The best purchase you can make at Daiso

My love of Daiso and pretty much everything Japenese is nothing new but, in terms of teaching resources, the best thing I have ever purchased from there has been a liquid timer. So much so that I went back there to buy one for a teaching friend this week and I walked out with 10 of them. Oops :)

If you have never been to Daiso before, it's an out-of-Japan version of a 100 yen shop where  everything is $2.80 (or in the US, I think everything is $1.50. Jealous). 

In the classroom, there are obviously lots of uses for timers but most importantly I use these for my students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). I have used lots of different ones in the past including this one but these timers have become my favourite this year because they're cute, a great visual, a calming tool and these timers vary from 60 seconds to 2 minutes. Sue Larkey sells a similar version to the Orange wheel one above on her website for $10, so this especially makes these a bargain. 

This year, my poppet with ADD has responded really well to using one of these timers so that he has warning time when I want him to stop a task or return from his cool down space. At the beginning of the year we had lots of modelling around how to use the timer so that now it has become both a visual and a non-verbal signal that he needs to return to the whole class activity. 

If you are looking for other resources for students on the Spectrum, Sue Larkey's site is well worth a visit. If you have any great tools or resources for ASD students, or just a great teaching bargain, leave a comment below. 

Reward Coupon Freebies

I'm always on the hunt for different behaviour reward systems and have struck gold using Reward Coupons this year. They are so simple and my kiddos LOVE them.

This system is really easy to implement, just print and laminate. My kiddos choose one of these from the "Token Box" when they have filled their reward chart.

There are lots of great versions of these around. I have a really simple version available as a freebie. Just click on any of the pics to download or follow this link.

This freebie includes 9 different cards, with 4 to a page. I've kept them at this size as I have printed them but they would also work well as a smaller card. Just print 2 to a page.

Enjoy! And while you're here, please go like my new Facebook page for more updates & freebies.

New blog design

Yay! My new blog design is up and running to match my new blog and store name. Kerri from The Cutest Blog on the Block designs did a fantastic job in making my blog look pr-ee-tty.

Pretty please click on the links to my Facebook and Store to follow my new pages :)

New resources and a proper teaching post will be coming soon. Stay tuned!

Currently: March

Cannot believe it's March already! Linking up with Farley over at Oh Boy 4th Grade, to share the Currently love.

Listening
I had off to Grade 4 camp on Wednesday so it is cleaning and packing central here tonight. 

Loving
My hubs is a saint, truelly. We have a lot going on at the minute and he has been amazing, God love him. I also turn 30 {gasp} on Saturday so Birthday Week has started! We have already been out for tea to Mason's (it's a-ma-zing) and I have recived a few sweet gifts. Birthday week in our house rocks!

Thinking
I just started packing tonight for our 2-night camp and think I am organised... Hopefully.

Wanting
I received a FitBit from the Hubs as an early birthday present and I am loving it. A kiddo in my room has one too so we have been competing (he has been kicking my behind but oh well). A quick walk tonight will get the next 1200 steps for today. Yeah!

Needing
I just made some super cute Reward Coupons for my class which I need to laminate. Download this freebie here or click on the picture to download.

Spring Easter Break Plans
Unfortunately Autumn has begun here, I am such a Summer girl. At least Easter holidays start in 3 weeks. We are road tripping along the Great Ocean Road to Adelaide for a week.

Thanks for stopping by & remember that my blog is in the process of changing so please re-follow me on Bloglovin under Stars & Wishes.

Text to World Connections with The Lorax

We have had another fantastic week in 3/4, looking at making Text to World connections. I love these free posters from Megan at Teaching Super Power.

Earlier in the week we read and watched The Lorax by Dr Seuss and made some great TtS Connections. A lot of the kiddos were linking the story further afield to pollution in other countries, pollution and tree logging at home and the need to recycle. We used this free worksheet to record our findings and the key parts of the story.

On Friday we made these super cute Lorax cups. The cups were inspired by this craft and were really easy to make. As you can probably tell I didn't have any orange cups so the kids either coloured the cups in with texta or covered the cup with paper. We also improvised on the trees a bit but all was good :)

And these sweet Lorax's. You can find the template from Lovely Little Designs here.

