Systems in Music Therapy: Tools - Duplicates and Must-Haves for My Current Projects!!

This may be a bit of a short post - I have about 40 minutes before I have to leave for work today, so writing may not be my first priority. I am currently working on making task boxes for some of my clients. I have time on my hands since my interns are running some of my music therapy sessions, so I am trying to figure out ways to keep myself occupied while still providing opportunities for observation and intercession in the music therapy room, if needed. To that end, I am taking in a bunch of tools that will make my task box production a bit easier and quicker. These tools are things that I already have here at home and will assist me in finishing up projects a bit more effectively.

I find that tools are essential to be a good time manager. In this case, the tools that I have available are things that will help me make file folder activities and task box pieces, but the whole idea of tools for time management and effectiveness carries over to this example as well as others that I have written about. Here is some of what I will be taking with me to work this morning...

  • a cutting board with blade - little Fiskar boards are wonderful! I am not the straightest scissor cutter, so having a board where I can cut straight lines with a minimum of effort is amazing! I didn't include a link or a picture because these are easy to find. My major issue with them is that the blades get dull after a while, but replacements are easy to find. I solved the need for replacement blades at home by purchasing a board with a self-sharpening blade, but that baby stays at home - it will not be sacrificed for work use!
  • glue gun - this is something that I will use to put together things like cups and containers for sorting materials into. This is another thing that doesn't need a picture since glue guns are pretty common these days. I have a cheap one from Walmart or the Dollar Tree and lots of very old glue sticks that I can use up with some of these materials. Hooray for using things up!!
  • Sticky Index tabs - I love sticky index tabs and have used them to indicate chapters in my textbooks for years and years. As a result, I have plenty that are just sitting around now that I do not spend as much time looking at my textbooks. I had a brainstorm that these might be a good thing to use on a couple of projects that I am putting together - one of them is a sorting tool that needs to have numbers attached to various flaps so students can put together classroom sets of things - specific numbers. Rather than purchase a thing that can help, I decided to make one out of scrap cardboard, some laminated cardstock, and a binder doohickey. Saves me $23 bucks and uses up more of the stuff that I have sitting around.
  • corner rounder - this is a punch that makes sharp edges rounded off. Again, since I tend to not have the perfect edges that I seek when I am operating the scissors, this tool saves me so much time and lessens my aggravation.

So, these are the things that will be traveling from my home this morning to my office at work. I will use these tools to finish up some prototypes, make some more things to use, and to boldly go into the unknown.

I'm starting to get antsy about being home this late - time to get myself pulled together enough to go upstairs and get the day going. Happy Friday, all! 

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