Happy summer! Unless you're me...

Nah! BUT...after three wonderful years in second grade, I found out that I was being moved to first grade. It wouldn't be too big of a deal if a) I didn't absolutely love my team, b) I weren't also changing content areas, and c) I hadn't already packed for summer. But, thankfully, the aforementioned team stepped up and helped me move most of my things in a day. Another secret blessing is the fact that I would be teaching summer school. I was lucky enough to get to teach in the room I'll be in next year, which means I've gotten to organize and decorate after the kids are dismissed each day. I have two wonderful paras that have helped me along the way. And I can't forget my wonderful husband.

It feels a lot like starting over since I will be in a new grade level and changing to ELAR and social studies, but I know it's not anything I can't handle. Here are some pictures of what the room currently looks like. Do note that there is still furniture in there from the previous teacher, that I'm attempting to organize, and that I have summer school going on, too,  so it isn't going to be the cleanest or neatest in these pictures.

I'll use this writing bulletin board to display different writing rules. I will also have our Work on Writing station under the board, but I will share more on that later. Daily 5 is something that I'll be dedicating quite a bit of time to once summer school is over. 

Here I will have my Reading Focus wall and Social Studies anchor charts. It already looks better since I added border to it today. The reading area is intentionally larger since we will cover more information in reading. I do plan, however, to integrate social studies with the reading, so they will go hand in hand. 

This will house current Fundations anchor charts. If you're not familiar with Fundations, it's a Wilson phonics program that allows our students to have a more structured approach to reading. It consists of a lot of drills that help them remember the sounds and exceptions to phonics rules. I have seen it help dramatically, so I am looking forward to using it daily. Having taught math and science last year, I did not get to use it. And having taught math and science last year, I couldn't put my solar system model in storage! I have had that model since I first started teaching, and it holds a dear place in my heart. So, it made the move with me.

This will be my library area. I have a ton of books, and so I know I will use the three shelves I have. The problem will be putting away some of the collections I put together while teaching second. I always feel guilty putting a good book in a box. But, this too, shall pass. 

In the midst of looking at grade level standards, organizing, decorating and teaching summer school (I'm exhausted!), I've also been looking into behavior management for the upcoming year. I'm already a huge fan of Class Dojo. It's a free behavior tracking website that allows students to earn (and lose points, if you choose) based on their behavior. I have seen my students transform themselves completely using Dojo. Not only are they more aware of their behavior, they are also eager to report other people, in a good way! If you haven't tried it before, check it out for yourself here.

For next year, I wanted to add something extra that would further engage and encourage my incoming bunch. I decided to make a big board that we will use to show those students who have gone above and beyond and gained 100 points. I took this idea from FlapJack when I was searching on Pinterest. I adjusted it a little for my tastes, but the premise remains the same. Student who reach the "100 Points Club" will be able to select a Dojo Monster and add it to the club board. I do not like to reset their points at all, so they can add as many Dojos as they earn. The more the merrier, right?

I do, however, plan on letting them "shop" as they get to certain milestones. For example, at 5 Dojo Points, my students can choose to change their Dojo. At 10, they can opt for a Critter instead. At 20 points, they get to go into the treasure chest, and at 50 they get to eat lunch with the teacher. Many of the incentives they can earn are free to me. For example, it doesn't cost me anything for them to use a pen for a day or sit in the teacher's chair for the duration of a lesson. Yet, they are things that my students look forward to.

One other thing that I am adding to my Dojo belt this year is the Dojo Table of the Week. I found a sign from Going Strong in 2nd Grade that I plan to hang above the Table of the Week. This will be a group that has been making good choices all around, based on the reports you can pull over at Class Dojo. I'm hopeful and confident that all these new additions will be positive ones.

Be sure to check out Going Strong in 2nd Grade for even more details on Class Dojo!

I will update you as I make progress in the classroom, as well as the new ideas I plan to use and how to use them. We only have seven more days of summer school (but who's counting?) and then I'll really be able to let my creative and teacherly juices flow. Feel free to comment if you have any questions or suggestions for me!

-teach.craft.repeat

I'm so excited! I thought that my Influenster box had been lost in the mail. But today my husband said that I got something from Maybelline. I knew exactly what it was! I will have to try it tomorrow since my "face" is already on, but I will share what I think.

If you're not familiar with Influenster, it's a survey type of site. You take a quiz and they send you products to try and review. The last time I was sent products, it was a his and hers trial of the Dove spray deodorants. Needless to say, my husband needs a new one because he loves it so much. It instantly dries and smells so good! It's a free service and you get some pretty amazing products. 

I will be trying this first thing tomorrow, and will let you know how I like it. The foundation is a matte+pore less formula good for normal to oily skin types. Which is good because I'm somewhere in between that spectrum.

Until then!

Where has the year gone?! It seems like just yesterday that I was posting my classroom, and now the year is almost over. Note to self: post more often.

We begin our last unit in science tomorrow. It's bittersweet, really. Science is one of my favorite subjects! We begin with insects-their parts, complete metamorphosis and incomplete metamorphosis. I have been waiting for this all year!

In the last, I've used a song to help my kids learn the three basic parts of an insect, the head, thorax, and abdomen. I would teach the song and add motions to it. It's worked like a charm! But my one fault was not having it displayed. This helps the kiddos see the vocabulary and helps expose them to the spelling of it. My awesome students tend to use the academic vocabulary in conversation, but when it comes to writing it, they get quite inventive. So I decided that I would make an anchor chart with the song already on it.

Now, anchor charts, for me, are a work of art waiting to happen. I like for them to be unique, eye catching and colorful. You either go big, or you go home! So this one would have to meet that criteria. I looked on Pinterest for inspiration, and I did find some. I even found the song with different lyrics. I took ideas from a few, and combined them with the way I have taught the song in the past. You only learn things once, and I had already learned the song MY way. If I went with another version, I would likely confuse myself, thus confusing my kids. So, I stuck to how I know it. Here is what I came up with:

I love the way it turned out! Coloring this was very calming. I rolled my crayon along the paper to get the light blue color (the original clue is what outlines the words). The colors are soft and the illustrations are so fun! My partner teacher came in my room while I was sprawled out on the floor coloring. She suggested that I laminate it to use it for years to come. I can't pass  up a genius idea! 

I will post the introductory anchor chart tomorrow, after the kids have added their part. Until then, keep on keeping on!