Week 1 Term 4 - Spring Clean

SPRING CLEAN

a thorough cleaning of a house or room, typically undertaken in spring

Term 3 holidays was a break that I think all teachers appreciated. My intentions for the holiday was to unwind and relax. What happened in reality was the exact opposite. I spent the majority of my break spring cleaning my house and my classroom. Initially it started off with the garage at home. This was a space that became a dumping ground for everything. A collection of empty boxes, old personal belongings, photo albums, tool boxes, numerous painting tools, old paint cans, suitcases, Christmas decorations, a BBQ and unused car - the space was room full of nothing. Clearing out the garage was a great opportunity to sift through what did not need (which was a lot) but it was an opportunity to see what we wanted to keep (which was also a lot). I came across old photo albums, school awards and certificates that before the spring clean, I had totally forgotten about. The end result (after 6 hours of cleaning) was a more organized and open garage. 

Finally my garage is organized! 

Tackling my classroom followed the next day. I have inherited my classroom so with anything inherited, you adopt everything that comes with it. I spent most of the day (during study class) clearing all the rubbish and boxes. The back room was particularly messy - much like the garage, there was whole lot of nothing in the room. In clearing through the mess I did come across some gems - class photos, teaching resources from my first year (cringe!), teacher planning books (remember those?!), static image folders from 2009, my old tutor class folders. In revisiting these ancient artifacts I did feel a little nostalgic and a little 'older' - especially when I found my old high school photos! The boxes of resources, the old photos, the toolboxes - everything that I had brought out of hibernation was a reminder of how much I hoard (HA!) but also how much I have been blessed with.

Classroom (side note: coffee table made by former student Jimmy Timoteo :D)

Reorganized my backroom. 

It was a little confronting at first, to look at the amount of 'stuff' that I had amassed over the years - in my garage, in my classroom - but to go through it, throw it away and appreciate the story or the journey behind what I have kept has made the 'spring clean' more than just about clearing out mess and more about prioritizing my 'space' (physical, mental and emotional) and making sure that I enter this new term in a space that open and not so cluttered. Making time to clear out what I did not need and make space for what I wanted to keep and preserve was in a strange way, therapeutic. Even more so going through the boxes, bags and suitcases gave me a sense of gratitude, in that I was thankful for the different relationships, personal experiences (both good and bad looking at my ball photos haha) and learning experiences that I have encountered. 

Going into this term I feel more settled, I think that this is largely due to the fact that I have cleared out the rubbish and I feel like I really 'own' my space my now. Not that I did not before, but I think something that many people can relate to is that we tend to hold onto 'things' whether they are tangible things or not and these things pile up. We end up holding onto relationships, experiences, expectations, boxes of old newspapers (yes I had a box of them in my garage) - just 'stuff' that we hold onto because we can. I have learnt that it is OK to let things go. Letting go could be a catalyst of allowing something new into your life?

I have shared this experience with my Level 2 students. I found myself trying to find a way to make my 'spring cleaning breakthrough/Ah Ha' moment relevant to my 16/17 year old students. In terms of our student's learning journey - the mistakes, the failures, the fear, the doubt, the pressure and the laziness that comes with the final term of the year - is something that they can afford to cut. Focusing on what they need to do, when they to do it and the actual fact that they CAN do it (complete internal and external assessments) is important. For me, the physical act of removal of my mess and junk has made room for me to see what I need to see, understand my space and how I can fill it (or try not to when it comes to my garage). It sounds incredibly self-serving and to some, a bit overexaggerated, but I am grateful for my spring clean. It has been a good physical experience and learning experience.