Surfin' Through Second

Digital Math Games For The Classroom

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Sat, 21 Oct 2023 20:00:00 +0000

Aloha Friends,

I hope your year has been great so far and that you have settled into a great routine. Second grade is that year to really hone in on memorizing those math facts from 1-20. My students usually do pretty well with addition facts 1-4. I find it's more of a struggle for them to memorize the higher numbers from 5-9.

Each day I have my students get onto Xtra Math and do a lesson. This is a free program that I'm sure many of you use. It is accessible through Clever but easy to access online.

It's a great way to get those facts memorized and also to let those higher level students move up at their own pace.

It's also great to supplement with other digital activities, pencil paper tasks and physical centers or games.

Recently I started playing around with some fun ways to get more practice and I came up with this fun game to focus on those higher facts.

This Build A Bug game has students focus on addition facts 5-9. Each answer they get right helps them build their bug.

It's a super easy and fun way for them to practice, but if they make a mistake they have to go back to the start. This gives them extra practice and keeps them engaged since there are only 6 problems for each bug.

This game can be linked to Seesaw or used however works best in your classroom. Once students click on the link the game will automatically begin. It works in Google Slides or Powerpoint.

I have this game in my TpT store for half off right now. I'd love for you to try it and let me now what you think. I'm wanting to create a whole set of games for my students to practice math skills in a fun and independent way!

Click on any of the pics to purchase in my store.

What are some other activities you are using with your students to help them with their math facts? Do you prefer digital or physical games? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Back To School Wardrobe

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 21:28:00 +0000

Aloha friends! Here we are again and another new school year is looming in front of us. As the beginning of the year approaches I'm looking at my closet and feel like I have nothing to wear. A closet full of clothes and nothing to wear!

I want to start the year off right and not have to spend anytime in the mornings wondering what to wear. Such a time sucker. Well I found a little something that has been very helpful for me to get my closet prepped for the school year.

This Back To School Mini Capsule Wardrobe by Outfit Formulas was an awesome way to reorganize my closet and see what items I already had or what I might need.

I used the shopping list they provide to help me get started.

I realized I already had most of these items. I was missing the bright colored shirt, gray pants, printed pants and leopard shoes. So I just added a pair of black sandals, some camo pants and some striped pants.

The download includes outfit combos that you can easily put together and add your own twist on favorite colors and styles. The download includes 10 different outfit combos.

I laid everything out and put together a few outfits.

Who knew how simple it could be to get together so many outfits so easily? Such a great timesaver for me. Don't get me wrong, I love to shop, but now I can shop more purposefully and save money.

I realize I need a few bright colored tops and maybe a fun pair of shoes. No need to go out and buy things I don't need.

I can use that extra time and money to enjoy more me time.

Are you a focused shopper or have you ever used a capsule template? If not and you feel this may be helpful click here to grab your free Mini Capsule download.

Let me know if this was helpful in saving you time and money.

Good luck and have an amazing school year!

Back To School On A Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 20:43:00 +0000

Aloha! It's that time of year again. The Back To School shopping frenzy! Sales along with social media can fuel us into a buying craze.

Are you like me buying ALL the things that could be useful for your classroom? Sometimes I feel like I just buy because I may need it someday or it's really cute. I need to wear blinders when I walk into Target!!

However if you are like me, then you need to be on a Budget. I have my own kids that I have to buy for and their supplies, on top of mine, add up quickly!

Here are a few quick tips to help get you organized so that you are only purchasing what you need for your classroom and yourself.

Set Your Budget

I think this is the most important thing you can do to keep on track when your shopping begins. Know exactly how much you can spend. If you do this then you won't suddenly be scrambling and wonder where all your money went.

It's an even better idea to have your budget in cash. When the cash is gone, then you are done shopping!

Make A List

This is a simple one. Just make a list of what you absolutely need for your classroom this year. Is it folders for writing, glue sticks or composition books? How many do you need just for this year?

Take your list with you and stick to it!! I know it's hard and can be tempting to throw more in your cart, but if you stick to your budget then you might not have sticker shock later. If you find that you need more of an item you can always go back or ask for a donation later.

It can be hard though when you find bargains and can't decide if you need it or not. I had a tough time at Walmart the other day when I saw these!!

Such a great price, but I wanted 5 sets for my classroom library. Do I really need new bins? My old bins aren't as colorful and these would brighten up my room! In the end I decided that I would pursue other avenues to see if I could get the funding through my school or a grant. That saved me $50 of my own money that I could put towards my own kiddos.