Check out my Dr Seuss board for more Lorax ideas and to get ready for Dr Seuss week.

Bluntness and an overshare

I woke up this morning and decided to change my blog name. Books, Bugs and Boxes has served me well for the last year and a bit but it's time for a change, to move on, to find something that fits 'me' a little better. So for the next little while we'll be in transition until I get my blog header changed but welcome to "A Star and a Wish".

This is still my teaching blog but it's my life blog too. The title fits into both. I don't have the patience for two blogs, two instagrams, etc. Or you could say I'm lazy :) I'm just going for simplifying my life. 

Onto the story and the overshare. There may be a few more of these coming up {be warned}....

This morning I woke up feeling guilty because of something I blurted out at a bbq last night. My bluntness tends to get me into trouble, has basically since I started speaking but lately, I have been making more statements that are coming out as socially unaccepted gaffs. Most likely because I feel awkward every time I get asked this question. So awkward that I want to crawl into a ball and cry. Fun.

So the recap...
Last night, a husband of a friend asked, "So when are you having kids?" I'm almost 30, married for 5 years, standard question to be asked by anyone. Not thinking I replied with, "When my body agrees with me". Blank stare in response, asked me to repeat it, then awkwardly walked away. I spoke to him later, apologised, laughed, he made a point of asking if I was sure I couldn't have kids while looking me up and down (I swear this comes from my 'child-bearing hips', people are just shocked that I somehow can't get pregnant and pop out a string of children). Surely it had to be my husband's fault (wtf), I assured him that yes it's my 'fault'. We laughed again and all was good. I felt bad for replying that way, I wasn't at home, I've met the poor guy less than a handful of times but it seems I can't control the outbursts.

Maybe because my heart is breaking, my husband's heart is breaking and there's not a hell of a lot we can do other than follow the path we are on. A path of doctor's appointments and procedures,  invasive stuff and me, constantly feeling like a {not-so-prized} cow but still being able to smile while doing it.

I don't know how to avoid getting asked about when I am having children, short of wearing a t-shirt that says, "Yeah I can't have kids, yes we are looking at IVF, yes we can afford it, NO I don't want to hear your friend's/sisters/brothers-next-door-neighbour's miracle story, and no, sorry it's no-one's 'fault', yes we have tried that, no we don't want to try that, Thank you but go away".

I've asked the question of other women in the past, admittedly before I was married and realised how annoying it is, before we started on this baby-making path almost 3 years ago, before we both started feeling hopeless/useless/not-good-enough because we can't do something that others can do easily. 

Our story hasn't been a horrible one, we have had no miscarriages or horror stories, neither of us is sick or dying. We just can't get pregnant {I should add 'yet' but who knows}. Not a big deal in the scheme of things. I see the other women in the doctor's office, I know we're not alone, I know it probably shouldn't be a big deal but it is to us. I have the world's, seriously, most amazing husband, I have a supportive crew, we have an amazing life and existence but lately it's been tough. This morning, tougher than it has been other days.

I don't write a diary, I write a blog so here is a small slice of our story. I'm still not sure if this is the right place to have shared it but if I don't write it down I feel like things may fall apart a little and we are not going to let that happen. So read, don't read, share, don't share but be kind and gentle...

And maybe next time think for a second before you ask the baby question.

Love,

Five for Friday~ 30th of January

Oh boy, it's been a while since I've done one of these! I'm linking up with Kasey from Doodlebugs to share the happenings from this week.

Thursday was the first day back at work for 2015. Yay! New room, new year level (hello Grade 3 & 4), new kids. My new room is a gorgeous pile of gorgeousness. Love it!

Love my minion cushion from my niece.

 Bag lockers & tubs

Reward charts

Star display from our transition day.

Fish and pencil trolley.... because that works? :)

 Our Reading Corner

Curtained area

We kicked off our first day with some Name Zentangles. The kids did an excellent job with their artworks, I have definitely missed teaching bigger kids. 

I got the idea from this pin. We looked at filling the background in with different Zentangle patterns and I used this template as an example.


As my iPhoto has just decided to die I don't have any other photos to share (grr).

Happy weekend,