Skeletons

The week of Halloween we had a PBS reward day. PBS stands for Positive Behavior System. The students are rewarded for their good behavior and following the Eagle Expectations: be responsible, be respectful and be an active learner. 

My 2nd grade team decided to do an entire day of PBS and rotated our students through all our classrooms learning through fall/Halloween related ways:  pumpkins, bats and skeletons. My "partner in crime" and I decided to do skeletons. We played a video of the Skeleton Dance, where the students learned about the major bones connecting. Most of the kids loved the dance. Then we had them make skeletons out of construction paper and label the parts of the skeleton. (I will say I did not come up with this idea on my own. I found the skeleton work on Pinterest, but came up with the idea of using the skeleton dance, because you know, teaching is all about teaching to all different types of learners)

Here is some of the work of my students: 

Veteran's Day

Veteran's Day is approaching. The military has always been close to my heart being as I have and have had both family and friends fight for our country, our freedom. 

I work at a wonderful school who has created a wonderful Veteran's Program that other schools in my county are now modeling after. Friday we had our Veteran's program, in which we celebrate and honor the local Vets of Citrus County. After the program, the students line the hallways and cheer, clap, shake the hands of, and say thank you to the Veterans as they walk down the hallways. The kids look at the men and women in their uniforms with awe in their eyes. One little Pre-K boy, when he shook the hand of a man said "Feel how strong I am!" and the man played back with him saying he was really strong. It was adorable. 

I also had the pleasure of hosting a Veteran in my classroom on Friday. I signed up, not knowing who I would get, but since I didn't sign up last year, I wanted to be sure to sign up this year. A 2-star Admiral who had been on the USS Enterprise arrived to speak to my class. While I love all divisions of the military, the NAVY is near and dear to my heart. I was excited to have a sailor in my classroom! Go NAVY!
 
The school decorates their bulletin boards in the hallways showing their support and love of the Veterans. I love living in a country that we can honor those who have given us our freedoms. I love working at a school who acknowledges we need to show our support and we need to honor those who have fought and lost their lives for us.

Here are a few drawings from my students, thanking the Veterans:

Bats!

A few weeks ago, we read a story titled "The Great Ball Game". It is a Native American folktale about how the birds came to fly south for the winter. 

The story goes like this:

 The Birds thought they were the greatest. The Animals thought they were the greatest. After arguing about it both sides decided to have a contest to see who is better. If you had wings you were a bird. If you had teeth you were an animal. The game was set: carry a ball into the other side's endzone. Whoever has the most points will win and has to decide the fate of the other team. 

Along came a ... bat. 

The bat has both wings and teeth. The birds didn't want him because he has teeth and therefore must be an animal. The animals didn't want him because he had wings and was a bird. Finally Bear took pity on Bat and allowed him on the Animal Team. 

The Birds were able to carry the ball high above the animals, therefore making a point. The Animals were fast on their feet and were able to outrun the birds, earning a point. 

Finally, Bat got the ball, holding it in his teeth and flew toward his endzone, flying faster than the Birds, earning a point for the Animals, the Animals winnning. 

Bat decided the Birds' fate .... they must fly south for winter. 

The reading focus skill the week of this story was Plot - beginning, middle and end. Thanks to Pinterest, I found a bat activity and modified it a bit. 

Students were to divide their bat into 3 sections: beginning, middle and end. They then had to fill in each section, telling the beginning, middle and end of the story "The Great Ball Game".  (I found this idea of using a bat to tell Plot via Pinterest.)

Enjoy their bats!

Totem Poles

I know this isn't an original idea... but I'm happy I was able to think of it and use it. 

This week we read about 6 different types of Native American Indian tribes that lived in North America. We talked about how each tribe lived, how they worked, and about their powwows. 

One tribe that we read about, the Tlingit tribe found in Alaska, created totem poles. We talked about the meaning behind totem poles and what the animals carved into the totem poles meant. 

Students then were able to choose 3 types of animals that they felt described them as a person, color them, cut them out and glue them to their 'totem pole' (a piece of power towel roll). 