Shop Online

I love going into the stores to pick out certain items, but if you can find a deal online grab it!
There are tons of bargains out there if you know where to look. Amazon, Walmart, Target and even Dollar Tree have great bargains online and will even price match! You can even order online and pick it up for free at the store.

I found this online deal on Glue Sticks and did buy them! They came to about $0.30 a stick.

Write A Grant

This one takes some time, but it is a great way to get classroom supplies without you spending all of your own money.

Donor's Choose has funded many grants for my classroom from headphones, iPads, books and even art supplies. I also found that many of my grants were funded quickly when they were for items under $100.

Write Down Your Purchases

Here is what I do to really keep me in check. I save my receipts and then write down everything I bought and add it up.

This really puts your spending into perspective! Plus when I save my receipts, it helps to return items I decided I didn't need. I created the Supply List and Budget Tracker and they have been great to keep me accountable. You can download them for free in my TpT Shop.

Teachers have the biggest hearts, but one of the smallest paychecks! I know you want to make that classroom gorgeous and buy ALL THE THINGS, but you still have to take care of your own expenses without going into debt.

Hopefully following a few of these tips will help you have a more budget friendly Back To School. How do you stick to your Budget?

I'd love to hear your thoughts with a comment below.

Are You Ready For The First Day Back To School?

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 21:59:00 +0000

Aloha friends!! The summer is quickly slipping away and we are heading into August. Some of us have a few weeks left to kick back and enjoy the dog days of summer. But, I know some of you will be heading into your classroom soon!

Are you ready for that first day? Here is a quick synopsis of my first day. It might give you some ideas if this is your first year teaching or maybe just new to this grade level.

After setting up my classroom I sit down and plan out my first day. Then I have a tentative plan for the first week. It really depends on the vibe of my classroom how the rest of the week will look.

That first day can be a crazy one! First off I am usually running on caffeine because I can never sleep the night before! Then all your sweeties show up with their supplies, parents, siblings and lots of questions. I stand near the door to greet students and families. I then instruct them to find their name on their desk and follow the directions on the board.

I place a pencil with an eraser and a fun pack or booklet on their desk. It should be something simple they can work on independently. This Back To School Booklet has lots of fun activities to keep them engaged while you are helping others and talking with parents. They can work on it throughout the week or when they finish their regular work.

Once parents have left and we are settled a bit more, we gather on the carpet. We play a name game, learn a song and say hello to new and old friends. We then read some of my favorite Back To School books.

Do Unto Otters is a great book about teaching manners. I always read Miss Nelson is Missing and tell my class that they need to follow the rules because I do not want to turn into Viola Swamp!!

We then go over our class rules and discuss why each one is important and how I use my Clip Chart to reward awesome behavior in the class.

We also discuss procedures for bathroom and pencil sharpening.

After our Morning Meeting we usually take a tour of the classroom and talk about what items go in our desks, seat sacks and cubbies.

We then begin writing in our Writing Journals (composition book) about anything they would like. We usually discuss some ideas and then I turn on some soothing music and ask them to write for 10-15 minutes. We glue a cover onto our journal, write our names and color it.

About this time it is Recess and I walk my students to the playground early and go over all of the playground rules and where we line up.

For our math time I give them a Math Journal (composition book) and we glue on a cover, write our names and color it. I then teach them a simple math game they can play with a partner, using a deck of cards. They each draw two cards and add them up. Whoever has the highest amount keeps all the cards. I ordered playing cards on Amazon for fairly cheap to use throughout the year.

At lunch I walk them down to the cafeteria and I always sit and eat with them. They really enjoy it and it is a good time to learn a bit more about them personally.

After lunch we have Silent Reading for 10-15 minutes. I discuss with them my expectations of staying in their spots the whole time and reading. I place 10-12 books in each of their seat sacks when setting up my classroom.

The rest of the afternoon is spent creating their Surf Buddies or Self Portraits. They are usually exhausted by this time so letting them have time to create is perfect. You can find this fun freebie in my TpT shop.

During the day I usually throw in a couple of Brain Breaks as well.

I leave plenty of time at the end of the day to teach closing procedures and make sure they take home all papers that need to be signed by parents or guardians. I use a folder that students place all items in to go home. They return it each day and turn in papers as they come in each morning. You can grab this surf themed communication set or a free version in my shop as well.

We then line up by buses, pick up and aftercare. I give them each a high five or hug depending on what they choose. I make sure all students get to where they need to go, debrief with parents, hug former students and parents and finally take a breath!

