New SCOOT games!

I'll admit it - I am addicted to SCOOT games!  It's such a great review for students and ACTIVE!  With the whole "getting up and down" it helps my students (especially some of my boys) release that extra energy they have and be able to concentrate on what they're doing.

Don't get me wrong...I have done "Concentric Circles" and "Four Corners" before....those are also fun and great for student listening skills, as well as review.  However, once I learned about Scoot, I started making review games for almost every subject!  Check out my store...there's some for math, science, history, and even English!  

So, my two latest additions to the family?  Matter and Magnets.  If you're a VA teacher like me, that would be SOLs 2.2 and 2.3.  

I have to admit...I haven't used it much this year.  The majority of my kids are below grade level in reading.  I'm hoping that we'll be able to use it as review for the end of the year (and to avoid me making a bunch of them at the end, trying to make them while my mind is fresh!).  

Is it just me, or is the year already moving so fast?  We just sent home interims for the first nine week yesterday!  Yikes!

So, the two new Scoots are downloaded to Teachers Pay Teachers and Teacher's Notebook.  Be sure to check them out! :)

If you've never heard of Scoot, here's a link to Sunny Days in Second Grade.  She explains it really well (as well as a freebie for a turkey game! :)

The Electric Company!!!!!

If you've read my blog before, you know how valuable I think this resource is!  This year, my class consists of all but 4 below grade level in reading.  In previous years, its always been a mix, but last year, I decided to take my weekly viewing of this PBS updated classic and bring it up a few notches by creating centers to go along with each episode.

You see, each episode has a theme, story, and phonics it focuses on.  While I planned out most of the episodes last year, I am finding I am already having to revamp this year.  For one, the SMART table I had last year has yet to show up in my room (boo hiss!).  So, even though I created some great programs using it, it doesn't do much good this year.  Also, last winter I was just "discovering" the world of blogging, Pinterest, and TpT.  As with any project, as I progressed throughout the year, it just kept getting better and better.  So, now I'm going back and revising things.

So, what's all this mean besides free advertisement for PBS? (like it needs it for teachers!).  I have FINALLY put together 2 packets for 2 episodes I am proud to actually put up there for sale!  Well, one is ready....I am still tweaking the other one.

The great thing?  Even if you don't watch The Electric Company in your classroom (I recommend it for readers in grade 2 and above...I think "Between the Lions" is great for K and 1), you can still use these packets!  For example, Episode 122 "Madame President" we did this week?  It covers "mp/mb" as well as the vowel digraph "aw."  Let me tell you - there isn't much out there, activity-wise that hits just those concepts without throwing other digraphs or concepts in.  So, I hope you'll check out my packets, available on both TpT {here}and TN {here}.  Keep in mind my readers range from PrePrimer to 2nd grade, so I had to really try to make sure it wasn't too hard/too easy.  Here's a sneak peek:

Currently and Eric Carle

Okay, so this week in our Basal we are reading The Mixed-Up Chameleon.  Technically, its the first story but I held off, thinking I wanted to do a big author study on Eric Carle.  Okay, so now it's a four day week and I'm doing it.  Sigh.  If you do Harcourt Trophies, you'll understand this next part.  

We actually do guided Reading groups, so I use the basal on Mondays to introduce a new story and vocabulary each week.  My focus wall is well, focused on this story and vocab for the week.  In their homework, they are working with the vocabulary as well.  In this way, even my lowest readers are being exposed to second grade skills because of course, the standards are soooo friendly towards kids not reading on grade level, right???  (yeah, that was sarcasm).  I do find some useful phonics/phonemic awareness tips in the teacher manual (remember at college how they said to NEVER use the teacher manual???  I finally opened mine a few years ago and thought hmm..these aren't some bad ideas!).  Also, when I have higher readers, its great to use the books that come with the series in our "Reading Comp" literacy center, complete with activities (you can check this out on one of my wiki pages which is all about my reading focus wall!).

Anywho, I have put off doing ol' Eric because I wanted to plan something spectacular. This summer, I even devoted a Pinterest board to him.  It was going to be a bang-up, blow-out type of unit!  

