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Sunday, January 31, 2016
Happy Snowmen
The class was so excited to start art with Miss Potter this last Thursday! I also love doing art in the classroom and early last week we made happy snowmen. This project fits this class so well... happy snowmen to represent happy students.
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Piggie and Elephant Day!
Today we invited in the first grade class to share our Piggie and Elephant books. Each 2nd grade partnership read the Mo Willems' Piggie and Elephant books they've been practicing with the focus of reading with expression. We also shared the books we wrote ourselves. Our goal in writing our own books was to capture the personality of these two lovable characters. We've so enjoyed this character study and writing unit! We celebrated our day with some Piggie and Elephant cake as well! I love to see how proud the students are of their work, and how excited they are to share it.
My son, Mason, who is now in 4th grade also stopped by to share the Piggie and Elephant book he wrote in my class as a 1st grader. Piggie and Elephant Day came to be when he sat down at our kitchen table one day and started writing his own Piggie and Elephant book. This sparked the idea that the whole class could do this, and then we could celebrate our hard work. I also think it's a great example for the class to show how progress in our writing and spelling and handwriting takes time and effort. We were able to look at Mason's first grade work and say, "Hey, look at these great ideas! There may be words that are spelled wrong or letters going the wrong way, and that is part of the process for us as we grow into better writers through practice!" The class had many thoughtful questions for Mason about his writing process. What a fun afternoon!
My son, Mason, who is now in 4th grade also stopped by to share the Piggie and Elephant book he wrote in my class as a 1st grader. Piggie and Elephant Day came to be when he sat down at our kitchen table one day and started writing his own Piggie and Elephant book. This sparked the idea that the whole class could do this, and then we could celebrate our hard work. I also think it's a great example for the class to show how progress in our writing and spelling and handwriting takes time and effort. We were able to look at Mason's first grade work and say, "Hey, look at these great ideas! There may be words that are spelled wrong or letters going the wrong way, and that is part of the process for us as we grow into better writers through practice!" The class had many thoughtful questions for Mason about his writing process. What a fun afternoon!
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Writing our Piggie and Elephant Books
In 2nd grade we are huge fans of Piggie and Elephant books! We use them in our reading to work on reading with expression and understanding character traits. It's so fun to really pay attention to the similarities and differences between these 2 great friends: Piggie and Gerald. We have noticed that Gerald is dramatic and at times grumpy, but still very kind. We've learned that Piggie is optimistic, lighted hearted, and silly.
The students are currently working on writing their own Piggie and Gerald stories. I love how the students take ownership of this project. They are free to work at their desks or spread out on the carpet. Students will make a different choice each day depending on what they're working on at the moment. Projects like these give the students freedom to play around with their creativity while implementing the basics of constructing a story line that makes sense, and of course, using correct conventions so their message is clear to the reader.
When we are finished with our stories, we will invite the 1st graders in and enjoy a Piggie and Elephant celebration where we share our stories.
The students are currently working on writing their own Piggie and Gerald stories. I love how the students take ownership of this project. They are free to work at their desks or spread out on the carpet. Students will make a different choice each day depending on what they're working on at the moment. Projects like these give the students freedom to play around with their creativity while implementing the basics of constructing a story line that makes sense, and of course, using correct conventions so their message is clear to the reader.
When we are finished with our stories, we will invite the 1st graders in and enjoy a Piggie and Elephant celebration where we share our stories.
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Happy Holidays from 2nd Grade!
I hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season with family and friends. We had a great time at our classroom party. The students were beyond excited to share their gifts with a classmate. It is so sweet to see their giving spirit. Happy New Year!
Monday, December 14, 2015
We've Got Mail!
Once we returned from Thanksgiving break, we started our letter writing unit. This is one of my absolute favorites because the students get to put all of their skills to work in writing letters they actually send out throughout the school! It also feels very much inline with the holiday spirit, as families are sending and receiving holiday cards at their homes.
We began our unit by learning about the parts of the letter and the expectations of the letters we write. Our letters need to have the date, a greeting, at least 4 sentences in the body, a closing, and a signature. Our process includes writing letters, conferencing about the letter with Mrs. Howard, addressing it and including a "stamp," and placing it in our mailbox.
Each day, 2 students deliver the mail we have written around the school. Mail we have received is passed out in the classroom. The students open their letters and respond. It's so much fun! The students are very excited to receive mail, and they are motivated to respond with quality letters.
Feel free parents to drop a letter into our mailbox for your child if you'd like. If you aren't able to make it into school, you could place it in your child's take home folder with instructions for me. I'd be more than happy to get it into the mailbox for you!
We began our unit by learning about the parts of the letter and the expectations of the letters we write. Our letters need to have the date, a greeting, at least 4 sentences in the body, a closing, and a signature. Our process includes writing letters, conferencing about the letter with Mrs. Howard, addressing it and including a "stamp," and placing it in our mailbox.
Each day, 2 students deliver the mail we have written around the school. Mail we have received is passed out in the classroom. The students open their letters and respond. It's so much fun! The students are very excited to receive mail, and they are motivated to respond with quality letters.
Feel free parents to drop a letter into our mailbox for your child if you'd like. If you aren't able to make it into school, you could place it in your child's take home folder with instructions for me. I'd be more than happy to get it into the mailbox for you!
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Cute Holiday Reindeer
December is such a magical time in a primary classroom. You can feel the holiday spirit in the air! We began one of our holiday art projects on Thursday- these adorable reindeer. The students followed step by directions for drawing their reindeer, but I always emphasize that I want them to look unique to each student. I love how our projects all look different and special based on the student that made it. These will be up in our hallway soon!
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
We Are Thankful
Before our Thanksgiving break we took time to reflect on everything we are thankful for. The students came up with a very long list. A few examples included our families, friends, school, our homes, food to eat, books to read, soldiers who protect our country, and so much more! I'm thankful for such a kind and considerate group of students. They make every day in 2nd grade a great place to be! The students wrote about what they are thankful for, and we used watercolors to make some very colorful turkeys. Our final day before break was closed with the annual tradition of Turkey Bingo. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Below are Turkey Bingo pictures. Turkey Bingo is played K-12 with numbers announced over the loudspeaker. Students who get a bingo have to gobble their way down to the office. Our classroom had 1 winner!
Below are Turkey Bingo pictures. Turkey Bingo is played K-12 with numbers announced over the loudspeaker. Students who get a bingo have to gobble their way down to the office. Our classroom had 1 winner!
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