tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3680638293350341922024-03-25T01:09:09.763-05:00Mrs. Farmer's Classlearn, laugh, love...Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-87413671498412841192012-03-04T20:51:00.005-06:002012-03-05T21:07:28.393-06:00The Surgery Went Well... No Complications!!<p align="left">Contraction surgery that is... Oh what fun!! This will probably be the kids' most favorite memory of the school year! They just loved dressing up as doctors and performing surgery on their contraction "patients"! Many thanks to Mrs. Pann over at <a href="http://buzzingaboutsecondgrade.blogspot.com/2011/01/contraction-surgery.html">Buzzing About Second Grade </a>for the wonderful idea. You can get your own Contraction Surgery Kit at her Teacher's Notebook store <a href="http://www.teachersnotebook.com/product/dmlp/contraction-surgery">here</a>. Check out the cute pics:<br /><br /></p><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmTO37c4Q-8P8Vhow-6HAk1ynjstyTU-hO7PVrtlSwtyFFonv3OWHDn2ZtSCKoYtW8rbJoam-bNSxc0s_TlqHEt2iPri2DE90iTX-4TRzPEs1LB0XB_eSogo_w7mwVWY6mSRBEzXLUCk/s1600/Contraction+Surgery+Farmer.png"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 281px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716615153994479874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmTO37c4Q-8P8Vhow-6HAk1ynjstyTU-hO7PVrtlSwtyFFonv3OWHDn2ZtSCKoYtW8rbJoam-bNSxc0s_TlqHEt2iPri2DE90iTX-4TRzPEs1LB0XB_eSogo_w7mwVWY6mSRBEzXLUCk/s400/Contraction+Surgery+Farmer.png" /></a></p>Here's a quick video where the kids explain how it all worked (warning: turn your volume up for the kids and down for me! LOL) :<br /><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz0hRncp9607L1IKe2Nd2Kafj9GY09fOeEB90oKUzxbrB3nO9gkcpi2opNiSgkni_fNAomvy6aFpdTEhrmGGw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p>What I loved about this craftivity was that I could instantly tell which kids knew how to form contractions and which were having trouble knowing which letters to leave out. I pulled a small group within the first ten minutes of the activity and we had a mini-lesson right then and there. So easy and quick! The kids had so much fun and loved the fact that they got to keep their doctor's gear! This will definitely go in my files to do year after year!Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-61066714334516494742012-02-22T14:47:00.008-06:002012-02-22T19:11:36.135-06:00Pronouns, Poetry, and a Pizza Party!!!First things first (food, of course!), let's start with the Pizza Party... In our class, we earn marbles in our marble jar:<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLoh5_DGXcV3fDLtCQqD5XS6IpV4c8kzt6DFhXd_9UKz4wwG62UN3URaosfalkiCZ0fp6RUoow8gd0UQy9D0N7gMZsLxXX_sJSFrNmzG0xNFQPMbdlMgmPOC6Bg93QZeArbxosyRPHtY/s1600/Marble-Jar-100th-Day-Bulletin-Board-N11818_XL.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 197px; HEIGHT: 274px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712066005315678690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLoh5_DGXcV3fDLtCQqD5XS6IpV4c8kzt6DFhXd_9UKz4wwG62UN3URaosfalkiCZ0fp6RUoow8gd0UQy9D0N7gMZsLxXX_sJSFrNmzG0xNFQPMbdlMgmPOC6Bg93QZeArbxosyRPHtY/s400/Marble-Jar-100th-Day-Bulletin-Board-N11818_XL.jpg" /></a></p>We get marbles for different things-- earning good scores in the cafeteria and special areas, having a code-violation-free day, and getting compliments from other adults in the building. It took us about 2 months to earn 100 marbles and today we celebrated!! I surprised the kids with a pizza party and lunch in the classroom. Of course for the 30 minutes of lunch, I was the "best teacher EVER!"<br /><br />And then the kids surprised me with some really great learning! In language, we're studying pronouns and we read this fun book today:<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7WEXH0-SBM0mwz1phOf7-Gi5EzXuvGNT8e6M2pjZZu195NLOrYsl2CMRX-lciODZ0h0W3fJ6-lwxw4kR7Cvrb7CnZ91EC60hkr0-x8IDMlN_-Y9L-U3x-kt8loUrQ5apE9mHwJUaMv4/s1600/103195162.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 300px; HEIGHT: 376px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712076114563351954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7WEXH0-SBM0mwz1phOf7-Gi5EzXuvGNT8e6M2pjZZu195NLOrYsl2CMRX-lciODZ0h0W3fJ6-lwxw4kR7Cvrb7CnZ91EC60hkr0-x8IDMlN_-Y9L-U3x-kt8loUrQ5apE9mHwJUaMv4/s400/103195162.jpg" /></a></p>We did our worksheet and moved onto writing, where we're learning about poetry. Today, I taught them how to write a 5 W's poem (<span style="color:#33cc00;">who</span>, <span style="color:#cc33cc;">what</span>, <span style="color:#00cccc;">where</span>, <span style="color:#3333ff;">when</span>, and <span style="color:#ff9900;">why</span>). After a couple of examples of me modeling how to write one, they had the BRILLIANT idea of writing a 5 W's poem about the pronoun book we read. Okay, I said... Here's what they came up with...<br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:courier new;color:#33cc00;">Stanley</span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:courier new;color:#cc33cc;">Met an alien named Zik</span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:courier new;color:#00cccc;">On the planet Krimular</span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="color:#3333ff;">When he landed in his spaceship</span>.</span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="color:#ff9900;">He wanted to explore outerspace</span>.</span></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">Spur of the moment genius!! They're such little smarties! Of course, tomorrow we'll go back and highlight the pronouns we used... Always, always the teacher...</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;">Don't forget to enter the giveaway for my new Leap Day Pack! </span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;">I will pick two winners on Sunday!</span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#009900;"></span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#009900;">Have a great rest of the week!</span></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-63582844224030533692012-02-20T15:56:00.003-06:002012-02-20T16:08:15.202-06:00Leap Day Pack GIVEAWAY!!<div align="center">In honor of Leap Day, I just added a new pack to my Teacher's Notebook store. Take a look <a href="http://teachersnotebook.com/product/farmermama/leap-day-pack">here</a>. Here's a preview of what you'll get:</div><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0JHmnOyDYhWu6cDCLxZefZE7Wd0mb6tMOmjp9B_96B7oQexpi9_-piOkhrbnb06AitIu8SNSh08kq_njxoJcwT44KqHrQotLEc9rbleAkRQjbIw3OedOqsSEcuB4DnTRkF9-xcJpumI/s1600/pic%252520for%252520tn.png"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 346px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711340646539543202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0JHmnOyDYhWu6cDCLxZefZE7Wd0mb6tMOmjp9B_96B7oQexpi9_-piOkhrbnb06AitIu8SNSh08kq_njxoJcwT44KqHrQotLEc9rbleAkRQjbIw3OedOqsSEcuB4DnTRkF9-xcJpumI/s400/pic%252520for%252520tn.png" /></a></p><br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#cc33cc;">I would love to make the "leap" from 50 followers to 75 (or more :) by next week.</span> Soooooo..... If you'll help me, I'll giveaway 2 of my Leap Day packs for free!! All you have to do is post about my giveaway on your blog. Then, leave me a comment below with a link to your posting. I would also LOVE it if you grabbed my button and encouraged your bloggy friends to become followers as well! </div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:180%;color:#cc33cc;">Thanks for the support!!!</span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><br /><div align="center">I'll randomly choose 2 numbers on <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Sunday, February 26th</span>. Please leave me your email address so I can send you your pack.