Blog Feed

Thank you to everyone who tried to follow my blog via Google Friend Connect.  For some reason, I cannot get my feed to work this way.  I have removed the Friend Connect widget and replaced it with a Google feed icon.  You will need to re-follow by clicking on the widget below. Unfortunately my feed will not show up in your Blogger Dashboard but works fine in Google Reader.  Thanks, and sorry for the inconvenience!

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Free for All Friday

Today is the last day of  Teacher Week.  I am sharing my Community Worker Project, suitable for second and third grade students.  I always begin this unit by having the students build a community out of papier mache milk carton houses.  Then, each child chooses a job to research and present to the class.  

Updated: February 2015
Please visit my TpT store for my Community Worker Interview, Report, and Oral Presentation Pack.

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Three for Thursday

This is Day 4 of  Teacher Week, the day we share our favourite fonts, blogs, and online resources.


FONT

I can't narrow it down to just one.  I seriously love fonts from KevinandAmanda.com. 

My current go-to font for titles is:

 

My current go-to font for text is:

BLOG

I'm going to pick one that will hopefully be new to most of you.  The Clough Blog by David Clough is a resource for both classroom teachers and school tech specialists. David Clough helps teachers in his district integrate tech into their curriculum and then posts about the activities.  He provides samples, photos, detailed instructions and even templates for many of the projects.  I have already tried out several of his ideas in my computer lab.  

ONLINE RESOURCE

I've used Super Teacher Worksheets quite a bit for free printables for my classroom and Education Creations is a pay site that is well worth the $34.  If you decide to invest in Education Creations, please mention that I referred you (and post a comment here, so I can thank you).

Share your favourites and link up over at 
Blog Hoppin'.

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Where it All Goes Down Wednesday

Edited August 29: HERE is the link to my updated photos!

     Today is Where it All Goes Down Wednesday, Day 3 of  Teacher Week. I intended to take some updated photos of my almost complete classroom, but my sweet co-teacher had her three kids with her and they were busy cutting out bulletin board pieces all day long.  *Every* surface is covered with posters every which way and the floor is littered with bits of laminating plastic.

    I know everything will be ready by the start of school, but I wish I could show you the finished product now.  In the meantime, I will share a picture from last week of part of my library / large group meeting area (and if you click on the pic it will take you to some of my in-progress photos).  Don't forget to check back in a couple of days to see updated pictures!

I look forward to seeing all of your beautiful rooms.  

Link up HERE!

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Teacher Talk Tuesday

It's still technically Day 2 of Teacher Week, right? I tend to do my blogging / teacher blog-stalking late at night...

Advice for New Teachers

1. Find a mentor you trust. She'll let you know which of your crazy, new initiatives are worth pursuing. She'll also be your sounding board because as much as our family and friends are there for us, if they are not teachers themselves, they really don't "get" it like another teacher does.

2. Routines, routines, routines.

3. Don't try to do everything in your first year.

4. When you're feeling overwhelmed, just remember we've all been there and it really does get easier with time.

5. If the topic is sensitive or lengthy or you just don't know the parent that well, pick up the phone and call, even if the parent was the one who initiated the email.

6. Finally, a nugget of wisdom my teaching partner shared with me when I was just starting out:

The kids will learn in spite of you.

PS.  If you're a new teacher reading this, you are already ahead of where I was when I first started out.  It wasn't until recently that I started to develop my PLN.

Click HERE to link up and read more advice!

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Meet the Teacher Monday

It's Meet the Teacher Monday at:

Tell us a little something about you...

I'm Nicole, a half-time Technology Resource Specialist and half-time Second Grade teacher from Vancouver, Canada.

How long have you been teaching?  

In a little over two weeks, I will begin my ninth year of teaching.  Wow, that makes me feel old!  I'm used to being one of the younger teachers at my school, but I think that's going to change soon.

Because teaching jobs are hard to come by in BC, I started out teaching at a language school and then moved onto Montessori kindergarten. As it turned out, I didn't enjoy Montessori. A year later I was fortunate to get hired at another independent school, where I have been ever since.  I have taught Preschool, Phys Ed, Grade 1, and Grade 2.

