A Little of This and That...

Just a little snippet of what we've been up to in 2nd grade...

We have officially introduced all of the Daily 5 rotations except for Word Work, and we are off and running!  This week was the first week for Work on Writing, and the kiddos are LOVING it.  I do have a LOT of different writing activities, which helps with garnering enthusiasm.  *Tooting horn*  Ahem.

So yeah.  In Listen to Reading, we have 2 options so far: they can listen to books on cd at the listening station, or they can listen to books on the computers.  For that, they visit our classroom blog (see the links on my left sidebar), click the Listen to Reading link at the top left, and there are about 10 websites where they can listen and follow along to stories.  They love it.

Soon I'll be introducing the iPads (Listen to Reading & Word Work) and iPods (Listen to Reading), which will create QUITE the buzz (can't wait--except for the crying--there's always crying when they don't get the iPad FIRST FIRST FIRST).

*Side note: we share our iPads with the 3rd grade team, so our kiddos get to use them every other day.  Pretty great!

So this year we have started notebooking like CRAZE-EE.  I seriously think we have a freaking notebook for every subject.  It's a little out of control, but I am loving them.  Especially now that they're all pretty much set up.  (Creating Table of Contents using rulers?  With 7 year olds?  Not fun.)

Check out some of our notebooking so far this year!  I found some amazing units on Teachers Pay Teachers and some freebie notebook pages, and I am soooooo excited about the awesome work my kids are going to do this year.

Amazing Reading Notebook Unit by Nicole Shelby

The above 2 pics show some freebies for Reading Notebook by Becca at Simply 2nd Resources

My Science Journal Title Page

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Here's the part where I'm gonna complain, because it's my blog, and I can whine if I want to (and YES, I may POSSIBLY be DRINKING some wine as I whine, but that's neither here nor there):

-I had my 1st SIOP training today after school (Sheltered Instruction for ELLs if you're not familiar), and I'm frustrated.  We sat through a slide show presentation that basically told us information that we had all already learned back when we had to take the ESL certification test, and THEN came the REAL reason for the training: we are now going to be required to post our Content Objectives and Language Objectives in our classrooms.  For every state standard.  For every subject.  Every day.

SIGH.

And yes, I know our district is probably super late to this objective-posting party, but DANG IT, I don't like it.  I have SO MANY other things I need to be doing besides typing up the objectives that I cover every day (is it just me, or are there about 30 if I include everything I review or touch upon?).  Seriously?!  I haven't been so frustrated (my nice word) in a long time.  Well, I was pretty frustrated when I found out I had to do 6 hours of this training, heh.  

Anyone else have to do this?  Would you like to join my pity party?  Jump right in, folks!  I loves me some comments!  :)

Actually, one of our ESL Facilitators has a great Pinterest board with ideas for SIOP if you're interested.

Sheltered Instruction Pinterest Board

Hope you are all off and running this school year.  I am loving my group this year and excited about what they're going to accomplish.

Hang in there. 

XO, Gayla

February(?!) Currently & TpT Sale!

How is it already February???  My little baby boy, who's not a baby anymore, turns two in May!  :(

But let's get to the good stuff.  It's time for Farley's Currently!  YAY.  So much fun every month to see what everyone's up to and meet some new peeps.

 

Anyone else watch Archer?  It's pretty offensive, which I find humorous, but it's definitely off-color enough to offend some people.  :)  If you like It's Always Sunny, Louis, etc., you'll like it.  (Don't watch it when your children are in the room, obviously!)  :)

I am loving the TpT app!  I am just starting out, so I've only sold about 15-20 products, so it is SUPER exciting to get the email or ding notifications after a new sale.  (Keep reading; TpT sale tomorrow!)

Well, I started this post last night, and my house is pretty clean now.  Don't get me wrong, it's not perfect (nor will it EVER be).   But it's definitely better.  :)

I want a vacation but I need to buck up!  Spring Break (and my birthday) aren't too far away, so I'm keeping it together.  Our job is one where you don't forget about work when you go home, and I have been lying awake at night many nights trying to figure out my kids and what I can do differently to help them.  At some point, though, I know there's only so much one person can do.

Insecure people are rarely fun to be around.  I want to tell them that NO ONE is paying THAT much attention to them because we are too busy thinking about ourselves.  I just don't get it.  

Mean people suck.  They are probably also insecure.

I hate slow drivers.  ARGH.  I don't go crazy fast, but when people go UNDER the speed limit, my blood gets to boiling.  :)  Yes, I do have some road rage issues.

Go link up with your own Currently over at Oh Boy 4th Grade!

Real quick, don't forget about the Super Sale over at Teachers Pay Teachers tomorrow!

Everything in my store will be 20% off tomorrow and Monday!  Don't forget to enter the code SUPER at checkout to get the extra discount from TpT!  Here are a few of my items you might be interested in this February:

 

Research Unit for Black History Month Using the Super 3

Somebunny Loves Place Value: Numbers to 500

 I also created Place Value units for Numbers to 100 and Numbers to 1,500:

Somebunny Loves Place Value: Numbers to 100

Somebunny Loves Place Value: Numbers to 1,500

 Somebunny Loves Money: Counting Coins to $1.00

 Happy Weekend!

Freebie Friday!