Phew! We made it. That first day is fast and furious, but so important to start the year off right. Once you get past that first day you have a great idea of how to maneuver the rest of the week.

Does your day sound similar to mine? What else do you do to make your students feel welcome and ready for school?

Whether you are headed back next week or next month I hope you have an amazing first day back!!

Five Simple Ways To Improve Parent Teacher Communication

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Thu, 27 Jun 2019 20:12:00 +0000

There are so many important components of running your classroom such as organization, management and building relationships. One of the most important relationships we can build is that of our home/school connection. We need those families helping us to bridge our learning from school to home.

Most parents are so grateful for all that we do, and can be great partners in our classrooms. Often times we notify parents only when something is amiss in the classroom or to remind them to turn in their permission slips. With everything we are juggling it can be hard to find the time to communicate with parents in positive ways.

Here are 5 easy ways that you can keep parents in the loop and maintain positive relationships throughout the year.

1. Email

One of the easiest ways to let parents know what's happening is through a weekly email blast. I set up a gmail account specifically for this. You can add in all of your parent emails and make a group. You can then send out the email highlighting the details for the week. Here is a link to the google tutorial on how to set it all up and keep your parent emails private. Gmail Tutorial

2. Weekly/Monthly Newsletter

Another easy way to keep parents up to date is with a weekly or monthly newsletter. I have had years where I needed to send weekly letters and others where monthly was ideal. You can use a simple template and update it as you see fit. This particular template I created in Powerpoint and I just change the text monthly. I use bright colored paper so it is more noticeable in Homework folders.

3. Parent Communication Apps

There are a few apps out there that help teachers communicate with parents. The most popular are ClassTag, Remind and Class Dojo. I recently shared a post about ClassTag and the many features it entails. It is so simple to use, it's free and you can earn rewards for your classroom.
Check out my post HERE or head over to the site and sign up.

4. Classroom Facebook Page

Most of our parents are on Facebook and it makes sense to set up a private group where they can communicate with you, share pictures and reminders of upcoming events. It also makes it easy for them to private message you about any concerns they may have. Make sure to check with your school or district policy as to whether or not you are allowed to share on social media. Remember this is a private group and only parents you invite will have access to the group not your personal page.

5. Personal Phone Calls or Caught Being Good Notes

How often do we find ourselves contacting parents when something negative has happened in class. I think it is so important to make those positive calls or messages. Take time to pick a few students each week to send home a Caught Being Good Note, phone call or email. The smallest gestures can have a huge impact on not only your students, but parents. They will appreciate hearing anything wonderful about their child.

*The above template is in my Free Back To School Communication Pack. Click on the link or picture above to take you to my TpT shop.

These are all simple ideas, that can make a huge impact impact in your classroom. I hope you have at least gained one new idea. Do you currently use any of these things? What else have you used that makes communication easy? Leave me a comment below, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Summer Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Thu, 13 Jun 2019 00:13:00 +0000

Aloha Friends!!

I hope you are off to a great summer vacation, and if you are still in the classroom I hope you are enjoying some fun end of the year activities.

I am home for the summer and enjoying some down time. However my internal alarm is still on!!

With some extra time on my hands I have been working on a few fun items.

I have been planning a monthly series of fun Riddle Review Sheets. I just finished a summer version.

Each page has a different skill and a riddle to decode. I created a similar pack at Christmas and have a freebie from March if you want to check them out.

I know how much my students love solving new riddles, so I really enjoyed putting this together.

You can click on the picture to pick it up in my TpT shop.

If you just need a little something to use with your class these last few weeks or if your teaching summer school, this would be a great resource to have on hand.

I also created a Word Search that I used with my class and have uploaded it in my shop as a freebie.

It also includes another Ocean Themed Word Search and a challenge activity to go with it. Summer time and the ocean are two of my favorite things and I'm sure you will enjoy using them with your class!

Summertime is such an important time for us to recoup and gain back our teaching stamina for the fall. If you are already soaking up the sun, I hope you enjoy every minute!

Happy Summer!

Using Classtag For Parent Communication

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Thu, 27 Dec 2018 19:58:00 +0000

Aloha Friends! I hope your holidays have been fabulous and restful. We all need to recoup and prepare for the year ahead.

Something I strive to work on each year is my classroom organization. I recently was told about a new app to help with parent communication called ClassTag.

There are other apps out there that I have tried and they all seem to have faded from my use. Most were great for a particular purpose such as messaging or posting photos. However, I'm really excited about using ClassTag and all the features it has to offer.

