Christmas in Mexico

Students were all hands on for our Christmas in Mexico craft.  We used our hands, green and red construction paper, yellow markers or crayons, and thin round paper plates to create these Poinsettia.  I got the idea from Enchanted Learning.com.  This was our Day 2 of our Christmas Around the World tour.  They loved the activity!  

In the background of the 3rd picture you also see Santa legs.  Students told how they would get Santa unstuck using the 7 Habits after listening to Santa's Stuck. 

Christmas Around the World

Cinnamon Ornaments

    

     Well, we started our study today of 9 places around the world and how they study about Christmas.  This cinnamon and applesauce ornament craft is a favorite every year with my students.  We tied it in to America's Christmas celebration today on Day 1 of our unit.  Boy did the room smell scrumptious!   
    
     Some students asked about eating their ornaments, but I told them that it would totally make them sick!!  Too much of a good thing would make bellies hurt!  

     By the way, most of my ideas from this unit came from a teacher I found on the Internet several years back.  Her name is Christina Bainbridge.  She has some really awesome ideas!
     Our math lesson was sooo much fun.  We used a ruler and construction paper to make a tree.  We measured by two's counting backward with 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, and 2 inches each to make different strips of green.  Then I showed my students how to cut and arrange the strips of paper into a tree on larger paper.  They then decorated their trees with presents and ornaments American style to go with our Christmas Around the World tradition.

This is how I showed the students how to make their strips.

 

This student topped his tree with a star.

Rudolph

Rudolph is an oldie but goodie.  I enjoy this reindeer writing craft each year.  This year students told how Santa would get the presents delivered after the reindeer got a stomachache following a chocolate binge.  They came up with some really cute ideas from giving them medicine, letting some more reindeer help with the special night.

Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary

My thoughts and prayers have been with this school and community since Friday.  I pray for healing and comfort during this terrible tragedy. 

Elf from Santa Teaches Leader in Me: 7 Habits Elf Style

 

Well, my sweet second graders received a special delivery today all the way from the North Pole.  You should have seen their eyes when our office lady walked in with a package just for them.  Santa's special package included non other than an elf from the North Pole.  Now the kids have heard of Elf on the Shelf, but they had never heard of a school elf.  Inside the box Santa sent was a letter from Santa himself.  It explained to the students that he had heard that they were learning about the Leader in Me and the 7 Habits. He sent his best elf to help us out learning how live the 7 habits way...even after Christmas.  Let's hope!! HeHe!

At the end of hte day, I had the students reflect on their behavior and tell me how they had shown one of the seven habits.  Each student was excited to get a chance to dip into the box filled with Christmas goodies from candy to card sets, note pads, etc.

Migration and Hibernation

Animal Survival: Migration and Hibernation

Migration Poster I prepared for Table Groups

This past week, students enjoyed working in groups and learning about animals and how they survive when winter comes.  My second graders worked in cooperative groups.  Each member of the group had jobs: writer, text reader, animal reader, and speaker.  The writer wrote down information on the group poster.  Students had to answer 2 questions either about migration or hibernation and list animals that either migrate or hibernate.  The whole group stood with their poster at the end of their work time and the speaker told the findings.  After all groups had a turn presenting, students completed a chart together with me on the SMART Board telling the differences and similarities of migration and hibernation.  The next day, students enjoyed choosing their own animal and researching their science book, other informational text, and the computer to find out information about their animal of choice. This was a huge hit!!  They especially loved the computer research time!

Hibernation Poster I prepared for Table Groups

Whew! Did I just look at the date correctly??

As I am wrapping my mind around the fact that in a few weeks I will begin my 14th year of teaching, I still fill like it's the beginning again.  I still get excited and a little overwhelmed at the fact that I will have yet another group of young minds to learn from.  I am so thankful to have summer time to regroup, refresh, and renew my mind.  As August quickly approaches, I am starting to really think about getting in gear for setup, room theme, and plan of action.  I started tonight organizing my files on my jump drive for the upcoming year.  I like to get lesson plans outlined for the year according to the new dates in word documents and put them in month by month files.  I also like to look at unit plans and map things out on a written calendar.  I got the written part done on the plane back in June on the way to Michigan, so I can now refer to that as I get myself organized.

Something I would like to share with everyone is the way I started doing my back to school plans a few years ago.  I created a numbered list of tasks to accomplish each day so that I can check them off as I get things completed with the kids.  Then if I don't finish something, I just copy and paste to the next date and print.

(I was going to put a link, but couldn't find the button.)
Here is a Day 2 Example:

1. Greet Students
2. Tell where to put book bags.
3. Tell about Pencils
4. All About Me Packet
5. Finish Rock Star Profile.
6. Take up all finished work from yesterday.
7. Tell students what to do when finished working on packet – read books in book basket.
8. Model Pledge – Point to Pledge, Show them where the pledge words are in case they don’t know them.
9. Model 1 Min. of Silence
10. Attendance folder, lunch forms, money to office
11. Tell that I’m going to give numbers today
12. Tell about not going behind tables and where cabinets are
13. Practice Hand Signal
14. Hall Expectations  - How to walk, where to stand
15. Restroom Expectations – Restroom Break
16. Fire Drill Practice – Line Up – Walking outside
17. Remind about Name Tags
18. Discuss 1, 2, 3 consequences 1–verbal warning as I call attention to his/her action with a “1” and 5 points will be taken off
19. 2^- verbal warning as I call attention to his/her action with a “2” and 5 points will be taken off  - Time out
20. 3^- verbal warning as I call attention to his/her action with a “3” and 5 points will be taken off, also immediately sit in time-out.
21. Go over procedure for Paper bag show and tell
22. Time Capsule – Work on Towel Roll
23. Lunchroom – Fork Person
24. Lunchroom – Clean Tables
25. Door Holder
26. Line Leader
27. Empty Tray – Then sit with head down or quietly talk to a friend beside you.
28. After lunch – Restroom Break – Where to Line up – Don’t go inside room yet
29. Discuss Lunchroom/Hall/Restroom – What went well, What didn’t
30. Read David Gets in Trouble – Text to Self
31. Paper Bag Show & Tell
32. Talk about 100’s chart – Have students work on their 100 or more if they have time – Meet on the rug to discuss
33. Show & tell bag Model & Tell
34. All About Me Packet – Finish
35. Rock Star Music
36. Bushel of Fun Activity
37. Fishy Snack
38. Morning Routine – Discuss where to look if forget – What do I do in the morning? Chart
39. Clean Up
40. Before PE Chair Routine
41. Leaving for PE
42. ******Talk about What to do after PE

Thanks so much for stopping by!