</div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-17042202260960126182012-02-08T22:20:00.005-06:002012-02-08T22:43:21.669-06:00Valentine's Day Pronoun Game GIVEAWAYAs we get ready to celebrate Valentine's Day next week and begin our unit on pronouns, I wanted to make a quick and fun game for my students to practice between all of the festivities. I created this simple matching game with a Valentine's Day theme. It's for sale in my Teacher's Notebook store (you can click to see more images), but I'm going to give 2 copies of it away for free!<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://teachersnotebook.com/product/farmermama/pronoun-matching-game"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706990172938338914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNiqOOcIQscEpj2VTGbG3POUZ71J5om9JmiUxeTbpwY2yyOhF9shSGE77RFCcPiu1l23xW6s4UfAzw08OW9dBN0VQbwmYF3aFPPlqOz1yy9CEM0YHUN5JJ_S_UBB9G60E7qHAnpKoLiY/s400/pronoun1.png" /></a></p><br />Here's all you have to do:<br /><br /><ol><br /><li>Leave me a comment letting me know you follow this blog or have just become a follower.<br /></li><br /><li>Leave me a comment (and the URL) letting me know you posted about my giveaway on your blog.</li></ol><br /><p>That's it! You'll receive one entry for each comment you leave from the choices above. I will choose by random number generator this Friday afternoon!</p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-2310424215883274902012-02-04T12:55:00.015-06:002012-02-04T15:01:39.751-06:00Groundhogs, Writing Celebrations, and a Bathtub...<div align="center">Our Groundhog's Day projects turned out soooo cute!! After watching the video of Punxsatawney Phil making his prediction, we glued on our groundhogs on the sunny side of the picture and drew our shadows. Here's how they turned out: </div><br /><div align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5vfWXdWdzPjilAV0S3bXuUhbUcoYu4QaDQY69AlDHTT4lYCfu589bcxAExoXxwtmT8CJgFUPog1crI0goOq7yxK53kBDI3nvtP3CRL_EFdJ5OQWjDahOscPuKJMfNt_eiTk3jEZy7tY/s1600/groundhogs+pictures.png"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 302px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705382619094676914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5vfWXdWdzPjilAV0S3bXuUhbUcoYu4QaDQY69AlDHTT4lYCfu589bcxAExoXxwtmT8CJgFUPog1crI0goOq7yxK53kBDI3nvtP3CRL_EFdJ5OQWjDahOscPuKJMfNt_eiTk3jEZy7tY/s400/groundhogs+pictures.png" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="center">We also enjoyed Groundhog cupcakes after lunch. I got the idea from <a href="http://www.cupcakecentral.com/cupcake-recipes/groundhog-day-cupcakes.aspx?id=115&print=1">Reynold's</a>. While mine definitely weren't picture-perfect, they did turn out to be adorable little groundhogs:<br /><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6D9oZBxQr7kslClBZox0H6MKj0Tkflv53TnDY4BxdVJm7d3QzTHPtIit_KuK3xa-hCIkJssoPVkIMoBVQslOVNAan6cq6KIRpqTMURVBId8gHTW6wr-nKtf2QPVBaVZ0dCbDVWyHBnzg/s1600/groundhogcupcakes.png"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 309px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705379618740702610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6D9oZBxQr7kslClBZox0H6MKj0Tkflv53TnDY4BxdVJm7d3QzTHPtIit_KuK3xa-hCIkJssoPVkIMoBVQslOVNAan6cq6KIRpqTMURVBId8gHTW6wr-nKtf2QPVBaVZ0dCbDVWyHBnzg/s400/groundhogcupcakes.png" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="center">And on Friday, we had our 4th (and best to date) writing celebration of the year. We invited the fourth and fifth grade classes to celebrate with us this time. They came and listened to our stories that we spent almost two months learning how to revise. We've been working on writing lead sentences, showing not telling our feelings, adding lots of details, adding dialogue in appropriate places, and including interesting and thoughtful endings. The older students were so sweet and genuine with their positive comments and helpful feedback. It was like having a whole room full of tutors! I was initially afraid my second graders would feel a little intimidated, but that was not the case at all. They absolutely loved it! They loved having an authentic audience, they loved having other "teachers" besides me, and they repeatedly told me it was their favorite writing celebration so far this year. What a hit!! Here's some pictures of my kiddos hard at work listening to their older peers giving them some helpful writing hints:<br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zKR4QjqVnDQOwdSeiodsL6CtQOfnqQgqVrhGRXm-ooEDTutNbNKEF96mlqz-g9c_q40HUECndENgPNsIvAYXgjWYK0Os1k6LZs4B8tgs9Qs7k-Pkib0VyXi2pqMghQXE5vJmMAK7vbs/s1600/Writing+Celebration.png"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 302px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705384595540518546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zKR4QjqVnDQOwdSeiodsL6CtQOfnqQgqVrhGRXm-ooEDTutNbNKEF96mlqz-g9c_q40HUECndENgPNsIvAYXgjWYK0Os1k6LZs4B8tgs9Qs7k-Pkib0VyXi2pqMghQXE5vJmMAK7vbs/s400/Writing+Celebration.png" /></a> </div><br /><br /><br /><div align="center">And as promised a couple of weeks ago, here's a picture of our new reading bathtub-- THE hottest new spot in our classroom:<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMDBYTZlL9SSwNn5zzuTSMOnq6K5nRGZN4RJWKFZY3zxa1GGdO9fvuxMUPXoBzEvs3JQqpJFwhiy4Z1ldWoLj-LDiZiUdlBGJN6dk68_s0o_kZiYHZKQ-mHQJpI2fyxNQ9j5xxnDqzJ8/s1600/DSC07453.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705387732846752210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMDBYTZlL9SSwNn5zzuTSMOnq6K5nRGZN4RJWKFZY3zxa1GGdO9fvuxMUPXoBzEvs3JQqpJFwhiy4Z1ldWoLj-LDiZiUdlBGJN6dk68_s0o_kZiYHZKQ-mHQJpI2fyxNQ9j5xxnDqzJ8/s400/DSC07453.JPG" /></a></p><br /><div align="center">What a wonderful week we've had! It has been busy and I nearly dropped from exhaustion yesterday. But it was all worth it! Now, on to Valentine's Day, President's Day, and Black History Month projects...</div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-85078294409361906472012-01-31T20:41:00.004-06:002012-01-31T21:03:27.403-06:00Groundhog's Day, Here We Come!<div align="left">So, we started our Groundhog's activities today! So fun! We made pictures like these from <a href="http://www.highlightskids.com/crafts/groundhog-day-pop-toy">Highlights Magazine </a>(minus the groundhogs-- we're going to add the groundhogs on Thursday when we know which side to put him on):</div><br /><p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihL16wQ-UT6ivMHjZRwJUu2FEyllspA2PGnuGsNLW_kiGsq58BOVCcPwck1XH7zLsU5L7sGlTihvGKZNOjEA_DHQfnKDUt_uA_ws007ayt6YK1m52GCO3tKINKRaEWrk3Ybr6DSCCnok/s1600/c0298_groundhog2.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 158px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703994413214001794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihL16wQ-UT6ivMHjZRwJUu2FEyllspA2PGnuGsNLW_kiGsq58BOVCcPwck1XH7zLsU5L7sGlTihvGKZNOjEA_DHQfnKDUt_uA_ws007ayt6YK1m52GCO3tKINKRaEWrk3Ybr6DSCCnok/s200/c0298_groundhog2.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJRyb9jwmFpSKcV0s5YKTYTt2JJ5_7TFVx0qlZNeWW7qGahyphenhyphen6CSzNFpxNIU1xXbUdzboZrQ3rU1RXt8CJSvBl4yr_1Jz5jMl24f_afWHvkUE8qnwsMYel3OS0d1o0mQpdHYIuJai3oxs/s1600/c0298_groundhog1.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 158px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703994550925777970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJRyb9jwmFpSKcV0s5YKTYTt2JJ5_7TFVx0qlZNeWW7qGahyphenhyphen6CSzNFpxNIU1xXbUdzboZrQ3rU1RXt8CJSvBl4yr_1Jz5jMl24f_afWHvkUE8qnwsMYel3OS0d1o0mQpdHYIuJai3oxs/s200/c0298_groundhog1.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br />At the top of the burrows, we added crushed Oreos to really look like dirt. Can't wait to post pics! They're so cute! We also made a graph of yes/no votes for whether we think Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow or not. The outcome? 10 votes for yes, 8 votes for no. It was close, but I have some optomistic kiddos!! They know we need some more winter weather here in Tennessee-- after all, it's been 60 degrees so far this week... IN JANUARY!!! It's just not right...