Getting Back Into The Swing Of It

Hello fellow educators!!! Sorry it has been a while since I have made a post on my blog. It has been a crazy start to my school year. I had moved back to 2nd grade with a whole new classroom make over. To top that off, our grade level was flooded with 2nd graders. I have 25 kiddos and we just got another teacher to make our grade level have 6 teachers. So now after all of that I am with 21 kiddos now. Then this week I had a student to move. Now my roster is sitting at 20, WHEW!!!!!!!

Now, since we have settled into our new roster and getting the students that moved into the new teachers room placed and started. I now feel like I can begin my year. Wow, it to say the least. It has been an emotional ride. Having to let students from your room go it very hard. I had already became attached to them.

On to better things, my classroom is doing GREAT!!! I feel this is one of the best group of kids I have ever had. The students do a fabulous job or working together to build a real classroom community.

My students love using the ipads on daily basis. We use them with math, writing, reading, centers, whole groups, guided groups and this week we are having 5th grade buddies coming to work with us too.

Scootpad is a great app/website that my students use to work on reading and math. They can also access their account and practice at home. It will give me a message about the weekly progress made by my students. I suggest you go check it out and see if it may be something for your students. You can assign what grade level you need. It is Common Core aligned.  It is amazing how the kiddos love it.

Come back soon to check out all of the fun and amazing activities my students will be working on. I look forward to hearing your comments on your classroom. 

School Year Coming to an End

This has been my first year teaching 3rd Grade. It has been a great learning experience. My school district adopted Common Core this year, along with Readers and Writers Workshop. SO being in a new grade level with all NEW curriculum has definitely kept me very busy this year.

I have an awesome group of 22 students. Nine of them I had last year in 2nd grade. WE have be lucky to have ipads in our classroom this year by my Pinnacle Induction (technology). Students really love being on the ipads and learning new things. WE were able to be apart of a Pinnacle Technology Showcase, where members of the school board, administrators, etc were invited to see what our students have been creating with technology, specially with the ipads.

Students are working with the ipads. They are so amazing at their ability to use technology and work collaboratively.

Students are showing the apps that they have used in our curriculum. My students favorite is TOONTASTIC!! They love creating the story boards and recording their voices.

Working using QR codes is an activity that we include in all subjects areas. On the display board I use QR codes for students to learn about the bones in their Human Body. I got this great idea from the internet. I wish I had the person's name so I can give them the credit. Thank you for this great activity. My students work with QR codes for reading comprehension, for self checking activities and for locating information in our STEM lessons.

This year has came by so quickly. This time of year is bitter sweet. I am ready for summer break but I will also miss seeing these adorable faces everyday. My journey in 3rd is also coming to an end. I'm lucky to be moving back to 2nd grade. I have taught 2nd for 6 years. I love this grade. So this involves moving my class room again. This time I will be in a totally different room than I was before. But I am so excited to be working with some fabulous ladies on the grade level. 

Using QR Codes In Education

Since I was lucky to being Pinnacle this year in my school system, I have ipads in my classroom. It has been fun getting to explore all the apps and find amazing things for my students to work on. The last 9 weeks I have become addicted to using QR CODES!!!! I think they are amazing! My students have worked with them in all subject areas.

Here you can see that during our Human Body Unit, students used the ipad to scan a QR code. Learn about a specific bone an then locate and label the bone on their skeleton. This was fun for them to learn about how the name of bone originated. The QR code gave them a description and location of the bone on the skeleton.

We have used QR codes in math, students work out math problem then scan the code to self check their work. In Guided Reading students would scan a comprehension QR code to answer a question with their partner.

If you do not have ipads, you can use a smart phone, ipod touch or any tablet that has a QR reader. You can go to a QR code maker website to create your QR code. In the code you can put a video link, document, instruction, question or answer. The list can go on and on!!! I highly recommend that you use QR CODES IN YOUR CLASSROOM!

Amazing Freebies

Come check out this amazing opportunity to get some FREE items from a wide range of educators. The website TEACHING BLOG ADDICT is celebrating 2 years. Go to the site and get on  the band wagon to snatch up great resources for your classroom.

I have already put a bunch of great activities that will have my printer busy for days. I just love being apart of such awesome people. Being an A+ blogger member is great. 

Sunday Super Sale

Come and get some great items for your classroom this Sunday. My store and TpT are having a Sunday Super Sale on February 3rd to celebrate the Super Bowl.You can get 28% of by using the CODE: SUPER

I know that I will be taking advantage of this great opportunity to get some great products for my classroom to use with my students. I have numerous items already on my wish list. I feel so privileged to be a member of TpT. There are some amazing teachers on there that help teachers like myself out in a huge way.

Thank you to all that have made a purchase in my store. It is an honor to be chosen by you. I hope that the products will be a great resource for your classrooms.

Marble Roller Coasters

In our STEM lessons with forces and motion, students had to work together with materials to form a roller coaster. This took some engineering design and teamwork. The students had cardboard paper tubes of different sizes. The class was divided into two groups and they had to come up with a design and put it to action.

