tpt

I have finally decided to join Teachers Pay Teachers!  My original hesitation about joining was that I didn't feel I had anything truly original to sell.  But now that I've been making a lot of my own activities, especially being in a new grade, I feel pretty good about it!  :)  My first unit is on Place Value.  While I loved Cara's Place Value Packet of Fun in first grade, my second graders need a little more advanced practice.  For example, some of the questions on our district test require them to know that 521 is not only 5 hundreds, 2 tens, and 1 ones, but it is also 52 tens.  Crazy, right?!  I feel like that's super advanced for 2nd grade {at least at this point in the year}.  But since it's required, I need to figure out a fun way to teach it!  So I started the basic place value intro with a simple place value poster.  


I already have made and plan on making more activities to keep practicing this topic.  This is where YOU come in.  Since it's my first ever tpt unit, I would LOVE some feedback/suggestions on what types of activities you would like to see in it.  I am going to randomly select two winners from the comments of this post to give the unit to when I'm finished!  Until then, I would love it if you would follow my new Teachers Pay Teachers store!  While you're there, grab the place value poster freebie!  :)  


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My Cameo Creations!

I am SO IN LOVE with my Silhouette Cameo!  I wish I had more time during the week to play with it, but wanted to share with you a few of my creations.  :)  

My first cut was an epic fail.  

The mat was just too sticky for thin paper.  
After I cut a bunch of card stock, I tried again, and was successful.   


Super cute {and cheap} birthday treats for my kiddos. 
Inspired by Rachelle and Pinterest.  

Natalie made a sweet banner for her 5th grade, so I had to copy and make one for my new 2nd grade room.  
Looks adorable!  I love the bright colors!  
Also love my mom who climbed up on the counters to hang it for me.  :)

 My new 2nd grade team has been wonderful!  It's been a really hard transition starting a class in the middle of the year, but they have made it SO much easier!  I decided I should make a simple thank you gift for them, so thanks to Pinterest again, I made these.  


Another copy cat, I LOVED the mirror Lindsey made, so I made one to put above the sink in my room.  

I might have gone a little crazy with the letters on all my bulletin boards...  :)

And finally, the real reason why I bought the cameo was to help my mom make the cute crafts she found on Pinterest.  She is so funny.  After I told her I wanted to buy a cameo, she kept calling me and asking if the "toy" I wanted can make each craft she found.  They answer was always yes!  So we went in on it together.  But luckily, it resides in sunny Arizona with me.  :)  She wanted to start out with a Halloween and a Fall banner to hang around the fireplace.  We didn't get the ribbon yet, but look how cute they are going to be!!


Like I said, I wish I had more time to play with my cameo.  I have a lot more ideas, so stay tuned!  
  
On another note, I LOVE 2nd Grade!  It is so wonderful!  Back in the spring when I was applying/interviewing for jobs I asked Lindsey how she liked 2nd grade compared to 1st and she said "second grade is first grade on steroids!"  It really is!  I love it!  :)

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The Night Before 2nd Grade

Tomorrow is my first day with my new second graders!  I am super excited!  I've worked insanely hard the past two days frantically getting a classroom unpacked and ready for kiddos.  Thanks to some wonderful parents and friends, it's good enough to start.  Hopefully by the end of the week it will be presentable enough for pictures.  :)  I was able to meet my new class this afternoon when they all brought their desks/supplies into my room.  I have 24 adorable second graders.  I can already tell I am going to LOVE this year!  

My last thing on my list for tonight is making my "Teacher Hunt" from The Teacher Wife's AWESOME Back-to-School Unit.  We are going to do this tomorrow as a way for them to get to know a little more about me, since I'm pretty much the newbie here.  :)  

But I am stuck on this one:
I just love ALL books!  I can't pick just one that I love!  What on earth will I do?  What is your FAVORITE book?  How did you decide on that one?    

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starting over


Ain't that the truth.  

It was a hard transition starting the year out at a charter school.  It wasn't at all what I expected.  The staff was wonderful, friendly, and supportive, but it was just hard.  Plain and simple.  But, looooooong story short I got a job with the public schools teaching 2nd grade!  I'm super excited!  For one thing, it is A LOT more money.  And I'm also really excited to move up a grade.  I've loved teaching first, but am really looking forward to teaching children who no longer wet their pants, can tie their own shoes, can sit still for longer than 2 minutes, can write their name...  On Friday I said goodbye to my first graders {so sad!}, packed up my room, and unloaded it all at my new school.  I start on Monday, but thankfully I get two days to work in my room.  So here we go again!  

In other news.....

I FINALLY GOT A CAMEO!
And what are the odds that on the same day I bought it, Hobby Lobby had its last day of 50% off all scrapbooking paper.  Heaven help me.  



I am SO SO SO excited to start making some of the super cute decorations and such I've seen on Pinterest and the great collection found here.

Check out all the awesome ideas, and if you have any more for me, please share!  :)

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