Nature Walk

We had our nature walk yesterday for letter "N" of our end of the school year festivities.  Our school has some great nature trails that go through the woods behind the school.  The walk itself was filled with some hysterical moments.  At one point when I was huffing and realized I was breaking a sweat I commented to the few kids around me that I was too old and fat to be doing this.  Without hesitating one of my sweethearts told me "That's why I always draw you skinny, Mrs. Jones."  To think I just thought she was into stick figures. 

The end is near!!!!

I found this idea on the Second Grade Teachers Club last year.  For the last twenty six days of school we'll do a fun activity focusing on the letter for that day.  Some are as simple as wearing a certain color.  Others are things such as making bubbles and having jump rope competitions. 

   Our count down starts in just two weeks!    And I can't wait!  For the count down to start that is.  :)  Wanna see what we'll be doing in second grade?  Click the picture of the calendar to find out. 

LOL!

    My favorite April Fool's joke to play at school came from the Second Grade Teachers Club.  In the morning I announce that later in the day we'll be having a flood drill.  (The kids don't even ask questions at this point).  When it is time for the "drill" I tell the kids that we need to treat it seriously like all other drills.  They may not talk.  When I give the signal, they have to take off their socks and shoes, and climb onto their chair. Then I announce April Fools.  It's a hoot! 
     And of course there is always the Brownie joke.  Each kid will receive their own brown "e" cut from paper.   Nothing like humor that second graders appreciate.

Moon Bag

    Our reading story this week at school is about the moon.  One of the state standards that I need to cover has to do with observing the moon nightly.  I knew when I saw this idea from the 1st grade parade  it would be perfect for my kids. 
   Each night a different kid will take home the moon bag.  I made two bags so two different kids will take home the bags each night and return them in the morning.  Each bag will have a moon log notebook (to record what the moon looks like that night), white crayons (for drawing the moon on black construction paper), and these two moon books:

to read with their parents. 

    Go and get Carroll's downloads for your moon log.  They're great!

     I knew I couldn't sew the moon on my bags as good as Carroll so I bought Iron on Transfers instead.  Here is my file that I used for my transfers.  Be sure to print it as a mirror image. 

 

How did I teach before Blogs?

Last week in our reading series our phonic skill was words with silent letters.  So I totally snatched this idea from I{Heart} Teaching and whipped out the ole cricut!  Only my gnomes didn't turn out quite as gnomey as hers...my kids still loved it and totally got it. 

My board looks totally grimy...yuck!

I'm in the money....

   Well in a plastic sort of way.
  
   Non-teachers may want to skip this post.  I purposely don't say much about my school kids on this blog.  So much is confidential and I believe there is a line that shouldn't be crossed as a professional.  With that being said, this is by far my hardest year of teaching yet!  I'm dealing with a lot of maturity issues, several academic problems, and a few behavior issues thrown in.  Lets just say May 25 is sounding sweeter all the time!
    Our district uses Saxon Math which I really like but feel that it's weak in teaching money.  So I stopped the curriculum this week to do my own money unit.  I started Tuesday with a detailed review of all the coins and their value.  I noticed that several students were struggling so later in the day I pulled each child aside for a quick one-on-one assessment.  I used the basic four coins, two of each for heads and tails, and just asked them to tell me the name of the coin.  Not even the value.  I got a little light headed when I realized only 3 kids could name all 8 coins!  This is a KINDERGARTEN SKILL!  That's no reflection on previous teachers.  It's just these group of kids. 
     It's moments like these that all lesson plans go out the window.  How can you teach counting money if they don't know the coins.  So I changed my focus to simply learning the coins this week.


   The first part of my new game plan included sending home these simple flashcards that I whipped up.  I included a note about how this was a Kindergarten skill and they would need practice at home.


   Next we made a bubble chart about each coin.  I borrowed this idea from here.  

  Then, we played the stomp game.  I laid big cut outs on the carpet.  Two kids would compete at once.  I would stay things like stomp on five cents, stomp of the heads of a quarter, or stomp on Thomas Jefferson.  This is a classroom favorite!  The child that doesn't wins has to set down until the next game. 

   My final game I came across this morning here.  I called it broke.  The kids would pull out a stick with a coin hot glued on.  If they identified the coin it went into the middle, if not it went back into the container.  We kept going until someone pulled out a stick that said broke...then they all would go back into the container. 

    I'm hoping next week looks brighter in the money teaching department!  I have several centers from the teacher's clubhouse that I really like and hope we get to use them.

     Last year we used touch money.  I created this printable that I put on card stock and laminate for each child.  It works great!  After you learn where the dots are on the coins, you count the dots by five.  I think of it as a crutch.  If you need extra support use it, if not don't.  Third grade teachers have told us that their kids this year are so much better at money than kids in the past.  Next year may be a different story. 
    

Lessons learned by a Second Grade Teacher after Ten days of an unexpected Blissful Break

1.  No matter how much  you like your job its never easy going back after a break.

2.  I'm awesome at staying at home....while staying at home I'm awesome at:

• keeping a super clean house
• cooking dinner
• ironing
• being a Christian
• being in a great mood
• completing projects

3. Second Graders do not mature much in 10 days.

4. Second Graders can forget a lot of math facts in 10 days.

5.  Second Graders can remember addition with carrying over the ten days, even if their teacher forgets that she already taught it to them and is ready to teach an introductory lesson on it.  Seriously?  My Teachers used to do that, and they were old!

6.  My class is still as exhausting as they were in August.  The maturing that miraculously happens over Christmas break...not so much this year!