This group did a great job getting their marble through their roller coaster. The first day of working together didn't go so smooth, but day two was a success!

This was group 1 and in this picture we are missing a few of the members. But this group worked great together. They made a plan and put it to work. 

Students enjoyed getting to work on this project with only a few materials and some teamwork. It was fun to   see them in action. Science is a great way to have students working and learning in groups. Students got to experience what it would be like to design a roller coaster. 

Ipad Fun in School

Today, the students were in groups working with the iPads. The students got to play with a new app that I showed them whole class how to navigate. The app was TOONTASTIC.

This group was working on setting up their story with backdrops and characters. The group did a great job working together to get all the elements of the story completed.

These guys were great working together to come up with a great story line using the characters and motions that could be created with sounds.

This four group had a fun time using the app. It was a fun way to create a story and all were in the decision making process. My students are enjoying the iPads.

These kids had the best time out of all I think. They were really into getting the scenes setup for conflict, plot, characters and setting. Adding music was a great way to set the tone of the story. We are on the road to having great collaboration with each other and using technology in a whole new way.

Each group had a different take on making their story. This is definitely an app that I would recommend for educators to use. It comes with several scenes that are free and you can add more for .99 cents. The students loved it. They cant wait until they get to work with it again. I have them thinking of their own writing and how this will be a great tool to publish their stories.

TACO Story

I had this great idea the other day as I was working with paper plates in my classroom. The idea was that a paper plate folded in half looked like a taco. So then the idea of TACO Story popped in my brain. Here is how it would go. You will need the following: paper plate, brown construction paper, green paper, red paper and yellow.

Fold the plate in half to look like this.

Take the brown construction paper and write Topic on it like in the image and cut.

Now take the green construction paper and write characters on it and cut to look like lettuce.

Take red construction paper and write Setting on it and cut wavy.

Last take yellow paper and write PLOT on it. and cut. 

Now take all of the parts and layer to make your TACO.

Lastly, put all of it together and now you have a TACO Story!!!

Students will write in each part of the story for each ingredient in the taco to retell the story. I think students will have fun getting to make a TACO about their story!! You can use it in centers or guided reading. It would work well with common core.

I would love for you to leave a comment about this and let me know what you think. Please feel free to pin.

Summer Days

Well my summer will have many days of training and learning new things for this coming school year. This past Monday and Tuesday, I was at Common Core training for my county. Next week, I will be attending Pinnacle Training all week, then some more at end of month. Then at the end of July into August I have Apple Training. With all that said, today I enjoyed not having to be anywhere. I did go to the hair salon to get my hair fixed. My mind has a load of things running around in it. I have a ton of new things for teaching next year to go with common core that I have to get a grasp of. Also, being moved to a different grade level and not knowing the curriculum on top of all the new materials to teach, has my brain on overload. I will be so ready for a week at the beach next month and people say teachers have their summers off. They do not even know the amount of time that we teachers invest in our classrooms. I have to move my entire classroom to another hallway and room at my school. Decorate and set it up before orientation night. Meet with the teachers on my grade level whom which most are like myself, being moved to this grade level. We have a lot of work ahead of us.

Workdays and then summer here I come!

Hope your end of the school is near or already came. I have only 3 workdays and then I can begin summer break!!! I have had a great year with my second graders. It is always bitter sweet when I have to say good-bye on the last day of school. Now I have to get paper work completed and pack up my classroom for summer floor cleaning. I also was told that I am being moved to 3rd grade. So I will be including 3rd grade in on my blog. I am very anxious about this change. I have been in 2nd grade and the same classroom for 6 years. It has become very comfortable to me. I feel that this is the right time due to our county changing to Common Core this coming school year. So we all will be new to the curriculum and changes it offers. I have an awesome group of ladies that will be on the grade level with me. Once I have my new room setup and I have pacing guides and lesson made. I will then be ready to start a new year. One added bonus, I will hopefully have some of my students I had in 2nd grade in my 3rd grade class.

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!!!!!!!

Facebook Page

Hi all and hope that your end of the school is coming successfully to an end. I am so ready for summer break but I have a lot of work ahead. Packing up room after finishing all of the paperwork. Training that I have to complete this summer for Common Core and Pinnacle. Then professional development at our Teaching and Learning Conference. My summer will be busy with all that and now I have decided to change up my classroom. It has been the same for 6 years. You can see the pictures in my classroom tour post below. So I in the stages of trying to figure out what I want it to be. I would love any suggestions, for a 2nd grade classroom.  But for now, I would love for you to come check out my Super Second Graders Facebook page.

I am trying to post related items about school, teaching, teacher tips, links to other blogs, and facebook pages. I would love for you to comment on post and share your expertise with me. Hoping to hear from you in the near future. Best summer to all and happy teaching for next year!!

Common Core

For those of you that are already working with Common Core, give me any tips, suggestions, or any information that was the most helpful to you. My school will be implementing Common Core in 2012 - 2013 school year.  So this is our training year. I am interested in getting information straight from you pros, who are already teaching with Commn Core. love to get any info. you would share.