5 for Friday (on Saturday)

Hello my poor, neglected blog.  I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday.  Yes, I know it's Saturday... but a day late and a dollar short is pretty much the way I am living these days, so I decided not to let that hold me back! 

So, I decided to use this post as a bit of a "catch up" post... but there is A LOT to catch up on!  This week was ridiculously crazy.  Crazy everywhere!  We have the entire week off of school for Thanksgiving next week.  (I don't think I could possibly be anymore grateful for that!)  So, there was all the usual "week before vacation" madness at school.

On top of the "regular" craziness we had the Great American Teach In on Wednesday.  It was a really exciting day and the kids LOVED it... but the "off our routine days" are never easy.

We started the morning with an active presentation about teaching karate.

Then, we went outside to hear FBI investigators teach us about how they gather evidence in the field. It was fascinating!

My mother-in-law came in and taught the kids about her small business and taught the kids how to sew.  They each got to make their own emoji mini pillow.  They were so excited and they loved it... but oh. my. goodness.  Sewing stresses me out under the absolute best of circumstances... and 19 7 year olds doesn't really count as the "best of circumstances".  Ha!

This week was also our week to learn about Thanksgiving.  We had a lot of fun comparing the lives of the Pilgrims to our lives in America today.  I created these posters and the kids were totally fascinated by the photos.  It was fun to talk about and to listen to their observations.

One of the things that has surprised me about second grade is how much I have enjoyed teaching math.  I have never, ever been a "math person".  However, this year we are really having a lot of fun with it.  The kids seem to have the perfect mix of background knowledge and curiosity.   Some of the things that are working well for us in math are the "tool boxes" that I gave everyone this week and our daily Number Talks.  

We have been playing lots of math games and making sure that everything is very "hands on".  So, last week I made each child their own math "tool box".  In their box each student has: a mini hundreds board, 25 round "flips", 30 square tiles, 35 snap cubes, and 11 "10 rods" along with 25 "ones cubes" and a "10 rod style 100s piece".    The boxes have been a HUGE hit!

The other math tip I have for you is to consider daily Number Talks.  Our district bought these books and gave us training a few years ago.  I have used Number Talks inconsistently for a long time.  The problem was always the preparation piece.  There always seemed to be so many cards to make or  problems to "think through".  Well, I came across THIS unit on TPT and it is AMAZING.  Everything is done for you.  Every single little thing... it is so well put together.  It has made it incredibly easy to "print and go" and I am seeing a HUGE difference in the number sense of my students.

I've gotten my flexible seating up and running and we are truly loving it.  It is hard to imagine how I ever ran a classroom without these options!

I haven't been "together enough" to take purposeful photos... so I am missing a few things.  Right now, I have a table that I took the legs out of that we call the "floor table".  We also have hooki stools, wobble stools, ball chairs and scoop rockers.  

I haven't put a "choose your chair" system in place yet.  So far, I have just been telling the students to rotate throughout the day so that they get a chance to sit in different places.  Remarkably, it has been working out fine.  I am usually pretty "high structure" so I didn't expect to like this very much... but it is working out great so far! 

I have also been doing the usual "teacher mom" balancing act... Some days I do it better than others!  

Here is my crazy crew on Halloween.

 (Elsa, Alice -from Wonderland-, Harry Potter and Hagrid... obviously;) )

Here are my girls on election day.  (Which is the ONLY thing I am going to say about that.)

The twins were both thrilled that they made Principal's List.  Unfortunately, Matt had a migraine that day, so Danny collected both certificates at the ceremony.

 My beautiful girl went to Homecoming.  We had lots of fun shopping and getting our nails and her hair done.  She is having a really good year and I am enjoying soaking her up!

 Yesterday was a sentimental day for me... It was the 10 year anniversary of the day we adopted this beauty... or "Forever Day" as we like to call it.  I am going to write a little post about National Adoption Month and some ways to recognize it in the classroom next week.

So, for now I will just say that I am counting my blessings that I get to be the mother of this amazing, intelligent, creative, beautiful girl.

Happy Weekend!!