Pandas are really that cute!

This week in writing, we attempted to do a little research. I went to the library and chose a bunch of books about all kinds of animals. On Monday when I introduced the topic, it was met with many cheers and applause. Literally. (Another great thing about young children... it truly is the little things.)


So, here is how the week went:


Day One- Browse all the books and think about what animal interests you the most. (Shockingly the insect books grossed the kids out- since when are kids scared of creepy crawly bugs?!? This new generation!)


Day Two- Research your animal and find the answers to your questions in the text using post-its. (Note that just as adults like to use post-its in all their bright glory, children get the same joy. It's SO very adult-like.) 


Day Three- Use the post-it information to complete the graphic organizer. And the kicker for 99% of my class... USE COMPLETE SENTENCES!!! As easy as reciting the pledge of allegiance backwards and as fun as plucking one's eyebrows, I assure you. 


Day Four- Asking myself why we began this project and how my class seems to have 50 students when I need to edit with each one! Exaggerating slightly, but they are so NOT ready to edit by themselves or with partners yet. So, we push through the battle. 


Day Five- Finally made it through the editing and ready to put those sentences into a final draft. Would seem very easy, but 5 sentences in 1 paragraph is a lot of work for these kiddos. Then make a picture of your researched animal (I LOVE to see there pictures, kid art is amazing!) 


Exhibit A: Sweet little girl's finished project. She studied and researched pandas. This picture just makes me happy. Very happy.

Wonder what those panda bears are thinking about??? Bamboo, bamboo, bamboo!

Here's to learning some science!

Second Grade Love

Who knew that second graders know about love?!? But I stand corrected. This was turned in as a writing assignment by one of my little boys. 

It says, "First I went to met my Girul friend. Next I went to the fer with my Girul friend. Last I went to mec donald with my Girul friend and back home."


Oh. My. Goodness. All I can say is that is one GOOD date.

What is this?!?

Sometimes you just run across things or pictures that make you smile. Well, back in the winter, when it was freezing cold and we were eternally trapped in the house... we found some ways to keep ourselves occupied. 


And I must say as well, that Betsy's Nanna helps up in this area. The following pictures are a gift from Nanna. Introducing the "Snap-uggy" (combination Snuggy blanket with snaps) 

Betsy getting snapped into the Snap-uggy.  

 Trying to figure our all the snaps on the Snap-uggy.   
        
             
TA-DA!!! Got it snapped!
                                                     

 "See you suckers later, I'm off to flaunt my new threads."

And I didn't have to be too jealous, 

because Betsy is good at sharing.

                                               

I call this pose my "T-Rex" arms. Rooooaaaarrrr!

Movin' on up

Ringin' in the new year, school year that is. Finally got all my junk... I mean stuff, moved to my new classroom and all set up! I am officially swimming in the second grade sea now.

Since I am looping with my kiddos from first grade, I tried really hard to make it look different than last year. Here are some pictures of our new "home, sweet, home".

Here's the new library station. This is always my favorite part of the classroom. I want it to be super inviting, as if it were a cozy corner in a living room. So I used the old rug from my actual living room. It just happened to match pretty well.

Here is our calendar wall. This year we are trying something different. The students all have their own calendar journals. The pages match the one in the picture backed by blue. It is still a work in progress, but eventually the kids will do calendar with a partner and little assistance from me. (In my dreams, of course.)

This area is the beginnings of the poetry station. The kids each have a poetry journal to illustrate poems or create their own. Also, many Shel Silverstein books, whom I LOVE! And the kids think his picture are hilarious!

And of course, our listening station. I'm digging the shower caddies from Target that just happen to hold everything perfectly! And this time I added a bulletin board to post "I Can..." list (thank you, Debbie Diller) and future listening response sheets to be proud of.

And of course I had a little bit of free time this summer, so I created these cute little animal pictures. I do love decoupage! And I can't turn down lanterns... ever.

And last, but not least, check out our door! I am learning quickly that second grade is indeed a roar.

(And please pardon the rhyme, it just happens these days.)

Miss Hannah is Bananas!

