Hi Friends… I hope this post finds you well and enjoying your summer break. I just returned home from a relaxing vacation in Punta Cana! It was a ton of fun and I really needed the R & R 🙂 I actually wrote this blog post on the plane there…BUT… the flight didn’t have any … Science FUN with Interactive Notebooks! Read More »

When I took this second grade position, I had many things on my to-do list. However, the first item on my list was classroom management ideas. Any teacher would agree that the most important skill in running a class is classroom management. There are so many strategies, but my go-to is Class Dojo! The Benefits

This doctor classroom transformation is perfect for elementary students to practice math skills while having fun.

Teaching setting of a story to your first graders in an engaging way with these different activities. Build comprehension skills by teaching this story element.

This pack features 30 Different Comprehension Passages. It includes a number of question types throughout such as multiple choice, open-ended, inferential and opinion. It also includes a "My Comprehension Guide" which you can print on colored paper and laminate. The guide is designed to break down t...

Lemon juice secret writing! Make DIY invisible ink and sen secret messages. Plus learn the science behind how these messages are made!

FREE Halloween math worksheets for second grade include skills such as comparing numbers, missing addends, 10 more and 10 less. and more.

Second Grade Language Arts First Semester 18 Weeks Workbook Free Printable 18 weeks of planned lessons for second graders! This one was taking a little longer than expected so I thought breaking it…

In this post, I'll talk about why teaching schema is important, give some ideas and tips for teaching about schema to your young readers, and discuss when we

Math About Me, Back to School, Freebie

This Animal Report can be used for ANY animal. It is a great way to help elementary students research and write about animals. Students participate in

This Pirate Classroom Transformation is perfect for students in elementary school. It keeps the students involved and is so engaging!

Massive list of classroom jobs for elementary students in preschool, kindergarten, first grade, or second grade - such great ideas for classroom jobs!

It's that time of year again! Open House season is here and we are busily working on projects to share with our parents on our big night. One of the big projects my students will be working on is their Animal Diorama and Research Report. This was something I did for the first time last year, and it was a HIT! I got this idea after my son had to make a diorama for his first grade class last year. We had so much fun creating his animal diorama as a family project, that I decided it was something I had to do with my class too! I brought the idea up to my second grade team, and they were all very excited about it... so we went for it! We decided to give the assignment the week before STAR testing. Since we wouldn't be giving homework during the two weeks of testing, that would give students more time to research, gather materials, and work on their projects. Students had about three weeks to complete their projects. We decided to have the students bring in their completed dioramas the day before Open House. We were thrilled with the results! Here are a few student samples from last year: Along with this diorama project, our students will also be completing an Animal Research Report poster with information and illustrations, as well as a writing assignment and an oral presentation. Our students will be getting both a Science and Language Arts grade for this project. I'm offering my Animal Research Report poster as a FREEBIE on TpT! Here's a sneak peek: You can grab it here. Animal Research Report Poster If you're looking for everything needed to do this Animal Diorama project with your class, take a peek at my Animal Diorama and Research Report Project Pack! It's got everything you'll need in one convenient spot! Last year, I struggled to find examples of dioramas online to show my students, so I've included detailed photo samples of my own students' projects, as well as a step-by-step presentation for your students. Here's a preview of all of the goodies included in this project pack! In addition to the Animal Research Report Poster and step by step presentation for your students (which can be projected onto your Smartboard or other type of computer projector), I've also included a student-friendly rubric with grading expectations for all aspects of this project, as well as a grading rubric for teachers to use when giving final grades for this project, student instruction sheet, writing template for research report, and a presentation outline to help guide students on what to focus on for their oral presentation. It's everything I struggled to put together last year for this project in one convenient place!

Do you teach how to write realistic fiction in your first or second grade classroom? See how this first grade teacher has students creating characters,

Get my Forms of Energy and Freebie HERE! Learning about Energy can be FUN and Interactive! Get ready to have your students demonstrate their knowledge about Forms of Energy using this fresh and funky ENERGY FLIP FLAP BOOK®!

