Second Grade Magic

We had such an awesome day together in 5B! They worked hard as a class and earned their first reward. They voted and chose to have a theme day.
🐿️🍂WELCOME to Fall Day! 🍂🍁🐿️

🍂Math
🍁Reading
🍃Writing
🧡Teambuilding
🌽Goal-setting
🍎SEL
This day was full of applying learning in new ways, laughter, making connections, and a really great day in my first year teaching 5th grade. 😊💚

I have BIG news to share!!!

I have decided to change grade levels and begin my 17th year teaching 5th grade! This first week back has been a whirlwind, but with the incredible help from my team, I pulled it off!

I have to say, that while the littles that I’ve had will forever have a place in my ❤️, these “big kids” that I have in my class this year already have my smiling on my way in to work each morning. 😁

I really do think that the best is yet to come! 💚

☀️ You have a sunshine folder, right? It’s a folder where you keep all the sweetest drawings, notes, emails, letters, and cards you’ve received throughout your time as an educator.

It’s also a very powerful tool you can use to pull you out of your darkest days, remind you of the difference you’ve made in lives, and simply put a smile n your face. It’s the “sunshine” you need on a cloudy day.

As you go through piles or stacks of papers from last year, be sure to set aside those special things you can add to your folder. One day you’ll be 20 years in (like me 😳) and look back fondly through that folder and cherish the memories. ❤️

⭐️ Have you ever heard something that just STICKS with you and inspires you? This little quote just blew my mind for the day. (Thanks 😂). I have been sitting here contemplating how this quote applies to so many areas of my life currently.

I can’t wait to finish the rest of the workshop, if my mind was already spinning after 5 mins! But, seriously, I am challenging myself and all of you:

Be curious and be creative! Have an amazing week! 😃

❤️🤍💙Have a safe & thoughtful holiday everyone!❤️🤍💙

☀️Hello June!☀️
Looking forward to an exciting month of reflection, rest, and renewal! 💚

“Teamwork makes the dream work” 🤩 is a theme in math in 2B for sure! Working together helps learners communicate, connect, and work on those essential skills that they will need to successfully interact with others in life (not to mention the engagement goes WAY up!). 🏆

I’m always looking for fun ways for learners to work together. Share your favorite way below! 😃

We have ALL the engagement happening at the start of 2025 with our structures! Second grade learners were showing 100% active learning and participation and you could feel the buzz of excitement in the air! Do you use Kagan structures in your classroom? If so, which ones are your go-to structures?

Starting ♥️ Kindness Day ♥️ off right by having learners choose a name and write a nice note. Sometimes it’s a simplest things that make a big difference in someone’s day. 😊

Learners made their voices known today as they helped me get our Bucks Store ready for next week. They made choices my selecting items they’d most like to purchase with their Bucks. Then, this weekend I will decide on the prices for items. (Naturally, the most desirable things will be the biggest ticket items! 🤫💰)

Do you use a system in your classroom? What do you do? I’d love to hear about it!

💡 IDEAS SHARE!! Teachers, let’s share our ideas & tips with one another! Many of us are heading BTS soon, and some may choose to take a bit of their own time to prepare for the upcoming year before they can get into their classroom. 🌟 What is one thing YOU like to do that is a timesaver for you, that you like to get done BEFORE heading into the classroom?
⬇️Share it below! 😃 I’ll share mine first in the comments!

Also, I’d like to expressly say that: NO, I’m not saying you should have to, or anything like that. I’m just being realistic, in knowing that there are many educators that do take a portion of their own time to prep during the summer. (Myself included.) For me, personally, I choose to take an hour or several over my personal time off because I’m not under any time constraints or stress to get anything done, unlike during the school year. Plus, my girls are older now, and it’s just my personal preference. I’m a strong believer in personal choice.

💡

🔍 Mystery word and numbers are simple & easy ways to engage your learners right at the start of the day! How does it work? Simply choose a word that follows a pattern that you are working on, mix up the letters, and display it. Then, choose a math concept you are working on, and create a problem that will have a numerical answer. Have both displayed at the start of the day.

Learners can solve out the mysteries as sponge activities, morning work, for a center, or whatever works best for you. You can even have learners make suggestions for mystery words and numbers, too!

💡 Suggestion for what I’ve done in the past for words: build on as you go! Begin with short vowels, then include those blends and digraphs. Or, if there are key vocabulary words that you’ve been working on, try using those. How about heart words that learners need to know? Or maybe student or teacher names at the beginning of the school year?
💡 For math: I’ve done 2/3-digit addition and subtraction, expanded form, place value, number sense, arrays, repeated addition, and equal groups.

Maybe this is something simple you might want to try this year in your own classroom. If you do, I’d love to hear your ideas!