</p><br /><p>Tomorrow we are going to read "Substitute Groundhog" by Pat Miller. Since we're working on revising our endings in Writer's Workshop, I'm going to stop reading right before the end of the story and the kids are going to write their own endings. I can't wait to see what they come up with. I'm sure it will be entertaining knowing my bunch! I'll post pics soon! </p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-12665380669130535732012-01-28T18:27:00.019-06:002012-01-28T18:59:32.937-06:00100 Wonderful Days!!<p align="center">Last Tuesday was our 100th day of school and boy, did we have fun! The kids came in to balloons, cupcakes, and lots of fun 100th day games, crafts, and activities. We made the cutest "this is me now and this is me in 100 years" project (see pics below). The kids also LOVED having their very own $100 bill with their face on it (thanks for the idea, <a href="http://bainbridgeclass.blogspot.com/">Mrs. Bainbridge</a>!). We made glasses and crowns-- I think I lived up to their previous 1st grade expectations! LOL It was such a great day to celebrate 100 day of learning and them (and me) being 100 days smarter!<br /></p><br /><p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSC3wthiTn6-WR3YoFL3C-CwetpAiAMvEl6AfNz_DtN4T3amtkdFre2PFmEeAOySMWCQt4CdXLbzW_AyOqjf7grawKbb5UI5PDBSS2hkW2kVEEyQreFPI-OFWE0PxiwreVebVAH2XlBn4/s1600/DSC07429.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702850115513022210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSC3wthiTn6-WR3YoFL3C-CwetpAiAMvEl6AfNz_DtN4T3amtkdFre2PFmEeAOySMWCQt4CdXLbzW_AyOqjf7grawKbb5UI5PDBSS2hkW2kVEEyQreFPI-OFWE0PxiwreVebVAH2XlBn4/s200/DSC07429.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAF-XkrMwnfEGZRn4U8hJRqp2ufBgqVDsZXNn3WJ0OmAgpf0_zUIgzewFByArOnCVt269ZtkpHxUVOF0P9pokQwyC_IRstJ7uV22YBHIFTijX94uGbHpgVnfjSfnIkwgDL9C6IJxBc8RU/s1600/DSC07433.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702850300118029746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAF-XkrMwnfEGZRn4U8hJRqp2ufBgqVDsZXNn3WJ0OmAgpf0_zUIgzewFByArOnCVt269ZtkpHxUVOF0P9pokQwyC_IRstJ7uV22YBHIFTijX94uGbHpgVnfjSfnIkwgDL9C6IJxBc8RU/s200/DSC07433.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZGm-1eZw53lt6Su3II9_GhBbR6BeD_L0Jd51jiR-ebU_eKnbW9HZxNSU3hyphenhyphen7OPjq9BXuIcKrm2w8hJLcJEfCYwW7G4llECcECHT07OwfpYEqjJWk622QBRNzoSFM8yQ7OlELQxEdWws/s1600/DSC07416.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702849939418265202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZGm-1eZw53lt6Su3II9_GhBbR6BeD_L0Jd51jiR-ebU_eKnbW9HZxNSU3hyphenhyphen7OPjq9BXuIcKrm2w8hJLcJEfCYwW7G4llECcECHT07OwfpYEqjJWk622QBRNzoSFM8yQ7OlELQxEdWws/s200/DSC07416.JPG" /></a><br /><br /></p><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmgmwuUaILLjByMFK96_pAuuhk0qbTnQ2cWyIzE8B06q0pMOBFo9HlTm-aoac87jHBXBmczwdew0xPhRyldtfW5Os3-Vhwl0z_nj6gKEoUcCpuTiKMn3VP7Sb35J4xtlcSyT8a8h4_Fg/s1600/DSC07442.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702849662073966882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmgmwuUaILLjByMFK96_pAuuhk0qbTnQ2cWyIzE8B06q0pMOBFo9HlTm-aoac87jHBXBmczwdew0xPhRyldtfW5Os3-Vhwl0z_nj6gKEoUcCpuTiKMn3VP7Sb35J4xtlcSyT8a8h4_Fg/s200/DSC07442.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDrv_kfZNjBqX7X1VmmguRBkOOuDIC_I1TN1WMYyiVbmGmRMESsPoVmGKKpJlX3y33ss3L2IHIM6bCapBGTczhgD_JdiAK687xCtpG-IBWiSnhVjvPmjYA33IvbOYDuZUeh0e6OFojRs/s1600/DSC07413.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702849517487549122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDrv_kfZNjBqX7X1VmmguRBkOOuDIC_I1TN1WMYyiVbmGmRMESsPoVmGKKpJlX3y33ss3L2IHIM6bCapBGTczhgD_JdiAK687xCtpG-IBWiSnhVjvPmjYA33IvbOYDuZUeh0e6OFojRs/s200/DSC07413.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pvJEy91BIj7Gj9pQdJP3bEVYfB-wyMkNnZXUu7_2am3WzOlCU-J1Njm5YfmFY_8wHS6Mpl1DVFQ8s84F7R3FqXWz2DtHYpRVUcks6xV9jwVedDzey9u0yUbCYi3_9tQo4_rW8lJo79o/s1600/DSC07417.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702848750339571090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pvJEy91BIj7Gj9pQdJP3bEVYfB-wyMkNnZXUu7_2am3WzOlCU-J1Njm5YfmFY_8wHS6Mpl1DVFQ8s84F7R3FqXWz2DtHYpRVUcks6xV9jwVedDzey9u0yUbCYi3_9tQo4_rW8lJo79o/s200/DSC07417.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA55gi-gqHSwqGrej1YFsqoE4Kw0hsAGlmwqJIgxlcK5CjpJf7zN-jSBgdNoF_u0H2ZkYiKxHcdBf7p6hHFntDF-WfvChSGmjyVhkEzU4w1a8OBAeFWqCryIO_Ix_wzgPVMrzb445u2Yg/s1600/DSC07415.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702848916086928626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA55gi-gqHSwqGrej1YFsqoE4Kw0hsAGlmwqJIgxlcK5CjpJf7zN-jSBgdNoF_u0H2ZkYiKxHcdBf7p6hHFntDF-WfvChSGmjyVhkEzU4w1a8OBAeFWqCryIO_Ix_wzgPVMrzb445u2Yg/s200/DSC07415.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtR758DOHE0Z-kiYffea0tjePCdwbQE9pDv1fIDNA6dP88xhgvtmUhprERImLy1285REXl8l3uSCoOSgw6BVLUVuq7qootu7sxZ_0km1_HU-tIDZG_kQk4vKPnxOBVgv_4M5NXDH00NTI/s1600/DSC07438.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702849122247915474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtR758DOHE0Z-kiYffea0tjePCdwbQE9pDv1fIDNA6dP88xhgvtmUhprERImLy1285REXl8l3uSCoOSgw6BVLUVuq7qootu7sxZ_0km1_HU-tIDZG_kQk4vKPnxOBVgv_4M5NXDH00NTI/s200/DSC07438.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu68DOKn85aZoYr-fgd5ZVaAIqWDNMPpyhlJIy7OTbnLN898QVsfXhy1Bvsp8WlaCIywZ72Qz9JCOhmM0wRZiFV31n4kh7J-0JsM3VCo27N0HX10p5zDpV0Ef33bZIkMu6ZLnDmgmpYlI/s1600/DSC07434.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702851970156329458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu68DOKn85aZoYr-fgd5ZVaAIqWDNMPpyhlJIy7OTbnLN898QVsfXhy1Bvsp8WlaCIywZ72Qz9JCOhmM0wRZiFV31n4kh7J-0JsM3VCo27N0HX10p5zDpV0Ef33bZIkMu6ZLnDmgmpYlI/s200/DSC07434.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br /><p align="center">So much fun! Looking forward to our Groundhog's Day activities!! </p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-92229199717555092112012-01-07T14:17:00.004-06:002012-01-07T22:33:19.329-06:00Wow!! How time has flown by!<div align="center">I can't believe my last post was in August! Half of the school year is gone already! I guess that's what happens when you're busy. So much has happened this year. I've witnessed kids come in reading at a level E (guided reading level) who just tested at level H only half-way through the year! Yay!! Our second grade team made a goal to have 95% of our students at or above second grade level in phonics before the December break. That's 136 out of 143 kids. We were able to meet and even exceed that goal through working together during our daily intervention time. So proud!!<br /></div><br /><br /><div align="center">Before the break, we read lots of gingerbread man stories and made text-to-text connections. On the last day, the kids decorated their own gingerbread people. So much fun! And I kick myself for not having my camera that day! There was icing everywhere! We made the cutest glass ball ornaments with "floating" snowmen inside. The kids said they looked like snowglobes. I've so got to get better at taking pictures. I wish I could hire a permanent photographer to follow us around on special days!<br /></div><br /><br /><div align="center">Over the break, I was able to finish the one project I've been waiting forever to work on. My reading bathtub! It's been a dream of mine since I've been a teacher. My kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Hartsfield (if you're out there-- I love <heart>you, Mrs. Hartsfield!!), had a reading bathtub. It was filled with comfy pillows, and we took turns sitting in it to read books. Recently, my mom purchased a home that had one sitting unused in the garage. She was able to include it in the contract and so I now have a reading bathtub. I refiinished it over the break (painting the outside red to match my classroom decor of course!!). My husband waxed the inside to make it look new and shiny. I made cute pillows for it and we brought it to my classroom the day before school began. The kids were so excited!! The first words of the day-- "A BATHTUB IN THE CLASSROOM??? WITH PILLOWS???" I just love kids!!! They get so excited over the simplest things!! I'll post pictures soon! Again, I forgot my camera...</div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-68966447536860981622011-08-16T20:01:00.002-05:002011-08-16T20:12:20.792-05:00We are Bucket Fillers!I've used the Bucket Fillers idea in my classroom for a couple of years now. This year I decided to give it a facelift. I invested in a shoe holder and made "buckets" from styrofoam cups, ribbon, and labels. After going back and forth about whether or not to create my own sign to match my colors/theme, I decided to use <a href="http://www.bainbridgeclass.com/bucketsign.pdf">Christina Bainbridge's sign </a>and colors instead. It's so cute and goes right along with the book! We also made an anchor chart on which the kids listed ideas for ways they can be bucket fillers this year. Can't wait to see it in action this year!
