Giveaway and First Week Recap!!

What a week!! The first week of school was a whirlwind! I have a super sweet group of second graders that I look forward to greeting every morning and spending the day having fun and learning. I'm exhausted though!! This weekend I've slept in and taken two naps!

Remember to enter my giveaway!! 

We packed a lot in the first four days of school in addition to doing math, writing, and word study assessments. We read many read-alouds about our Star Qualities. My students LOVE TO READ. We focused a lot on being respectful listeners and following directions. One story we read that has been floating around Pinterest was Lacey Walker Non-Stop Talker.

 

We read another story about being a respectful listener called Listen Buddy.

After reading these two books, the students blogged about text-to-self connections. We brainstormed situations where the characters didn't listen and the consequences that resulted as well as situations where the characters did listen and the positive consequences. Then the students shared their own experiences before I sent them off to blog! 

The platform I set up for the students is through Kidblog.

 

It's free and is super easy to set up! The students have a login and password so that only our class can view the posts. They can also access it at home! I also set it up so that I have to approve a post before it's published. 

We also did many community building activities. My favorite activity we did was the giant web of yarn. I learned about this activity at New Teacher Orientation from another teacher. 

I started with a ball of yarn and passed it to a student while holding on to one end. This continued until we had the giant web above! We had a discussion about how we needed teamwork to create the web. Then I told one student to let go of his piece. I asked the class what happened when that student let go. They responded that it became weaker. Then we discussed how we are stronger when we work all together. The web was such a great visual, and the students seemed to have a lot fun with this activity. 

Our Time Machine also made an appearance last week! Our grade level's theme is The Time Travelers so I'd had this dream about one of my classroom parents (who is also a friend and colleague) making a time machine for our class. SHE ALSO HAD THE SAME DREAM!!!! So we thought it was meant to be that we create a time machine! She got a cardboard rocket from Target (by Rose Art but in the Crayola section), and we spent one Friday night decorating it with two of her kids (one of which is in my class!).

Too cool, right?! The kids can actually go in it! So at school on Friday I had this exact picture on the SMART Board, and the students made observations about it. Then they went on a I-Spy Time Scavenger Hunt where I had numbered Mini Judy Clocks around the room. Each clock also had a letter attached. The students had to tell time and record the letters in the appropriate blank, which spelled out "time machine".

Then I brought our Time Machine out from it's hiding place in my classroom closet! They were amazed! I don't think they were expecting to actually see a time machine!! The last thing we did was vote on a name for it...the name "Mr. Jaffee" won. That's my last name. Too funny, right?! They want it to be my husband. Oh the minds of 7 year olds! Throughout the year we will use "Mr. Jaffee" with the curriculum (i.e. If you could go in a time machine which famous American would you want to meet? or If you could go in a time machine which Native American tribe would you visit?). When students are Porter Patriot of the Week (star student) they will have the opportunity to go inside and leave an artifact related to the curriculum.

Hope you're having a great start to the school year!! Here's to another week!

Celebrate! and Monday Made It Linky Party

Woo, hoo! It's time to celebrate!! It's time to celebrate how blogging has connected us because I have 100 followers! It's such a cool feeling to have other teachers interested in reading my posts. You must feel the same way too every time your page view count and number of followers increases, or someone leaves a comment, right? We are influencing teachers, students, classrooms, schools, communities everywhere by sharing our ideas and our experiences. :) I love the collaboration and reflection that blogging offers!! 

If you don't already have a blog, I highly encourage you to start one!!

As I transition into my role as the classroom teacher I have to pinch myself because I am actually THE TEACHER and no longer the graduate student/student teacher. So cool, right?! I want to always hold on to these feelings of excitement and anticipation. Here's a glimpse of what I've been doing during my time away from Bloggy Land at new teacher orientation and full staff teacher work days (photos credit of one of my favorite friends, Nikki at Sent from my iPad, who planned a great day for us newbies. Thanks to Meghan, too!):

That's me! On the far left scanning a QR code. My new friends and I are on a QR Code Scavenger Hunt to learn our way around the building.