We just started our early morning tutoring this week, or as we call it, "Enrichment" program.  I've really been consumed with getting together some fun math activities to work on with the 2nd grade sweeties that are coming to work with me on Thursdays.  After all, I'm not too bright eyed and bushy tailed at 7:00 am, so I figure if it's fun, maybe it will help perk 'em up a little.  :)

I made this tonight for them to practice separating their coins (quarters with quarters, dimes with dimes, etc.) and then to add them up.  They are quite good at naming the coins and each coin's value, but when it comes to adding them up...not so much.  I'm hoping we can get right to work on this next Thursday.  Counting coins is my #1 nemesis in 2nd grade, closely followed by telling time.  OY!

I had to create it in black line because my printer ink costs are steadily getting OUT OF CONTROL.  There.  I said it.  I'm a printeraholic.  Sigh.

On a fun note: I just bought/downloaded Microsoft Office for Mac on my fab Macbook, and the whole package was only $10.00 through my school district!  HOT DIGGITY DOG.  So this is my first official PowerPoint creation, as I've been creating in Apple's Keynote until now.  PowerPoint for Mac looks WAY different than the Windows version, but hey.  Whatcha gonna do?  Once you go Mac...

Anyway, I hope this might be helpful for someone--click the link below to download it for FREE from my shop on Teachers Pay Teachers!

My Money Mats Freebie

Oh, I'm sorry.  I forgot to tell you something...

HAPPY WEEKEND!!!

Report Cards, Blech.

So I finally finished entering report card data today.  GLORY BE, HALLELUJAH!

Does anyone else #1, have standards-based report cards, and #2, have to enter them into a program like Pentamation?  Because both are a huge beat down and definitely NOT my favorite part of my job.  :)

It's so difficult to keep up with which kid I'm typing data in for WHICH standard, I finally just created some Excel spreadsheets where I type in my grades/ratings first, then I have a guide as I enter the data in Pentamation.  OY!

So, two 9 weeks down, two more to go.  Time is flying, and yay for having tomorrow off for MLK, Jr. Day.  This is the first year my district has had the day off.  It's always been a student holiday, but this is the first year we've not had Staff Development.  Thank the good lord, because I haven't worked so hard in a LONG time as I did this week.  My week was spent #1, playing catch up from being out 3 days last week, #2, busting my butt to get 22 DRA2s completed, 22 sight word assessments completed, 22 math assessments scored, etc. etc., #3, entering report cards, and #4, lots of fun artic/antarctic/penguin goodies for my kiddos.  Hope to snap pics Tuesday to share the cuteness (all ideas from some other fab teachers, of course).  I LOVE penguins, so even though we were supposed to do the arctic/antarctic unit LAST week, I was determined!!  :)

While going through my math assessments, I had WAY too many kiddos who are still struggling with the BIG, BAD 3:  place value, coins, and time.  I created a center activity for place value, and I plan to use the Numbers to 100 set with my tutoring small group and have my whole class use it during Math Workshop (using the Numbers to 500 set).

Each set is in my TpT shop for $1.50, but I'd love to give one set away to the first 3 commenters if you're interested.  I'd love feedback or ideas for upcoming similar sets I make, such as an activity for telling time and counting coins to $1.00.

 Sorry I didn't rotate the pictures!  I create in the Mac version of PowerPoint, so everything is sideways!  :)

I also created a Numbers to 1,500 set for high achievers or older grades.

Be sure to include your email in your comment if you'd like to have one of the sets.  THANKS for reading, as always!

My First Lesson Freebie--Counting Coins Up to $1.00

Well, last week our school got two class sets of iPads!  It is AMAZING, and my class has already used them twice, plus I used them for my tutoring students.  (Yes. We are required to tutor 7 year olds.)  So ever since we used them the first time, my little brain has been working overtime to think of MORE ways we can use them besides just practicing our math facts, sight words, etc.  I came up with the idea that the students can "show what they know" using the CAMERA on the iPads (or the iPod Touches, for that matter)!

So I created a lesson in which the kids can use work mats to count coins equaling different amounts.  Then my plan is for them to snap a picture of their completed work mat.  Have you heard of the Bump App?  When the assignment is completed, each student will "bump" their iPad with my own device, and I'll have ALL of their work on my iPad.  From there, I can assess their work and hopefully upload it to our classroom blog.  WHOO HOO!  Can you tell I'm excited about using the iPads?!  :)  It's great to have something to get me excited, because I've been pretty burned out lately, to be honest.  And it's only January.  Sigh.  Long way to go till summer.  :)

If you like this activity and think you can use it, please let me know!  This is my first time really creating a lesson, so I would love to have some feedback.

You can download the lesson at Teachers Pay Teachers by clicking the link below:

Show Me the Money: Counting Coins up to $1.00

Thanks for stopping by!

3rd post's a charm.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know you're not supposed to post more than once a day, blah blah blah.  Look, I never post, and I've gotta do it when I get the time, which, as one can tell, is almost never!  LOL.

So anyway, one last printable poster freebie for those who may be interested.

This is the strategy we use at our school for math story problems.  It is used from 2nd-4th grades, so the students become very familiar with it, and I've actually had a middle school teacher email me to tell me that one of her students told her "Mrs. Cockrell taught me this way," so I was quite proud.  :)

It's called CUBES, and I hope it will be helpful for someone!  If so, please leave me a comment and share the love with your teamies.  :)

CUBES math strategy poster