Saturday Snapshots, Classroom Tour, and TpT Sale

I apologize for being absent from my blog for so long.  I had great intentions to join in on the Teacher Week 2013 linky party this week, but I wasn’t allowed in my classroom until Wednesday.  I do have some pictures to share today for Saturday Snapshots with Miss Nelson.

This is what my new classroom looked like when I first got my keys:

I am so thankful that the last teacher left the room clean and left very little stuff.  I have spent the last three days trying to set up everything for my new second graders.  I have a few more areas to finish up, but here is a quick tour:

This rug will be for my daily Math Meetings and small group math instruction.

This is where I will meet with small groups for reading and do writing conferences.  Those speech bubbles are dry-erase, so my students can write down their thoughts and ideas during our meetings. The racks behind my chair will house my students' book boxes.  I will hang anchor charts behind my table for all students to reference.  

This is a view of my classroom from my small group table.

This is a view of my classroom from my library corner.  This large rug is where I will conduct most whole group lessons.  I scored that great rolling cart from Michael's yesterday for less than $20!  I will use it to hold activities for the week and the top will be used for my document camera, projector, and laptop.

I am so excited to use the Super Hero clip chart and Super Hero Whole Brain Teaching rules this year.   

I love using the free Assess Yourself posters from Stephanie at 3rd Grade Thoughts.  I frequently ask my students to assess where they are on certain concepts.  My students are surprisingly honest and do not just give a 4 for everything. 

I love how this dice board came out!  Each magnetic container holds two foam dice that I made from dollar store counting cubes.  Now when my students need dice for a math game, they can easily grab a container and play.  The see-through top allows them to roll the dice without taking them out of the container.

Also, I am joining in with the amazing back to school sale on Teachers Pay Teachers. 

Thank you to Krista for the cute graphic.  Just click on it and it will take you straight to my store. I don’t know about you, but my shopping cart has been loaded for over a week in hopes that the sale was near. 

The button above was made by Diane at Fifth in the Middle with graphics by I Teach What's Your Superpower? The graphics below are by the wonderful Amelia from Where the Wild Things Learn!  

Here are my two top wish listed items:

I cannot wait to use my Homophone of the Day Posters again this year. Spending just a week or so on homophones never seemed like enough for my students to fully grasp the concept. My posters have changed all of that. Each week I simply switch out the homophone poster, and I am able to give my students continuing practice with homophones. There are more than enough posters for each week of the school year.  

Zoo-rific Two Step Word Problem Task Cards.  These task cards allow students to practice solving word problems that require two steps.  They meet Common Core Standard 3.OA.8.

One item in my cart that I am very excited to purchase tomorrow is Addition and Subtraction Math Facts Racing Themed Unit from 3 Teacher Chicks.  I have always focused on multiplication and division facts in 3rd grade, so this will really help me in 2nd grade this year. 

August Currently...Already?!?

I cannot believe that it is August 1^st already! I have 24 days before school starts, but 9 of them are already taken up with all day trainings.  I am starting at a new school and in a new grade level this year, so I have a lot to learn.  I am linking up with Farley from Oh Boy, 4th Grade! for August’s Currently…

Listening: My fiancé and his friend have been completing a lot of little projects around our new house, so power tools have been heard daily.  I love how everything is coming together!

Loving: Living in the Bay Area, we don’t get a super hot summer and each day usually starts with fog.  However, the past few days have been sunny and warm.  I have been trying to soak up the sunshine.

Thinking: I didn’t know until Monday that I was for sure teaching 2^nd grade this year, so I hadn’t printed anything out specifically for 2^nd grade.  Now my printer has been working overtime to get everything printed, organized, and ready to start the new school year.

Wanting:  I really want to meet the other teachers I will be working with this year.  The staff I met during the interview process were awesome, so I’m sure the other 2^nd grade teachers will be awesome too.  I will be meeting everyone next Wednesday, and I can’t wait!

Needing: I have no idea what my classroom looks like, so I am super anxious to see what I am working with.  The principal is going to show me my classroom tomorrow, and then I can really start planning, organizing, and decorating. 

B2S Must Have #1: I would be lost without my Scotch laminator at home (can't beat $25 and free shipping with Amazon Prime).  Having the laminator at home allows me to prep so much before heading back to school.  Plus the sheets are so much thicker than the stuff in the school laminator.

B2S Must Have #2: I am like a little kid, and like to get a new lunchbox before every school year.  This year I found a sugar skull lunchbox with matching reusable bags that I love!

B2S Must Have #3: There is always so much to get completed the first week of school, but I love to include fun activities throughout the days.  I use these fun activities at centers while teaching the procedures and routines that we will use throughout the school year.  This year I am excited to use two great resources from Lyndsey Kuster at A Year of Many Firsts. I will use her activities in Back to School for Seconds to get to know my students and teach them about the expectations in our classroom. 

I can't wait to introduce the Daily 5 with her adorable resources.  

I hope you’ll link up with Farley too because I love reading everyone’s entries.