Nikki left a cheerful message on my chalkboard painted furniture! I can't wait for the students to use this...who doesn't love writing on furniture?!

Nikki and me!! Can't say enough great things about her...make sure you check out her blog!! She's a rock star teacher!



So to celebrate all of the above, I am hosting a giveaway!!

To enter the giveaway you must:
1. Follow my blog and leave your email address in a comment.

or

2. If you are already a follower, just leave your email address in a comment.

Easy peasy!



I will use a random number generator to select the recipient of the giveaway.

AAAANNNDDDD (can you hear the drum roll?) the giveaway is....

A $20 gift card to erincondren.com!!

Maybe you've been eyeng those super cute life planners or would like an iPhone or iPad folio! There are a ton of other cute products offered...what ever you are fancying, you'll have $20 to go towards it (if selected by the random number generator)! The recipient will be announced on September 15th (pay day!!).

Though I missed it last week, I'm back to join Monday Made It again so here are my most recent projects!  Remember to click Tara's button to check out our other friends' creative projects!!




1. My Classroom Door

I try to make anything that I can related to the curriculum and/or our grade level theme of the Time Travelers. I was able to do both with my door!! Each corner of the door has a few artifacts that represent what students will be learning in each quarter. Students' names are written on each shoe (clip art by Maree Trulove), which represents the students "traveling" through the curriculum.









2. Celebrations and Concerns

This flower pot, which is painted with chalkboard paint, was given to me as a gift so technically I didn't make it but my friend did (Thanks, Lauren!!). The students will be using this to place any notes about celebrations or concerns that they want to share during our class meetings.









3. Sweet Potato Pie

YUMMY!! I wish I could share this with you but I can offer you the recipe, just click on the pie! I made this pie for our staff potluck. I'm hungry just thinking about the delicious food everyone brought! I NEVER cook or bake so this was out of the ordinary for me but surprisingly easy (when I finally followed the directions correctly that is). Each person had to bring a dish that represented something about them. I made sweet potato pie because Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I'm thankful to be at my school. :)



Remember to enter my giveaway, and I hope you have a super week!!

Until next time. :)

Monday Made It Linky Party (with freebies!)

Happy Monday to you, friends!! I'm back from my weekend hibernation and ready to be a busy beaver again. I'm looking forward to meeting with my two team members this week and am eager to learn from them.

 

My favorite part about Mondays is, of course, Tara's Monday Made It Linky Party! Be sure to join in and/or check out all the awesome projects.

I have four projects (with freebies) to share with you:

1. Porter Patriot of the Week

What student doesn't love to be honored with special activities for a week?! I hope that implementing Porter Patriot of the Week (Porter is my school's name and our mascot is the patriot) will create a sense of community as we celebrate each student. The display in the classroom that I created is where the Porter Patriot of the Week will showcase photos of his/herself. I want to implement Beth Newingham's star student activities:

First, she gives the parents a star of the week schedule for the entire year.

On Mondays the student brings in three special items and photos to share with the class.

On Tuesdays the student reads his or her favorite book to the class.

On Wednesdays the parent writes a letter to the class about a special story involving their child.

On Thursdays a special guest (parent, relative, etc.) joins the student for lunch.

On Fridays the student is recognized by their classmates...I want to do something like [this pin] where the students write compliments to the Porter Patriot.

You can download a Star Student of the Week sign for free in my TpT store.

Be sure to check out Beth's class website to read more details about implementing star student of the week. She has other great resources on her class site too.








2. Boggle

Boggle has been everywhere (it seems)! There have been so many different teacher-created boards like [this one] and [this one] and [this one]...I needed one that was small because wall real estate is limited in my classroom so I utilized the side of my filing cabinet. I don't have a picture of how I keep my magnetic letters organized but it's exactly like [this pin].









3. Parent Volunteer Tote

For my parent volunteers that visit the classroom, I want to have materials handy just for them (Thanks for the suggestion, Nikki!). I was given this tote as a gift (Thanks, Hillary!) and it works perfectly for holding school supplies. The blue paper tray it's sitting in will hold any materials, directions, etc. for the parent volunteer. You can download a blank tote tag for free in my TpT store.