This app has everything you need to keep parents in the loop and even has a few extras to make it even more fun to use.

The layout is very intuitive.

Start out by simply adding in all your class information. The app will send out invites for parents to sign up and communicate all through the app. You can then send out weekly newsletters, events, volunteer requests, conferences and even upload photos to share with families.

The app also gives you incentives to use it. You are rewarded with coins to receive gifts for your classroom. Who doesn't love free stuff for your classroom?

On top of all that it even gives you weekly stats on which parents are using the app and who has received the information. It will let you know if you have hard to reach parents and give you alternative methods for communicating with them such as sending home a paper copy of your newsletter.

It even sends your parents a weekly summary.

Apparently the app was created by former teachers and they seem to have dialed in everything you need to up your parent communication.

I think it's an awesome way to organize and have everything in one place. Head over to ClassTag right now and sign up. I would greatly appreciate you using my link so I can earn coins for my class as well.

Hopefully this app can help you start the year off with one more tool for your classroom.

Freebie Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 10:00:00 +0000

Aloha friends!! How was your Thanksgiving? I really enjoyed the time off and cooking with my family. This year I made Prime Rib. It was delicious and so decadent!

Are you ready to hit the Black Friday sales today? I'm not a fan of the crowds, but good luck if you head out. I think I am going to stay in and be crafty.

I just wanted to share a fun freebie center I created for you to use in your class this coming month.

My kids always need to review nouns so I whipped up this Christmas themed center. I love the graphics by From The Pond! I just had to use them in something creative.

Simply download it, print and enjoy using it in your class this season. Please leave a review and let me know what you think.

If you like it then check out my Santa's On His Way Literacy Centers. I have just updated them to include 4 new centers.

I have included a Black and White version if you want to save on ink or print on colored card stock. My class always loves new centers and I can't wait to share these with them.

Mahalo for stopping by and I hope you enjoy your freebie.

Math Tools For Your 2nd Grade Classroom

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 20:01:00 +0000

Aloha friends!! I know many of you are off to a great start and your school year is in full swing! Many of you are returning to your previous position, but I know some of you may be new to 2nd grade this year.

It's so exciting to venture into a new grade and curriculum. It definitely keeps us busy and always looking for new ways and ideas to keep our lessons flowing and kiddos engaged.

Last year I had two new colleagues who were brand new to 2nd grade. It was fun to collaborate and share ideas. They came to me quite often and asked how I was teaching a certain lesson and what materials I was using. Quite often I realized they did not have any resources to draw from since they were new to the grade level. We shared as much as we could between our classrooms.

After teaching 2nd grade for 21 years I had purchased, collected or created many of the resources that I was using in my classroom, especially in math. It can be overwhelming for a new teacher to see all that I had and not be able to purchase it or create it. So I decided to put together a toolkit for them.

We went through many of the lessons in our math curriculum and I discussed with them what materials I used quite a bit of. I then recreated them in a simple format so they could print and use them as needed.

When all was said and done there were close to 300 pages of manipulatives, templates and posters!!
The paper coins are set up so you can print double sided and have them with a front and back. The red and yellow counters are the same.

All are easy to print and can be used immediately or can be laminated to use all year long. You can even print on Astrobright paper to add some color.

I think this is a great way to get started without breaking the bank. If this is something you could use in your classroom, hop on over to my TpT shop and check it out!!

One last thing that I wanted to share. I revamped a math freebie from a few years back. These poem posters have been great to use in my class for money recognition.

Just click on any of the pictures to grab them in my TpT shop.

I hope these items will be helpful for your upcoming school year. If there is anything that you think I should add to this toolkit please let me know!

Digital Planning

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Sun, 04 Mar 2018 03:41:00 +0000

Aloha friends! March is upon us and Spring Break is right around the corner! Then only 1 quarter left!! This year has flown by and there has been a lot going on in my school.

We have a new administrator and she is very tech savvy and moving our school along the tech path. Our little country school by the beach is cute, but not high tech.

This year our principal has really focused on making us a 1:1 school. All students in my class now have a Chromebook and all of our data and info is online in Google Docs.

I decided it was time for me to catch up and begin creating my lesson planners in a digital version.

My Blushing Pink Planner is one of my most popular planners and is now available in a digital version. Simply open it up in Google drive and add your own text, tables, charts or graphics.

You can access your plans, data and calendar from any digital device through Google.

