Molly the Brave and Me and CCSS RL2.3

 I was looking on the internet for a great story to use with the common core state standard RL 2.3 Describe how a characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.  I couldn't find anything that specifically addressed this standard.  I looked through all my books and found Molly the Brave and Me by Jane O'Connor.

Freebie on Teachers Pay Teachers

Beth is a second grader that wants to be brave like her friend Molly.  Beth faces several challenges where she has to be brave in order not to appear to be a wimp in front of Molly.  I created this skill sheet for students to use along with the story.  Three major events in the story are identified and the students have to write how Beth responds to each of these challenges.  The next time, I hope to be able to give my second graders a blank organizer and have them identify major events or challenges and then describe how the character responds to those challenges.

Ready Confetti for Back to School Night

    Every year during Back to School Night, I give each of my students Ready Confetti.  Ready Confetti is a bag of confetti, along with the Ready Confetti poem about the night before school.  First, I cut up red, yellow, green and lime green construction paper in the paper shredder.  Next, I cut the shredded strips into smaller pieces of paper.  I place them in a sandwich bag along with the Ready Confetti poem that has been typed up on a sheet of paper that will fit in the sandwich bag.  I made a bag topper that goes with my apple theme in my classroom and attached bookworms (gummy worms) in a Bagette from Micheals.  I tell my second graders to put the confetti under their pillow the night before school and it will help them sleep tight and keep away the First Day Jitters.

I placed all my Ready Confetti in an apple basket.

Ready Confetti

Pencil Sharpener Pals

     I implemented Pencil Sharpener Pals in my classroom a few years ago.  Students in my classroom don't sharpen pencils.  I collect all the pencils students bring to school and place in zip lock bags.  I send a bag of pencils home with a student whose parents signed up to be a Pencil Sharpener Pal.  The parents keep the bag for a week to have enough time to sharpen pencils.  I place sharpened pencils in my sharpened pencils basket.  When a pencil breaks or needs to be sharpen they place it in the NOT Sharpened basket.

Pencil Sharpener Pal sign up

Back to School Night

We had our Back to School open house night this week.  I placed a sign in sheet for parents and important information set up on a table.  I also included my Pencil Pal sign up and my Ready Confetti for students.

Sign In Table for Parents

Sign in Clip Board for Parents

I've started putting my classroom together and I'm using my apple themed Must/May Do and center labels.  I think they turned out pretty cute.  If you like them you can purchase them on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Must Do, May Do, and Catch Up Posters

                                 

Reading Center Label

I'm Getting Excited!

I am quite excited!  I have just posted my first Freebie and two other products on Teachers Pay Teachers.  My classroom theme has been a little bookworm and apples for the past two years.  I just decided to share the classroom labels and the must do and may do labels and posters I use. I hope teachers find them as precious as I do and will want to buy them.  If you're curious, check me out on Teachers Pay Teachers or Pinterest!

I will post pictures next week when I can enter the building and start putting my classroom together.

                        

First Day of School

One of my favorite books to read to the children on the first day of school is Mrs. Spitzer's Garden by Edith Pattou.  I usually have the children come to the floor and sit in a circle, so that everyone can see each other.  This is our first morning meeting of the year and this book sets the tone for the year.  I use it to help students to talk about what they expect to learn and explore this school year.   This conversation then leads to ways we can help build community in our classroom.