The Best Second Grade Homeschool Curriculum | Tips and Recommendations. Second grade homeschool curriculum should be fun and engaging while building on basics that your child has already learned.

Hi to all of my sweet bloggin' friends that have been patiently waiting for several of things that I have been DYING to post for all of you! I have just recently received my Scrappin' Doodles license for freebies and so we are good to go! I have been having SO much fun in second grade but BOY is it a CHALLENGE to create everything {and I mean EVERYTHING} from scratch. I am so fortunate to have the same sweet kids from last year {they are so AWESOME} but I want everything to be new and exciting for them...SO...materials from last year are all a thing of the past! Good thing I LOVE a challenge...right?!? So, as promised, here are a few things that we have been working on in second grade. I also have many more ideas/printables to post...hang tight and I will get them all up here just for you! Author's Purpose Last week, my kiddos and I spent several days learning about why author's write books and analyzing text to find that purpose. After introducing the three reasons author's write books, three students took on "the role" of each purpose. They presented their scripts and the class had to decide the purpose of each script and character. They truly got a kick out of this little activity. So much in fact...that we did it...TWICE! :) After the presentations, we made up little movements for P.I.E. The power of movement with these youngsters is priceless and they remember these words probably better than most adults. I will TRY my very best to explain our little movements to you! Prior to assigning movements to each word, we analyzed the words for "chunks" or sounds that would help us to remember the meaning of each word. Persuade: Using "sway" as our key word to help us remember this definition, the students stand up and sway back and forth pretending to change their mind and think about something in a new/different way. Inform: In this word, we found the word "In" and we recognized that it also looks a lot like the word "information". As we say inform, we pretend to put information into our brain! Entertain: This word was a little tricky...but we found the chunk "enter" and pretended to enter into a state of being a STAR! We created a capital "E" with our bodies (hand sticking out above the head, hand sticking out in the middle, and our leg sticking out at the bottom...can you see it??? OK...just checking! HA!) As we created our "E" we used a little spirit finger action and shouted "Entertain!" It made everyone laugh and so the students concluded that we did our job of making everyone "feel" silly! I am so sure that I just confused the heck out of you but I promise you...it worked like a charm! :) After learning the meaning of each word and analyzing text, I split the students up into three groups...each with their very own purpose. Each group had to write about the zoo {Animals = 2nd Grade Science Standard = Science Integration with Writing = YES!!!!}. One group had to write to persuade, one group wrote to inform (this group was a research group) and the last group wrote to entertain (they chose to write a funny story...similar to Madagascar!) I am hoping to get pictures of their writings up for you very soon. They were AWESOME! These activities were very successful with my students and I now can't get them to stop analyzing text and identifying the author's purpose for writing. Love when they are so enthused! Click on the picture below to download the posters {inspired by Pinterest} and scripts! 2nd Grade ROCKS! {Song inspired by the Biebs} Every morning, we begin our day by singing our Welcome/2nd Grade Rocks song. I created this song to really get my students pumped up and ready to learn each day. There has only been one morning that we have not had time to sing {due to an assembly} and y'all it truly threw our entire day completely off! They are so in love with this song that many times, we just HAVE to sing it at the end of the day too! We sing it to the instrumental of "Baby" by Justin Bieber along with imaginary microphones! Yes, I even have some kids doing a little slide across the floor at the end of the song! Honestly...one of the funniest things that I have ever watched. But then, of course, they know it is time to get SERIOUS and get to work! They do a great job with this transition! Click on the picture below to download the lyrics! Coming Soon...and a FREEBIE Next week, it is ALL about weather in science. My room will be transformed into the land of CHEWANDSWALLOW! If you haven't read "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" you may be a little lost here! But...I have decided to center my weather unit around this amazing little story. I am in the process of putting the finishing touches on this unit and I will be posting lots of pictures as well as the unit in the next two weeks! Just so you don't have to wait for the entire thing....here are the vocabulary cards that will be included in my "Cloudy with a Chance" Weather Unit. Click on the picture below to snatch this little download up! One Last Thing...I SWEAR! {I told you...I have SO much to catch up on in the blog sharing world!} It is FINALLY....FINALLY FINISHED and ready to go! Wait...Did I hear a "Praise the Lord" or was that just me!?! First Grade Word Work will be posted TOMORROW to TPT! So...for all of your firsties I hope that you are all having a well deserved LONG weekend! Happy Sunday Friends!

