We've been writing.... Here's a freebie!

I have to be honest- this change of grade level has been HARD!  The second grade team does things and communicates SO differently from the team I've worked with forever... Planning has become much more of a struggle than I can remember it ever being. But I am surviving! Some days more than others. 

Anyway... when in doubt about what you're supposed to be teaching- have your kids write, right?.  I love to see what they come up with, and then stick them in a class book and throw them in our library. They're always a favorite that kids grab when they have time to choose a book.  I made a couple of book covers for our writing so I thought I'd share.  Hope you like it!

I'm in the mood to shop!

I'm sure you've seen... it is time for the big Back to School TpT sale and I'm joining in on the fun. Most sellers are offering 20% off  and then you get 10% more using the code BTS13.  Isn't this button by Amy Lemons adorable?  Checkout my store by clicking on it.

Here are a couple of things I've listed recently and am very excited about that you might want to check out while you're shopping.

Happy shopping!

Day 3: Organizing for Instruction

Here is basically the only thing that I've held onto since my first year of teaching and they cost about $5.

It's just as easy as it looks.  All of my copies, read-alouds, and printed lesson plans for each day get filed into these babies and I pull them out as I need them.   My team know that if I need an emergency sub or something to just grab that day's file. I had used the same folders for eight years and decided this year that I should change them up. I found these at Mardel and love them.

Thanks for coming by- Make sure to check out lots of other organizing tips at BlogHoppin!

Classroom Digs- Space Style!

So I love making my classroom my home each year.  But somehow I fell way behind the ball this year and it is just starting to look habitable.  We've had kids for two days already so luckily they don't seem to mind the unfinished parts.  Anyway- I went with a space theme.

Here is the view from my door. I have 28 students this year so we are pretty much just like sardines.  I'm still working on a desk arrangement that doesn't end with casualties...

I used paper lanterns to make these planets that hang from the ceiling with my Addison. I basically just tore strips of tissue paper and glued them on.  We got covered in glue.  Ads was in heaven.

 Here's my ceiling tile art inspired by Abby. It's not the most beautiful thing I've ever made, but at least it is finished.

I do really love my objectives board.  I found a random dry erase board, added border and some letters, sweet-talked the custodian into drilling into cinder block, and voila!  SO easy to change each day.

 My classroom library, which I FINALLY leveled.

I'm pretty fond of this guy too.  They're my classroom jobs. I plan to add tissue paper to the jets but haven't finished.

Here's the view of my hodgepodge of a computer area... We are lucky enough to have five classroom laptops, I'm just having a hard time making that area look welcoming.

This is another of my favorites.  Each morning students get their name off of the rocket and graph it based upon the question.  It is a fast way for me to take attendance, which I suck at, as well as give them some text to start their day with, and practice graphing. Then at teh end of the day one of my class jobs is to put them back on the rocket for the next day. Did you notice the missing R?  I think I am being punked. This is the second R I have lost!  Plus, I think "fo" is kind of funny.  I'm working on replacing it.

Okay!  Go check out some other awesome links at Blog Hoppin!

I Have to Admit, I Love Talking About Myself

I'm alive! Nobody freak out.  I know I haven't been around much (like, ahem, all summer!) but I am alive and well.  And I decided the best time to make my reappearance was during Teacher Week over at BlogHoppin.  So I'm here to link up and tell you ten things about me- prepare to be thrilled. My life is nothing if not thrilling.  :)

1.  I live for my babies.  It sounds cliche, and sometimes I'm a total crab-o-la to them, but they are the best thing I've ever done and just the absolute coolest.  Addison, 3, and Cooper who just turned one.  Addison is spunky, opinionated, and as smart as a whip. She loves to read familiar books to me and whip out words like acrobatic when she is doing something... well... acrobatic.  Today I asked her if she was going to be a good kid in school and she told me that she's going to be a lunatic.  Fantastic.  Excited about those conferences. Here's my little spitfire.

2. Cooper is my laid-back, happy little goat. This child will eat anything you put in front of him and he TORE UP his first birthday smash cake. We had to take it away from him because he was shoveling so fast I thought he would make himself sick.  He's so happy and can make your day with one of his adorable little dimple grins.  

3.  I am married to the perfect guy for me. His name is Andrew and we met at church (code word for bar). I actually had his niece and nephew in the After School Program that I ran so he likes to say that's why I didn't think he was some random creeper.  He is make-your-belly-hurt funny, although that's worn out somewhat on me, and the kindest person.  We got married in 2009 and I remember telling him in my vows that I love how his heart breaks along with mine for my students.  He would walk 100,000 miles for us, and it is the same for every person he meets.  He supervises at a warehouse and he loves his employees as much as I love my students. Here's a picture of us, as well as one of our sweet little fam.

4.  I am ridiculously sarcastic and it gets me in tons of trouble.  Some people just don't get it.  I also put my foot in my mouth all the time.  Andrew thinks it is hysterical, but sometimes it really sucks!

5.  I'm a do it until it is right kind of girl. If my bulletin board is off center, I just have to fix it, even if it takes a long time.  I wish I could break this habit, but so far, no luck.

6.  I have a tendency to get completely overwhelmed, and when that happens, I somehow spiral into being totally unproductive. I just spin my wheels and get nowhere.  I wrote about five posts for this neglected little blog this summer, but none of them got finished because by the time I was ready to edit them, they were out of date.

7. My summer was spent planning birthday parties.  Addison wanted a Fancy Nancy ballerina party so we had it at a local ballet studio and brought tons of terrible costume jewelry and had parfaits and punch with our pinkies up.  Don't you love the little guy with a tutu? Totally posh.

Cooper's party was monster themed and at our house.  It was chill, just like him, and so much fun. All of our favorite people were here and he was so agreeable.

(I sewed each of these little monsters and I am NOT domestic like that. I was very proud of myself!)

8. For some reason I just can't figure out how to leave school at a decent time each night.  We have the amazing blessing of having parents who are both retired and are able to watch our kids but our school days can make for long days. I feel huge amounts of guilt for staying late to clean up after myself each night or plan for the next day, or just sit at my desk with my head down. :)  I HAVE to be better about it this year or I fear I might lose my childcare...

9. I bribe my students to find things I've put down and can't find.  "Oh nuts.  First one to get eyes on my stapler gets a Skittle."  They love it and I lose way less stuff that way.  I'm so absentminded!

10.  I am painfully transparent.  I have zero secrets.  I try to always tell the truth.  If you want to know something about me, ask. I frighten people who meet me with my candidness (is that a real word? I typed candidacy first but realized that has a totally different meaning.). My BFF has a student teacher this year and I had to apologize to her for being slightly too honest about the value of our Professional Development last week.  :)  Then I talked for a half hour about breastfeeding and poopy diapers.  What you see is what you get with me. Love it or hate it.

See you tomorrow with a tour of my space themed room!