4. Book Ring Calendar

I wrote about my calendar last Monday but have since updated its display. I think it looks more cohesive now. You can download my calendar file for free in my TpT store.











I posted about other projects (freebies included) during the weekend too. Click the pictures to learn more. :)

Have an excellent week!! :)

Classroom Update: Clutter-Free Classroom and Ladybug's Teacher Files Inspired

You know Jodi at the Clutter-Free Classroom, right? What am I saying, of course you do! I don't know where I would be without her and her blog. She thinks of everything!! As I've been a busy bee setting up my classroom (I'd sleep there if they'd let me but my dog might get lonely at home) I am constantly consulting Jodi's blog and implementing her suggestions so that my classroom will run like a well oiled machine and student learning can excel! So on that note, here are three features of my room inspired by Jodi. :)

1. Work In Progress Chart (view Jodi's post by clicking [here] )

Students will place their "work in progress" in their assigned pocket on the pocket chart. I've decided to use this pocket chart because it will help all of us stay organized...I will be able to easily see and check the status and quality of their work and the students won't lose their work in the abyss of their desk. I like calling this chart "work in progress" rather then "incomplete work" because I want the main focus to be on producing quality work, not just completing an activity. 

On Fridays, if a student has work in progress then they will find a ketchup card on their desk when they arrive in the morning as a friendly reminder to check their pocket. If a student does not have any work in progress then they will find a pickles card letting them know they may pick from a list of extension activities. The extension activities will be listed on the pickles board (I made it out of dry-erase poster board) above the pocket chart. The ketchup and pickles concept was inspired by Teach-A-Roo and you can download the cards for free in my TpT store. 






2. Communication Folder and Porter Pocket Chart (view Jodi's posts [here] and [here])

Aren't pocket charts great (sorry about the washed out picture)?! When students arrive in the morning they will place their Homework Folder in their assigned pocket. This system also shows me who is at school and who is absent. They will also keep their Porter Pocket here (weekly folder that is used to send student work, etc. home...Jodi calls it their Thursday Folder because it goes home on Thursdays). I wasn't planning for this to be on wheels but I actually really like the idea...I can wheel it near the door in the morning so that I can greet students and check their folders at the same time and then wheel it out of the way during the day. Then when students are packing up at the end of the day, it can be wheeled to the front of the room where they can easily pick up their folder(s) to take home.

I purchased this pocket chart from MPM School Supplies, and they were wonderful!! I highly recommend them! When I received the pocket chart, the pockets were not all the same size so I contacted them to see if my chart was a manufacture's defect...turns out it was! MPM sent me a new pocket chart, free of charge, and they let me keep the defect one too. Awesome customer service!











3. Anchor Chart Designated Area (view Jodi's post [here])

Jodi wrote a great post for supporting anchor charts so I'm not going to go into my love for them. I have mine set up (as shown with the blank paper) with jumbo push pins to hold the two book rings. As the students and I create anchor charts we will just add charts to the book rings. I'm hoping the book rings will make it easy to flip between charts instead of having to switch them out.

You may also notice the lovely alphabet in this photo created by Kristen from Ladybug's Teacher Files. :)  You can download my Anchor Charts sign, which coordinates with Kristen's bright and CLEAR decor, for free in my TpT store (I outlined the letters in black marker after printing).







Speaking of Kristen, she recently updated her CRAFT Board....I absolutely LOVE it. I love it so much that I took down the CAFE Board I had set up just a few days before (also from Kristen) and put up her new signs.

My board from a few days ago:

My updated board!!:

Don't you just love the bright colors?!! The border is from the $0.88 section of Walmart. I had to move CRAFT to the dry-erase board because all five letters couldn't fit on the bulletin board where CAFE had previously been. Click on the picture to download Kristen's files for free.

Phew, thanks for reading!! I'm going to go sleep for the next 48 hours so my batteries can recharge. I'll be back for Tara's Monday Made It. Have a super weekend!!!!!!