Do you teach about biographies? Last week we used the anchor chart above to introduce what a biography is (…isn’t George cute?) I saw him originally at Apples, Crayons, and Caffeine. We brainstormed the things we thought a biography is, what’s included, and the questions it might answer. We read about Tomás Rivera in our reading...

Sample a day of Rooted in Reading with these lesson plans and activities for Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, and Grammar!

Learn how to play the Kaboom game in your classroom to make practicing math facts, sight words, and more a blast for your students!

I've done a lot of experimenting with desk arrangements over the years. I've definitely found my favorite. Keep reading, I'll tell you about it. I've also discovered that it's smart to pick a few

Homeschooling second grade was a blast here. We declared our second grade homeschool school year Our Year of Magic! Because we had been homeschooling for a few years, I felt more confident and inspired. I wanted to focus more on the fun and magic in learning. Instead of just getting through our work each day....

Are you ready to pull your hair out because your kids WON'T. STOP. TALKING? You are not alone. I've got 10 ideas to help you.

When I observe teachers, I see this problem more than anything else. If they fixed it, they would notice an instant difference in how well their classes go.

This Camping Classroom Transformation is for elementary students to practice math skills while feeling like they are actually camping.

My Classroom 1 comment This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase through one of my links. For more information about my Disclosure Policy, please visit this link. I've said it before, and I'm about to say it again, my classroom is my home away from home. As such, I always like to create a space that is comfortable and functional. I want it to be a place where my students and I are cozy and have room to move around, but I also want it to be a place where learning can be facilitated. This past year I moved to a brand new school. As in, I was the first person to use the classroom space that I was assigned. So exciting! Even better, the room is quite large and spacious. Prior to that, I spent 13 years in a pretty small classroom (with a pretty large class....you can read all about that by scrolling down). A few years ago, I decided to switch from themed classroom decor to a color scheme based decor. When I moved I stuck with that approach. It's such an easy way to decorate. Besides, when setting up a classroom, function is way more important than having an HGTV worthy space. With that said, I do believe you can have a practical/functional space that's also aesthetically pleasing and inviting. Back to color scheme talk. My new classroom has a green accent wall, and a small gray accent wall. So, I created a color scheme that would coordinate with those colors. I used navy, teal, green, and gray. Here's a peek at my classroom space. Enjoy! This is the view once you walk inside the classroom. I'm facing the wall opposite the doorway. My desks are arranged in groups and have since been angled to face the front of the room a little bit better. I keep one of my storage cabinets in the corner. I added curtains to my windows to add a comfortable feel to the space. I hung them with tension rods that I purchased from Target. Easy peasy. The fabric garland and ABC display were a few crafts that I did last summer. You can read all about them HERE. Below the fabric garland is a school issued rectangular table. I removed the bottom portion of the legs to make it a short table. I used chair cushions to make the space a bit more cozy. I found them at Walmart for $5 a piece. On top of my storage cabinet I added a bit of fun decor. I don't like to keep boxes (or stuff) on top of cabinets, instead, I prefer to use these types of spaces to add coziness to the classroom. I made this "Be Kind" sign a few years ago. It used to be on display in my previous classroom. I also added a potted (fake) plant to bring a bit of (fake) nature inside the space. Hehe. Finally, the bulldog was too cute not to include in our space. Our school mascot is a bulldog (well, OK, our mascot is an American bulldog, not a French bulldog), so I thought it would be fun to add a few bulldogs around the room. This is my teacher corner. As you can see, it's very green. ;) It's also where all my files, reward tags, supplies, and computer/desk are located. Thanks to my genius friend and neighbor, I placed my small group table adjacent to me desk so that I can quickly and easily access things I might need as I'm working with students (probably should have taken this pic at a better angle so you could see that better-sorry about that). If you look closely, you'll see more (fake) plants and another bulldog on top of my filing cabinets. :) I display our classroom expectations above the sink. These are school wide expectations and are basically used in place of classroom rules. I printed each expectation separately and then attached them to jute using mini clothespins. Ignore the others stuff in this area, this pic was taken while I was setting up my room and most of it isn't even there anymore. ;) This is the back of my room. It's the wall adjacent to the door. This wall has two bulletin boards and a space that I use as our carpet area. I found my teacher chair on Amazon. It was a bit of an investment, but it was one that I do not regret. I keep a bucket of read alouds by my chair. The white cube unit is from Ikea. I purchased it to house all of the leveled readers that come with our reading program. Each of those bins is pretty full! I found the bins on the Target website. Here's a close up of the bulletin boards. I use them to display anchor charts and/or student work. I used a straight edge chevron border coupled with a scalloped burlap border. In the corners, I placed one navy tissue pom and a short strand of burlap bunting (found at Michaels). This pic shows my library. It's actually expanded by another bookcase, but I didn't get a pic of that in time for sharing this summer. That's because I literally upgraded this space on our teacher check out day. After that, I just wanted to get home and start my summer. Can you relate? Hehe. These book bins are from Really Good Stuff. Last summer, I purchased the picture book size as well as the chapter book