Well, life gets in the way (doesn't it always) and so, I borrowed some Eric Carle books from a Kindergarten teacher friend of mine (because I have maybe two!) and came up with some read-aloud activities to do with each one.

Oh, and have I mentioned how in our schedule this year, just by moving our lunch time, it messes up the whole day?????  If Math runs over, there goes my read-aloud time because after lunch, its full speed ahead with writing, content, and reading!  So, I also had to do things that would either a) relate to a GREAT conversation, but maybe not too time consuming or b) could be incorporated with writing.

Okay, so here is my Eric Carle read aloud activities.  I wanted to include one of my faves, The Very Quiet Cricket, but alas, my book is broke and my head is out of ideas.

If you're interested, email me for a copy.  I'm going to throw it up on TpT and TN, but for those of you reading the post, just comment below with your email and I'll send you a free copy! :)  

Sorry...Pandora's playing pretty slow, depressing songs no matter what station I'm hitting, so I'm a little bummed...that and my lovely three days "I'll get so much work done this weekend!" is coming to an end with a still-unfinished to-do list.  Sigh.

So, on that note, let's try to cheer up the post a bit (besides the freebie) with Farley's September Currently.  I love the blog posts that are like "really?  It's really September??" over to the side.  Hah hah.  Feel the same, and we're going into fourth week of school (yikes! Interims!).

 

Okay, just to explain a few (I always try to fit it in the frame...mine never looks as cute as others!).  Internet:  the wildblue people say its because things are trying to update....and the fact that we have too many devices that use Internet! My solution? Turn the router off when we're not home/at night.  We have 15G a month for satellite internet.  Here's hoping things get better when it comes back on Sept. 11!

Favorites:  the iPod touch I haven't had as much time as I'd like to play with it, but we were funded for it through Donors Choose!  Woo hoo!  I'm going to try to get a few more through a PTA grant so that I can use it with more than one student at a time! Haven't introduced it to them yet, but it's coming soon!  Think reading groups would be best.

Sleeping in this past weekend...'nuff said :)

Another favorite:  our PTA  is hosting a yard sale (we live out here in the boonies....so yard sales can be hard to find) and I have a TON OF STUFF to get rid of!  I'm hoping it'll make our house look less cluttered as well as the garage...not sure if that'll happen, but maybe make a few bucks off of it as well! (to pay for my daughter's birthday party!).

As for Maggie's birthday party...I have kinda sorta planned it.  Fortunately I don't have to clean the house for it...we're using our church's fellowship hall (good thing since it's the day after the yard sale!).  We're doing a cupcake themed party...you know, decorate your own cupcakes, etc.  Found some cute ideas and started a board on Pinterest if you're interested.

Okay, well, don't forget the rule of 3!  I'm off to do that and then get back to work since I told my husband I'd be back by 2...whoops! :)

 

Fostering Independence?????

Hmm...maybe not "fostering"..."encouraging" or "teaching" or "desperately trying to instill"????

I have the sweetest class this year - don't get me wrong. However, they are so far from possessing independent skills, it's been driving me a little batty.  School started back on August 15th, and my students are STILL not in settled into our routine!  It's been tough this year since all the talk about "self-reliance" and "self-discipline" from our Citizenship unit has apparently gone in one side and out the other!  

So, in order to keep my sanity, I'm revising a few things.  I love, love, LOVED (notice past tense) my BUILD center setup.  I will be continuing this.  Only...that nice little Excel spreadsheet I did on it?  That's being heavily revised.  I have students who are struggling with both reading and math and while we may practice some of the games during our Investigations lessons....it's apparently pretty difficult to remember when we see them the following week in our BUILD box.  (sigh).  I'll be posting games on here as I make them.

So, in order to accomodate my little learners this year, I'm backtracking and creating a LOT of new things for BUILD and my assistant that comes in to help us during math...hopefully at the students' current level and on their retention/reading skills.