What's Your Style? Teacher Fashion Linky Party

I LOVE clothes. Especially my teacher outfits. I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to talk about clothes because I want to keep posts education related BUT dressing professionally is a part of being a teacher (Ron Clark would say "Dress the part; Attire matters!") and Jessica at From Blood to Books is hosting a teacher fashion linky party (click her button above) SO here is my perfect opportunity. :)

Here are Jessica's guidelines:

1. Tell me your favorite store(s) that you like to get your "teachers' fashion".

2. What are some of your favorite accessories?

3. What type of shoes do you teach in? (i.e. heels, flats, wedges, etc.)

4. Do you have a "go-to" item in your closet? (i.e. sweater you wear weekly, shoes you wear daily, etc.)

5. Have you ever had a fashion "uh-oh" at school? (i.e. heel broke, button popped off of blouse)

My responses:

 1. My favorite stores and why:

They offer 10% teacher discount, quality clothing, AWESOME sales, and petite sizes. I love everything about this store...pants, dresses, skirts, tops, sweaters, cardigans.

They have super cute dresses!! You kind of have to search for the good ones because a lot of what they have I would NEVER wear to school. Prices are under $50 but quality is not as good.

LOVE their pencil skirts and sweaters! Expensive but excellent quality. However, J. Crew Outlets (if you have one near you) have much better deals.They also offer a teacher discount.

2. Favorite accessories: 

I love watches. I wear this one everyday.

A smile, of course! I just couldn't resist sharing this picture of my doggie. :)

3. Shoes:

Toms ballet flats. The money goes to a good cause.

The most comfortable heels for a special occasion.

I love their flats and wedges. Comfortable and cute.

I love (and by love I mean that I never take them off) wearing these Steve Madden boots in the fall and winter.

4. Go to item:

Cardigans all the way!!

5. Fashion uh-oh: none to date. :) 

If you're interested in other outfit ideas, take a look at my "If I Could Play Dress Up" board on Pinterest.

Have fun playing dress-up! :)

p.s. I suggest looking to eBay, Amazon, and an outlet mall (if there's one near you) for great deals. 

p.p.s. Thank you for your thoughtful comments on my Monday Made It post...as a new teacher, any encouragement goes a long way. :) 

Monday Made It Linky Party

Hope everyone had a relaxing weekend!!

I'm off to continue setting up my classroom but before I do, I have three projects to share with you for Tara's Monday Made It Linky Party (click her button above to join in and/or view other super projects)!

1. Where Am I Board: I saw this on Pinterest last week and immediately went to make my own. I purchased the dry-erase magnetic board from Walmart ($6), the gems from Dollar Tree (hot glued magnets on the back), sparkly ribbon from Walmart, and used clear labels (my new best friend). I want to hang this by the classroom door but I'm not sure how to hang it so it will stay on the cinder block walls. I may experiment with the 3M tape it came with or hot glue a ribbon handle but do you have any other ideas?

2. Wrapping Paper Curtains: I was inspired by a pin from School Girl Style to make these wrapping paper curtains with pattered packaging tape as a border. I don't think this picture does them justice but they really warm up that corner of the room. I purchased the wrapping paper from Target and selected this particular paper because the animals relate to the second grade curriculum. My goal is to integrate as much as possible.

 3. Calendar: Now that I'm looking at this picture, I think the calendar area needs a border (or a few) to be visually organized, and I need to get more magnetic numbers. Nonetheless I was inspired by Mama Jenn's book ring calendar system to create my own. I love that she put all of the calendar pieces on book rings (my other new best friend) so that pieces don't go missing and it's easy and efficient to change anything. I used:

magnetic push pins from Walmart

magnetic numbers from Amazon (I chose these particular magnets because the entire back is covered with a magnet, also you're going to need at least two containers) 

magnetic base-10 blocks (it's that little orange ones piece on the bottom right, and I can't remember where I got those from)

I want to use calendar as daily place-value practice but may add other components depending on the needs of my students. You can download my calendar pieces from my TpT store for free. Some of the pages need to be printed more than once so I've labeled those particular pages with their multiple uses. Enjoy!

Hope you have a wonderful week! Remember to click Tara's button!