size. I organized and labeled my library on teacher check out day, and still have bin labels to add. Proof that a classroom is always a work in progress. :) The Ikea cart is filled with reading buddies. These little stuffed animals are well loved throughout the year. I also have a few pillows, as you can see. Our community supplies are kept on top of the library bookcases so that they are easy for the kids to access. If they need extra crayons or glue, they know where to get them. And, when they need a new pencil, they trade their old one out for a new one using the small green pails. This section of wall is super small (and so is the rack that's attached to it), but it was the perfect place to display our "All Are Welcome" canvas that we created at the beginning of the year. Please ignore all the white lines, I didn't want student names on display. Setting up a classroom is an ever evolving process. Furniture will be moved and rearranged. And new decor will find it's way into the space. I've only spent one year in this space and while I loved it, I already know that changes will be made as I learn how to use this space to best meet the needs of me and my students. Stay tuned for updates in the future! If you'd like to take a look at my previous classroom. Keep reading! My classroom is my home away from home. Because of that, I like to create a space that is both functional and welcoming, a space that I look forward to spending my time in. My room is also small. This summer, I finally decided to measure the space. It measured about 20 feet by 20 feet. Or, maybe it was 20 by 24 feet. I measured it in August, and now it's January. A lot has happened since then-ha! Either way, space is not plentiful. ;) A smaller space means that my furniture options are limited. After all, I do have 23+ students to fit in the room too! (This year, I started off with 27 students, so it was pretty crowded for a while). I do not have a reading group table, and anything I do bring into the room needs to set against the wall. This way, my students have room for their desks and belongings, and we have space to sit on the carpet. The small space also means that I try to keep my decor simple. Too much stuff on the walls in a small space can be distracting. And overwhelming. Over the years, I've had different themes in my room (ocean, western, dogs, forest animals, rock star). But, this year, I opted for a color scheme with some chevron thrown in. Take a peek! I hope you like what you see! View from the door on the afternoon of Meet the Teacher. The temporary table on the left was used to set out popcorn and water for the students and their families as they came in that day. The table is set up in our carpet area. See those lanterns suspended from my ceiling? I love them! Lanterns are one of my go to decor pieces. They are easy to hang and they do a great job of helping spruce up the space. I use them sparingly. Too many lanterns and I'd feel like our space was cluttered. I usually find my lanterns at Hobby Lobby and on Amazon. This is the back wall of my room. There is a metal rack on this wall (you can see it in the pic above), so the space is kind of awkward. I made this garland and it still makes me happy to this day. The hand signal signs are from Rachel Lamb. I also use the back wall to display our class rules (you can grab a similar set HERE for free). I made the "Be Kind" chalkboard using a Target Dollar Spot find and my Silhouette Cameo. And, as you can see, I love tissue poms. A lot. They are a great way to add pops of color to your room, and also add a bit of pizzazz to your boards. I make my tissue poms. They aren't too hard to do, but I give all the credit to this tutorial from Schoolgirl Style. When I made the letters for the rules board shown above, I used a corner rounder to soften the edges of each letter. It's a minor detail, I realize, but it made this task quick and easy, and I like them rounded. In between the rules and hand signals are my storage units. I have two "wardrobes" (closets on wheels). I keep the insides as organized as possible so that I can quickly find what I need. Confession: at least once a year, I have to reorganize them because sometimes I'm lazy and I don't put stuff away like I should. I have two bulletin boards and they are both decorated just like you see below. They are covered in aqua fabric (Hobby Lobby) and then framed with two different borders (black/white chevron and lime green). I placed a cluster of pom poms in one corner of each board. This board is used to showcase our watercolor portraits year round. They are so fun to look at! The colored drawers in this photo (repeat from above) serve two purposes. The numbered drawers are used as student mailboxes, or cubbies. The drawers without numbers are used to house my Words Their Way centers. I use the top of a bookcase to store our pencils and community glue and crayon tubs. You can't see it, but our "I'm Done" box sits below the red pocket chart at one end of the bookcase. I place it there to remind the students of what they can do once they are done with an assignment. Wondering about that ginormous blank spot? When I set up my room, I always leave a few spots open for anchor charts. Here is my desk. Yes, it is clean. Yes, this was taken on the day of Meet and Greet when it kind of had to be clean, but honestly, it's usually fairly clean. It has to be. My document camera is stored here, as well as my computer. I need to be able to access both quickly throughout the day. The wall adjacent to my desk is pretty functional. It houses my second bulletin board, which I use as my calendar most years. Sometimes, I start the year with the calendar and phase it out if my second graders don't really need it (often times this is the case come January). This allows me to use that space as a math focus board, to feature anchor charts, or to display student work. You can see another section of blank wall next the calendar. That's another space set aside for anchor charts (and sometimes it might be used as an overflow area to display student work). You can grab the coin and even/odd mini posters shown above by clicking HERE. :) I also have two bookcases along this wall that store my reward tags, math games, teacher books, and the students' journals. The bookcases don't match, but that's OK. Everything is organized. ;) Thanks for checking out my classroom! Share It:

