I have been a little sporadic in taking pictures this year, my kiddos have needed my help a little more so I have been forgetting to pick up my camera but I did manage to snap a few shots this week. Literacy Centers are up and running!  Here is a shot of our Collective Noun center that we used to review collective nouns.  This is available in my Weather ELA Unit. We have started using our Math Journals everyday!  I used my Math Journals Resource Pack to get going and now we use the 2nd Grade Problem of the Day to start each lesson. We begin by highlighting the numbers in the problem and the keywords that secretly tell us whether we should add or subtract. I give them 3-4 minutes to solve on their own before we go over the problem.  I encourage them to solve using any method that works for them.  They typically choose very different styles. Doesn't she look super happy to be working in her math journal??? No, I didn't pay her to smile like this and yes I ...
Hello Friends! Well, we have been super busy again this week putting some things into place in the classroom.  First,  I have assembled (with major help from my awesome teacher assistant) and send home our first round of math rings.  These were made by the amazing Erica Bohrer and are available for FREE from here . I print each level on a different color of construction paper and will work through addition and subtraction throughout the year (and hopefully get to multiplication with some of my kiddos). I will "test" them on their facts in the mornings or during math if we have time, they also can practice their facts during math games/centers time. As an incentive to bring these back to school and practice, each student can earn an ice cream "scoop" when they pass a level.  I put two levels together on the initial ring so that's why the cone below has two purple scoops, usually its one scoop per color/level.  When they reach 5 scoops the student gets a...
I have been creating/putting together a few new things for the classroom this week.  I am excited to get the routines underway so that we can get down to some serious learning! I forgot how many "little things" I put up around the room throughout the year!  Here are just a few of the things I have added this week.  The word wall is up and ready to go for Monday.  I also just updated my Word Wall Task Card s which I put up this afternoon. I just made these wh- questions which are in my Henry and Mudge pack to address the new common core standard we have this year.  I am hoping they will bring a little bit of fun to answering those tough comprehension questions!  My standards are posted for next week, this is one thing I cannot stand doing, so I made 2nd grade posters instead of having to write the "I can" statements every day.   My math games that I talked about yesterday are out and being practice, it is killing my OCD self that I didn't ...
I have been using my chart paper like it's going out of style.  I like to start lessons with an anchor chart or if we are having a hard time understanding a topic I like to make a chart to help clarify something (pay no attention to the pronouns on our noun chart, I took them off after I took the picture ).  Some of these charts I spent some time on and some I just threw together because we needed it (like the what is reading chart, which I have never had to use before but my new little nuggets needed some help).  I am a little rusty on my artsyness but have been getting better!  Some are not quite finished either (number lines), I plan on adding some more as we learn more about them. But here are a few of the charts I have made this week.  And that handsome pig is Poppleton, our week is centered around that crazy pig! (I just read this again and noticed my mistake on Reading is #7...oops I will have to fix that tomorrow!) I also broke out the math games today ...
I am desperately trying to stay ahead this year but with the new curriculum change that is proving to be very difficult.  However, I am so excited about next week because it's Henry and Mudge week!!  I have put together a packet of games, activities and graphic organizers today to help teach the ELA common core standards I will cover next week with the Henry and Mudge books.  If you want to check it out, click on the picture below. Henry and Mudge used to be in our basal series which we don't use anymore but I will still read Henry and Mudge and the Starry night because it's such a good story. This story centers our week around camping which means I also can't wait to break out this guy from last year that was inspired by The Teacher Wife ! She read this story last year and had some awesome ideas here !  We will gather around the campfire for Fun Friday where we will make smores and share our campfire stories that will be written during centers next week! ...