In honor of Super Bowl Sunday, everything in my teacherspayteachers.com store will be 20% off this Sunday, February 3rd! Many other stores will be holding a sale as well.  You can get an additional 10% off using the coupon code SUPER.  Click here to check it out!

Publish a Classroom Book for Free!

Every year my students and I create a story, where everyone gets to contribute their text and illustrations to our classroom book. I bind it together with the plastic spiral binder machine we have at school and it looks awesome.  The kids are so excited to read the book that it's always a popular choice during silent reading time.  Because of its popularity, the pages begin falling out shortly after the first few reads.

This year I decided to take advantage of an offer from Snapfish.  Using the coupon code HPREWARD you can get a FREE (up to $12.99) custom photo book. Sales tax and shipping will be added to your order, but it's still a great deal.  I plan on scanning my student's illustrations and uploading them into a cute soft cover book that will surely last through multiple readings. If you're interested, you need to hurry!  This deal ends 1/31.

It's Time!

My second graders are just beginning to tell time and are super excited about it.  I'm super excited too because the sooner they can tell time the sooner they stop asking me what time it is:)  They created these cute clocks today to help them learn how many minutes each number on the clock represents. 

 

I created a template that you can get free here, or click on the teacherspayteachers.com widget to go directly to my store where you can download it for free.  First I had the kids fill in the lines on the inside circle with the numbers they saw on our classroom clock.  Next they filled in the lines on the outside circle with how many minutes each number represents.  I let them color the hands any color they wanted.  While they were in gym I laminated each clock, and when they got back they cut it all out and assembled it with a brad. I had them keep them in their desks to pull out when we are practicing telling time.  I might have them take their clock home to practice as well.  This was a very easy project that all of the kids seemed to enjoy. 

Dollar Store Deals

I'm a sucker for bargains.  I can't help it.  I'm always on the lookout for something inexpensive I can use in my classroom.  The dollar store is a great place to find some deals.  So when I found a bag of clear glass stones, I snatched them up knowing there just had to be something I could use them for.

I decided my students could make words with them.  I used a permanent marker to write the letters of the alphabet on the back of each one (I quickly realized I had to write the letters backwards).  I made sure to include 3 or 4 of each vowel as well as some of the other more common letters so my kiddos would have enough letters to spell all kinds of words.  I put the stones in a fabric softener container with a flip top lid that I was getting ready to recycle and voila!  I had an instant literacy center.

Here's what I have my students do with the stones: they sprinkle out a few at a time and try to form words with what they have. If the letters they have don't spell anything, then they sprinkle out a few more.  As they build, the kids make a list of  the words they create and then turn it in to me when they're done.  It's a fun, self directed center that takes no time at all to set up.

Now, if only I could figure out what to do with the giant fly swatter I bought...

So THIS is how you make a blog

Wow!  I never thought I'd see the day when I had my own blog.  I'm proud of myself.  I'm getting out of my comfort zone and I'm trying something new.  Desperation will do that to you!  Why am I desperate, you ask?  Well, it's a long story but it all comes down to this:  I am having a challenging year, to say the least.  Or maybe just a midlife crisis.  Either way, it gave me the courage to start a blog.

I think my husband will be happy.  I have all these ideas racing through my mind and he is the lucky one who gets to hear all about them:)  Now you get to be the lucky one who gets to be privy to these wonderful ideas! 

 

Here's a little bit about me-I'm a thirty something elementary teacher currently teaching second grade at an inner city school. I've worked at 4 schools in 15 years and have experience teaching grades k-3 and 6-8.  I'm glad I've had the chance to teach so many grade levels.  It's helped me figure out that second grade is my favorite grade.  I love second graders.  They are so cute, not to mention self sufficient, really eager to learn, and still love their teacher.  They make me feel like a super hero with their daily hugs and letters of devotion. 

 

One thing I've learned over the years as an educator is that teaching is A LOT of work. I'm not just talking about the physical aspect of teaching, but also about all of the prep work that goes into making sure each lesson is taylored to every student.  It is exhausting.

 

 Something else I've learned is that I can't do it all alone. Oh, I've tried. Believe me.  Teaching is an isolated profession.  At what other job do you go into a room with 25-30 children for several hours a day and have little to no interraction with your peers?  Our 30 minute lunch breaks aren't spent chit chatting in the teacher's lounge, but are spent setting up the classroom for that awesome science experiment that took us weeks to plan.  Wouldn't it be so much easier if we had a little help?

 

Here's where the blog comes in.  This is a place where we can help each other.  I'm looking forward to sharing my ideas with all of you as well as hearing your ideas.  I'm anxious and excited to see where this new adventure takes me!