Back To School Sale, An Interactive Math Journal Freebie and Some Inspirational Reading!

It is finished!!!!!  I have been wanting to write an interactive math journal for awhile.  I started back in the spring and as of 10 minutes ago, IT IS FINALLY FINISHED!!!!!  It covers every standard in second grade Common Core Math.  I think the kids will love these activities.  They will be cutting, coloring and gluing WHILE they are doing math.  There are games, flashcards and flip books.  This journal is 252 pages and will last you all school year.  I have listed a freebie below for you.  It is a Race to $1.00 game.  Click HERE to get the freebie!  I hope your kids enjoy the game.  If you want to see the entire journal, click HERE to go to my Teachers Pay Teachers Store.

Now, you may know that for today and tomorrow, Teachers Pay Teachers is having their Back To School Sale.  You can save as much as 28 % off of those products that you really need to start school. 

Now is the time to get Back To School Reading and Math Centers, click here, !0 Days of Back To School Math- this reviews all of First Grade Math, click here, Morning Work For August click here or for my Back To School Memory Book click here.  The great thing is that these items are on sale today and tomorrow!  Happy Shopping!

 

I'm excited about getting back into my room and getting things ready for the kids to return on August 25. It seems like summer only just started but before we know it, excited, happy kids will be coming in the classroom door.  I know that it is easy to become overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done.  This summer, I have been reading Awakened; Change Your Mindset to Transform Your Teaching by Angela Watson.  This book is very inspiring and I have highlighted a few quotes that I plan to keep near this year to encourage myself! 

 

"Your mindset is ultimately the reason why you love teaching or despise it."

 

This is so true and Angela does a great job in this book of helping us see what are healthy thoughts and what kinds of thoughts will just bring us down.  We have a very important, valuable job but we have to admit, it is a very difficult job and the burnout rate is very high.  Angela reminds us to "reframe" negative thoughts, sort out what you know is true and replace negative thoughts with positive ones.  Gosh, I wish she would just come co teach with me!   Let me end with this quote from the book:

"How do some teachers cheerfully give their all day after day in the most troubled and challenging schools? They have optimistic explanatory styles.  They believe that good things are happening and worth focusing on, that problems will not last forever, and that their own efforts are making a positive difference.  The optimist sees setbacks as situation-specific, temporary and changeable."

Ok, so that is a challenge to us all as we approach the new school year.  Buckle up!  Here we go!

Sharon

 

 

A Free End of School Acticvity....We did it!

Back in the summer, it seemed a long, long time away!  But now it is here for some of us and just around the corner for others.  We have worked hard, planned extensively, re-planned, laughed, cried? maybe, but  hopefully we have moved a group of sweet kids from point A to point B!  We all get them there in different ways.  If you have taught 2 years or 20 years, you are probably already thinking ahead to next year and what you will do to make it an even better year!  That's just who we are!  I would love to hear what you plan to do differently next year.  I think that I will try to differentiate instruction more for reading and math.  I think that it is important to reach each kid where they are.  I know it sounds impossible but I'm going to give it some serious thought this summer.  So, to celebrate the end of this school year, I'm making my end of the school year iremember book free for 24 hours!  If school is already out for you, print it for next year!  Click HERE for the free book.  Let me know how you like it!  Thanks for following me this school year!  One goal that I have is to blog MORE this summer and next school year!  Have an awesome summer!
Sharon

I've Reached A Milestone! Get your freebie now!

So I've reached  a milestone in my TPT Store! Thank you all so much! I couldn't have done it without your help. To celebrate, I've made my Morning Work for May free until next Sunday, May 25.  Hop on over to my store and get your copy now!  You can click HERE!  This morning work has work for 20 school days.  Each week has four days of work with the fifth day being a test on that week's skills.  I have morning work for every month in the school year.  This morning work is a combination of grammar and math and only takes a few minutes for students to complete.  Check it out and if you like it, please leave me some comments!  Hang in there!  It's almost summer!
Sharon

Free Mother's Day Poster and It's Time For A Sale!

It seems that Mother's Day always sneaks up on me.  And then I panic and then I ultimately come up with something cute.  I just made a poster that your kids can color/draw/write in for their moms for Mother's Day.  You can get a copy free by clicking HERE!  Here is a look at the poster.

 

I also have a basket of flowers craft and a coupon book for Mom if you need an easy and inexpensive idea for a gift.  They look like this:

You can look at those in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store.  Click HERE for the flower basket.  Click HERE for the coupon book.

 

Now, it is time for the Teachers Appreciation Sale on TPT. The sale is Tuesday and Wednesday so you don't want to miss out! I know my cart is filled and ready to go!  Don't forget to stock up on those things that you have been waiting to purchase.  I love this sale! 

 

So only 24 more school days until summer!  Now would be a great time to buy those Back to School Reading and Math Centers to get ready for the beginning of a new school year!  Happy Teaching!

 

Fun With Measuring And Fun Spring Activities With A Freebie!

We are well into enjoying Spring in our classroom.  We have been working on measurement for a few weeks now.  We started with MD 1-6.  The kids really loved measuring each other with this activity from Amy Lemmons.  It's in her measurement pack.  I had the kids get with a partner and then take turns measuring each other with a tape measure and recording their measurements. 

 

This week we started 2.MD 9-10 which is collecting and using data to make line plots and answer questions about them.  The kids LOVE going around the room and asking all of their classmates their favorite color, ice cream flavor, etc.  We played SCOOT on Tuesday.  Each kid gathered data.  They went around the classroom and measured 12 different objects using inches.  They used this information to make a line plot.  After that, we all wrote the same three questions about the graph.  Next, we played SCOOT.  Each student sat in every desk and answered the same three questions about the graph on each desk.  I think by the time they went to 21 desks and answered questions, they were pros in reading line plots.  They love getting up and moving around!  This measurement unit is full of fun graphing activities. It has lesson plans, a student book, quizzes and homework.  Here is a look at the entire unit. 

You can get it in my Teachers Pay Teachers store by clicking HERE!

 

So Easter is next week.  It's hard to believe that we are there already!  It's one of my favorite times at school and I love that second graders still love to hide and hunt eggs.  I usually let the boys hide eggs for the girls and then the girls hide eggs for the boys.  After we finish, we divide the eggs up equally so that everyone gets to take home the same amount of eggs and candy.  It works really well for us.  I love making this cute bunny every year too!  We wrote an imaginative narrative last week.  The Easter Bunny left us a note telling us that he had a cold and couldn't deliver the eggs.  He needed us to help so the kids wrote a story about making the eggs and delivering them.  Then they made this cutie!

If you want the pattern for the bunny, it is in my TPT store.  If you want the entire writing pack, it is in my store as well.  Click HERE for the Bunny.  If you want the entire writing unit, click HERE!This unit has activities for the three types of writing that is required in the Second Grade Common Core ELA Standards.  There is a narrative activity, informational and persuasive writing activities with decorative paper to write the completed stories on as well as the pattern for the cute bunny. 

Now for the feebie. I needed a quick writing activity that would brighten up the room and bring spring inside!  I made this quick "Top Ten" list about Spring.  We brainstormed things that we love about Spring and then the kids wrote their top 10 favorite things and drew a picture to go with it.  Here is a look at how they turned out.

This activity is included in my April Printables for Spring.  I've attached it for you for FREE!

Click HERE to get the poem that I wrote to go with the writing that the kids did.

Click HERE to get the writing activity.  If you download, I would love some feedback!

 

That is all for now.  We are almost to Easter Break!  It won't be long until we are all soaking up the sun and relaxing!  Happy Spring! Happy Easter!

Sharon

 

 

 

 

Writing For March, A Huge Sale and a Freebie!

