Supplemental Sunday: The Boxes - A Project Update

It amazes me how tools can make things more efficient, effective, and easier for everyone. Today's supplemental, while not a visual aid, is a tool that helps me with some of the administrative duties of being a music therapist.
A while back, I decided to try something. I decided to make boxes to use with my large groups of kids to assist me in distributing materials, to increase the amount of time that I could actually be doing something therapeutic, and to keep some things contained.

In order to do this, I pulled out some of my favorite containers - scrapbooking boxes. You can see some of them here, including a bunch that I use to make visual aids with and some examples of the ones that I am using at work - the blue and purple ones.

I chose four boxes - red, blue, purple, and green - as the basis for my visual aids. I rationalized that color-coding materials would help us all keep things where they needed to be (and it is working!). The green box was wrecked by a client who wanted attention. He got it, but did not really seem to like the attention he got after he hit the box just right and shattered the cover. I am now down to three boxes of stuff for use in my sessions.

Every morning, I set out the three boxes - red, blue, and purple. They always have three things in them. There is a file folder that has many different emotion pictures. There are sentence strips that say, "Today, I feel" and there is a new coping skill reminder mini-poster to help me cue kids who need the reminders. I also have these posted around the room for the sessions that don't include the boxes.

Every week, I add other things to the boxes as well. The first week was rock band ensemble week. I added a folder with common rock band instruments and some explanations about how the instruments are usually played. These boxes have also included rhythm instruments, books for reading, and scarves. (I love these boxes - other than the fact that one has shattered, and I cannot find another green box to replace it - all they have now are clear and teal boxes - not exactly the color scheme I had in mind when I started the project...)

Here's what happens. Clients enter the session, sit down near a box, and open it up. Some of them know to share the materials inside with their peers. Others finish the sentence strips for the people sitting next to them. (We're working on that...but, it is social awareness, right?). Most of the time, everything in the box comes out at the beginning. I'm getting the paraeducators used to the fact that I am not picky about whether things come out early. If they are in the box, I know that students will take them out and try them out. It's part of human nature to try out an instrument, if it's there. Same thing with anything else!

I am liking this system. It offers opportunities for independence from my clients, I get information about emotional states that helps me assess my clients, and I spend lots less time passing out materials and collecting those same materials. Clients seem to like it as well. There is a bit of anticipation as they open up the boxes for the first time in a session. They start to talk about what is in the box while they are choosing their emotions for the first thing we do every session.

I will continue to use these boxes as long as they continue to work. I also have color-coded bags and binders that I am figuring out how to use within the system as well. It may be time for some generic communication boards to keep in the binders to indicate things like "No thank you" or "bathroom, please." Maybe. Maybe not.

Next week is Musician of the Month week - we are going to be talking about Bach - Johann Sebastian (my students aren't ready for P.D.Q. ...yet!). The boxes will contain emotion folders and sentence strips only this week. The instruments that we are going to use will be in bags rather than in the boxes. That will allow me to keep them quiet until it is time to play them. Also, it will forestall the couple of clients that have figured out that the boxes don't always have the same things in them based on which clients will get which instruments. They won't be able to see what's in the bags until it is time. Mua-ha-ha-ha!

This color-coding has helped me with keeping things organized as well. The kids know that the red things go with the red box. The paras, well, they need a bit more training - the kids are helping me out with that. I love to hear things like, "But Para, that's red. It goes over here" coming from students who have taken that responsibility away from me! Love it!!

One small change - color-coded boxes - have changed what happens in my group sessions. What a wonderful tool!

If you are interested in more about organization (opinions from me and from others), check out posts from the past with the label "organization" or visit the website for links to my Pinterest board on organization. (Go to the bottom of the page for the link.) 

As always, comments and questions are welcome either here or on the website.

Happy Sunday!