Once Upon a Time...

Once upon a time, there was a second grade teacher...
It's not a fairy tale but it definitely does not feel real!  I have known for a while now and the reality still has not settled over me.
I am going to have an iPad classroom!  One iPad for each kiddo and Apple TV and a document camera and a projector... I am feeling kind of spoiled but I LOVE being spoiled!

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Change Happens!

If you know me personally, you know that I am a little bit of a truck fanatic.  I drive a F250 Ford Diesel with a 6" lift.  It's a big truck and I absolutely love it!  Her name is Darla and she helps me decompress after school everyday.  I would consider her a friend because she has witnessed more frustration and tears this year than anyone else in my life.  I can't imagine driving anything else.

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Doughnuts with sprinkles!

So, we started our writer's workshop today. I am not ashamed to admit that I am not the strongest writing teacher. My kids make gains and goals but when asked where I need improvement, I have always said "writing". Which is why I am taking the Professional Development class with the Art of Teaching Writing by Lucy Calkin.
We took a quick tour of our writer's note book and all the tools we have available. I purchased a notebook pack from Mrs. Patton's Patch. This is an amazing kit and since I have never taught like Lucy, I needed something to get me started off on the right foot.

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Poppins Vs. McPhee...who will win?

So, if you have been following, I loved my class last year! They were practically perfect in every way and they made me feel like Mary Poppins. I am seriously going through the stages of grief and think I may need counseling. This is not normal for me!
Anyhow, so the new 2nd graders all came on the first day! Cute as could be in their new clothes and perfectly combed hair. Uh? Tears to start (two of them, not me)...oh no! Defiant behaviors by 9 am...um, wait! A fist fight at lunch...whoa! Mary Poppins flew away and in dropped Nanny McPhee, warts, bad teeth and all! Holy smokes, first day was a disaster.

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The Pinterest Tree!

As I have stated before, blogging is amazing and I absolutely am addicted! But...Pinterest is equally as addicting! Guess which one of my boards is gigantic? Creative Classroom (of course)! There are so many interesting things to look at and so many creative, sharing teachers out there.
If you would like to see my board...click here!
This is currently my favorite find on pinterest, the bubble tree! It is adorable and I plan on displaying student writing on the circles throughout the year. I found the idea on Pinterest called Project Nursery

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The Students are Coming!

The students are coming! The students are coming!
Does anyone else get overly excited when they get their class list? Oh my gosh, I got my list yesterday. So stinking happy that the students are coming!! I still miss my class from last year but I am finally moving past that and looking forward. Plus, bonus! I have a little brother and a cousin of past students, so I already know them....love that!!

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Writing Menu

I don't know if that is the right title...Writing Menu. Hmmm? It's more of a guide than a menu. I am hoping that it will be a way for the students to use and understand the 6+1 Traits a little more. Last year I felt like I was talking way above their heads with the Traits because they had nothing concrete to look at or connect to.
After teaching CAFE and Daily 5 for 2 years and loving it, I decided that the "menu" had to be part of writing also. One of the things I love about CAFE is that the visual is always there. It is a way to quickly refresh a students memory of a past lesson or remind them of their next step.

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