Learn About the 7 Continents! Exploring the 7 Continents has never been more exciting! It’s a Small World Continent Study is filled with over 35 activities to help your students gain a greater understanding of the seven continents. This 130+ page unit is filled with great resources, posters, printables, activities, and projects that will open […]

Songs for the classroom, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, teachers pay teachers, posters, transitions, hand washing, walking in the hall, lining up

Hi friends!! I’m super excited to be linking up with Doodle Bugs for Five for Friday. I haven’t done one in a long time!! But I’m not feeling too well […]

Check out the morning meeting ideas with greetings, questions for sharing, activities, games, and messages. Grab a FREE week of morning meeting slides to simplify your routine and build social-emotional skills!

"It was like herding cats!" That was my answer to my husband the other day when he asked how my day had gone. Seriously, the days I have first and second graders are just hard - fun, but exhausting. That is until I found the SECRET to STEM and the littles! Are you ready for

I l.o.v.e.d the 2nd grade version of this packet that I created, that I went ahead and adapted it for grades k-5 to meet the needs of buyers! Hands down, this has been my favorite packet to do the first few weeks of school. You can grab all grade levels 20% off for Thursday...

Free Second Grade Homeschool Curriculum This year I am teaching second grade! It's crazy to be here already when I swear my oldest was just born like two minutes ago? Where does the time go!?!? Update: I now have a sixth grader, not a second grader and this post has been updated to weed out

These are my must have Amazon finds for your classroom this year! Grab a few of these and save your time and your sanity!

Please Note: All images seen below are of my students artwork only. These photos/lessons are not posted in any particular order regarding the flow of my curriculum. Abstract Self-Portrait Paintin…