You might not know...

I spend way too much time online finding printables to use in the classroom and fun websites to use with my interactive projector.  

I drink diet Coke like it's water.  

I have eight years of post-secondary education and I am contemplating starting up again next September.

As much as I love all things Apple, I still haven't upgraded to an iPhone.

I love dollar stores.

What are you most looking forward to this school year?

I have a new room that is much larger than my old one.  I am looking forward to having different types of work spaces for students.  This is the first time I have had room for a proper Listening Station!

What do you need to improve?

I want to be able to leave school by 4PM most days.  Maybe if I put that in writing, it will actually happen!

I want to implement The Daily Five and Rocket Math.

What teaching supplies can you *not* live without?

Epson BrightLink Interactive Projector

Macbook Pro

iPad

Personal laminator

Paper cutter

Fabric for my bulletin boards

Containers from various dollar stores

Now it's your turn.  Hop on over to Blog Hoppin' to link up!

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Magic Confetti

I want to share a fun idea posted by Denise at Sunny Days in Second Grade.  This is a photo of my magic confetti cards, inspired by Denise's post. Click on the photo to read the poem.  I plan to mail these cards, as soon as our class lists are finalized (which usually isn't until a few days before school starts).

Visit Denise's blog to grab the card template.

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Reading Safari (and a freebie!)

Every year I struggle with getting students to bring in their reading logs.  I have tried giving out extra rolls for Homeworkopoly, but even that doesn't work! My Reading Safari ribbons were inspired by a photo posted by Jaime over at What's the Buzz in First. While her "poster holders" are intended for Common Core Standards, mine will hold small safari-themed cards that students will earn for bringing back their logs. Although there are no cards on the ribbons yet, I created them with clip art purchased from ThistleGirl Designs.

As a thank you for reading all the way to the bottom, here is a freebie for you.  It's an I PICK poster for The Daily Five. As always, click on the picture to grab my file and please post a comment if you use it in your classroom!

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Scoop.it!

Scoop.it! is the newest tool for social bookmarking. It's still in beta, but you can get an invite by signing up on the website. I joined today after reading about it on another blog.  Bookmarking is something I don't do very well.  I bookmark *everything* and have a hard time finding it later.  I've tried delicious and diggo and even wallwisher. They just don't work for me.  I recently signed up for sqworl (which looked amazing) but I was disappointed when I saw you had to pay to have ads removed.  So, today I made up a couple of Scoop.it topics for my upcoming "iPads & Internet Resources" workshop. I can't promise I will stick with it, but if you are looking for some new ideas, have a look at my current topics.

You can follow me by clicking on the icon below:

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Star of the Week

(Edited August 2015)

I finally updated my "Star of the Week" packet. I plan to post some photos of it in use once I'm back at school. In the meantime, this is where you can find it:

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Day 8 (Yes, I skipped Day 7's photos)

View from My Desk

I'm waiting for some help from the janitors to put some nails into the white board for my Morning Message chart paper and "Shape of the Day".  Everything to the right of the "Information Hut" and to the left of the door belongs to my co-teacher and has yet to be set up.

View from the Door

The white table will soon be replaced by a low, round table.

Homeworkopoly...the letters were bugging me, so I switched them out for a typed sign.

To the left is the beginning of my "Reading Safari" ribbons.  I saw a similar idea somewhere in blogland and I am attempting to recreate it.  I'll post a close up shot on Thursday after I finish working on it.

Theme Wall

We begin the year with an under the sea / mapping unit, which lends itself well to pirates and treasure maps.  I still need to finish up the invertebrate display down below.  The two green tubs house my "Rocket Math" materials.

Grammar Chart
I hung this poster with ribbon and binder clips to make it easy to switch out every week.  I'm not sure what kind of wall this is, but it's pretty much impossible to secure things to.