Here are a couple things I've created and have now posted on the two teacher store sites (you know 'em:  TpT and Teacher's Notebook).  Click on the picture and it'll take you to one of them.  It seems most people use TpT, so I'll send ya there.  Or, if you prefer the other, the links to the side take you directly to my stores. :)

Oh, and for all you Common Core people?  Virginia apparently is a "believer" (or "initiative member") in CC, but not adopting because our standards are very similar (they really are!  I checked out the comparison chart on the VDOE website, and if its not taught in 2nd, its covered in first or third!).  I'll let you use your judgment, but I do create for our standards, but I know how everyone is so hot for CC that I thought I'd throw this disclaimer in! :)

Okey dokey, now that I have that taken care of, here are a few things I have created/posted (and can I say how HAPPY I am that I have an extra day to create this weekend??? I realize this after it took me more hours than I thought to create these activities!).

Calendar Skills (days of the week/months of the year/abbreviations/finding dates and days on the calendar, putting things in order, and even some ordinal numbers thrown in with the directions):

Hundred Chart Activities (including posters on skip counting by 2, 3, 5, and 10 as well as how to use the hundred chart to add and subtract; missing numbers (counting), and making a hundred chart puzzle).

Another game of SCOOT (I haven't quite introduced this game to my new kiddos yet...I might be doing easy versions here in the future!)

and last, but not least today....here is a new "Grammar Detectives" I'm going to play with my kids...I've already hinted it with them by doing a "detective theme" with writing in my class...they're anxious to start earning their badges!

I have more I'm uploading to the teacher stores....a math ice cream matching cones (number, words, ten frames, tally marks), as well as a soft/hard c game. I think I'm tackling time, blends, and matter next...not to mention post some of the magnet things we've been doing in class!  Whew!  Thanks for reading, and I hope you find something useful!

Oh, and on a personal note...my son made the Lego Robotics team at his middle school!  YES!  I am so proud of him for getting involved and having a great year so far!  Have any of your children/former students done this before?  I am super excited to see their competition in November!  As for my daughter, the socialite :), she tested on a third grade reading level! (She's in first!).  She must be a lot like her mama with reading....I used to hide out in the bathroom at night just so I could finish "one more chapter."  So, is anything exciting happening in your life?  Can you tell mine revolves around school and my kids? :)   

Moving into a .....Routine?

Well, not quite.  My little ones this year are having a hard time doing just that, but hey, it's only been a week and a half, right?  Still, I miss them being trained able to anticipate what we're doing next!

This week, we continued some of our back to school activities in creating these cute lunchboxes for Cafeteria Expectations from Rowdy in Room 300 that she posted as a freebie.  We also did Miss Kindergarten's "School is Cool" kids (another freebie--LOVE those freebies!).  I think they look pretty nifty in our hallway! :)

I love displaying our work in the hallways! :)  Maybe I could work on my administrator putting a bulletin board out there for me! :)

OH!  Started my BUILD centers this week!  They were a HIT with students and, since my students are not very independent (yet), that was one of the main parts of their seatwork while we rotated math groups.  It made a big difference in the atmosphere of the room from past years.  No more students off task and wandering around, not sure what to do or what center to choose.  I also didn't have a large number of kids playing one center with someone being left out.  It really helped with behavior and teamwork!

This week, we are adding the "Number of the Day" book to their independent time.  They had trouble with this at the beginning, but after a week of working with it as a group, I think they're ready to try it on their own!  I had done these books in years past and gotten away from them, but decided I like these much better than Investigations' version (shh!).  Here's a sample of the first book:

I put two on a page then cut it in half.  I copy 10 pages for each student, so they have a book of "20."  For some of the templates, I copy more and some I copy less, depending on how much they need help with the concept.  If you click on the picture, it should take you to the Google Doc page.  I hope it works okay...I'm still learning how to do this!  If you're wondering, the "number of the day" coincides with how many days we've been in school, so it ties into our calendar lesson each day.

So, all in all, it was a pretty good week.  We continued discovering nouns and sang our songs about punctuation (I wish I could remember the name of the book I copied these from years ago, but sadly, I cannot...other than it had a wide variety of topics of songs).  We have our PALS Reading Assessment coming up this Friday.  I've done an informal evaluation (running record) and right now I have four reading groups...we do Guided Reading Levels and they are (literally) E, F, G, and H (the equivalent of PrePrimer, Primer, and First).  Sigh.  No, I can't combine them together.  But, this post is long enough, so let's just say my little dependent kids have "snack" as one of their rotations! :)  Between that and Raz Kids and Literacy Centers, I'm able to keep some sanity!  Come September 11, we'll start our reading rotations so that they'll also get "Reading Lab" and "Title I."

