Martin Luther King

Talk about a crazy draining 2 weeks.  Between visiting my closest cousin in ICU & spending time with family in town from CO, 28 wound-up littles and getting sick it's pretty safe to say that this girl is B-E-A-T.  I couldn't be happier that tomorrow is Friday.  Boy do I need a couple days of relaxation.

I wanted to stop by and share a few things our class did for MLK and give a few FREEBIES that I created.  We were fortunate to have the day off on MLK Day so we spent a good chunk of time Tuesday and Wednesday of last week focusing on his great accomplishments and coming up with some dreams of our own.

We started by reading a couple fabulous MLK stories and watched a video of "Martin's Big Words" on YouTube. 

If you know me, you know that I can't pass up a good writing craftivity.  My kiddos just LOVE the word craftivity and can't get enough of them!  We did a little TLC craft... click HERE to get the directions.  They had a blast cutting our their own 'Martin's' and they couldn't have tuurned out any more adorable!!

So adorable... this weet boy wrote "My dream is to pray for people that die.  I pray for the people that don't have a family."  Made my heart melt!

We also completed this MLK Anchor Chart and they elaborateed on their own dreams on this "I Can Dream Like Dr. King" writing paper.

                

Click here to get the MLK Anchor Chart & Writing Paper Template

What did you do with your kiddos to celebrate Martin Luther King?



Brain Builders

A big focus of mine over the past few weeks has been to come up with a little something special for my "high" kids to do once they've completed zoomed through their work.  It amazes me how quickly they can finish their things!  I feel like I need to be assigning these firsties a research project!  **Which isn't a bad idea for our penguin unit!! 

I found this brilliant idea on Pinterest (where else!)  and got straight to work on my Brain Builders bulletin board.  **The blog the post comes from is Sunny Days in Second Grade.  Here you'll find a good explanation of what Brain Builder is all about.

 I got my Brain Builder board up and running in a weeks time.  I spent long hours at home and at school creating, printing, laminating, and cutting these fun little cards out. 

Here's what my new and improved bulletin board looks like:

**I only have 4 sets of cards up in this picture but I keep 8 up at one time.

With the task cards there is a quiz sheet that the students take once they've studied the cards enough and feel like they're ready for a quiz. You could run this as a buddy test or with an aide.   At this point in the year my littles are independent enough to work with a partner.   Upon completion and a score of 100%, the students will earn a "Brain Bead."  ** You can find a picture of the Brain Bead Braclets at Sunny Day's in Second Grade.  In my room, since space is an issue, I give students a Brain Bead Braclet & their first bead once they've completed their first test.

Although everyone is welcome to participate, this is geared towards my high kids.  I include task cards that are geared for both first grade and second grade. 

Here are a few of the task cards that I've created:

Click here to download Word Wizzard's -- Suffixes

Click here to download Math Magician's -- Clocks

Click here to download Sentence Sleuth's -- Sentence Types

I spent quite a long time "Google-ing" various sites to find pre-created task cards.  I found quite a few useful resources.  I'm type-A and recreate my my own versions of them and tweak them for my own liking but it would definitely be a time saver to use them as is!  Here are a few sites that I've found useful:

Cape 2nd Grade

Mrs. Ziruolo's Second Grade Class

Cape.k12.mo.us

Lastly, here's the answer sheet and directions found at Sunny Days in Second Grade. 

What do you do to challenge your advanced kiddos? 

The Daily 5

I use The Daily 5 as a classroom managment tool during our 90 Minute Reading Block and OhMyWord do my littles love it!  It took a ton of time and dedication to be where we're at now but it's all been so worth it!

We started the year out doing these stamina graphs to track our progress.  I had no idea how much this would motivate my students but they meant business when it was time to get started.  They thourghouly enjoyed seeing their progress and workd super hard to beat it the next day.  They encouraged eachother along the way and used teamwork to reach our goal of 20 minutes. 

       

You can download the various graphs here:

Read to Self Stamina Graph

Listen to Read Stamina Graph

Work on Words Stamina Graph

Work on Writing Stamina Graph

Read to Someone Stamina Graph

I've tried a few different ways of organizing the picking of stations and here a few pictures of what has worked best for my class this year...

