My home away from home

As the school year is almost at an end, the traditional cleaning, tidying and purging begins.

I spent more awake hours in my classroom during a weekday than I do anywhere else so it seems only natural that over time, it slowly became my nest... my home away from home.

I am grateful that I don't have to pack up my classroom each June as I know many schools have their teachers do. I am also grateful that I don't have to move rooms.  I helped a colleague move rooms last year. A whole lot of lifting packing and trecking up to the second floor and across the building.

I moved buildings two years ago. I had over 85 boxes AFTER I had purged probably half of my things. Craziness.

Now I just have to move things off the portable shelves so that the furniture can be moved out by maintenance when they wax the floors.

As I look around my room I can see so much of ME there, to make it truly a home away from home.

• Family momentos. I have pics of my boys all over in my room. Pics of my sisters and their kids. Pics of all the next generation of my clan. The kids love looking at them and trying to decide who looks like me
• Wall art - I have the art décor my niece has made for me. Little pieces students have gifted me with over the years. A landscape scene my son made me when he and his GF and MIL went to one of those paint parties
• Stuffed animals. I brought a big teddy bear one year for a pajama day and it never left. It's amazing how it can calm ppl when they are having a bad day. My school mascot and former school mascot hang out on my shelves.
• Coffee. My Keurig. The staffroom is super far and no one makes coffee in it anymore. There are little nooks here and there throughout the building where people have their own maker. The gyms. The library. The main secretary's office. The science dudes. This gives me my cup or two each day and occasional reward treats of hot chocolate for the kids. Sometimes I make a cup of amazing Chai tea. I never get a chance to drink it hot but the smell is amazing.  I have a little basket with my supplies of coffee/tea/hc and a few sugars and stir sticks. I don't do creamer so those wandering by in a desperate caffeine need have to bring their own.
• My scentsy. It's a tiny little cute one with no bulb that sits on a shelf behind my desk. There are no scent allergies in my class so I am good to go. I choose something really really mild. The students' favourite this year is a kind called 'candy dandy' that is no longer made. boo.  A group of 13 year olds with me all but gym class can get really scenty. This just ........helps.
• The pharmacy. Just things a person needs throughout the year. A5/35 and Icy Hot for aches and pains. Some motrin. cough drops. Non drowsy allergy pills. Vicks vapo rub. Lip balm. Hand lotion. Unscented hair spray. A small pouch with base make up (foundation, mascara etc) for those days when things just go wrong. Sanitizer. Pony tail holders. EmergenC tablets. Tums. deodorant. lint roller. dental floss. Qtips. Tide Go pen. OFF, finger nail clippers
• Emergency for kids - contact solution. spare contact cases I get from the optomistrist. sanitizer, plastic utensils, student hand lotion and lint rollers, band aids, baggies, granola bars for those kids you know have no food in the house. Gum/ candies. everybody gets one during an assessment - about 15 min in. Super calms them. Kleenex x 100.
• wardrobe - a t shirt in every colour for spirit days I forget about. slippers. infinity scarves. umbrella. mitts and toque. sweater for those rare days I get cold.

Ok I know there are tons more but wow. That is quite a list

Ohh...charger for my phone