2 for Tuesday

Linkin' up with The Teaching Tribune for Two for Tuesday!

The products I'm offering are tried and true. My kiddos loved them and so will yours!

First we have Interactive Writing Notebook for Primary Grades.

The notebook guides you and the kids through the necessities of writing. And it's fun! I wrote a post about the interactive notebook that you can read here.

You can get it for 50% off! That's only $5!

The second item for sale is . . .

 

 for only $2.50!

What?! That's a REALLY good deal!

What's great about Life Cycles are the informational articles included. We all have kiddos that read at different levels--high, medium, low. This product includes two articles--one about frog life cycles and the other about ladybug life cycles. Each article comes at three different levels. The articles have the same information, but with different sentences structure. 

Have a great Tuesday!

Monday Made It

I made these frames to spotlight what students do well in writing. Second graders are just learning to write and they don't do everything well, but they all have their strengths.

I purchased the frames at a dollar store and the other materials at a craft store.

First I glued the ribbon at an angle to the back of the frames and let dry.

Once the glue dried, I made a bow with the ribbon.

The frames needed more color, but not too much so I added a button to the middle of each bow. By the way, I love these buttons, but can't figure out how to use them. Any ideas?

 

Next I decorated these adorable little chalkboards. I didn't use chalk-I can't stand touching it-so I used a paint pen. I'm so glad the huge classroom chalkboard days are over!

Then I glued the little chalkboards to the top of the frames.

  So what am I doing with these? Once the year begins, I'll use the frames to pick out the traits that students use and hang the frames around the writing. Since there are only six, it'll be a treat to have one hanging around your writing :)

Book Talk Tuesday!

Linking up with Mrs. Jump's Class!

Armadilly Chili is a great book! It's a Southwestern version of The Little Red Hen. And the illustrations are beautiful! My students even chose this as their favorite book in 2nd grade.

In the story, Miss Billie is making her famous chili. She asks her friend Tarantula Tex to help her out, but he's going dancing. Then she asks Mackie the blue bird if he can help, but he's going to see a movie. Finally, she asks Taffy the horned toad, but she's busy roller skating. Feeling the Little Red Hen vibe? So she decides to make it all by herself. As the chili is simmering, Tex stops by after dancing and asks for some. Miss Billie tells him to get lost. Then Mackie stops by and asks for some chili, but Miss Billie denies his request. Taffy also stops by for some chili, but none for her.

As Miss Billie sits down to enjoy her chili, she realizes something is missing . . .

Interactive Writing Notebooks

I learned about interactive notebooks a few years ago and have been interested ever since. I thought I'd take a journey into this world this past year . . .

It was amazing!

I've just about finished the interactive writing notebook I've been working on. With a few tweaks here and there, it's lookin' good! Having used most of the material with my class, I was very pleased with how well it worked out.

I started the year by telling the kids that we would be working on a project that would last all year long. Now if you've ever used the words project or activity with 2nd graders, you know that you just stirred up some excitement. Especially if you said it with a really enthusiastic voice.

The notebooks included five different sections--Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, and Sentence Fluency {AKA The Six Traits of Writing}. I did leave out Conventions. As teachers, we teach spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization all year long. It already gets A LOT of attention.

Each section consisted of 6 to 10 interactive activities which helped build conceptual understanding of the traits of writing. The activities built upon one another and at the conclusion of each section, students were asked to apply their knowledge. But it didn't end there. Once we finished the next section, they were asked to apply their learning from that section and the sections prior.

I have to be honest, I wasn't sure how this was all going to turn out and if I'd be able to keep up with the lessons. I was out of the classroom approximately 25 days for Common Core planning/pacing/lesson designing, but it all fell into place :)

The best part about these notebooks has been that my students could not forget anything. Oooh nooo! It was right there in their notebooks. There was accountability that kept them focused on what they had been taught and what makes a great writer.

We added to and used our notebooks throughout the year. I loved the excitement my students showed each time I told them we would be adding to our notebooks.  I noticed that each kid picked up on something that was meaningful to them. I can still hear Edgar telling his group, "You have to be specific."

Of course writing instruction wouldn't be complete without bringing in literature. Each time I read a book, we discuss the author's purpose as well as the traits the author used well. Included in the students' notebooks were mentor text lessons for many familiar children's books.

I changed a few things that needed some work, but in the end, this was a success! I can't wait to use it again next year!

I have to say this class produced some of the best writing I've seen in my ten years! I don't usually enjoy hearing my students groan except when it's because I told them it's time to put away their writing. I know I've done my job!

It's All in the Details

Since my students do tons of writing in class, I needed to make sure they understood the word details. I like to use my cake analogy because it's something students can relate to. I ask the students to imagine their birthday cakes. I ask. . .

Do you want it to look like this?

Or do you want it to look like this?

 

Or this?

Of course they all want colorful cakes with decorations all over it. . .or DETAILS! So I have the kids decorate their cakes with details and use the word details to tell us about the details they added to their detailed cakes. Then we look at a rubric to determine how detailed our cakes are.

The students are able to add more details to score a 4 candle cake.











Next we apply our knowledge of details by identifying important details from the perfect book. . .

 As I read the story, we stop and discuss the important events and write them on our cakes.

 Then we add "decorations" to the cake which are actually the details the kids have written.

From there we move on to other activities to develop a deeper understanding of details and how WE can add details to our writing to make it better. Click on A Dollop of Details below to get a hold of these activities and more.

Five For Friday on Tuesday

I'm definitely late. Better late than never?

1. My summer read arrived! "Literacy+Math=Creative Connections in the Elementary Classroom" Is it good? I don't know. I couldn't find any reviews. We'll see!

2. I made these chocolate chip cookies for Father's Day. This is the best recipe I have found. The secret is all in the butter!

3. I finished this unit. I love teaching writing and want every teacher to love it too!

4. I'm keeping up with my 5 day a week workout. Nobody knows that it took me 10 days to finish all 5 days. . . until now. But my goal is different this week. I take one day off and I NEVER exercise on Friday. So that leaves 5 days. I'll get it done!

5.I gave this dog a bath. He hates baths, but he seems so happy after. He's either relieved it's over or happy to be clean. I wish I could read his mind. He's so cute!

Top 10 Things I've Learned as a Teacher

10. When teaching a new concept, assume students know very little about the topic.
9. Children are all the same no matter where they come from. They all want love, acceptance, and boundaries.
8. It's helpful to have Ziplock bags and lunch bags on hand at all times. You never know when you'll need them.
7. Having a good "teacher look" will save you lots of energy.
6. Engaged students are much better behaved than bored students.So if they're misbehaving, chances are, they're bored.
5. Start the year with a discussion on tattling. Let students know what tattling is and is not. There will be a lot less tattling and a lot less headaches.
4. Get to know your students. Know where they come from and their backgrounds. Some need more love and self-esteem boosting.
3. Have procedures for EVERYTHING.
2. Before letting students work independently, tell them your expectations.
1.  Breathe. They're only 7.