. Make a plan for home. Think about when you will do housework and maybe divide up the tasks. Plan out meals and organise getting your shopping delivered (it usually only costs around $5 for delivery). You may not always stick to this schedule, but it will bring a little more sanity to your home. Oh and remember... Keep your plans doable!

5. Try to get to work earlier so that you can do your planning and photocopying then. That way you can leave at a more decent time in the afternoon. I try to keep my afternoons sacred as my little one has dinner at 5:30pm. This doesn't give me a lot of time to muck around in the afternoon.

This is a picture of our desk at the end of my working week. Just trying to be organised and having everything photocopied and prepped in advance!

6. Work smart. That means that you need to mark as you go. That means revamping pre-existing programs and not reinventing the wheel (leave that for later on when your kids are a little older). That means grabbing your coffee and going. Yes it's nice to talk to colleagues and catch up... But don't spend all of your time chatting.

7. Remember that it's ok to say you don't understand and that you need help.  I was completely caught out on my first day back... And I just had no idea what was going on. I had to just pull the "I've just had a baby and returned to work" card. I was so nervous about admitting I had no clue about what everyone was talking about... But the moment I said it everyone became a little more understanding and tried to explain rather than assume. I was actually surprised at how many other women knew exactly how I felt, and mentioned how hard it was returning to work from Mat Leave.

8. Remember to have quality family time and time with your partner. The downside of teaching is that it can become all-consuming. I think jobs that require you to give up a bit of your heart, can easily consume a lot of your own personal time! Figure out where to draw the line. Where to cut off from work. For each person this can be different... But for me I decided that I only wanted to do half an hour of work each night once my son went to sleep. That doesn't sound like much, but I wanted to also spend time with my husband. So what I also do (because half an hour isn't nearly enough) is that I also work while my son sleeps on one of my days off. I try to have one "at-home day" and on that day is when I work while he's napping. Outside of that I have to draw the line and remind myself that I only work two days a week... I don't work full-time!

While teaching is an awesome job, it can become really taxing. Take each day as it comes and remember that you are only human. A sleep-deprived human who is a full-time mum first and a part-time teacher second!

Do you have any other tips and tricks for surviving the transition back to work?  Comment below.

What to eat?

The question most of us ask ourselves each morning is 'what will I take for lunch today?' 

I absolutely hate planning meals. I hate organising them of a morning but I especially hate eating garbage because I didn't make the time to organise my lunch. There's nothing worse than sitting down in the staff room to eat your packet food to then smell the beautiful aroma of someone else's lunch. Try adding being pregnant to that you've got yourself one crazy teacher.

Now I'm no expert at this… but I hoped that by doing a bit of research for someone else, that I would be able to find the motivation to get my butt into gear.

I've found a couple of great blogs/ posts from ladies across the world who have come up with inspiring lunch options. Not all of these ladies are teachers, or even pregnant, but their ideas are so usable… anyone can do it!

The first blog is titled Pregnant Girl Diet and it's written by a lady named Kari Burghardt. I particularly like how she pushed the need to drink water and introduced the idea of a 'Snack Pack' (see left). I'm going to give the water bottle idea a go… I like how she chopped up strawberries, limes and pears and put them in her water bottle. I only wonder how long the fruit will last?

The second is a post titled 50 Pregnancy Meal Ideas from the Fit to be Pregnant blog. This blog post gives numerous meal ideas and has a section dedicated to snacks. However, most of these meals require a significant amount of prepping. I may take a recipe or two from this blog… but not all.

The third and final post I'd like to mention is 5 Tips for Safe, Healthy Lunches while Pregnant which is from the Fox in Flats blog. This blog post does exactly what it says… it gives you great tips for safe, healthy lunches. The five tips are:

1. Make your own
2. Invest in some good quality lunch containers
3. Keep it chilled
4. Serve hot things HOT
5. Try and focus on what you CAN eat

Simple tips, however, absolutely necessary!