If you have purchased one of my planners in the past it is essentially the same format. It includes:

Cover Slides

Organizing Pages

Planner Pages

Grade Book

Calendar Pages

Blank Templates For Your Own Creations

The file comes with 104 different slides. You can delete any you don't need or create a new page with the templates I have provided. There are 18 different planner pages to choose from along with two background choices.

Now all of your plans and info are online, easy to share with admin and colleagues and looks stylish and fun!

Are you ready to go to paperless planning? Head over to my TpT shop to check out this planner. I will be rolling out all of my planners in digital form soon, so keep checking back for your favorite design.

Valentine Treats

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 06:06:00 +0000

Aloha and Happy Valentine's Day!!

Wishing you a wonderful Valentine's Day and a little treat.

TpT is having a sitewide sale. All items in my store will be 20% off

plus another 5% off when you enter Code: XOXO.

Head on over and find a few treats to make this Valentine's Day a little sweeter!

Handwriting Practice

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 18:03:00 +0000

Aloha friends!! I hope the new year is progressing well for you and that you are on track with your New Year goals and aspirations!! I can't say I have started all of mine yet, but I have a few that I am working on. I also have some health goals in mind that I plan on sharing soon!

Today however, I wanted to share something that I have been meaning to create for a LONG time.

I don't know about the students in your class, but by the time mine come to me they seem to have forgotten all of their letter formations. I am shocked by how many of my students struggle with showing me how to write their letters.

I have placed tags on their desks and reviewed with them, but many still can't seem to remember where to start certain letters and how to use their dotted lines to help them have a nice even script.

So instead of copying practice sheets for each letter I decided to create these little practice booklets to have my students review in a fun and simple way.

Each page has two letters on it with proper formation. Students trace the letters and then practice on their own. I followed the same sequence as most beginning handwriting programs. The lower case booklets have letters and words to trace.

Once they finish the lowercase booklet then you can give them the upper case. This booklet uses capital letters to reinforce Proper Nouns. I included a name, a place and sentences that begin with the particular letter they are working on.

The booklets are really easy to copy and put together. Simply print out the 9 pages per booklet, fold in half and staple them. I have also included posters with each letter formation to display in your class or to use in a center for extra practice.

I am really pleased with the way they came out and the kids are so excited to practice their letters along with neater handwriting. Well, my kids are excited because this booklet is actually an incentive to get them moving on to cursive.

I have the same format for cursive writing as well. My second graders have always loved learning cursive at the end of the year. I previously used a handwritten booklet that I had created and it was finally time to update that one too!

So once my students complete their manuscript practice neatly and correctly, then they get to move on to cursive. I'd say it's a win win!

Since I was on a roll I also created a set of these booklets in D'Nealian handwriting.

D'Nealian is a great way to prep kids for cursive writing. I am working on a D'Nealian cursive booklet and should have it listed soon.

You can grab any or all of these in a bundle in my TpT shop. Click here--->Handwriting Booklets

to check them out.

Mahalo for stopping by and I look forward to sharing more ideas and aspirations with you soon!

October Problem Solving

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 23:39:00 +0000

Aloha friends! I cannot believe October is already upon us!! This week I am on Fall Break. The first quarter just flew by and now I am prepping for my favorite months ahead.

October is such a fun month with Fall activities and Halloween right around the corner. Each month I prep my Monthly Word Problems.

I created these a few years back to really push my kids critical thinking and to get them to think on a deeper level. This is no easy task for second graders.

Each day we do one problem. At the beginning of the year I projected them on the board and we did each step together.

I have these posters and the kids can refer to them as they need them.

It has taken the whole quarter to get my kids to do these independently. I am so happy with their progress!!

I tell them how proud I am of them each day and I know they push themselves to try their best!

Have you tried these with your second graders? Here is a freebie to see how well they will work for your classroom.

Let me know what you think. Hopefully your students will become problem solving masters as well!

Birthday Treat

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Sat, 26 Aug 2017 18:45:00 +0000

Aloha friends! I hope you are happy and well on this lovely Saturday morning.

I am up early today and getting ready for some fun adventures this weekend. Yesterday was my birthday! I didn't celebrate much, except with my class and we did my usual How Old Is My Teacher Today?

I have to say I love this class. A majority of them thought I was in my 20's or 30's! See why I love teaching second grade! It not only keeps me acting young, but feeling it as well.

I actually did have one little gal guess how old I was...

Yup, this gal is 49 years old now, or should I say 49 years young!

I actually love birthdays. I never feel like I'm getting old, just wiser!

So to celebrate with you I am having a sale this weekend. All items in my TpT shop are 15% off this weekend. I know some of you are still getting ready to start a new school year, so this may help out a bit.