<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_-kJTz7FLe-PT2iznGbXfYen2C44yUXP_THdP0faAqq1s9o2GypkvTUC6DU1MIydEVsv7gUn9UuiRiLqZXhx-Jtmst1VBKxLCiFVlsLVeODrEnwbUoVbUUiZH2FDXZPBp5kkEzDYkcc/s1600/DSC07032.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 71px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641626379748201186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_-kJTz7FLe-PT2iznGbXfYen2C44yUXP_THdP0faAqq1s9o2GypkvTUC6DU1MIydEVsv7gUn9UuiRiLqZXhx-Jtmst1VBKxLCiFVlsLVeODrEnwbUoVbUUiZH2FDXZPBp5kkEzDYkcc/s200/DSC07032.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVklTbvg6JgtZJIoULmgRdptoMJQpdmqBnllKnXCwYHoxSKLCkYcm_fYZh49n4QQwrFYUtiY-kmFT2BJUyKDnV3CBgm11EnSsnqRIt_z4xK_f7UTaB1z40okOAUCBgDkzvy9Eo0lyJcoE/s1600/DSC07033.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 184px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641626380963717282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVklTbvg6JgtZJIoULmgRdptoMJQpdmqBnllKnXCwYHoxSKLCkYcm_fYZh49n4QQwrFYUtiY-kmFT2BJUyKDnV3CBgm11EnSsnqRIt_z4xK_f7UTaB1z40okOAUCBgDkzvy9Eo0lyJcoE/s200/DSC07033.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-47305991757066755042011-08-16T19:43:00.007-05:002011-08-16T19:58:56.993-05:00My first Pinterest creation!!I'm new to the Pinterest scene-- just got my own Pinterest account recently. But I've been checking out others' boards for a while now. I just loved this twist on the "class list" from <a href="http://simplesisterblog.blogspot.com/">K.I.S.S. {Keep it Simple, Sister}</a>:
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7-X2b1TwPjUqSzDYt2db6YLmDQZUafDsxXmZI2w69zGycnStkIweQwcJr9fA9mw-0_xQhBC-x__c83TD7w0eceMhG5s7YzovrSwqUwiYygkK_S6Cs1dqttJw-8hX990Rm9GARgq-3gk/s1600/118541325_8W0EWvbO_c.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 154px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641620176426092722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7-X2b1TwPjUqSzDYt2db6YLmDQZUafDsxXmZI2w69zGycnStkIweQwcJr9fA9mw-0_xQhBC-x__c83TD7w0eceMhG5s7YzovrSwqUwiYygkK_S6Cs1dqttJw-8hX990Rm9GARgq-3gk/s200/118541325_8W0EWvbO_c.jpg" /></a>
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<br /><div>I used <a href="http://www.wordle.net/">Wordle</a> to create my own class list:</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtOxfz44XxZ257x93lVwUriKFVkjvu1atCx7qKEuffHGNj9MfuX2J3csjufq8BEiR8whQ2t3wwZfYrIgBeN4OXiUVtekZVPlOiN8iJnJomKdbP0S0S5uU1MYz-8wYqudYCzPPh5Kr9wR0/s1600/DSC07053.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641621450529450274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtOxfz44XxZ257x93lVwUriKFVkjvu1atCx7qKEuffHGNj9MfuX2J3csjufq8BEiR8whQ2t3wwZfYrIgBeN4OXiUVtekZVPlOiN8iJnJomKdbP0S0S5uU1MYz-8wYqudYCzPPh5Kr9wR0/s200/DSC07053.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjta9jtAelVSV0FyaJPb8Ncw1GSzIxNWGiZ0MkjXjPRwU7KnQ0quaCQVT7NGkLHO_CMamL1Z-vNvhD02mGQ1xkOXHGzYnwAFXIJafCgsJp5Lf6nZMX2L82KOjikrPm6MbQ8bgdiwTg64Xc/s1600/DSC07054.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641621538452896418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjta9jtAelVSV0FyaJPb8Ncw1GSzIxNWGiZ0MkjXjPRwU7KnQ0quaCQVT7NGkLHO_CMamL1Z-vNvhD02mGQ1xkOXHGzYnwAFXIJafCgsJp5Lf6nZMX2L82KOjikrPm6MbQ8bgdiwTg64Xc/s200/DSC07054.JPG" /></a>
<br />Love it!!!
<br />Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-17238957342142634312011-08-14T15:26:00.003-05:002011-08-14T15:45:12.188-05:00Word Study Center Activity-- FREEBIE!!<div>I made this <a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B3oevCxNIwVPMjRkODQ1MDgtMGI1NC00ZDQ4LWI4YTItNGJjMGU4NjY3NjMw&hl=en_US">Secret Decoder Activity </a>for my students to do at the Word Study Center. I will print the key page (page 1) on cardstock, laminate, and post by center. I'll print the pieces (page 2) on a magnet sheet, cut apart, and place in container at the center with a couple of magnetic boards. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, students will complete several activities to practice their high-frequency words of the week. This will be one of the choices. They will use the magnets to code each of their words and their partner will decode the words using the key. Enjoy!</div>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJZC88gVeVN_KTgWZRo43EYVoyxdDiKl1LBzl2YbY47maD2Ajgg15slG1ur3YuwuZX7dGP3UPzaaWuOZnEK5ZyqVX7_dGFMAlIEp4bqfNF5sHAr-C2xNDNgFuHWQ8gZTHQzdNIQpcO5U/s1600/page+1.png"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 154px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640815303239404658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJZC88gVeVN_KTgWZRo43EYVoyxdDiKl1LBzl2YbY47maD2Ajgg15slG1ur3YuwuZX7dGP3UPzaaWuOZnEK5ZyqVX7_dGFMAlIEp4bqfNF5sHAr-C2xNDNgFuHWQ8gZTHQzdNIQpcO5U/s200/page+1.png" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigB0i7_rpAFyTY5P_NlMXEdlBeyyze8uW2OBRWpjG3GqqdTkHQ_EHaXENt1cxQevlGcS0Bbix1Bg2SQBzuftRQSJ82Myjxcl8WQkl-lGUzvLLD6P59T89Hth6sw0p_JEuvT_gQ7BMuc6I/s1600/page+2.png"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 154px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640815302556028962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigB0i7_rpAFyTY5P_NlMXEdlBeyyze8uW2OBRWpjG3GqqdTkHQ_EHaXENt1cxQevlGcS0Bbix1Bg2SQBzuftRQSJ82Myjxcl8WQkl-lGUzvLLD6P59T89Hth6sw0p_JEuvT_gQ7BMuc6I/s200/page+2.png" /></a>
<br />Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-56816091124814191502011-08-06T13:28:00.008-05:002011-08-06T13:46:47.987-05:00Dual-Duty Crayon BucketsMost of the supplies my students bring to school are labeled and used by them throughout the year. One of the few exceptions is crayons. I use gallon size buckets (in the past I've used ice cream pails), put 4-5 boxes of crayons in them at a time, and place them in the middle of each group of desks. It's just easier that way. No digging in desks for the perfect color crayon and no spilling them all over the floor repeatedly. When I ask the kids to grab a crayon and meet me at the carpet for an activity-- it's quick and easy. And I love that the buckets have a handle-- when we have to clear our desks for science experiments, the kids just grab the handle and sit it on the floor.<br />The ice cream pails I've used in the past finally got past the point of repair. They were cracked, two had missing/broken handles, and they were just plain dingy. So, I went on the hunt for new buckets. They had to be the right kind, though-- not too tall, not too wide, a handle was a must. I found these 5 qt. paint buckets at Lowe's and they were perfect!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatx_d1yGWV2bzH1KXKlrKQxGXv8MIQVIf4LxklvWwL2ClgayazBFcGMF0HLEuJapqPagS3FKxCYH5Fd2Mvjqcrn6sJqWTzDo0Xw5lYu19HdwlCW8dxLLDG2v1ITPv01HF8nLt7L1rYKA/s1600/DSC06968.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 171px; HEIGHT: 162px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637811712951600450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatx_d1yGWV2bzH1KXKlrKQxGXv8MIQVIf4LxklvWwL2ClgayazBFcGMF0HLEuJapqPagS3FKxCYH5Fd2Mvjqcrn6sJqWTzDo0Xw5lYu19HdwlCW8dxLLDG2v1ITPv01HF8nLt7L1rYKA/s200/DSC06968.JPG" /></a><br /><br />A little Mod Podge and scrapbooking paper later, and this is what we have:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2Oo3oKgzeJuDCsgPJucQAAnRR6jZ1BSAxYE2i-GyiW2yzpmLCAY0s2R_QASlP6d5Rx4eZWPdO2DMOugsZvvueAsNiMK777lCiqkpMIgYtQG9vu0b_j200AfQqJrb_e79a1ZwM9RksMI/s1600/DSC06989.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637814034380949458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2Oo3oKgzeJuDCsgPJucQAAnRR6jZ1BSAxYE2i-GyiW2yzpmLCAY0s2R_QASlP6d5Rx4eZWPdO2DMOugsZvvueAsNiMK777lCiqkpMIgYtQG9vu0b_j200AfQqJrb_e79a1ZwM9RksMI/s200/DSC06989.