This is where my kids choose their choices for the day.  We don't follow the D5 to a tee... I picked and chose what worked best for us.  We have 2 guided reading groups a day so they get 2 choices.  (Each group is broken up with a small mini-lesson as the Sisters suggest in the book.) They pick picture cards of me or my aide when they meet with us and are alllowed to free pick their 2nd choice.  If they don't meet with me or our aide, they are required to choose Read to Self at least once.  This ensures that they're getting at least 20 minutes of independent reading time. 

I organize my choice cards in different colored buckets that I purchased form Target's Dollar Spot.  Gotta love that place!! On the front of each bucket, I secured an enlarged choice card so that my kiddos could easily see card each bucket held.  **This pic was taken before I put mine and my aides cards on the front!

Each student has his/her own name with space for 2 choice cards.  They know that any card with a "2" on it means it has to be completed during the second choice.  I have 8 computers in my classroom so I have 8 choice cards with nothing on them, and 8 choice cards with a number 2.  This ensures that they over-pick a specific choice.   **I hope that makes sense :)

**Freebies**

Download small managment cards here

Download large managment bucket signs here

Here is where they keep their book bins.  I have a library check out schedule that we follow and students are allowed to get between 3 & 5 books.  These book bins also hold their poetry journals and any unfinished Work on Words papers.  

The plastic drawers hold various activitites that they must complete before getting their Word on Words drawer.  I don't have a picture of those but I'll get one uploadad.  Currently the drawer holds their current spelling list, playdough & a golf tee to write out their words, stamps, a pack of glitter crayons/pens or markers, dry erase board, magic slate, and wiki-sticks.  Once they complete the activity from the drawer they can choose an activity from within their Work Drawer.  It's really a nice way to keep everyone they need in one place. 

Here's a few *freebies* of my kids' favorite recording pages that I created for my Work on Words station:

Click here to download Rainbow Words

For Rainbow Words, the kids use different colored sparkle pens, twistable or glitter crayons, or markers to write their spelling words or themed words for the month. 

Click here to download Stamp It

Stamp It is used when the students choose to stamp their words.  Again, they can do their spelling words or themed words for this activity.

Do you use Daily 5? What's your best D5 tip?

 Back to my lazy Sunday **Which hasn't been very lazy :(!!!  Hope there was something useful for you here! 

A Little New Year Fun

So it is definitely looking a LOT like Winter around here! I'm anxiously desperately awaiting a call informing me of a 2-hour delay... boy could I use a couple extra zzz's tomorrow. 28 little (yes... 28!) sure do wear a girl a out.

Here are a few things we did our first couple of days back to school...


We did this adorable New Year's Resolution writing that I got from Cara Carrol's blog.





This little guy made a goal to be good at school! So darn cute! I wonder how long that will last?! **My classroom has been a zoo this week so maybe they'll start their resolutions next week??

We've been researching and learning all about penguins. During our day of Emperor penguins we created a life-size penguin and put him up on our door. The text bubble says "Emperor Penguins can stand up to 4 feet tall.... How do you measure up? The kiddos absolutely LOVE this. Whenever we leave/enter the room they're sizing themselves up against it!  



 Our calendar for the month is dedicated to many different penguins we'll learn about throughout January. 

And this is a cute little bulletin board I came up with for the month. Later on in the month we'll be doing some penguin craftivities and I'll post more about those when we get there!



We also did quite a few things from a FREE (yes, free!) New Years Unit from Cara Carrol's blog. Thanks Cara!!

I purchased 2 TPT units on penguins from Deanna Jump and Made For First Grade. I re-vamped my math tubs using various activities from these units and LOVE them! (pictures to come).



We're learning SNOW much about penguins!! What theme/unit are you using for January?

The Week Before Christmas {in review}

Can I please just start by saying what a pain in the *you-know-what* it is to upload pictures!?  They all uploaded sideways and after 10 minutes 25 minutes of 'google-ing' how to straighten them I finally got it right!  Ugh!

So I know I'm a little late sharing these ideas but hopefully you'll find some inspiration and tuck it away until next year!  *Super sad that I have to wait a WHOLE year to do these adorable activities!*

I got lots of inspiration from various pinterest & blogs I follow and tweaked their ideas to make them my own & to make them work for my littles. 