I am off to go hike, and then I have a bunch of girlfriends coming over this evening to celebrate with me. I am making a Tropical Sangria that looks to be a bit potent!! Check it out on Pinterest!

Pineapple Daze

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Fri, 21 Jul 2017 04:33:00 +0000

Aloha friends! These warm days of summer have me lounging, snoozing reading and creating. Just a quick post today to share these fun little posters I created for my classroom.

There seems to be a pineapple obsession at the moment so I turned it into something fun! I love the bright colors and can't wait to get them printed out and put up in my classroom. If you have a love of pineapples too, these might be just what you need. You can check them out in my TpT shop.

I hope you are enjoying your summer as much as I am. I have 1 more week to stay up reading until midnight, lounging at the beach and being all around lazy. August 1st is when the craziness of Back To School begins!

Pineapple Planning

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Wed, 21 Jun 2017 00:38:00 +0000

Aloha my sweet friends! I hope you summer is progressing well and that you are relaxed and enjoying some much needed down time!

I have been out of school for 3 weeks now and I have been mixing it up a bit. Last week I had a three day class that I really enjoyed and then spent some time going to the movies, getting my toes done and hanging out with sweet friends. I even got in a bit of surfing!

Did you know that June 17th is International Surf Day!? Well I had to get out there and partake in the festivities.

Along with all of these other activities I have been doing some work. I promised that I would get the Pineapple Planner done and I finally finished!

It took me so long to make this planner because I had so many ideas.

I ended up including 24 different cover choices!

With all of these choices you can create exactly what you want. Just change the text on any of these examples. I also included ink friendly organizational and planner pages.

Unless I develop another idea I like better I am pretty sure this is going to be my planner this year. Now I have to decide which cover I want!

If you are a pineapple lover this is for you! It's available in my TpT shop.

Mahalo for stopping by. I hope you are enjoying your summer as much as I am!

Flamingo Love Lesson Planner

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 03:10:00 +0000

Aloha friends! Are you on summer break yet?

I've been on break now for a few weeks and I am catching up on some much needed sleep and relaxation!

I have also been able to catch up on some much needed work for TpT. I am a little shocked at how many teachers contacted me to see if I had updated my teacher planners for next year!

Lol, I have to admit I have been a slacker with the end of the year activities and I really just wanted to veg in front of the TV!!

But all joking aside I have updated ALL of my planners and they are ready to roll for the 2017-18 school year.

Not only did I update them all, I was inspired to create a brand new planner!

I call it Flamingo Love!

The hardest part about designing planners is choosing the right graphics and deciding which covers you like best. There were so many options I just included them all!

Most backgrounds include either the double or single flamingos.

You can add your name, date, school name or whatever you would like.

I also included a variety of planning pages to choose from.

I really love the colors of the grade book and the calendar is just fun and pretty!

You can grab this planner in my TpT shop or just put it on your wish list for Back To School time.

I was so inspired that I have a Pineapple and an Aloha themed planner in the works!

If you have purchased a planner from me previously then you can download the update for free.

Just a heads up, I plan on raising the price of all of my planners in July.

Hopefully you are relaxing and enjoying your break or getting ready to! Mahalo for stopping by and I look forward to sharing more fun this summer!

Light Frame Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Tue, 23 May 2017 03:43:00 +0000

Aloha Friends!! I hope the end of the year activities have your students engaged and happy. Or not!

Well your students might not be fully engaged, but the end of the year chaos is a promise of the quiet summer months ahead. My students are in full chaos mode right now! They are writing animal reports and have tons of school wide activities and celebrations that are keeping their enthusiasm high.

I recently received a cool new toy for my classroom from Green Light Innovations. This fun Light Frame can be used in so many ways in your classroom or around the school.

You can use the neon markers that come with it to create your own design and the lighting options are really fun too.

I posted this in the classroom on Friday and the kids were mesmerized by it, lol. It definitely got their attention and they read every word that was on the board. It is super easy to clean too. I created a board for my kids who met their math facts goal. I'm sure they will love it when they see it tomorrow.

Green Light Innovations is giving away 20 of these Light Frames to teachers! Just check out their link to enter and submit a picture of your classroom. It's that easy!

Click Here---> Light Frame Giveaway

You could end up starting the new year with a great way to grab your student's attention.

Good Luck!!

Teacher Appreciation Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Tue, 09 May 2017 00:54:00 +0000

Aloha out there all you hardworking teachers!!!

