The Whole Wide World

     My second graders started working on a 'Me on the Map' activity this week. We had tons of fun! I used google earth to help, and it went very well! It seemed like my children understood this concept much more, and more quickly, then students in the past. We were able to start with the big picture (Earth) and zoom in smaller and smaller. Instead of flying into a place on google earth, I used my clicker wheel on my mouse. It allowed me to zoom so much slower, giving the children time to process what was happening. We finally zoomed into our town and I was amazed with some of the responses the children had; "It looks like a spider web." (so true!) "Hey, that looks like a flower!" (and it did - the park is across the street, and the way they have the baseball diamonds arranged, it looks just like a daisy!) 

     To accompany this theme, I purchased a unit from littlestlearners on teachers pay teachers. I give full credit to the amazing teacher at ClutterFreeClassroom who did the hard work for me. (I still have no idea how to make those boxes the right size...) I did make a few changes.... I changed my town to my county and my street to my town, then we did the me page. 

The kids were so excited, I made a huge display outside my door to showcase their work. :) 

     I tried....really, really, really...tried - to make this look like North and South America. FAIL! :) I did stuff extra paper behind the blue background before I taped it all the way down, to give it a 3D effect. 

Here are some more photographs...

     Throughout May we will learn about land forms, so I am planning to add those to our globe! Check back for updates! Anywho - back to cleaning I go. :)

I love....

Free iPad apps! I was stalking the iTunes store last night and I found about 6 apps that were completely free for the iPad. :) yay!



Here's a screen shot of the ones I downloaded. I played the pirate math one, and I enjoyed it! It is a speed game, so some of your little ones that have trouble with fact fluency might get a bit overwhelmed...
McGraw-Hill had at least 4 free math apps, that I found (there were probably more if I looked harder). Sprout and scholastic also had some good free apps. Have a great weekend! And if you find any other free apps... PLEASE SHARE! :)

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Class Dojo Awesomeness!

I am so excited with the new updates to classdojo, that I had to blog about it. They now have an avatar upload feature! SO EXCITING! I am addicted to Lettering Delights, and I have downloaded a TON of clipart, which I can now use as avatars for my children! Don't get me wrong, I love the monsters, but it is so neat to be able to match my theme to my avatars! I haven't shown the children yet, but I am sure they will get a kick out of it. :)

Here is a snip of one of my classes...

I really wanted to upload my svg files from Lettering Delights to use as avatars, but they wouldn't accept those files. I kept receiving an error1 message from the classdojo server. Sadness! If anyone figures this out - please comment and let me know how to do it! 

Here is another picture for your viewing pleasure... :) This is my science/social studies class (aka units). Can you guess what we are learning about? :)

Spring Break :) and Testing Anxiety

It really couldn't have come sooner - I can not believe that we are in the home stretch of the school year with 35ish days (give or take a few) to go. I am always surprised how quickly the year goes by once we actually get into the meat of it. The scary part is also to come though - the testing, prodding, quizzing, crying... (I will probably be the one crying...) We have worked all year for it to come down to these last 6 weeks, and this is when being a teacher becomes unbelievably nerve-wracking. There is no cramming, or jamming anything else in there - what you taught is it - will it be enough?

I do not believe in teaching to the test or teaching the test. I have always firmly believed that good teaching doesn't require test-prep. You can practice test taking techniques all year long - why wait until the last few weeks? Test-taking techniques (skills and strategies) are essential for all children to learn - so why not begin those at the beginning of the year...mixed with all of the other essential curriculum. We don't learn essential skills in isolation, so why wait until the last few weeks; before the HUGE test, to practice something that the children could have learned all year. If anything the complete change in curriculum and focus would be stressful for me to teach, let alone for my children to understand. I think it would just call attention to something that you are trying not to make a big deal - IMHO. Anywho - I am most likely rambling. I have no business posting today :) (I had surgery yesterday, and I am still a bit 'off')

YES - This is what I am thinking of on my spring break... Sad? Probably. True? Totally.

Planner <3

:) I keep finding new ways to fall in love with my Erin condren planner.... This time with washi tape. :) it's nice to be able to block off large spans of time without writing the same thing over and over, or drawing lines. It's taking on a smashbook quality and I'm digging it! I usually hate my handwriting and plans changing because it just makes my planner (life) messy, but it's getting easier as I add to these planners. It is life, right? It changes!












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grades are in

Wow - only 41 days of school left for us. I'm sorry to say that I am VERY excited about it! This has been a long, hard year in second grade. This will also mark my first decade of teaching - I cannot believe that I have been teaching 10 whole years now! I feel like I should get combat pay... or hazardous duty pay at least! :)

Teaching has changed so much in the last ten years, I shudder to think how things will change in the next ten years. I often get so frustrated with the behavior issues that I feel my teaching suffers. I am almost always in control of my room and my children. I pass very few 'issues' to the office to deal with - I like to be the authority and handle anything I can IN my classroom, with my parents, and my children. I don't usually have many problems, but a few do arise... I can't imagine being a teacher who consistently has discipline issues, but sometimes I feel as if that's what most of my day has come to! I'm trying to help my student teacher navigate behavior and curriculum, but the best advice I feel that I can give - be consistent... don't threaten anything you can't come through with later... and treat everyone equally, no matter whose child they might be... Anyway - that's my two cents - any ideas?

I have been making more units for the Magic Tree House books, and some fun games too. Unfortunately I've been very slow about uploading them to tpt!

Teachers Taking Care of Teachers

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