7.  Staying cuddled up at home is not nearly as tiring as teaching!

8.  Copying and prep work doesn't do itself while the teachers enjoy the snow.

9.  Lesson plans can be transferred to the next week pretty effortlessly!

and last but not least...

10.  Second graders do not mature much in ten days.  (it's worth repeating!) 

Only a teacher can appreciate....

Come on in to Second Grade

Edit: April 1, 2013
This post is getting a ton of hits from pinterest, and I'm getting a ton of questions about my homeworkopoly board.  It was not my original creation!  Google it and you will find several variations for free that you can print.  I also created a safari version and posted on my teacher blog here:  

http://keepingupwithclass.blogspot.com/2011/07/safari-homeworkopoly.html

I'm excited to share my classroom with you.  This is my sixth year teaching.  It seems every year I add a little more of my personality to my classroom.  I'm really starting to like it :)  Lets start with a couple of scanning photos. 

    Right beside my door you will find my word work bookcase.  I have always loved the size of this bookcase.  It fits perfectly in several spots in the room and it's pretty sturdy.  However I wasn't in love with the blah fake wood color.  So 2 summers ago I decided to modge podge it with small squares of scrap booking paper.  I love it!  It always gets bunches of compliments.  
    Word Work is one of the components of The Daily Five that I'm excited to be implementing this year.  The tubs on the selves contain things such as playdoh, letter stamps, scrabble tiles, letter tiles, gloves (for clapping out syllables), magnetic letters, and some other fun things.  The kids will choose what to use, and work independently during their word work time.  If you work with children you know that too many choices can be a bad thing!  So I have made closed and open signs that stick on with Velcro so the kids will know what is available for them.  Right now they are all closed (the red circle) since we haven't started this part of the daily five yet.  
    The blue pocket chart hanging behind the book case doesn't have a specific purpose.  Occasionally I put a poem in it for the kids to read when lining up.  

Next to Word work you will find my mailboxes, for graded work and notes home.  On top is the baskets where the kiddos turn in folders, homework, and notes from home. 

Above the mailboxes is my star chart.  This is how we keep up with discipline in my room.  Every kid has a star.  If they get in trouble they move it down once.  

 

On the other side of my door is a small bookcase where we store the notebooks for writers workshop.  I didn't snap a picture of above this bookcase.  There I have my rules posted and some of the faces that I made last summer.

 

Beside the mail boxes is my reading center.  I have my books stored in baskets by genre, or author, or subject matter.  This is about 1/6 of my books.  I don't have enough shelves to put them all out at once.  It's kind of refreshing to be able to switch them out.  The kids enjoy the new books.  Also in my reading center is some new seating that I added this year.  I love my seat crates!  I got the idea from proteacher and Michael cut the board for me.  It was an easy project!

Beside my reading center is my kids book boxes where they keep their books.  This picture is a week or so old.  They are much cuter now that I have the kids pictures on them.  :)

Next up is my horseshoe table for reading groups.  And then my computers in the corner.

Next up is the bucket fillers bulletin board. 

  My reading board is next to it.  It has pocket charts for the daily five, a chart for the reading cafe (comprehension, accuracy, fluency, and expanding vocab skills that I will be teaching), and a chart for our weekly spelling and vocab words.

Next is my homeworkopoly board.  The kids get to play on Fridays if they've turned in their homework all week.  This is a new favorite in my classroom!

In front of these boards is my carpet and whiteboard chart thingy.  We spend a lot of time on the carpet. 

 Behind the chart is my desk.  I'm embarrassed of this picture.  That book case is badly neglected!

In the front of my room next to the white board is a small bulletin board.  My kids are sitting in rows.  They can earn brownies for their row's pan.  When the pan is full they get a treat.   This is working wonders in my room right now!   I'm thinking of other things to change this to later on in the year.  Maybe icecream sundaes or something.

 My coat racks and birthdays....

My Math board....I'm kicking myself for using the star fabric on it.  It's too busy.  But I'm too tired to fix it this year. 

This bulletin board will display post cards from other states.  We are participating in a post card exchange again this year. 

And finally My Promethean Board.  If you haven't been in a classroom lately you will probably be surprised at the technology available.  This interactive board is hooked to my computer.  I can use it to project or it's interactive and can be used much like a big computer.  It's a wonderful teaching tool!

Thats it.  Let me know how you liked my room.

Teacher Week: Gotta Have Them

I'm back for day two of Teacher Week with Babbling Abby.   Today's Subject...Must haves for the classroom.....

1.  Sticky Tack...it's no secret that blue holds the best!  :)  And why do my kids always want it if they see me taking it off something?  No way!  It's going back to the big ball in my desk to be reused soon!

 2.  Velcro dots!  I use them all the time.  For centers, discipline charts, bulletin boards, games....

3.  Ziplock bags.  I'm really not sure what all I use them for.  I just know I use a lot.

4.  Clorox wipes.  We use these all the time!  We don't want to be sick.

5.  Clip boards for group work.

6.  Fonts!  Abby mentioned this one.  I am completely font crazy.  I easily have 700 on my computer.  I really went overboard last year during writers workshop.  I would find a special font for each kids story.  I have everything from snails to balloons to frogs.  They are very addictive.

7.  DJ Inkers Clip Art.  I have recently got really into this beauties.  One day I'm going to break down and buy a CD from her...now I'm just using a few cheap files downloaded from her site.  So far I've put them on every note I've sent home.  Who can resist these....

8.  Glue Gun...I know some administration people (well one person) reads my blog so I won't mention all the uses of hot glue in a classroom....they are probably considered illegal.

9.  Pictures of Family....I love on a bad day to be reminded what I have waiting for me at home!

10.  A book bin for each child to store books for read to self in.