It's that time of year again. Winding down another year of hard work and dedication to our profession. We do so much for our students and I hope that you are receiving some well deserved perks.

I appreciate everyone of you who stops by my blog and leaves me a little love from time to time. Without other teachers to share and collaborate with, I wouldn't be half the teacher I am today.

Teachers Pay Teachers is also showing a little love by throwing their site wide sale!!

Stop by my store to receive up to 28% off all of my items. It's the perfect time to grab some Hawaiian themed products for summer or a new planner for next year. Don't forget to use code THANKYOU17 to receive the full discount!!!

Mahalo again for stopping by and Happy Teacher Appreciation!!

Earth Day

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Sat, 22 Apr 2017 00:49:00 +0000

Happy Aloha Friday!!

It's been a long, busy, fun week in my classroom. We have done tons of writing, reading and art this week.

We started off the week discussing Earth Day. We watched some great videos and read a few books.
Check out this POST to see what they were.

We discussed lots of ideas on how we can help the Earth every day.

This was a great info graphic that I used to start a discussion. (Courtesy of BMW Manhattan)

I then had my students write 5 things they could do each day to help the Earth. We have been working on informational paragraphs, so this fit right in.

We then put it all together and created these cute little guys.

This particular class is very artsy and loved making them!

If you would like this template you can download it HERE.

I think this is such an important topic to discuss at any time of year. Especially here on our little island.

I hope your week was fun and eventful as well, and that you have a fantastic Earth Day weekend!!

Woven Easter Baskets

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 05:05:00 +0000

Aloha friends!! I hope you are having an awesome week getting ready for Spring and Easter!

This week we only have 4 days of school. Friday is a holiday here (Good Friday) so we are finishing up our Easter goodies this week.

I posted a picture of our Easter Baskets we were making on Instagram and I had a lot of requests on how to make them.

It's pretty easy, it just takes time and patience!

The materials you will need are:

-Yarn-About 4 skeins for a class of 20
-Easter Basket Template
-Tagboard or Stiff Paper

Here is a quick video to show you how to make them, along with a picture tutorial.

Click on Template to Download in Google Docs

Weave Over and Under

Leave about 1/2 an inch at the top

Glue on a ribbon border and handle

Fill with Easter Goodies!

My class loved making these and are going to be so happy to see them filled with goodies when they come in tomorrow!!

Have fun making these and let me know how they come out!!

The One and Only Ivan

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 06:19:00 +0000

Aloha friends! Happy Springtime! I have just finished my Spring Break and am headed into the 4th and final quarter of school. So much to do in so little time!! It should be fun though.

In my last post I shared a list of Favorite Second Grade Read Alouds. One of the books on that list was The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.

I decided to read it to my class and they really loved it. I honestly didn't know anything about the book, but decided to give it a read. I happened to mention to my boyfriend that the kids were just loving it and what it was about. He told me that Ivan was a real gorilla and he had seen him many times growing up at the local mall near him in Washington. I had no idea that it was based on a true story!

We finished the book on Friday and then I discussed with the kids that it was based on real events. When I told them my boyfriend had really seen him they thought that was the amazing! I found a few videos and shared them both with my students. The first is a bit sad and tells how poor Ivan was all alone in his cage for over 20 years!

The kids and I discussed how his real life was similar to the book and how it was different. I then showed them the following video that tells about the book and Ivan's real life and his move to Zoo Atlanta.

My class loved hearing about Ivan's adventures in the zoo and what a sweet creature he really was. I checked in our library and it didn't have the picture book edition so I just ordered it from Amazon.

I can't wait to add it to our class library. They will be thrilled about it. We have just finished up our unit on Opinion Writing as well and I wanted to tie this in. I came up with this template and thought they would enjoy writing about Ivan or Ruby.

Just click on the picture to download it in Google Docs. I can't wait to see what they come up with in their writing, which by the way has really improved over the past quarter.

I'm sure some of you already know this story and the background details, but it was really interesting for my class and I to discover so much about Ivan and his story.

If you haven't already checked out my last post on favorite Read Alouds, click on the picture below to take you there.

Favorite Second Grade Read Alouds

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 06:48:00 +0000

Aloha friends! I hope you are all surviving these last few weeks before Spring Break. I just have this week left and then it's time to sleep in, drink lots of coffee, surf and play for a week.

My class this year is moving right along and they are ready for a much needed break as well. These days it can get a bit rowdy in class and I seem to lose their attention way to often.

One of the best strategies to get my class back in tune is to just gather them on the carpet and read to them. It always calms them down and they look forward to our stories so much. I read to them everyday, but somedays we have a quick 10 minute story break on top of the usual time.