I can't believe that February is almost over!  I've been hard at work making things for March.  I have my March Writing unit ready finally.  It is a unit that has enough writing activities to last all month.  There is an imaginative narrative piece where the kids imagine that they have turned into a butterfly so they write about their adventures as a butterfly.  For the persuasive piece, students will try to convince the reader that our school should serve pizza every day for lunch.  The second Thursday in March is National Popcorn Lover's Day so students will write an informative piece to tell the reader all about popcorn.  Each writing has a craft to go with it. These are great for the hallway or your bulletin board.  Here is a look at the finished product.

The kids really like the crafts that go with the writing activities and they are simple to make.  Here is what you get with the unit. 

Click HERE to go to the unit in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

The 3 Million Teachers Strong  Sale is going to be happening at TPT tomorrow, February 27 and Friday February 28.  You can get up to 28% off!  I'm having a sale in my store as well!  Look ahead and see what you need to stock up on for Spring and even the end of the school year. Now is a great time to save a little money on the things you will need!

 

 

Don't forget to add the code TPT3!!! 

 

Now for a freebie.  I like to do some activities with my kids to get them in the math thinking mood.  One thing that I've made up is called "Daily Math Count".  This is an activity that takes about 10 minutes and is a great daily review.  I start by showing the kids a number with base 10 blocks.  The kids count and write this number down.  Next, I show them a time and a money amount.  They write these things down on their Daily Math Count paper.  Next, we write the number of the base 10 blocks in the first counting box.  I may have the kids count on by this number, count back by this number, count by 2's, 3's, 4's, 5's, or 10's.  Sometimes I ask them to color the odd numbers a certain color, or the even numbers a certain color.  We use numbers from 100-1000.  It is a great activity to get the math lesson started.  Here are some pictures of what I display for the kids.

I've attached the Daily Math Count sheet for you for free.  I copy it front and back and it will last for 6 days.  Click HERE to get your copy of the Daily Math Count sheet for the kids.  They really love this activity and the numbers are different every day.  I hope your kids like it!

 

Ok that is all for now!  Let me know what you think about Daily Math Count!

 

 

Morning Work Freebie and February Writing

My school is a PBIS and an RTI school. This means a lot of things but one important thing that it means is that we have WIN time.  WIN stands for W hat  I  N eed...so .... students are divided up into groups according to what they need to work on.  Some need fluency, some blends, some math, etc.  So, our bell rings at 8:00 and at 8:20 we all go to WIN groups for 30 minutes....the entire school...which means we only have about 12-15 good minutes to finish morning work.  Whew...that is a lot of explaining to tell you that I NEED my morning work to be brief but effective.  That is why I decided to write my morning work for this year.  It has a few math review problems, a word problem, two sentences to correct and some type of grammar skill.  Most kids get it finished in 15 minutes and we check it together after WIN time is over.  We only have WIN time Monday through Thursday so on Friday, their morning work is a quiz on the previous four days of morning work.  There is a book cover so you can copy a month of morning work, staple it together and you don't have to worry about it until next month rolls around.  I run it front and back so it saves paper. It has worked very well this year.  I have written morning work for all months from August through March.  I will have April and May morning work soon.  I have attached the first week of morning work for March for you for FREE!  CLICK HERE FOR THE FREEBIE!    I hope you like it!  The entire book of March Morning Work is in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  You can see it by clicking HERE!  

For writing in February, we started by writing a persuasive paper.  February is National Hot Breakfast month so my students brainstormed and came up with a list of reasons that we should eat a hot breakfast.  After we had a good long list of reasons, the kids completed their planning page and finally their story.  They made a craft to go with it.  Here's a look at their finished writing.

You can see the entire writing unit for February in my Teachers Pay Teachers store by clicking HERE!

 

Ok, not much longer until Spring!!!  I'm busy at work on Spring Centers, Writing, Word Problems and Printables.  Hang in there until Spring!  Happy Teaching!