This term, I'm going to make my own lunches. Healthy, yet tasty meals that very rarely include sandwiches. I will post some of my favourite lunches over the next couple of weeks.

Oh and remember… good quality doesn't always mean expensive! 

Sometimes you'll just need to look around and maybe do some research before you buy. I was able to pick up these cheap BPA FREE containers and this 1.6L BPA FREE drink bottle from ALDI the other day. They were on special and I cannot wait to use them when I go back to work!

So much to do... So little time!

I don't know about you... but I feel like there is just so much to do. I keep thinking about what I need to do next and when I'm out I feel guilty that I'm not at home doing work. 

Today I went to my cousins engagement party... and I felt guilty.

What has the world come to? 

When did work become more important than life?

That's why I am going to log off.

 I am going to spend the rest of the night with my husband. 

Even though I didn't get everything done... I will not feel guilty about it. 

I hope you can log off too... tune out... and spend time with your family <3.

Regret nothing.

10 Tips to Help You Survive a Year of Teaching.

I have been teaching for almost four years, and while I do not claim to have all of the answers, I have complied a list of all of the things I wish someone told me. That first year in particular, can be a doozie with germs, flus, bad eating habits and poor fitness. Actually, until a positive change happens, these bad habits can go on for years. I don't claim to be perfect... in actual fact I still struggle with a lot of these areas myself. But hopefully we can all work at it together to make better versions of ourselves.

Unfortunately for those International Readers, a lot of these suggestions include products that can only be found on Australian shelves. Hopefully you can find some substitutions.

1. Drink Plenty of Water!

It's really important to drink plenty of water. According to Better Health, women should be drinking 2.1 litres of water A DAY. I don't know about you, but I think thats is A LOT of water. 

So it's important to be prepared. You can buy drink bottles almost anywhere... it doesn't really matter which one you buy so long as it is BPA free. I prefer the alloy water bottles. A good one can cost you anywhere between $10-$15. However, it's worth the investment!

Now I try to drink my full bottle of water before lunch... this gives me something to aim for... a time limit to stick to. Then I fill my bottle up at lunch and try to finish that before I get home. If I can do that, I know that I am drinking close to two litres.

2. Eat Clean!

Eating healthy isn't hard... it just requires preparation. I find that if I put in the time and prepare my lunch, I tend to eat well and stick to my routine. But the week that we do the shopping late and I don't prioritise preparing our lunches... that's when I eat garbage.

I need to eat lots of fresh food so I weekly shop is necessary. I find it easier to prepare all of my lunches in advanced. I buy loaves of banana break, slice it, wrap it and put it in the freezer ready for lunches. I fill containers with grapes, so that I can quickly grab one and run out the door. Oats in the morning is a MUST however I don't always have the time to eat them... so I pack them with me and take it to work to eat. Green smoothies are also a great way to start the day. There are some very easy and TASTY recipes out there! My favourite is green apple, kale, pear, baby spinach and cucumber :) mmm

I try to steer clear of bread (because I love it) and instead make wraps using Mountain Bread. 

Sistema have a great range of BPA free, plastic storage containers, which suit almost any food/meal. I go a little crazy buying them... but it leaves me with no excuse for having a healthy lunch.

3. Take Multi Vitamins!

There are so many germs out there and you will come into contact with them all. Since being a teacher, I think I've had every flu and stomach bug that been around. Therefore it is super important to eat well (plenty of fresh fruit and veggies) and to take vitamins! I take a Swisse Multivitamin for women. 

Vitamins are one of those things you can't skimp on... Cheap can be very nasty. Check out Swisse to see their great range!

4. Keep Active!

URGH this is one I struggle with! I'm one of those people who have a gym membership but never go. I make a million and one excuses for not going (some of them valid), but I never make it a priority. It's something I'm working on... But it's tricky. At the moment I am going to a Body Balance class (Yoga, Thai Chi and Pilates all rolled into one class) twice a week. I go with a friend who is also a teacher. We don't talk work... We just encourage one another to go! I find the class really relaxing whilst working out and feeling like I'm doing something. I will slowly creep my way up to three classes a week and so forth.