We just finished reading The Boxcar Children which is a longtime favorite and I realized I didn't know what to read next. Many of my favorite books seem to have disappeared over the years and I wasn't finding anything in my personal library that we hadn't read.

I decided to survey some second grade teachers on Facebook and ask them what their favorite read alouds were. Here are the top 40+ Favorite Read Alouds that readers suggested:

You can see that favorite authors such as Roald Dahl, Kate DiCamillo and Beverly Cleary continually pop up. Kids and adults seem to adore these books.

If you would like a copy of this list just click on the picture to download it in Google Docs.

I also created a list on Amazon that I plan to continue adding titles. You can read reviews and decide which stories might be right for your class. Click on the link or the picture above to check it out.

Are your favorite books included on this list? If not leave a comment below to share some new titles that I may have missed. Happy Reading!!

Becoming A Millionaire Teacher?

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 04:36:00 +0000

Aloha Friends! I feel like a bit of a stranger since I haven't written a blog post in so long. With our fast paced lifestyles these days, who has time to write, let alone read blogs, lol!

Most of my posts are about teaching and improving our classroom strategies and environments. We strive to be the best teachers that we can be. Goodness knows we set out to change the lives of our students and not to become millionaires. However, as I approach the next phase of my adulthood, I realize that I really should have learned how to care for myself more and invest in my future, not just for me but for my own children.

As a teacher there's not a lot of wiggle room for investing and now as a single mom of two teenage girls, I find it to be even less so.

Recently I came across this book by Andrew Hallman after hearing many of my blogging/teacher cohorts rave about him at the Teachers Pay Teachers conference.

I figured I would give it a read and see what he had to say and what I could do to start investing in my future. Andrew Hallman is/was a high school teacher who learned how to invest in the market and became a debt free millionire in his late 30's.

Let me just say the first two chapters really got me thinking about how I spend money. I realized that if I were to really separate my needs and wants that it would be possible to sock away a little extra each month. I think I am pretty thrifty, but it really gives some sound advice about making bigger purchases like cars and home appliances.

The rest of the book really takes you through the process of teaching you about investing in the stock market and what you should be looking for.

I know, I know....Stock Market? Yeah, that makes me nervous too! Honestly all of that is totally foreign to me and it makes me want to run the other way. But, if you take the time to go through it and see what you CAN do, then it's not so scary.

I am by no means an expert now, but I realized I have been letting a financial company invest in my 403b each month and not really questioning the mutual funds they have chosen for me. In the book Mr. Hallman reviews the difference between a mutual fund and an index fund. There is a big difference. Right away I looked at my latest financial statement and realized what I have invested is not growing much. It's time to meet with my financial guy and really get down to business.

Another big takeaway from the book is that you need to start investing ASAP! There is a huge difference in compound interest when you start investing in your 20's than when you start investing at say age 48 (like me). Take a look at this example from the book:

So imagine you are investing $100 a month instead of a year. That's a lot more to retire on than what I can possibly put away in the next 12 years before I plan to retire.

However, it does help me to invest in my daughters' futures and to help them learn to invest now in their teen years!

In the beginning of the book the author discusses how many of us were never taught in school how to invest and handle our finances. It is such an important thing for all of us to know. My parents didn't teach me to invest, but told me to pay my bills and save for a rainy day.

If you are a newbie to investing, this book is a pretty easy read to help you get started, or at least thinking about how you can delve into your own investment portfolio.

I plan to meet with my financial advisor soon and use some of my new found knowledge to invest more wisely.

Are you on your way to millionaire status or at least a comfortable retirement? How did you learn to invest? Did you teach yourself? Please share your wisdom for all of us to learn!!

Cyber Sale on TpT

noreply@blogger.com (Corinna) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Aloha friends!! I hope you had a fabulous weekend of food, fun, family and friends. I am still working off my Thanksgiving meal. All the leftovers aren't helping though!

Are you ready for the holidays in your classroom or in need of some seasonal resources? Teachers Pay Teachers is having their annual Cyber Monday and Tuesday Sale. You can get up to 28% off on all of your purchases.

Just in time to grab some of these fun items.

Load up your cart now with all of your favorite items and don't forget to enter Code:CYBER2016

when you check out.

In the spirit of the season, I am giving away FOUR $10 gift cards to help you get even more of a discount!!

Just head over to my Facebook page to enter. I will pick the winners on Sunday evening.

Good Luck and Happy Shopping!!!