#MusicTherapyMaker - Make It Monday - Catching Up on the Laminating Pile

Monday has come around again, and it is the last Monday that I have off before the start of the 2025-2026 school year. Next Monday is my first day with kids after being off for over a month due to medical issues that are continuing even after surgery. We now know more about what is happening inside my body, and it doesn't seem all that great. I go to my primary person today to cover some things that are concerning me - high blood pressure, falling, etc., but that is a topic for another day.

Today's topic is laminating.

I am a big fan of lamination. My clients tend to be juicy, so it is a good idea to cover things in plastic that can withstand some Clorox wiping (or LOTS of Clorox wiping). So, I enjoy covering visual aids in plastic. 

When I was an intern, it was often my job to cover visuals in clear Contact paper. Now, I HATE Contact paper because it was my job to cover visuals during my internship. I swear that stuff sees me coming and instantly starts to fold, wrinkle, and stick to itself. I ruined more than I actually covered, so I only took the projects that I either made myself or could replicate easily. It is one lesson that I took from my internship - do whatever you can to avoid using Contact paper.

When I was a graduate student, pinching every penny to make it go as far as possible, I splurged on a laminating machine rather than eating meat for several weeks. Since that time, I have purchased other machines, but that first machine is my workhorse - it is still working. All of the others have worn out, but not my first one. I used it yesterday to start working on putting a dent into my "To Be Laminated" pile of resources.

Does anyone else have this type of pile?

I find it interesting to go through my pile occasionally. I often forget what I have designed and/or printed out and prepared. Yesterday's pile included some file folder music reading visuals that are almost finished. I have to affix the cards to the folders, and then they will be ready to be shared. I also found several copies of a game that I developed called "Rockstar!" Those need playing cards before they are finished. Nevertheless, they are now laminated.

I have strong opinions about how I coordinate my visual aids that I am going to share right now.

• Hook velcro belongs on the pieces that move. This allows me to take those pieces off the folder or storage and use them in other ways.
• Make multiple copies so when a client bends it, there is always a pristine version available. My heart clutches each time a visual gets destroyed, but I feel much better when I remember that I have one that is safely locked away and is in a state of perfection.
• Buying a large laminator is a good investment, especially if your clients are juicy like mine.
• Cutting off a half inch off of letter file folders will allow them to completely fit into Menu sized laminating pockets. The entire surface of the folder is covered this way.
• It is important to keep your scissors sharp - I use aluminum foil to sharpen my lamination scissors (that's right, I have different scissors for different tasks - paper scissors, fabric scissors, and lamination scissors). Cut through several layers of foil until the blades are sharp again.
• A color-coded identification system works well for quick changes. I have two systems that work with my brain. The first is a subject system. Each primary domain has its own color. After that, I have a group color system. I have four group colors. What this means is that I might have a red folder indicating that the visuals have a motor domain focus, but the pieces are sorted into four groups - pink, purple, blue, and green - so I can easily see which cards go to which groups of people. I can also sort cards quickly and clients who can identify colors can as well.
• I have to identify six ways to use every visual aid before I keep it in my files.

There you go. My "To Be Laminated" pile has shrunk a bit, but my "To Be Finished" pile has grown. It is a never-ending process, but it is also my idea of fun.

I am getting ready for the day, for the week, and for the year ahead. Thanks for reading.