We started the month off with a countdown idea that I found on pinterest.   We counted down the days until break rather than how many days until Christmas day.  Each day we tippy-toed into the hallway to cut a piece of Santa's beard off.  It was so fun!

We then made our stockings to hang by the window with care!  They were amazed that you could write their name with glue, cover it with a pile of glitter, and shake it off to find it all sparkly and new!  We had the "12 Days of Stockings"  the last 12 days before break.  The kids could bring in 15 28 (yes, I have 28 itty bitties in an even itty-bittier classroom!) small somethings to stuff in everyone stockings.  They just LOVED playing the role of Santa! 

We made these adorable reindeer during our week long study of Rudolph & his friends.  The kids LOVED making these and they turned out so stinkin' cute.  Here's the glyph pack that you can get from First Grade Blue Skies.

 We also made these adorable Santa craftivities that I found here on pinterest!  Once again I slacked on the picture taking but they were very similar to this!

I have such a HUGE  tiny room that I don't even have the room to put up a Christmas Tree :(  Makes me so sad.  So I add.libbed.  The kids were jumping out of their seats waiting to open up their presents from me.  *Everyone got an ornament and a book* 

The kiddos also hand-made an ornament to give to someone special in their lives.  I couldn't be happier with the outcome.  *I'm embarrassed to say that my mom has my sample hanging on her tree with all of the other ornaments I made as a kid!... so sweet!*  They loved every minute of making these little gems and were even more excited to give them away!  I kept having a brain-fart and failed to get pictures as we went along & after the kids wrapped them.  Here's one picture of the final product!

The last day of school before break, all of 1st and 2nd grade went caroling around town.  We sang at the public library, a local church, and at Central Park on a ginormous stage!  They felt like such super-stars.  When we got back one of the most amazing the most amazing and helpful mom came in a spooned out our delicious crock pot hot cocoa & whipped cream and set cookies on everyone desk to warm us up before the school-wide sing along.  She really is the best! **Funny story... it was so WARM that day, that by the time we trudged back to school and got in the class, everyone was H-O-T!  It was still delicious!

And last but not least.... my FAVORITE day of the month was by far Grinch Day!  So many blogs had adorable ideas and I kind of mushed them all together to make my own.  The celebration was so calm and collected  hectic that I didn't manage to get all the pics I would have liked to have :(  But here are a few...

We came up with a zillion adjectives to describe the Grinch.  We then listened to the Grinch Song and added even more!  We then came up with our own similes to describe the Grinch.

I made these cute bookmarks for the kids & gave them to them during Daily 5.  They LOVE bookmarks and were super excited about them!

We made this delicious Ginchy Green Punch which I found on Pinterest.  Check it out!!

 We also did a writing activity "I feel like a Grinch when...".  These were so dang cute and I'm sad I don't have a pic to share :(  Firsties come up with the darnedest things!

Thanks for stopping by!!  Check back for some awesome New Year's activities and other things we did our first week 2 days back to school!  :)  Back to relaxing on this wonderful, lazy, Sunday!!

What's your New Year's resolution??

New Years Resolution

So I figured I should share my resolutions with you all so that I will be more likely to hold myself responsible and actualy follow through with them.  **So please help make sure that I do!!**

Of course I have the repeat resolutions to continue to work out (more than I have been!) and eat healthy.  A new resolution and maybe the mose important is to make more time for me, and alone time at school doesn't count!  I love my job but it has been consuming me the past 6 months.  Going to work early, leaving late, gym, dinner, and school work until I go to bed has got to stop.  My resolution is to find the balance between work, myself, and most of all Rob <3 & my family.

The last, but not least, resolution I've made **is this too many to follow through on?!** is to actually keep up with my blog.  I am constantly taking pictures and documenting all of the amazing things I've been doing with my students this school year and have yet to post a SINGLE thing to my blog.  Oh my gosh, am I a slacker or what?!  I guess that goes back to making time for ME. 

Anyways.... Check back to see what we've been doing in Room 113.   I hope you can find something that will work for your classroom and a little inspiration from one teacher to another. 

Happy New Year, everyone!

-Miss Schott