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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So...today I need to write! Between vacation and life in general, I haven't wanted to write. It makes you think...Do the kids feel that way? What should my role be in that situation?
Well, I consider myself to be a self-motivated kind of gal (most of the time)! So I am putting myself out there and joining the blogging community. Where I have just been a wallflower and hanging out in the background hoping to not be noticed, I am joining a blog mixer with Yearn to Learn.

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Today...I am not a writer! No lists, no small moments, no stories, no creativity!
I am, however, addicted to blogs! I am posting my exciting find and that is it....
States and Abbreviations

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So....I am looking at our State Standards and I know they are about to change to Common Core, which I am excited to implement this year. However, the Social Studies standards are staying the same. At out school, we have 4 units each year. There are 3 science based units (dinosaurs, bugs and weather) and 1 social studies unit (Native Americans/American History). We share the units with 2-3 other teachers, we have 14 second grade teachers this year! I have the social studies unit first quarter. I knew that a certain standard needed to be covered but just thought I would check, and it is. I need to teach 2nd graders about the North and South Pole and the Equator, but also longitude and latitude. WOW! When I get them, half of them can't read a clock to the hour correctly and I need to explain 360 degrees around a sphere? Tough Task? Not with the crafty, smart bloggers out there!

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Mapping Skills Part 1

I have been working on and off all summer to add some things to our social studies unit. I was Blog Hopping and looking at some other sites including Beth Newingham and her regions tour. I was in need of inspiration and direction. After looking at Beth Newingham's region tour, I decided it was a little too much for 2nd graders and 1st quarter. Her site did give me a direction and lots of inspiration. So, I have decided to go with a camping theme in my classroom and we will go Camping Across America. We will visit 23 states and learn about one or two attraction in each state. We will also be discussing the Native American tribes of that area on Friday. We will be starting with Cardinal and Ordinal Directions. This is the Compass Rose that I created to go with the lesson.

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Peace, Love and Learning: Bonus Birthday Freebie

Peace, Love and Learning: Bonus Birthday Freebie: She has a bonus freebie today, but you'll have to do a little work for this one. It's a Birthday Packet that includes all kinds of goodies.

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Camping Across America: Mapping Skills

So, I have my traditional Summer Vacation Cold! Every vacation I get sick...doesn't matter what I do. The good news is that it is 106 degrees outside, so I am enjoying my cold medicine, thankful for the air conditioning and trying to get some work done.
Today, I made a Mapping Skills powerpoint to go along with the Arizona State Standards and fit into my camping theme. I also created a fill-in compass rose worksheet.

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Ah-HA! Moment

So it is summer break! I am supposed to be relaxing and not being a teacher. Right? Well, I had an Ah-Ha! Moment. I am a addict. I don't drink or smoke.
But I am addicted to teaching!
The summers seem to be the worst. Our house looks like a classroom exploded inside of the dining room. There are stacks of binders and paper and pencils and PD books and kid's books. I am sure my family would like to eat dinner at the table sometime this summer but....true to addictive behavior, I turn nasty when they suggest cleaning it off. My favorite reply, "I will be finished tomorrow!", that day has not come in 6 summers until the school carpets are clean and I am allowed to move my mess back to the classroom.

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There were TEARS!

So yesterday was the last day of second grade. Well, not for me....for them! They are moving on and I am teaching second grade again next year. This is a new concept for me because I have never taught the same grade twice (at least in a row)!
Let me preface this post with a little bit of personal insight. I am not a crier. I am an only child and I was treated like a girl by my mom and a boy by my dad. I don't know if my dad told me not to cry but crying was not used to manipulate things. You should be truly hurt before crying was necessary. Like when my first boyfriend broke my heart, my dad held me and let me cry it out. But if you scrapped your knee, you had better get up, dust off and move on. Plus I am just not a pretty crier. I get all blotchy and red. The tears don't pour they tend to pool, so I can't see well. My nose instantly starts running which is the most unattractive thing ever. Other people's tears don't affect me either, unless it is at a funeral. So, the bottom line is I don't cry very often.

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Memories of Writing!

Here we are...the end of another school year! My Little Life Coaches are moving on to third grade. (tear!) I have had them for two years and I didn't realize how hard it would be to send them on after a loop. This is the first (and last) time I will loop with a class since the school stopped looping this year.
This summer, I am starting on a journey, of sorts. I guess you could call it a quest. I like the sound of that better. A quest to become a better writing teacher!

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