Exercise is great for releasing all that built up tension. If you can't afford a gym membership, then try some Pilates at home or go for a walk/swim. Your physical health is just as important as your mental and emotional health.

5. Get Plenty of Rest and Relaxation!

According to the National Sleep Foundation, we need anywhere between 8 and 9 hours of sleep a night.

Think about it... If you wake up at 6am, you should be in bed at 9pm! I don't know about you... But I'm usually in bed two or more hours after that. By not having enough sleep, your stopping your body from completely recovering. Lack of sleep affects your concentration and ability to take in new information.

As teachers, we need to be on the game at all times!

6. Use Your Time Productively... Be Organised!

I find I waste A LOT of time doing stupid things... Like flicking through Pinterest! 

If there are 24 hours in a day... 9 hours should be spent on sleeping, 7-8 is taken up with work (and meetings, etc)... That gives us 7 more hours. If you take out the time it takes to exercise, cook dinner and do chores... You're not left with a lot of time. And you haven't even taken into consideration FAMILY TIME. I don't have a family... Yet... But I do have a husband and I'm sure that he'd like to spend time with me every now and then. 

But how do we do this? We need to be more time efficient. We need to make the most of our time! I have made a time table of things to do... chores AND family time. Work should come second, with family first! 

For some of us, this is a radical change so we need a structure to keep us on track. I have made a timetable which I am happy to send out as a freebie. Unfortunately I can't upload it here (can't figure it out), but comment below and I'd be more than happy to share it with you!

>>Comment for Weekly Timetable Freebie!<<

7. Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!

Regardless of whether you have feet-related issues or not, shoes are so important. As a teacher, you're on your feet ALL day and if you're wearing uncomfortable shoes you're in for a shocker. Blisters, sore ankles, poor circulation, sore knees and hips, aching arches... All due to poor choice in shoes. And ballet shoes are the worst!

Aim to buy comfortable shoes with a proper arch. This is another thing you can't go cheap on. Cheap shoes never last long. Shop around... It's worth the time!

8. Be Prepared with a Survival Kit!

As a teacher you can never be caught out! Rainy day, playground duty and no umbrella... Uh oh! Paint spilt down the front of a white shirt... Uh oh! Killer headache and no pain killers... Uh oh!

You need to be prepared for everything and the best way to do that is to have a survival kit! 

In your kit/bag pack: an umbrella, a hat, spare shirt, sunblock, panadol, soothers, aquium, breath mints, bottle of water, feminine hygiene products, deodorant etc.

Be prepared!

9. Why Not Have a Work-Free Wednesday?

The name says it all. WORK FREE WEDNESDAYS. That means you need to leave work straight away (no talking, photocopying, marking...) and come home. Who cares if you just sit on the lounge watching TV all night... Wednesday nights are yours to just chill and be with the people you love.

Once you've mastered Work Free Wednesdays... why not move on to Work Free Fridays. Yes we have busy lives... but it's only as busy as we make it! You cannot live a life where you're thinking and breathing school 24/7. You will drive yourself insane. Yes your career will be with you for a long time... but your family will be with you longer. They should ALWAYS be your number one priority.

Remember to call your Mum and ask her how she is. She'll love that!

10. Dinner Dates!

If you don't have a partner... grab a friend and go out on a Dinner Date. It is so important to have that time with family/friends... it's also really nice to have a break from your house from time to time. Getting out is a great way to keep your mind off work. It's also a great excuse to catch up with the people you love and share quality time with them laughing. Make time for this one. I hear of so many people who feel friend-less and/or have issues in their relationships... so many marriages breaking down. Relationships are so important but they go two ways. Make sure you're holding up your side of the relationship!

Well that's my 10 tips... I haven't got them all under control yet... it's a work in progress! I would love to know what works for you (and maybe what doesn't work as well). Have a lovely year and remember DON'T WORK TOO HARD!

XX