How To Writing Unit

Missing the day before winter break meant time to be productive!  I created a How-To Writing Unit to complete with your young learners.  This unit includes lesson plans, graphic organizers, anchor charts, and writing projects!

Click Here to Get Your How-To Writing Unit

Holidays Around the World Unit

Santa has come early this year with your all in one Holidays Around the World Unit!  Here is a fun and interactive unit that the students will love.  This unit includes lesson plans, research graphic organizers, and projects surrounding winter holidays celebrated around the world.  The great thing about this unit is that the students get to decide which holiday they want to learn further about.  All you need in one package!

Get your Holidays Around the World Unit by Clicking Here!

Persuasive Writing Unit

Hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving break!  I had a productive weekend and created this Persuasive Writing Unit for my class.

TPT: Persuasive Writing Unit

Happy Writing!

2nd Grade Common Core "I Can" Statements

I created these "I Can" Statements that correlate with the 2nd Grade Common Core for ELA and Math.  These are a perfect way to introduce and display learning objectives for lessons/units.  Click the links below to get your "I Can" Statements.

 2nd Grade ELA Common Core "I Can" Statements

2nd Grade Math Common Core "I Can" Statements

Native American Assessment Tool

Here is a tool to assess your students on Comparing and Contrasting Family Cultures and Native American Unit.  Ask your students to compare the life of Native Americans in the past to their lives today.

Click the picture to get your FREEBIE:

Class Dojo

As a first year teacher, I came into the school year with great ideas for classroom management.  However, like all great ideas, mine failed for my current students.  Telling one of my 2nd graders to 'Take a Break' was anything but successful.  I was desperate after the first few weeks of school and all my ideas were failing.  Then, I came across one of the best discoveries since peanut butter (or put in your choice of guilty pleasure)...

Class Dojo

(Click Above for Link)

This is a great management tool that will allow you to track not only misbehavior, but students' positive choices.  Below is a informational video:

Here are a couple supplementary items I created to help my classroom become more motivated about earning points.

Click Here to Get the Classroom Management Pack!

         

I use the above rewards to show appreciation for the kids that work hard.  Also, in my classroom, we work as a team, so I wanted to reward team work monthly.  To track student points, I use the Dojo Tracker.

Every day, I announce who had the most points and how they received the points.  This special person gets their name on the Dojo Master Board and gets to sit in a special chair the next day as the Dojo Master.

Finally, I created Dojo Dollars.  If you rather hand out money than track points, here is a link to a FREEBIE printable money that I created.

One Dollar

Click Here to get this Classroom Management Pack!

Thanks for stopping!  Happy Managing!

New Classroom Reveal!

It has been awhile since my last post, but things have changed!  I am now a proud 2nd grade teacher.  I am excited, nervous, and every other emotion that goes on during back to school, but I know one thing...year is going to be amazing!

I have been busy getting my classroom ready for my lovely children, and here is how it ended up looking just before the meet the teacher!

Group Rug:

Calendar:

Classroom Library:

 Writing Center and Word Wall:

Math Board/Listening Center/Word Work Area:

Teacher Desk (I hope to get rid of my desk next year, but for now it is put against the wall to take up less space):

Book Boxes (Gotta Love Ikea):

Guided Reading/Math Table (Looks empty, but will fill up quickly with kids work):

Student Mailboxes and Turn In Basket:

Desk at Meet the Teacher (The Kids LOVED the Cookies!):

Quiet Place Class Book

A great way to discuss a way for children to find a calming space is to read A Quiet Place.  It is a great story that allows kids to see that simple places in their lives can be used to relax and get away from loud and unpleasant things.  We then went on to create our own Quiet Place book for the kids to read in our quiet 'One Spot'.

Have them start by creating quilted border pages.  You can use any size page you like, but I cut construction paper in half.  Provide strips of paper for the kids to cut into squares/rectangles and glue along the edge.

Have the students draw in their quiet place and write or dictate their description.  Tie the pages together with yarn and share their beautiful story.  Make sure to place it in a spot dedicated to calming bodies.

Classroom Art Collection

It is nearing the end of the year, and it is time to celebrate all the creativity that your students have been doing!  This is a fun and dramatic way to show off each student's favorite art piece.  I included our class mosaic in the middle for a center piece to work around.

 Here you can see the different types of work that were included.  I also put pictures of us completing projects in the collage.

This tree was also a great way to hang art (kudos to my coworker Abby).  Beautiful and the kids loved seeing their work on it!

Patio Makeover Part II

After creating my flower pots, one may have realized that the colors on the pots and chairs are very, well let's just say, wrong together. 

So, I first went for a hunt for outdoor cushions at different stores, but found that cushions were not the right size, color, or were just plain too expensive!  In comes my DIY alter ego shouting, "Just cover your cushions!"  Of course, I headed off to Joann's, found the outdoor fabric and now I was surrounded by fun, colorful fabrics to use.

This is how it all came together:

Super fun and easy!  All I did was sew yellow slip covers and blue pocket pillow cases to cover my small accent pillows.

Since I am new to the sewing world, I have not included my personal DIY pocket pillow covers; however, here is the link to site I used to help me:

Pocket Pillow Case Cover: The Frugal Homemaker

Happy Mother's Day

This year for Mother's Day we used our Recycling Unit Flowers (follow this link to see it) and added the kids' cute little hands to look like they are carrying them!

 Just trace there adorable hands, write their name, date, and a message for mom, and mod podge it to the cans. We are sending these home along with their Mother's Day cards!

Patio Makeover Part 1

This is our quaint patio.  It is nothing overly special at the moment, so it is time for some DIY projects to make it look like new!  Over the next couple weeks this space will be transformed!

 One important piece that every patio needs is some plants.  I looked everywhere for great planters that added color and height, but either the planters were too expensive or too (for the lack of a better word) 'funky'.  Then came my DIY planter project, and I made these wonderful planters in a few hours:

Buy two large and four medium plastic planters.  I got these at Home Depot for less than $20.

Take the two large and two of the four medium and spray paint those babies (I had two small pots for another project). Don't worry about the top section of the pots, we will be painting those later.

Grab your paint brush and paint the tops of the pots.  Use the natural line of the pots to guide you.  Also, paint the inside top part.

Now stack the pots by placing one unpainted medium pot upside down inside the large pot and then setting the other medium pot on top of it.  I put some glue around the edge of the upside down pot to keep it level.  Add dirt, flowers, and decorative rock or bark. (I used a hosta on top and marigolds and snapdragons on bottom.)

Mother's Day Celery Stamp Flower

This year for Mother's Day we created these adorable flower cards.  Here is how we made it:

Cut the stalks off the celery and you create a beautiful flower stamp.  Fold white construction paper into a card and get some paint (I chose red to look like roses).

 I had the kids paint the celery because it created an even layer to stamp.

We created the stem with strips of paper leftover from Twirl 3-D Art.  

 Add some thumbprint leaves and done!  Super easy for kids to complete by themselves.