The kids were excited about doing art projects. We've done a few more, which I'll share as soon as I remember to take pictures of them! I need to do that before the project goes home tomorrow, as they're in the students' mailboxes ready to go home tomorrow. 

Anyway, enjoy the totem poles! 

The thoughts of my students

Every morning I write a journal prompt on the board for my students to respond to in their own spiral bound journal. This is their morning work. At the end of every week I read what they write. There have been some interesting responses along with wonderful writings and drawings. I thought I'd share with you some of the best ones (even though all of them are great!)

Just beautiful

I love this student's drawing of Burger King

This student wants to be an 'animal planet guy' because he likes animals.

I love how the student drew herself smelling the flower

I loved the butterflies

This student's favorite animal is a zebra

I love that when this student grows up he wants to be an 'army guy'

This student's favorite season is summer because she gets to go to the beach and swim in the pool

This student is sitting at a table (see the legs on the four corners?) playing "apples to apples" with her family

This student is playing catch with his dog, a Shelty (?)

This student's favorite song is "Call Me Maybe" - sadly one of my favorite songs too

Of course I had to add this one! This student's favorite dog is a "chuiui" (chihuahua)

And the best one of them all....

Apparently this student's favorite song is "I Like Big Butts" by Sir Mix-A-Lot... sadly... this is on my list too (blushes)

Habitats

I know I haven't blogged in awhile. Life has gotten a bit busy. 

We are 6 weeks into the new school year. I've been so busy getting to know my students, as well as the new curriculum (I taught 3rd grade last year) and a new program for the paperwork side of things - Skyward. Maybe I'll have the hang of it by the end of the school year, just like I finally got the hang of FileMaker Pro last year which is now obsolete.

Anyway... today was the first day I actually was able to do an art project with my students. We finished up our first unit of Science on Habitats. My school uses National Geographic's science series which includes real life pictures. The students enjoyed learning about animals and their habitats as well as learning about how plants need animals and animals need plants. Today, as a way to finish up the unit I had my students create their own Animal or Plant Habitat Mural. I gave students a rubric in which to follow. It consisted of choosing an animal we have discussed in this unit or an animal they know about, then thinking about what their habitat looks like and consists of. (Students were able to look into their science books and look at 3 different books that came with the science series on prairie, ocean, and forest habitats.) The rubric also consisted of drawing, as accurately as they can, the habitat of their animal. They were allowed to write descriptions or label parts of their picture as well.

The students were super excited and got to work quickly. I amazed at the artists I have in my classroom! I will share pictures of their beautiful artwork as soon as it's finished. But here is a sneak peak:

Sorry it took me awhile to get the rest of the pictures up, but here are some others:

The First Week is Ova!

Well the past three days went by fast at times and slow at other times, but I did survive the first week. I have another great bunch of kids! Seriously! Second year in a row that God has blessed me with great kids. I am just amazed at how well they listen and follow routines already. That's the difference between third grade and second grade. My third graders were great. I love and miss them! But they're beginning to want to test the waters a bit, think they can do things completely on their own, etc. Second graders are still "babies", lovey dovey babies. And they want to please their teacher so. And they're so excited over the little things! Like moving your clip up! (thanks to the Clip Chart - best.thing.ever!) 

This week was nothing but routines, routines, routines. And let me tell you, these kids are great at routine (thanks to the wonderful 1st grade teachers they had last year!)! They even had to remind ME of my own routine. Ha! On Friday we packed up and they brought me their planners to sign off on and when a few of them came up to me and stood in line (quietly!) I was like "What are you doing?" and one little girl said "Our planners??" and I was like "Oh yeah!!" They laughed at me forgetting. 

Next week we get into the heart of things as we get into reading, math, science, writing, social studies. I pray I can keep with keeping them doing routine stuff while my brain is focused on teaching them the lessons planned (by my wonderful partner in crime!). I'm ready to start the teaching stuff. I'm ready to try Daily 5 and Lucy Calkins writing. And I'm excited about the science series too. 

I want to stay in Second Grade for forever!