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivuu5CtwzxxkH5DGspPEcwEWPfMTIuCR_lqYsscJkDYT_LZ1OsiKEdgLrDBv69HD2ztE8P6MifW-FyIYbv7zIo5kYRxBxidH6qv0slk-12Su3Zz40eMKEQQ1untVJXHyPM0pL3od2TNXE/s1600/DSC06990.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637814038195939746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivuu5CtwzxxkH5DGspPEcwEWPfMTIuCR_lqYsscJkDYT_LZ1OsiKEdgLrDBv69HD2ztE8P6MifW-FyIYbv7zIo5kYRxBxidH6qv0slk-12Su3Zz40eMKEQQ1untVJXHyPM0pL3od2TNXE/s200/DSC06990.JPG" /></a><br /><br />I'm so excited because not only can we keep our crayons in these buckets, but they also serve as a group numbering system. Yay!!!Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-67178886664020522762011-08-02T21:08:00.004-05:002011-08-02T21:25:34.687-05:00Assessment BindersTwo years ago, the district I work for decided to change the K-2 report card to a standards-based report card. The students are scored on a scale of 1 (nonmastery) through 4 (above grade level) on many of our state standards. It took us a while to learn how to assign these types of grades and our main focus this year is to get more consistent from teacher to teacher. We've never really focused on what pieces we will use for assessments-- each teacher made that call on their own.<br /><br />So, we decided to create assessments that are aligned with the standards represented on the report card. We're creating three assessments per standard and that is where we intend to get our grades (thanks, Cressa!!!). It's a lot of work on the front end, but will really help us be more consistent across the entire grade level.<br /><br />We also decided to have our kids store their assessments in Assessment Binders this year. They will make goals for themselves after the first and second assessments so that they take more ownership of their grades. Periodically, we will send the binders home for parents to review and sign. At the end of the year, they will have an "assessment scrapbook" from their 2nd grade year.<br /><br />I bought the cheap poly binders from Wal-Mart to use-- the binders will not be stored in the kids' desks, so I figured they will hold up. Since I bought 20 binders, the cashier let me keep the display box they came in. It's pretty sturdy so I decided to give it a makeover and use it to store the binders throughout the year. It's amazing what a little Mod Podge and scrapbooking paper will do...<br /><br />BEFORE (I took this picture of a box on the shelf at Wal-Mart since I forgot to take a "before" picture of mine):<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nWzB8R9JM1s_3Z9xHLPaXW6J2tvLpEA9hJPMjuAvNHCswPl6QI2GX9Jj9q53ic8crfjwrKEe9UKVnVsCMhUF6SNkjYoV9dIfDlrmPNlE0vdNn7yyRCr9TZ8yhQY_xjSCgLegeJUuYWE/s1600/photo.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 146px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636446047159146178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nWzB8R9JM1s_3Z9xHLPaXW6J2tvLpEA9hJPMjuAvNHCswPl6QI2GX9Jj9q53ic8crfjwrKEe9UKVnVsCMhUF6SNkjYoV9dIfDlrmPNlE0vdNn7yyRCr9TZ8yhQY_xjSCgLegeJUuYWE/s200/photo.JPG" /></a><br /><br />And AFTER:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Ocfpq6XjSxQWul152RDrMRzkm0Az_B8GfDb-yk2UeYABWcBT9c7b4Es58hPwIr0dRQmYI-54wuz2C2OBSwUf81yakBoT7_Ae5leCon0KlP222Vi4mI-MEPhjVPMEfa82_mkBzh_rcW0/s1600/DSC06934.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 190px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636446052210895714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Ocfpq6XjSxQWul152RDrMRzkm0Az_B8GfDb-yk2UeYABWcBT9c7b4Es58hPwIr0dRQmYI-54wuz2C2OBSwUf81yakBoT7_Ae5leCon0KlP222Vi4mI-MEPhjVPMEfa82_mkBzh_rcW0/s200/DSC06934.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOx7gYYh1i_hgUBkK1rGb3oKa-ZHEPHYGqIimlJKiwz34eYhuVfIYHNVInWFjR83eJsrwwvWxrO_eqvrN5kBhrC8fRL_YH8kPcGUP9xwKHMyAGrjjrYZzEDhKdZTss28m6P2Wd7mZHss/s1600/DSC06933.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636446053181133218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOx7gYYh1i_hgUBkK1rGb3oKa-ZHEPHYGqIimlJKiwz34eYhuVfIYHNVInWFjR83eJsrwwvWxrO_eqvrN5kBhrC8fRL_YH8kPcGUP9xwKHMyAGrjjrYZzEDhKdZTss28m6P2Wd7mZHss/s200/DSC06933.JPG" /></a>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-53948558040441453072011-08-02T21:00:00.004-05:002011-08-02T21:29:21.092-05:00Organizational BindersI am such an organizational freak! Totally type A... So, when I saw Suzy's binders over at <a href="http://thesweetlifeofasecondgradeteacher.blogspot.com/2011/07/plan-plan-plan-plan-all-ways-we-plan.html">The Sweet Life of a Second Grade Teacher</a>, I had to make some. I got a little carried away and made 14 of them!!! Here's some pics of how they turned out...<br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4R05Q-YAbD5F4f4PBfDsNrLopdYkyJNzXyQGMTiW0zeuMEDLLMKeIG4RzVHeg18lcoXe_9Sn-ex7nuZMzkhtV1sGp0KGmATtEVtfeD0EZJ3CZHJKUBi1hO3Y6RKcaSpDpbn6xD7jMio/s1600/DSC06923.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636445357054552722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4R05Q-YAbD5F4f4PBfDsNrLopdYkyJNzXyQGMTiW0zeuMEDLLMKeIG4RzVHeg18lcoXe_9Sn-ex7nuZMzkhtV1sGp0KGmATtEVtfeD0EZJ3CZHJKUBi1hO3Y6RKcaSpDpbn6xD7jMio/s200/DSC06923.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2bhhoZkOXLn_vBpcLuSpoTrsJ3sT0dx15gO_adjpoG9o6MubDwBgOSgrsdw2jYfBu3FErvjfN12J0odenDQ1mf7sjFxiUnJFAMsMXWmSfuFa5gT9L_fvaTUVYJ9tsPZUpbPa7MojSanc/s1600/DSC06922.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636445357989823618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2bhhoZkOXLn_vBpcLuSpoTrsJ3sT0dx15gO_adjpoG9o6MubDwBgOSgrsdw2jYfBu3FErvjfN12J0odenDQ1mf7sjFxiUnJFAMsMXWmSfuFa5gT9L_fvaTUVYJ9tsPZUpbPa7MojSanc/s200/DSC06922.JPG" /></a> </p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnyxSNbYmV5rIO_DB_h7TmDPDR1PElyrHcvDN0BsXU_dJurEngNIdjBGKMZ1JOJXfRyBVxjC3aGyeb2OpZuFEZYV8RIB7C9IWJ5tBGuGVyz9Q7NgFzwDAHdFcj59ykQZDawLiXDySZJQ/s1600/DSC06920.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636445354651801282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnyxSNbYmV5rIO_DB_h7TmDPDR1PElyrHcvDN0BsXU_dJurEngNIdjBGKMZ1JOJXfRyBVxjC3aGyeb2OpZuFEZYV8RIB7C9IWJ5tBGuGVyz9Q7NgFzwDAHdFcj59ykQZDawLiXDySZJQ/s200/DSC06920.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzKD9MSkPIhJJvnmiwCDY2991ldstwrkaYnxHfIgpJJmHfXNSmzeIqCvf-QHUolMXCBekhOKUlSYcaRmKisr-77wPNFpqv0M5JoMqKssLtXVeqFvSIwguBPhKgzoDLsTKD6NAwcAr-2I/s1600/DSC06919.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636445354343501810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzKD9MSkPIhJJvnmiwCDY2991ldstwrkaYnxHfIgpJJmHfXNSmzeIqCvf-QHUolMXCBekhOKUlSYcaRmKisr-77wPNFpqv0M5JoMqKssLtXVeqFvSIwguBPhKgzoDLsTKD6NAwcAr-2I/s200/DSC06919.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-lhUwwvxmqhdADD2L5r7DmtlAa57XX2T4BbeUr8mcUDS7FiMgn7Rq2BwRaON52xZWuzGMgbfjC7rATsyIxBD2ailoxS5Ejeyb58XEsca8fuac5j-GNr1uZBultpWl2xRZCfO8w1DeM0/s1600/DSC06918.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636445348506707202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-lhUwwvxmqhdADD2L5r7DmtlAa57XX2T4BbeUr8mcUDS7FiMgn7Rq2BwRaON52xZWuzGMgbfjC7rATsyIxBD2ailoxS5Ejeyb58XEsca8fuac5j-GNr1uZBultpWl2xRZCfO8w1DeM0/s200/DSC06918.JPG" /></a></p>I also made a Team/PLC Meetings binder and a "Substitute" binder. Forgot to take pics of those two...Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-54526857565192268092011-07-31T12:43:00.008-05:002011-08-02T21:00:19.696-05:00Word Study GameThis year, my team decided to use Beth Newingham's (one of my favorite teachers!!) <a href="http://blogs.scholastic.com/top_teaching/2010/10/my-november-top-ten-list-word-study-in-action.html">Word Study Program </a>to teach Spelling/Phonics. She created a game to use during her Word Study Centers called "Trash or Treasure." It's really just a word sort, but so much more fun. Students sort cards based on if they fit the weekly phonics rule or not. I love this game because it goes right along with our 95% Group instructional methods. To make it more hands-on, I created a treasure box and trash can so that the kids can actually move the cards to one side or the other. Then they write the words under the appropriate column on a recording sheet.