Not too long ago, I was at school checking my school mail. Inside my box I have received some odd things. Mostly things cleared from the shelf at Kroger. Christmas cards in March, Valentine's cards in April, Easter stick-ons in May... you get the idea. But this day it was something non-Kroger-ish. It was a book. A children's chapter book. A lovely pink color. With a post-it on the front which read: I saw this book and thought you might enjoy it. No signature. Here is a picture.

My first reaction was to laugh, cause that is pretty stinkin' funny. My second reaction was that the title is all too true. My third reaction was to ask myself, "Who ELSE knows that this title is true?"

Well, I figured I should share the laugh with my students and co-workers, so I flashed it around asking, "Did YOU put this in my box?" No one was confessing. It was so thoughtful and amusing, I NEEDED to find out who delivered this laugh to me.

After some investigating I found out that one of our lovely kindergarten teachers had seen it at the book store with her girls and felt I needed it. So, thank you, Mrs. Bell, for not only making me smile, but making my class roar with delight and beg that the book be read aloud.

CICADAS!!!

Okay, I know that I am probably the ten thousandth person to blog about cicadas, but I just HAVE TO! They are everywhere. They are loud. They have scary looking eyes. They are the size of a small mouse. With wings. And sadly, I am only exaggerating a little.

Last week, one landed on my neck.

On Friday, one came in my classroom and terrorized my student.

Yesterday, one got stuck in my roommate's hair.

Today, one hit me in the forehead.

I mean, can they not see that I am not a tree?!? What good are their scary eyes, after all???

This is excessive! It makes me want to wear a helmet with a face shield on it.

What if I happen to yawn and one flies right in?

What if one accidentally wedges itself in my ear? Or my nose?

I CAN'T HANDLE THIS UNCERTAINTY!

I wonder if it is possible to stay inside or fully covered for the next 3-4 weeks?

You might think I am overreacting to these harmless insects, but it brings back too many memories of 8th grade. Picture with me, if you will...

I was in middle school (bangs, perm, the works) and unfortunately it was the year of the cicadas. But I didn't remember this from before, I would have been 1 after all. I didn't have a clue what to expect. A loud noise? I can handle that. A few extra bugs? I will stay inside.

Oh no, it isn't that easy to avoid.

We had to go outside to get from one building to the next, and of course before and after school where there were many trees and undisturbed ground. One day, as I was walking out, arms full, backpack on, they swarmed me! It was like they had formed a coup and I couldn't have avoided it!

They were on my backpack, in my hair (remember, perm and bangs here), they were on my clothes, EVERYWHERE!!! Little did I know, this would be life for the next 2 months...

Another day, walking across campus, hadn't been hit yet when the boys decide to shake the trees! Who decided that middle school boys should be let out of the house during the year of the cicadas?!? Once again, attacked! Like Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, but with cicadas!

And then, just when I thought it was safe to venture outdoors again, they have all died. YAY, you might think, but no. Gross is a more appropriate word because every step is a *CRUNCH*. The remains are EVERYWHERE!!!

Okay, back to 2011. These memories still haunt me. I know what comes next. And I WILL wrap my shoes is plastic bags, don't doubt it!

But for now I will stay inside and watch these little devils fly around outside my window.

Next time I see you guys, I will be forty!

I don't know which part of that sentence is scarier!!! Yikes!

What's in Your Backseat?

I, like most people, tend to have some random junk in my car. You can just throw it in the trunk or the back seat where it's "out of the way".

You can actually tell a lot about a person by the stuff in their car. For example, in college, I was waiting in a friend's car for an inordinate amount of time, and found some interesting items. Some, I won't mention, but she did have a least 3 pairs of sunglasses. Some broken, some scratched, some new... and also some hats and some magazines...

However, my favorite find in a car recently was in my roommate's car. She had been home for Christmas, so I knew there would be something funny left over. And alas, this is what I found.

Two lovely teddy bears with homemade clothes made specially by Nanna. Amazing! They really are something, and not only were the clothes specially made for the bears, but they were glued to the cutesy bears. Nice resourcefulness.

And the best part of this for me was picturing little Betsy playing with her beloved teddy bears. Classic. Thanks for being a good sport, Betsy.