Calendar Area & Reading Strategies Beanie Babies

My calendar questions, weather graph, birthday graph, and tooth tally are to the right, on the front of the light blue poster cabinet.  The red place value pocket chart at the bottom of the calendar is for keeping track of the number of days we have been in school.

Behaviour Clip Chart...Thank you ProTeacher for the wonderful idea!

To the left of the clip chart is the poem we will practice during Morning Meeting.  I will use the whiteboard for "Happy Helper" names. 

Hallway Display

I know most teachers do a welcome board, but I plan to put something on the back of my classroom door instead.  These are letters written to my new group of students from last year's grade 2s.

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Top 10 Reasons I Know I am Heading Back to School

Mrs. Turnstall at Turnstall's Teaching Tidbits is having a Linky Party about the Top 10 Reasons You Know it is Back to School Time.  

Here is my "Top 10":

10.  I spend more time scouring dollar stores than I do in the sun.

9. Buying classroom stuff is an addiction that I should learn to hide from my loved ones.

8. My classroom doesn't look all that different when I leave than it did when I got there.  But, I can point out the differences, even if no one else can.

7. I *heart* making lists and checking things off as I complete them.

6. I spend all evening blog-stalking to get new ideas for my classroom.

5. I'm on my second cartridge of ink, my second ream of paper, and my third package of laminating sheets.

4. New fonts and graphics make me giddy.

3. When I say I'll leave school by 3, I'll probably lose track of time and stay until the janitors kick me out.

2. I don't go to bed until it's almost time for the bf to wake up for work.

1. When I do sleep, I have nightmares dream about things I still need to organize.

1. No, I'm not done setting up my room (and I won't be until my students arrive). 

What are your top ten reasons?  Link Up!

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Reading Level Correlations

Here's a quick chart I created to show the correlations between DRA, Raz-Kids, and our Nelson PM Plus Home Readers.  I laminated and taped this chart to the top of my Home Reading shelf. I'm not sure if it's useful to anyone, but feel free to click on the picture to download my file.  

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Day 6

My camera does not like sunlight.

Did I accomplish anything today???


No matter how many days I spend in my room, I am starting to think I am always two days away from being ready.  

Note to self: switch posters on left and right sides of board.

A little bit less cluttered than yesterday but still more stuff to find a home for.

I adjusted the furniture slightly and added a few baskets.

I moved my "Student of the Week" board into the hallway.  Bananas and "All About Me" template still to be added.

I have a LONG  "To Do" list for tomorrow...

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Classroom Set Up (Day 5)

Click to see photos from the 2014-2015 school year!

Click to see photos from the 2013-2014 school year!

I'm guessing many of you in blogland are much like me when it comes to setting up a new room. I am way too detail-oriented and the process takes FOREVER!  Not that I'm complaining...I really do love setting up a new room.  

I moved into a gigantic (to me) classroom, but since I will only spend half a day there, I  will share with another teacher who teaches the same group of students.  Normally this wouldn't pose much of an issue, but her curriculum is in a different language than mine, so I really only have half a classroom.  We began by choosing bulletin boards and agreeing to the same bulletin board trimmer.  I then spent 8 hours (yes, you read that right!) putting up fabric and borders.  All those darn staples had to be removed first!  Thankfully, I managed to get all of this done before I left for summer break.

Next came a two week road-trip through Washington / Idaho / Alberta / back to BC, during which I stopped diligently into every dollar store and Walmart along the way relaxed and didn't think about school at all. Upon my return, I spent four days in my room, unpacking the mountains of boxes, moving furniture into place, and annoying the janitors for small favours. July is the best time to be at school.  No one else is there and I can get lots done.  I have this small problem of stopping to talk to people when others are around...

Anyhow, enough rambling.  Here are some pics of what I have been up to.  

Entrance to the classroom. Still waiting for my whiteboard to be installed.

Monkey Student of the Week on top, listening station down below.

The beginnings of a math / literacy centre area

My still messy desk area. You can see one of my monkey curtains in the background.

Reading / Meeting Area - this part is mostly done.  

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