<br />I had so much fun making the treasure box and trash can. I bought an unfinished wooden chest and pirate pieces (also wooden) from Hobby Lobby and the mini trash can from Dollar General.<br />Here's all of the materials:<br />BEFORE:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYK25H0pTsyQ51dNBofkMUpb1Z4_h2M4AIZYnNcxrqi3fMV1ckESZNv3Zvc1BWkdqwNcsLFRLG956k70mi8Ud0jR5KqGj5r3q84_lz0csZ6tHwPLwPRV5qWQuaI_Rg_RjMwr9wnW1tSk/s1600/DSC06904.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635578174100018834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYK25H0pTsyQ51dNBofkMUpb1Z4_h2M4AIZYnNcxrqi3fMV1ckESZNv3Zvc1BWkdqwNcsLFRLG956k70mi8Ud0jR5KqGj5r3q84_lz0csZ6tHwPLwPRV5qWQuaI_Rg_RjMwr9wnW1tSk/s200/DSC06904.JPG" /></a><br />AFTER:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxzbWqQp9_c2s3S5lWeXhcN74ayAinOfVzbs56rzLlaqWS8lUf9R-AR53rqJKeYCJfSxqFWaFo0pinh-9kdgeWXVnY10tPWhTZfk2amU48GzwBW5Xn1Iwd5r7POSGNkIWiebYBKQNggA/s1600/DSC06910.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 141px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635578172168206786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxzbWqQp9_c2s3S5lWeXhcN74ayAinOfVzbs56rzLlaqWS8lUf9R-AR53rqJKeYCJfSxqFWaFo0pinh-9kdgeWXVnY10tPWhTZfk2amU48GzwBW5Xn1Iwd5r7POSGNkIWiebYBKQNggA/s200/DSC06910.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNxbmoqUpExawXNBG4jt-zJHFx7oyya8ooD6PnKSrx6GgSpFM9FS_TCwcfu_9L7evF1viqHUGWwuTzbvaNA2H_T2nCteVJNJNbZPYXs_MFhB3zPo2maI0IT8kDhgl03QIUqPNpZMMTWM/s1600/DSC06909.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 141px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635578171536749554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNxbmoqUpExawXNBG4jt-zJHFx7oyya8ooD6PnKSrx6GgSpFM9FS_TCwcfu_9L7evF1viqHUGWwuTzbvaNA2H_T2nCteVJNJNbZPYXs_MFhB3zPo2maI0IT8kDhgl03QIUqPNpZMMTWM/s200/DSC06909.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TMe7R281WHSyEpm5H_irdQi4drT7dqV01wWwWEa5M1QAuzcE5-oT-lScJ6dIt-KFep17HNFpXMX3Qt1imbr_lUtzcxNR5wIMbXYtS75QJsAqLHoFzWAz7t6gTukyHIuWaY3T9loiz2g/s1600/DSC06912.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 183px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635578179165626498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TMe7R281WHSyEpm5H_irdQi4drT7dqV01wWwWEa5M1QAuzcE5-oT-lScJ6dIt-KFep17HNFpXMX3Qt1imbr_lUtzcxNR5wIMbXYtS75QJsAqLHoFzWAz7t6gTukyHIuWaY3T9loiz2g/s200/DSC06912.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEUkPGrOBGfVJqSyoQF7q6JCBSqLyfp8ByiZPy3Sj_JzTanJlSu0j1RGjiabOqhCEl1o8sngu3kN7qMl2DA4eRJFImpx2nncuGcQWGHVcJYA_vqb5STSKJI6kuDfaCGAgT1WQjOUzd5Q/s1600/DSC06911.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 181px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635578176975880898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEUkPGrOBGfVJqSyoQF7q6JCBSqLyfp8ByiZPy3Sj_JzTanJlSu0j1RGjiabOqhCEl1o8sngu3kN7qMl2DA4eRJFImpx2nncuGcQWGHVcJYA_vqb5STSKJI6kuDfaCGAgT1WQjOUzd5Q/s200/DSC06911.JPG" /></a><br />I glued gold-colored sequins inside to look like treasure...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTSnU9uk4yz2Yr8c98pBLT_4c6f2ABnCe_aAoESxBsgeEYjoHleP8y2FNBo_0HrJcwJGwsVtyPFfgpsFc4iEiY58WM70_MnH-JOd2dgxLPukQA0_TrDGYtptAHiPCq58UhFDcLThFkL8/s1600/DSC06932.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636443394599224514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTSnU9uk4yz2Yr8c98pBLT_4c6f2ABnCe_aAoESxBsgeEYjoHleP8y2FNBo_0HrJcwJGwsVtyPFfgpsFc4iEiY58WM70_MnH-JOd2dgxLPukQA0_TrDGYtptAHiPCq58UhFDcLThFkL8/s200/DSC06932.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>I didn't know what to do at first because the wooden pirate pieces were too tall to fit on the sides of the treasure box when it was open. Then my husband (Mr. Fix It) said, "I can just cut them in half and you can glue one part to the bottom and one part to the top so that when it's open nothing sticks up..." I never think of things like that!!! So, here's what he came up with... Genius!!!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_4MXU5DWy-Y55ftiy0USF3nMbewAj_A1cGydSrMctK9fRGJVhE4v-Rz7_8yZkKPPzByLqBHwJm7qnj9hBPSlNTrszhrezJW6JvCmJAlmGUcTR_4cDz3KL67Z1ZZYmOAmZofO0ZA0tj4/s1600/DSC06915.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635578317385099170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_4MXU5DWy-Y55ftiy0USF3nMbewAj_A1cGydSrMctK9fRGJVhE4v-Rz7_8yZkKPPzByLqBHwJm7qnj9hBPSlNTrszhrezJW6JvCmJAlmGUcTR_4cDz3KL67Z1ZZYmOAmZofO0ZA0tj4/s200/DSC06915.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Py3z-3pzKm98_EyjlizpiWq6Tj_0me1RBJukW9MjYgkDatCEOp0KgPbDC75qFA_VOiOBJEF9PwaCybzPnF9suEMUfwvS732pCdNrDLpdunDIBJ8YLQZoDR4oHY7PORvuoErRg7l4cJ0/s1600/DSC06914.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 158px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635578312789890290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Py3z-3pzKm98_EyjlizpiWq6Tj_0me1RBJukW9MjYgkDatCEOp0KgPbDC75qFA_VOiOBJEF9PwaCybzPnF9suEMUfwvS732pCdNrDLpdunDIBJ8YLQZoDR4oHY7PORvuoErRg7l4cJ0/s200/DSC06914.JPG" /></a></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-65140381016352392472011-07-27T13:44:00.006-05:002011-07-27T13:53:17.476-05:00Good Behavior RewardsIn my classroom, I use a ticket system to promote good behavior choices. Throughout the day I give out tickets and students sign their names (in pencil-- we reuse the tickets) on the back. They can choose to save them or spend them. Spending means putting them in the daily drawing. At the end of the day, I (or a student helper) draw a ticket out of the bucket. The chosen student gets a quarter to use at the prize machine: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCUBpIHI_uH8SYeCECGAwwAK4Iy_r2fr6ItJGOrCXGgmuWK7MJJhqqJsLqg2aqXvatRzlUkN4o44Qa5uZiNRLYZ6YpnsOTXljl3ySNA76aaLQ4OrhntaLtl8fIDnBElHh7sKP_QaSs6yg/s1600/prizemachine.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 295px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634106027439826690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCUBpIHI_uH8SYeCECGAwwAK4Iy_r2fr6ItJGOrCXGgmuWK7MJJhqqJsLqg2aqXvatRzlUkN4o44Qa5uZiNRLYZ6YpnsOTXljl3ySNA76aaLQ4OrhntaLtl8fIDnBElHh7sKP_QaSs6yg/s400/prizemachine.JPG" /></a>My kiddos LOVE the prize machine!!! I found a dealer on Craigslist who sells used machines like this. He gave me a great deal once I told him what I'd be using it for. It works wonders! How do you reward good choices in your classroom? I love to hear what other teachers do!Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-74657128575883774592011-07-27T11:46:00.007-05:002011-07-27T13:43:36.370-05:00Blog Mixer Linky PartyDenise over at <a href="http://yearn4learning.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-mixer-linky.html">Yearn to Learn </a>is having a Blog Mixer Linky Party. Here's my answers to her four questions:<br /><br />1. New Kid on the Blog: I absolutely adore Mrs. E's blog <a href="http://mrsestblog.blogspot.com/">The Sweet Life of Third Grade</a>! Like me, she is a new blogger! Her blog has taken off- she already has over 200 followers in July alone! Way to go, Mrs. E! Since I'm a new blogger too, I'm going to add my link here as well-- <a href="http://mrsfarmers2ndgrade.blogspot.com/">Farmtastic Fun in 2nd Grade</a>.<br />2. A Blog in My Grade Level: I love that Monica at <a href="http://schroederpage.blogspot.com/2011/07/me-and-my-2nd-grade-gang.html">The Shroeder Page </a>is assembling a 2nd grade teachers blog group! That's so exciting!!<br />3. A Blog in Another Grade Level: Third grade teacher Christie has so many cute ideas and creations over at <a href="http://flipflopteacher.blogspot.com/">Teaching in Flip Flops</a>.<br />4. Cutest Button: I don't know if it's actually a button, but I love Alicia's logo at <a href="http://www.scrugglenamp.blogspot.com/">{i HART my preschoolers}</a> (her last name is Hart!!). So cute!!! <br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gU1U27W6IrsyMYMc54uaMRjCPotGM_eRb8cM-Zsyi9sneAGrLbfErfA267iNdc9ZGxVD493xcf4c6PZQSReJJbC4jCnlAIlnPJHIxHlTOEs9tai7vfBHP43soBce7tt0SAfIfKe8fDQ/s1600/hart+badge.