Wow, this was a long post...and varied...I'll try to do better next time! Thanks if you've gotten this far!  Oh, one last question.......does anyone do the "AMC" math?  We're trying to fit that into our Investigations but other than having the books for the testing, I haven't had any formal training on it (I'm currently in the begging stages with my administrator, since I know of someone who went to the training and it sounds really cool!).  Thanks!

Oh, and one last personal "woo hoo"....my son survived his first week of middle school and STILL likes it!!!!!  (This from a child who spent K-4 hating school!).

First Week Down! (or "Why Am I in School on a Saturday?") and Michael Phelps

Whew!  First week down!

I have to laugh...a lot of my parents warned me at Open House on Monday that their darlings were good, but talked a lot.  I just smiled and replied that we have a very active classroom and even in our "down times" there's usually some music (Kids Bop!) playing in the background.

Score one for parents.  They are DEFINITELY talkers!  I finally had to blow my whistle (which is very shrill) at one point...things seemed to get better after that!

But, they are a nice bunch....I haven't seen a mean action out of one of them....but I can already tell my work is cut out for me.  I have a feeling I may be spending a lot of weekend days in school preparing for the week.  While I have a lot of good things I created/planned last year, this group might need some extra help in other areas that I didn't need to create last year.

I feel better this year, starting out, because I DO have a great group of resources to go to that I didn't realize existed at this time last year...Pinterest, teacher blog land, TpT, TN.....so I can either be inspired, or use someone else's "perspiration."  (Okay, that sounded gross...sorry...but you know what I mean!).

We did "personality bags" on Friday (school started Wednesday...I have mixed feelings about the short week...yes, it's great to get to Friday earlier, but I did NOT like having only half a day to work between Open House and First Day!).  If you haven't done these before, it teaches you so much about your students!  I haven't done them previously (my teammates did) because I did other "getting to know you" activities, but I realized something listening to my students on Friday....it's all fine and good for the students to get to know each other, but this was a FANTASTIC way for ME to get to know THEM.  

So, we had fun and the kids got to guess whose bag it was before the owner revealed him/herself.  I now know that:
1.  Pokemon is still alive and well and is an obsession of quite a lot of my students!
2.  Star Wars and super heroes are still key....and so are Legos and motorcycles.....with my boys (and some girls!).
3.  My students are impressed that I know what Ninjago is and could name some of the superheroes they brought in!
4.  I have a LOT of swimmers in my class (and they all brought in swim goggles...too cute!).

I could go on, but have to share what one of my girls did....it was great!

She showed us her swim goggles (each child got to explain what they brought after we guessed whose bag it was) and explained that she has ADHD just like Michael Phelps.  She told them that he was able to use all his extra energy to win gold medals.  I LOVE that she compared herself to him!  It about made me cry!  She went on to pull out a piece of "gold" to represent his medals, and went on to explain to her classmates that nothing ever holds you back.

So, I'll end on that note today.  That, and I need to get back to work....since my stack is still staring at me :(.  Hopefully I will publish pictures next week of something super cool the students are doing :)  Until then, have a great weekend and good luck with your preparations for back-to-school!

More pics from the classroom

Okay this is a bit of an experiment....blogging and taking pics with smartphone using the blogger app. My apologies if things are misspelled, etc.

I am trying to cause some excitement with my students by making writing more of a "whodunit " activity. The kids won't know what's behind the "curtain" until we explore it more and they can guess.  I'll be writing more grammar adventures to go along with this, but when my friend was getting rid of this mystery theme, I jumped on it!  My apologies for the sideways pics, but you get the idea (I couldn't get it all in one shot).  Anyone know how to change that using your phone?  Something tells me I won't be doing this as much! :P

Also pictured are my literacy centers.  I hope to take "action shots" with the kids....looking at the pic, they look kinda dull (which does not seem worth 3+ hours of work yesterday!).  Okay, well, Open House is tomorrow so I'm hoping the parents will like the room as well as the kiddos!  Thanks for the compliments from my earlier post in my room! :)