First Day, Blessed, and Pumpkins

Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere. ~Chinese Proverb

Today was the first day of second grade for my kiddos. It was a great day getting organized, learning about each other, and setting the tone for the year.  I am really excited about my students and the family we will be this year.  My hope is that we settle in to a routine in the next few days, learn lots about each other, and love learning anywhere and everywhere.  I am blessed once again this year and hope you all are having a blessed new school year too. 

Fall is coming!  I have been meaning to make a writing activity for the life cycle of a pumpkin and finally sat down last night and did!  I can't wait for the leaves to start changing colors and falling.  I love this time of year.  Each year we read a story from Reading Street about pumpkins, and I thought this would be a great a writing activity to partner with it. 

I usually always make pumpkin dip as a treat for my students when we are learning about pumpkins.  One of my assistants a few years ago got me addicted to this I just love this treat with granny smith apples, vanilla wafers, or graham crackers. 

One 8oz cool whip

1 box instant vanilla pudding

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

15 oz canned pumpkin

Something to dip (apples, cookies, etc)

Thaw cool whip. Mix pumpkin, dry vanilla pudding mix, and pumpkin pie spice. Fold in thawed cool whip and serve.  Yummy!!!

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!

Wonderful Week

What a wonderful week!  This week was my first official week back to school, and it was full of teacher meetings, faculty meetings, grade level meetings, and even more meetings.  It is always exciting starting a new year, decorating the room, creating lessons and activities, planning for the first week, and meeting the best kids ever!  Open house was last night it was full of energy and excitement by everybody.  I loved meeting all my kids and their families.  Also, I loved seeing so many of my past students.  It makes my heart grow each year as they come back for their hugs.  Monday will be our first day and I can't wait!  Hope all the rest of you are enjoying the start of the year.

BTW I am getting closer to the 50 giveaway! 

The Best Book

I purchased the best book last year from a Scholastic Book Fair.  The Little White Owl is a great book to use to teach about how everybody has their own unique qualities.  The book celebrates how we all are beautiful and diverse.  It is great beginning of the year book about friendships.  It really would be perfect for all of you that are doing an OWL themed classroom too. 

What books do you like to read a the beginning of year?

Good Bye Summer! Hello Teaching!

Good Bye Summer!

Sleeping late,

Shopping,

Vacation,

Relaxing,

Lazy days,

Lazy nights,

No pay check,

Shorts,

Flip flops,

Tank tops

Shopping,

Sleeping late!

Hello Teaching!

Smiling faces,

Eager students,

Excited boys and girls,

Alarm clocks,

Lesson plans,

Faculty meetings,

25 minute lunches,

Pay check,

Memorable moments,

Excited boys and girls,

Eager students,

Smiling faces!

Don't forget to sign up for my giveaway!

Teachers Rock 2012

I just saw a commercial for TEACHERS ROCK 2012.  Thought I would share the information to a bunch of amazing teachers that rock!  The line up for the show consists of Dierks Bentley, Fun, Garth Brocks, Adam Levine, Dave Grohl, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jennifer Garner, Jack Black, Morgan Freeman and Matthew Morrison.  Also, the proceeds are going to DonorsChoose.org, Feeding America, and Teach for America.

Don't Forget my giveaway!  I am getting closer!!!

Turning Back the Wheel of Time and Giveaway

The final lesson that a created as a Kenan Fellow is Turning Back the Wheel of Time. In this lesson, students work in cooperative groups to collaborate and create a product about the changes of transportation in the past, present, and future after watching a UPS video commercial We Love Logistics. Students then use their knowledge gained from this lesson and previous lessons to identify vocabulary, definitions, and pictures for each.   Everything you need can be found for the lesson at Learn NC.  It has a link to the video, handout, vocabulary, and assessment along with the detail lesson plan.  I hope you can use it with your students. 


Don't Forget
Click below to go to the thread about my giveaway! 

Almost at 50 Giveaway!



I just noticed that I am almost at 50 followers!  So it has to be time for a giveaway.  You can enter a few different ways:

1.  Become a follower of my blog and leave me a comment.

2.  Be a follower on TpT and leave me a comment on my blog.

3.  Tell about my blog and giveaway on your blog and leave a comment on my blog.

The winner will get to pick any item from my TpT store.  Once I have 50 followers I will randomly select a winner.  Good Luck and thanks for following!!!