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 244px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634081557857309122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gU1U27W6IrsyMYMc54uaMRjCPotGM_eRb8cM-Zsyi9sneAGrLbfErfA267iNdc9ZGxVD493xcf4c6PZQSReJJbC4jCnlAIlnPJHIxHlTOEs9tai7vfBHP43soBce7tt0SAfIfKe8fDQ/s400/hart+badge.jpg" /></a> It was so much fun searching for these blogs! I didn't realize there were so many out there!</p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-71040377383248772072011-07-27T11:37:00.003-05:002011-07-27T11:40:08.919-05:00New Sqworl Group for 2nd Grade Blogs!!I used the 2nd grade links from <a href="http://theteacherslane.blogspot.com/p/grade-level-linky-party_28.html">The Grade Level Link Up Party </a>to create a Sqworl group for easy access to blogs in my grade level. If you're interested, <a href="http://sqworl.com/a8lkx9">here's the link</a>!!Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-89094937229531488692011-07-27T10:56:00.002-05:002011-07-27T11:00:53.368-05:00Grade Level Link Up Party!!Wow! I'm so excited to find the Grade Level Link Up Party at <a href="http://theteacherslane.blogspot.com/">The Teacher's Lane</a>! I can't wait to meet new 2nd grade bloggers!<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://theteacherslane.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" border="0"><img src="http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m585/kimaar1/gradelevellinky.jpg" /></a></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-37814049729107286642011-07-27T02:09:00.003-05:002011-07-27T02:13:11.728-05:00Love those giveaways!!Denise at <a href="http://sunnydaysinsecondgrade.blogspot.com/">Sunny Days in Second Grade </a>is having a "Freakishly Fabulous Four Hundred Follower" giveaway. I'm so excited to discover new 2nd grade blogs!!! Check it out <a href="http://sunnydaysinsecondgrade.blogspot.com/2011/07/400-followers-celebration.html">here</a>!Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-84019006092371298952011-07-27T00:46:00.003-05:002011-07-27T00:55:33.551-05:00Post-Its!<div align="center">Rebecca at <a href="http://mrsrojasteaches.blogspot.com/2011/07/its-post-it-party-and-giveaway.html">Create-Teach-Share </a>is having a Linky Party about creative ways to use Post-Its. So, I thought I'd share one of the many ways we use Post-Its in my class. </div><br /><div align="center">When we're studying visualizing in Reading Workshop, students draw the pictures they "see in their heads" on Post-Its. Then they attach them to their graphic organizers. Under each Post-It, they write the part of the story that their picture illustrates. Then I have them switch papers and retell each other's stories using the pictures. They can self-check by lifting the Post-It to read the description. Just another way to practice summarizing and retelling. </div><br /><div align="center">Here's a picture of our anchor chart for this strategy:</div><br /><div align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitCxShw7z8jeo9lshnL8qBoBkUOgEarCKuUCF_h0OIegkuJ__5fHFq6qJWkzIj5wcrp9Eh6AuavOsyirjw0Pi-LkXgnVuEKFDsWOZep7feUcq1QLH3kZSTCaLCb9bK9Jx3lcb5b_hOhME/s1600/Visualizing.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 308px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633906357665518722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitCxShw7z8jeo9lshnL8qBoBkUOgEarCKuUCF_h0OIegkuJ__5fHFq6qJWkzIj5wcrp9Eh6AuavOsyirjw0Pi-LkXgnVuEKFDsWOZep7feUcq1QLH3kZSTCaLCb9bK9Jx3lcb5b_hOhME/s400/Visualizing.JPG" /></a><br /><br /></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-70606408096820461612011-07-23T21:29:00.005-05:002011-07-23T23:35:50.647-05:00My Class Library<div align="center">I love children's books! I just love them. It's a slight addiction... Ok, it's a bad addiction. I scour my local Goodwill (especially on the first Saturday of the month when everything is 1/2 price!), yard sales (check Craigslist for yard sale ads specifically featuring children's books), and I've even made the trek down to McKay's in Nashville. Of course I'm also a regular at B&N, but I've had to curb that habit-- it's bad for the bank account!!</div><br /><div align="center">I've organized and reorganized my library several times and I think I've finally gotten it like I want it. Now it's just the maintenance... Here's some pics:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymhyN4F8MKT3ccyu78yLx0E3OkcVX5G46MEy-aUfMrbWqCOeqhAf2Gf4_oZwHQDlhlXX2QA9o-mGep78xtIu_cr6GPNCQTFGg17PX3M4Zb1Yj5jdES27KEpsoi-RBOJ3hz1d2-O9u7HU/s1600/library1.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 187px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632747574341394258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymhyN4F8MKT3ccyu78yLx0E3OkcVX5G46MEy-aUfMrbWqCOeqhAf2Gf4_oZwHQDlhlXX2QA9o-mGep78xtIu_cr6GPNCQTFGg17PX3M4Zb1Yj5jdES27KEpsoi-RBOJ3hz1d2-O9u7HU/s400/library1.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQwu6JBczwhzLCQBAKUxM3YKO7JRmNiIw1-2i8-4qNrfQfbDvYJIH2XCFoEu5iw5fDdpAN-VY4iJqWKhpvco1JWrSMSlqYQWAsFPyUY6HzCpkXzIPPgLCzBne0-L1BMDK01wtdXDlq7w/s1600/library2.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 194px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632747578843855106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQwu6JBczwhzLCQBAKUxM3YKO7JRmNiIw1-2i8-4qNrfQfbDvYJIH2XCFoEu5iw5fDdpAN-VY4iJqWKhpvco1JWrSMSlqYQWAsFPyUY6HzCpkXzIPPgLCzBne0-L1BMDK01wtdXDlq7w/s400/library2.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div align="center">My books are organized by topic. The bins with the blue stickers are nonfiction. The white bins are devoted to specific curriculum areas (math, social studies, poetry, etc.). If the book has a Guided Reading level, it's written on the back of the book on a sticker. Each book also has a small sticker on the front with a picture that matches the picture on the bin it belongs in for easy return. I have students return their books to the red bin on the stool and the "class librarian" puts them in the correct bins.</div><br /><div align="center">I keep a log of my books on <a href="http://www.librarything.com/">this</a> website. I love being able to type in any key word and it brings up all of the books I have with that tag! So easy! I also purchased a check-out system called CLAS from <a href="http://bookendsoftware.com/">this</a> website. Each book has a barcode and students have library cards. When they want to check out a book, they simply use the barcode scanner to scan their cards and then the book they want to check out. I love this system because, just like the real library, I can pull reports and see who has what checked out at any given time. I can also see what types of books each student has been reading. Plus, the kids love using the scanner!</div><br /><div align="center">I have students store their checked-out books (along with their Reader's Notebooks) in their book bins, shown here:</div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmOy4-gCDD1bJdcoW3RSeUgiKlhFlcJE76sTvgak_WkFZwCvSDZpAk8jrLc0FbffCiyZ2Wdgz5nshlFW-1pUMUiXbgm6xU7V62gpsKQ-4gxhr33b12DrhOZgDT1CeWpbqId82vLX3Oqw/s1600/DSC06847.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 269px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632745477145007602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmOy4-gCDD1bJdcoW3RSeUgiKlhFlcJE76sTvgak_WkFZwCvSDZpAk8jrLc0FbffCiyZ2Wdgz5nshlFW-1pUMUiXbgm6xU7V62gpsKQ-4gxhr33b12DrhOZgDT1CeWpbqId82vLX3Oqw/s400/DSC06847.JPG" /></a></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-45387546133300014212011-07-23T20:40:00.005-05:002011-07-23T23:34:52.385-05:00Just like new!<div align="center">My friend just got a vice-principal position in a neighboring district (Go, Sherleta!!!) and had to clean out her room ASAP. We all scoured her room looking for treasure and she so graciously gave me a rolling desk chair. She bought it for her kids last year and they took turns sitting in it each week. I had wanted to get one too, but never did. So, I took hers and gave it a new twist. I recovered it in the same fabric I recovered my glider rocker in several years ago. I think it turned out cute!