Monday, September 30, 2013

Reading Street Whole Group SMART Notebook Slides


Sassy in 2nd Teachers Pay Teachers

Using the Common Core Edition of Pearson's Reading Street curriculum for 2nd grade, we have created a week's worth of whole group reading instruction. Each Smart Notebook file includes 5 days of activities which mirrors the instructional pacing provided in the teacher's manual. Elements include building background through oral language and amazing words, phonics, spelling, high frequency word review, and weekly comprehension skill. All embedded activities are editable to your specific classroom needs. We have integrated four "Center Time" slides within each day to align with Daily 5. Also included are hyperlinks to Pearson Digital Path for songs and video clips. 

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Teachers Pay Teachers

I have just created a page on TPT that will hold all of my original creations for my second grade class. My county has just adopted the Common Core edition of Pearson's Reading Street curriculum so be sure to check the TPT account for weekly reading slides that I created for the 2nd grade curriculum. The skills and activities within the SMART Notebook files are directly aligned with the Reading Street textbook. 
Just uploaded Unit 1 Conventions and Writing Notebook Slides. 

Still to come: Weekly reading slides aligned directly to whole group instruction techniques, Kagan structures are infused within the notebook slides. 

Sunday, August 18, 2013

A Few Classroom Updates


Pre-week has been very busy, I've been preparing everything for the first week of school, meeting incoming students, and putting the finishing touches on my classroom. Below I have added a few classroom update photographs. 


This is my classroom mailbox, I added student names to the mailbox by hot gluing laminated construction paper onto binder clips. This is going to make changing names for the following year a breeze, just pull off the laminated construction paper and switch the name out.  


Personal mission statement for the coming school year, displayed in the classroom.  


Room arrangement for open house, each "station" contained information for parents to fill out, it helped with the flow of incoming parents and allowed me to speak with each of them about their child.  

Photograph taken of the front view of my classroom on the night of open house.  

Just a little finesse for my leveled reader baskets- I found the quatrefoil ribbon for a dollar at Michael's and hot glued them to the front of the baskets before hot gluing the labels.
Reading street focus wall with Dr. Seuss headings, updated clock labels, and personal mission statement display. 

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Desk Setup for Open House

Just finished arranging my student desks for open house. Included on the desks are class info brochure, welcome gift for students (Lucky Charms), welcome gift for parents (contact info book mark), and a letter to the parents. 

Monday, July 22, 2013

Classroom Newsletter


Here is the first newsletter of the new school year, ready to be sent to print shop! 

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Summer Project: Reading Bench

Summer Classroom Project: Reading Bench before & after photo collage... I bought an old bench from a secondhand furniture store added a little paint, polka dots, and of course a monogram!

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Teacher Center Organization

Here are a few updated pictures of my teacher table area, this is where small group lessons are conducted: 

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Group Labels

Using Microsoft Word create group labels that match your room theme: 

Friday, July 5, 2013

HFW Sticker Sheets

Each student will receive their own high frequency word sticker sheets. These sheets will be combined to create a HFW booklet.  Using the Reading Street series from Pearson, I compiled a list of the 2nd grade words students are expected to master. Each time a student has mastered a word I will place a sticker in the box next to the word to indicate mastery. 





Brownie Points Compliment System

In my classroom I created a Brownie Points board for compliments given to my class by other teachers. Each time a compliment is given to us the students will earn a brownie point (clip art of a brownie that will velcro to a baking tray). When the tray is filled up with brownie points I will bake my class an actual box of brownies as a Friday treat for their accomplishment. I plan to use this as a big incentive for walking quietly in the hallways.
 
What you'll need to make your own Brownie Points board: 

- Metal baking tray ($1 at Dollar Tree) 
- Hook and loop velcro dots (Walmart) 
- Brownie clip art 

Library Sticks

Very simple to make and a great student tracking tool! Each student is assigned a class number, this number indicates which library stick they will use. Now when it comes time for them to visit your classroom library they will choose their library stick and place it inside the book bin where they made their book choice. Their stick will ensure the teacher they are making the correct AR level choice as their sticks remains in the book bin until they swap out their book.

How to make: 
- Go to Home Depot and ask a manager for your required amount of paint sticks, he or she is very accommodating if they know you're a teacher :) 
- Go to Walmart and purchase the cheapest can of black spray paint (the one I used was less than $1) 
- Spray paint the sticks and let each side dry then attach your classroom numbers with a hot glue gun 

I got my classroom numbers from A Cupcake for the Teacher Blogspot: acupcakefortheteacher.blogspot.com

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Morning Message Slide

Each morning this PowerPoint slide will be displayed, it will hold important information that students will need to know to complete their morning routine. 

In addition to the morning message, each student will have a purple folder that contains his or her common core morning workbook. On the front cover I have glue a visual aid of our classroom morning procedures. 

Open House Direction Signs

I used Microsoft PowerPoint to create these direction signs for Open House. Once they are printed I will laminate and attach them to popsicle sticks or rulers. They will be set out in my classroom to ensure parents see everything before they leave. 




Help Wanted: Classroom Jobs


This is the bulletin board devoted to classroom jobs. Glued to the front of each library pocket is a job description (photos of descriptions below) and within each pocket is a popsicle stick with a student's number. Each nine weeks student jobs will be rotated. 



Classroom Layout








Pencil Dispenser


Another Pinterest inspiration- using a straw dispenser as a classroom pencil dispenser! 
No more time wasted waiting on students to select a sharpened pencil. Simply turn the dial and out comes a pencil ready to use without dispute. 

What to buy: 

Straw dispenser from Amazon.com 
Your choice scrapbook paper 
Your choice peel and stick scrapbook font 
Elmer's spray adhesive glue 

Math Facts Addition PowerPoint


Browsing Pinterest the other day I came across a wonderful idea to create a math facts powerpoint. Students will come to the carpet with a dry erase board and write their answers to the math facts as they displayed on the SmartBoard screen. You will see on the math facts link below the first slide shows an addition fact while the following slide displays the correct answer. 

First Day of School Photo Frame


Easy to make photo frame for the first day of school!
Supplies you will need: 

- Black foam board 
- Die cut letters 
- Ribbon 
- Hot glue gun 

Each of the above supplies I located at the local Dollar Tree. I plan on having each new student take a photo holding this first day frame and upon developing the pictures I will laminate and attach a magnet to the back for their parent's fridge! 

Open House Brochure

Last school year I handed out loads of copies to parents regarding classroom procedures, important dates, and school information. This school year I decided to compile the important information I wanted to share in an easy to handle brochure. This brochure was easily created using Microsoft Word and will be handed out to parents during Open House: