Contraction Surgery

Hello Everyone:)


My students perform "Contraction Surgery!"  This is probably one of my most favorite teaching days.  My class had such a great time discovery contractions.

The "tools" needed for surgery.

I am sharing the file I prepared to use with my class on Teacher's Notebook - you can find it by clicking on the picture below.  

**I have updated this file as of 1/26/12.  If you purchased it prior to that date and can not download the new file in your teacher's notebook account, please send me an e-mail with your teacher's notebook username and I will personally e-mail you the updated file.  Thanks!!!

You can also see a previous post by clicking the picture below:

Toucan Patterns!

My toucan patterns and writing forms are now available on Teacher's Notebook.  Just click on the image blow and it will take you to my shop.  I hope everyone enjoys it:)  Thanks so much for showing interest in my blog:)

Happy New Year!!!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful break!  I've really enjoyed relaxing, family and friends!  Happy New Year to all my friends out there in blog world!


Before we left for Winter Break, my students made these adorable polar bears and wrote about their New Years resolutions.  I ran out of time but when I get back to school in a few days I am planning to display them in the hallway. (I got them hung up today!!!!)

  Enjoy:)  You can find the New Years Resolution paper and the Polar Bear Patterns at Glyph Girls on TPT.  I just LOVE their cute ideas:)  Oh…and the party horns and tinsel were a great find at the dollar store.

Christmas Wrap-Up

Ahh… it's so nice being on winter break!  I've gotten to relax a bit and really enjoy some family time.  


Here are a few things we did in Second Grade in December. 


We read "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and made a Grinch and completed some writing exercise to go along with them.  The writing ideas were inspired from Deanna Jump's Grinch Unit and the Grinch Art was inspired from Glyph Girls.

We made handprint ornaments for our parents.  I have been making the snowman ones for about 3 years now.  However this year I have some repeat families so I gave the students an option to make snowman or reindeer.  I think they turned out great!  We finished up by making these adorable Santa bags - a pinterest inspiration:)  You can find the original post at Doodle Bugs Teaching.  These bags were perfect to wrapping our ornaments in.

I gave my students a little treat "cup" filled with Elf Kisses and a few odds n ends treats!  Just click the link above and you can download your own copy from Kims Kandy Kreations.  I adapted hers just a little for my classroom.

Reindeer Rebellion Patterns

I want to thank everyone who visited my blog and liked the Reindeer Rebellion Project.

I have uploaded the patterns and directions to Teachers Notebook.

You can find them at: http://www.teachersnotebook.com/product/dmlp/reindeer-barn-reindeer-rebellion


Thank you so much!  This is my first try at selling an item on Teachers Notebook.  As you all know it is such a struggle being a teacher and I am hoping by selling some of these items to fellow teachers I will be able to provide my students with some learning materials to enhance our day.

Santa's Stuck and Reindeers Strike.. Oh My!

Happy Holidays!  We are having so much fun reading some great Christmas themed books in the classroom and doing some writing extensions with them.

We made these adorable foldables- Santa's Stuck Chimneys and completed a writing prompt to go on the inside.

Then we worked on a project (I found this idea on pinterest - it was a decorated door) about Reindeers.  I turned it into a way to publish student writing.

We read part of the story and I stopped just before the reindeers made their demands.  The students then had to go back and write a letter to Santa stating their demands to him.

Elves of Elf Elementary

Happy Holidays Everyone!


We have had a great time these past few days in Second Grade!  My class has been busy creating wonderful writing pieces centered around the book "Elf Elementary."  I also incorporated some great activities from Mrs. Perry's Wonderful Elf Unit - check it out here: http://www.eduperry.com/2010/12/elf-mini-unit.html