Back to School

I am linking up with Blog Hoppin' to let you know about the Back to School Sale on Tpt.  Along with many other teachers, I have put all my items on sale 20% off.  You can use the code BTS12 and get an additional 10% off. 

My TpT has several new items and many of them are great for the beginning of the year.  Hope you find several things to add to your cart. 

My Reading Genre Journal - An all year journal for students to keep track of books they have read.

Uniquely Me!  An Autobiography Writing Unit is a great way to start off your All About Me Unit with your students.

Glyph Fun - Monster Glyph and Frog Glyph

These are just a few of the things I have on my TpT.  I have several writing and behavior items too!  Stop by and see if you might want something! My cart is full, but I am sure I have room for a few more items.

Happy Shopping!



Shopping Time!

SALE Time!  Have you heard TpT is having a Back to School Sale.  I just saw the cutest post by Hilary at Rockin' Teacher Materials and Monica at The Schroder Page. 

The TpT sale is from August 12-13th.  If you use code B2S12 you will get an additional 10 % off.  Many stores are having additional sales to go along with this!   I am too!  So hop on over to my TpT Store and pick up a few bargains. 

These are some of things I have in my cart to purchase.

I am sure my kids will love these and me too!  I just need to get some more ink to start printing.  :)

Happy Shopping!

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World

A few days ago a shared one of the Kenan Fellow lessons I created that is on Learn NC.  I thought I would share another lesson I created too.  This lesson was a lot of fun to teach.  The students use Google Earth and actually can make an apple pie (or ice cream).  I hope it is a lesson you can adapt and use in your classroom.  It has not been added yet to Learn NC so I decided to upload everything you would need to google docs.  Just click on the links on the pictures and at the bottom to get everything you will need.  The most important thing is the book!  You can pick up a copy here. 

Lesson Plan

Google Earth KMZ File for the lesson

Other documents that go along with the lesson are a student sheet, teacher answer key, and an assessment. 

I really hope you enjoy this lesson as much as I did.  Good luck and let me know if you use it.



Currently!

I can't believe it is August!  My daughter started school last week and I have two weeks before I have to go back.  I am joining Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for her August Currently.  Maybe I can get a few things completed on my list before it is time to head back. 

What projects do you still have on your to do list? 

Resolutions

 
Resolution #1:
Stay Organized - Put it up and only keep a copy if I don't have an electronic copy.

Resolution #2: 
Dive into the Common Core and NC Essential Standards and create a few more items to go along with some other 'new' second grade content.

Resolution #3:
Stay Positive!!!

 

Let's Get Moving!

For the last year I took on a new adventure as a Kenan Fellow.  I was honored to be a Kenan Fellow during 2012.  Last summer I began my adventure as I participated in an externship with North Carolina Center for Global Logistics in Greensboro, North Carolina.  I was able to see first hand how logistics plays a key role in our economic development.  I traveled all over the state learning about logistics.  I went to Wilmington to the port and was even able to go up in a crane.  I watched how the cargo containers were loaded and unloaded off the ships.  I was able to travel around the Piedmont and learn how the railroad works with small companies and million dollar corporations.  I even got to ride with the engineer in the front of the train through a few stops as he unloaded and loaded at various supplies.  Another stop on my adventure was the Old Dominion Freight Line.  ODFL is a trucking company based in Thomasville, NC.  At ODFL, I learned how the trucking company works.  My class also adopted one of the ODFL truck drivers as a buddy to our class.  I really had a ton of first hand experiences.  It was a great summer!!! 

Once the externship was completed I started writing a variety of lesson plans incorporating these experiences and adventures.  Part of the lessons are now available on Learn NC.  If you have never used Learn NC, it is a site that has wonderful resources for teachers.  Check it out!
 
Here is the first lesson I wrote...

Let's Get Moving

It contains detailed plans for a week with an interactive PowerPoint, handouts, assessments, and rubrics.  My kids loved the activities.

Please let me know what you think!  I will share more later about the Kenan Fellows and the other lessons I created.  Hope you can use them. 

Makeover

I am so very excited about my blog's makeover.  I have been wanting a makeover for such a long time.  I just love all the creative, decorative blogs that I follow and knew Fun in Second Grade needed a change.  I found Christi at Design by Christi, and she is responsible for this spectacular makeover.



I need to add to the tabs and update some information. But I was so excited that I had to share the makeover tonight.  Please grab my button and share my blog with your friends.