Is it wrong?.......

..to be eager to get back into my classroom after only 2 weeks of summer vacay??? If you're like me, you have a hard time staying out of your classroom in the summer because you're so eager to revamp, invent, or try something new all together!! I never find myself fully satisfied with how I do things in my classroom- always in a constant cycle of shaking it up a bit in a great way!! Because I use very few, if any worksheets in my classroom, I'm always finding new ways of accomplishing a particular goal for  my students or myself. It's always easier to find a worksheet for something, much like finding an app for just about anything on your smartphone or iPad, but doesn't always mean it serves really any purpose other than wasting time.
     I feel a sense of accomplishment this week as I have obsessed over researching for the new Common Core Curriculum. Turns out what I've been doing in regards to facilitating our reading block follows the Daily 5 approach to literacy from "The Sisters!" Who knew??? If you're like me, you've found it rather frustrating to figure out what the heck you're doing those first few years of teaching. A lot of praying, late nights sitting in your classroom & running to your car in a dark parking lot,  and a lot of following the lead of others in hopes they know what they're doing. Always feeling like there's a better, easier, more effective way of doing things has FINALLY got me going somewhere I feel like I'm supposed to be! Less following poor leadership and more leading my students in a way I feel is more authentic, quality, & effective methods of instruction. If you haven't ever head of the Daily 5 or CAFE, I strongly encourage you to head on over to http://www.the2sisters.com/the_daily_5.html & check it out!! Work SMARTER not HARDER!

Friendly Competition

I decided to create soda can costumes for my 2nd grade team

for one of the theme days for Red Ribbon Week. Pop top headband included!

Mrs. Dent in her Coke Zero costume in another 2nd grade teacher's classroom.

"Non Living Christmas Tree Competition" Soda cans, tomato cage, spray snow, & lighted garland. Next to it was kindergarten's wrapped package Christmas tree. My soda can tree is my fav. of course, but theirs was my 2nd choice!

Thanksgiving door decorating contest

CRCT Encouragement

This past year, 2nd grade adopted 5th grade during CRCT week. Each day we came up with a different way to encourage the students and teachers. One day we "tweeted" notes of encouragment to each class.

This year's CRCT theme was "We will ROCK the test!"
I came up with the idea of a giant iPod playing our school's CRCT theme song for 5th grade. The ear buds were made out of balloons.

Poe-"tree" Month

The flowers along the bottom are Modeling Multiplication Flowers- Each petal depicts a way to model the multiplication problems in the middle of the seed pod. This was during our plant life cycles unit.

I just LOVE my Cricut Cutter!

It cuts vinyl wonderfully! In the background is our word garden word wall. The Cricut was used to create it as well.

Our vowel bed...instead of flower bed....:) To the right is part of our word garden as well.

The Cricut made all of the center board-minus the sun, cloud, & watering cans. Those were done by hand.

Subject headings for our standards' focus walls

Bulletin Boards from Previous Years

Bulletin Boards from 1st & 2nd grade

Writing Across the Curriculum- Parts of a Plant

Mountain Language & Student Exemplars Board in progress

Math & Reading Centers Board from 1st grade

Back to School Bulletin Board 1st Grade-
Each t shirt had the name of a student. If the roster changed, I just
turned the shirt around & added the new name or removed a shirt from the clothes line.

Prefix word webs- We studied these around Halloween. Great timing!

Elf on the Shelf

Cody, our classroom elf, visited different areas of the classroom each day prior to Christmas break.

 Cody would spread a little Christmas "cheer" (glitter!) to certain students with a note of encouragement for great choices the following morning. This really helped with classroom management leading up to our long break.

Past Door Decorations

Door decorations from Christmas & Thanksgiving.

For the Thanksgiving door contest, the criteria included student work. The wreath included what students were thankful for & the "Happy Thanksgiving" banner was made by students as well. We came in 1st place!!

The stocking were hung by the chimney-In hopes that Santa knew his geometry...

Geometry Unit- We used used toothpicks and marshmallows to make our geometric figures & angles for our presents "stuffed" inside our stockings.

The stocking were hung by the chimney....in hopes that Santa knew his geometry...

 Each student had to write a letter to Santa describing their presents using geometric terms. This was our WAC- Writing across the curriculum.

Geometry Unit- We used used toothpicks and marshmallows to make our geometric figures & angles for our presents "stuffed" inside our stockings.

A Brief Introduction

Hello! My name is Katy, and I currently teach 2nd grade. This year will be my 5th year teaching elementary education! I have taught 2nd grade most of the time, with one year in a departmentalized 3rd grade classroom teaching math & science and 2 weeks in a 1st grade class (low enrollment). My goals for blogging about my experiences in the classroom are to not only help myself keep up with all the great things I love about my job, but to hopefully inspire others to teach beyond the textbooks and worksheets! This is where I truly fell in love with my job!