</div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh387a6qz8pF8B5peuj7fVbKByo-NONvkOGmEYv0vOz0AAtuVYJRZ86SoqDm4aHr2PtwuvIjisuQzPhw_eOJXp-xEaGStXt0Ud_vhb2CDfzVelTY3CulDb3WEmHQOoV1HKDmW85jQSdvvE/s1600/DSC06861.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 300px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632728936984592050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh387a6qz8pF8B5peuj7fVbKByo-NONvkOGmEYv0vOz0AAtuVYJRZ86SoqDm4aHr2PtwuvIjisuQzPhw_eOJXp-xEaGStXt0Ud_vhb2CDfzVelTY3CulDb3WEmHQOoV1HKDmW85jQSdvvE/s400/DSC06861.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDylPxLCU1k0JfssDv_TwzcnUvgJlFCwU5iKc_yR7TfcCW5bT4FphXWI0bQdMBUTyUbF-QUjrdPNjLSMVlRKjUlBOGlThy0XSY8cd2nKublzuP5UwhU536IIpNnJGS847_3NTp-Ze4mY/s1600/DSC06860.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 300px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632728928869414194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDylPxLCU1k0JfssDv_TwzcnUvgJlFCwU5iKc_yR7TfcCW5bT4FphXWI0bQdMBUTyUbF-QUjrdPNjLSMVlRKjUlBOGlThy0XSY8cd2nKublzuP5UwhU536IIpNnJGS847_3NTp-Ze4mY/s400/DSC06860.JPG" /></a></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-38470712892172611702011-07-23T19:57:00.009-05:002011-07-23T23:34:28.967-05:00Curtains, Curtains, Everywhere!<div align="center">I dusted off the old sewing machine a few weeks ago to make some curtains for my classroom. I meant to only make one set of curtains, but it turned into a curtain-making frenzy! I had seen some other teachers in my building hanging curtains above their sink areas to hide stuff. I found some red material that matched my valances (which originally came from my 13-year-old son's nursery) and made the ones for my sink area. Then, I decided to make a black curtain to hang above my exterior door, which led to making a bandana print one for the actual door. Then came the red curtain to cover the little sliver of a window on my interior door. I love all of the new curtains! It really makes the room feel cozier!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspbau3KTFpFKBkm5TQAkcpSYvb6FxbQ4XDn68nO_RyPIWRRwP_OvjXDfUJLVQjcOMSXr_o_wmCI96yOXJMRTnZF10exp82hqSc5C-Op4ffUnUDlS4Fo0L89q6QY0FCiH259e35JJOG1w/s1600/DSC06862.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632726694000416946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspbau3KTFpFKBkm5TQAkcpSYvb6FxbQ4XDn68nO_RyPIWRRwP_OvjXDfUJLVQjcOMSXr_o_wmCI96yOXJMRTnZF10exp82hqSc5C-Op4ffUnUDlS4Fo0L89q6QY0FCiH259e35JJOG1w/s400/DSC06862.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg98MkN2wsdx-N-IWBtzwlYqqg5IAT4eCHO2u4U9-yu1ccOcsfLvpYlLU12_tPTSjphNzvIw8c_GGpOL6aw1OIblJWd0iWsnoTt_9kx9ICpZqDEVI62qIN9d3TeJ6BXM0uV2hJ-YZkRmwg/s1600/DSC06864.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632726819731901890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg98MkN2wsdx-N-IWBtzwlYqqg5IAT4eCHO2u4U9-yu1ccOcsfLvpYlLU12_tPTSjphNzvIw8c_GGpOL6aw1OIblJWd0iWsnoTt_9kx9ICpZqDEVI62qIN9d3TeJ6BXM0uV2hJ-YZkRmwg/s400/DSC06864.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-hHjMXyoA9FmCZEJfo9vHr-F5BDmd6KCUogqK3EEYlgGu2kLJHn9JD0U7BVppj_0AwO2QlC6Jo2QyebMNaGC6hrMlk03z5OsaTDilBJlkSeBsa22djuICAh57ve2f2P0gJcUWberfGE/s1600/DSC06865.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 300px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632727049930101506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-hHjMXyoA9FmCZEJfo9vHr-F5BDmd6KCUogqK3EEYlgGu2kLJHn9JD0U7BVppj_0AwO2QlC6Jo2QyebMNaGC6hrMlk03z5OsaTDilBJlkSeBsa22djuICAh57ve2f2P0gJcUWberfGE/s400/DSC06865.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbYvEkvOAwRU7Y-Vnt4aXxRXSkeVNBgUWaHprMNXVE1lIA2X21fnFx-kVIuidyyk-XY1pj0HdADP1abKuPmVEx_0yAlGIonaqdefO5ANTOTflxGX5VAi__uBabeLJNx2hqD4oIF8S_mU/s1600/DSC06863.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 300px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632727046416797538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbYvEkvOAwRU7Y-Vnt4aXxRXSkeVNBgUWaHprMNXVE1lIA2X21fnFx-kVIuidyyk-XY1pj0HdADP1abKuPmVEx_0yAlGIonaqdefO5ANTOTflxGX5VAi__uBabeLJNx2hqD4oIF8S_mU/s400/DSC06863.JPG" /></a></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368063829335034192.post-50792261716696579422011-07-23T19:40:00.017-05:002011-07-23T23:27:00.733-05:00Trash or Treasure?<div align="center">Last year, my husband went to drop off the trash at the local collection center (in the south, we call it the dump), and came back with one of the ugliest pieces of furniture I've ever seen. It was a bench/pew, painted hunter green with a huge floral-covered piece glued to it. I immediately asked him what he was planning to do with this hunk of junk. He said he was hoping we could refinish it and keep it. I rolled my eyes. Really?<br />Well, it sat in our garage for a couple of months. Then one day I decided to try and do something with it. I knew I didn't want it in our house, but I thought it may have potential as a reading bench for my classroom. I already had a red/black theme in my room with my bookshelves and book bins, so I went to Hobby Lobby to see what I could find to decorate the bench to match my theme. I bought some scrapbooking paper, Mod Podge, and black paint and set to work. In about a week's time (and a lot of glue-scraping and sanding!!), this is what became of the ugly green bench:</div><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgz6UOZP86Vggn2YHSOIgEM9vEal7ZzD8rtQ4soM1-VdFywgzBVEjR6So2cH4lQe-oYmgt0RXINIFrZqSVTSBWeECLE3gezUa9JEaUasjQPuf3MwANYKlZpPAcmLMgq-2I-xuzl0NkgeA/s1600/DSC06858.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632724376114716034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgz6UOZP86Vggn2YHSOIgEM9vEal7ZzD8rtQ4soM1-VdFywgzBVEjR6So2cH4lQe-oYmgt0RXINIFrZqSVTSBWeECLE3gezUa9JEaUasjQPuf3MwANYKlZpPAcmLMgq-2I-xuzl0NkgeA/s400/DSC06858.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br /><div align="center">Once the bench was finished, I decided to paint a corner cabinet that once belonged to my grandmother. I didn't have a place for it in our new house, so I thought it would be cute (and useful for storage) in my classroom as well. Here's the finished cabinet:</div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqpTVC2uVurPXPMbMNvhBUu_7pSLPzXqIeHQuIIkiwDy0DLzGP7_esqIdP-UGDbz03kkCWSufDIuyHcFYU8wHOSBOjIaWCJSZDw4enWEIGY3w4Q0pTY0WWlEcOVeLN6ptY-1wNCQJY_AI/s1600/DSC06857.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 300px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632725333137812706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqpTVC2uVurPXPMbMNvhBUu_7pSLPzXqIeHQuIIkiwDy0DLzGP7_esqIdP-UGDbz03kkCWSufDIuyHcFYU8wHOSBOjIaWCJSZDw4enWEIGY3w4Q0pTY0WWlEcOVeLN6ptY-1wNCQJY_AI/s400/DSC06857.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br /><div align="center">I eventually painted a stool and door sign to match:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Qg-KE4AWiq6dovPaqZweIK0hEswtn2kzKHRvP4O8H4UZNQtLdKe9D-Xt4R7B4w3J4XhLyU8wwB2eLnu_O-XXFtosd6sTMnBz7V3RET1oZ0SZeIfNXLZmNR4bcaTb3bxaZ1fD4FAURBI/s1600/DSC06859.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632725230539008786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Qg-KE4AWiq6dovPaqZweIK0hEswtn2kzKHRvP4O8H4UZNQtLdKe9D-Xt4R7B4w3J4XhLyU8wwB2eLnu_O-XXFtosd6sTMnBz7V3RET1oZ0SZeIfNXLZmNR4bcaTb3bxaZ1fD4FAURBI/s400/DSC06859.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq69h3rV65lNjMUI2Q4Z8neAFTjGaNrPU52EpkTEr7Tj8fUPP9wT_dgLmejI4cNDOglMgyn9UbKInBo9X8hu5dgEB4ghjClAXgfn8t_iJ3K9U7S9A5mHF_0MzFUGIUl7ZVDSsTBggiDGE/s1600/DSC06866.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632725455562059330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq69h3rV65lNjMUI2Q4Z8neAFTjGaNrPU52EpkTEr7Tj8fUPP9wT_dgLmejI4cNDOglMgyn9UbKInBo9X8hu5dgEB4ghjClAXgfn8t_iJ3K9U7S9A5mHF_0MzFUGIUl7ZVDSsTBggiDGE/s400/DSC06866.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br /><div align="center">I love these pieces! And to think it all started with a trip to the dump!</div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11116837434885371326noreply@blogger.com2