This is a tough post to write. Our last day of school was on June 13th. When I say last day, I don't just mean for the summer, but for good. I have spent the last 7 years teaching here, and I am still processing all of this. Peter Pan (one of the favorite books we read in 2nd grade) said, “Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” So instead, I will say so long because I will never ever forget the lessons I've learned, friends I've made, and the students I've taught.

Freebie Friday

One of my favorite sections in writing is when the students learn how to write friendly letters. I like to have lots of fun with this unit. The students write letters to my incoming 2nd graders, the President, and the person of their choice. They bring in a stamped envelope, address, and letter. Then we walk to the nearest mailbox (there is one at the front of our school), and they mail their letters. On the last day of school, I give the students my address. I love receiving the updates and pictures over the summer. Here is my free checklist that I use with my students. Happy writing and happy Friday!

Tip Tuesday

Hope you and your family had a great Memorial Day. My husband and I took a trip to Washington, DC....such a great place to celebrate and honor those who served. Now I'm back to school and ready to share a reading tip with you....

My mom (who is also a teacher) and I were talking about how we wanted to implement close reading in our classrooms. It's a way for the students to really go deeper in their reading, which strengthens their comprehension. Here is a really informative article about its positive effects. I created this packed (with a cute "dive into reading" theme) that includes two anchor charts (the steps of close reading and the marks used for a pencil read). It also includes reading response worksheets for students to use. These are great for if your students are reading a text that you don't want them to mark up, but you still want them to do a pencil read. You can staple them together with a blank page and allow the students to illustrate a cover for the text they just read. Check them out here and feel free to share your thoughts/ideas about close reading.

Tip Tuesday

We are in the homestretch! On the last day of school, I like to have a special awards assembly in my class. I invite the parents and have a different theme each year. One popular theme was candy. Check out the sweet awards I made. You can purchase them to use in your classroom too! How do you make the end of the year special?

Tip Tuesday

Here are some great ways we can encourage and thank the teachers we work alongside everyday!

Fun Day Monday

Mother's Day is right around the corner! It's always fun for the students to make something special for their mothers. Here is  one of my ideas for a personalized and inexpensive project. I found a cute teacup template online and added the words "You are a tea-riffic mom!" They used watercolors to paint the teacups and glued three sides (leave the top open for a teabag) onto their construction paper card. You could also use scrapbook paper for the cards. I brought in various flavors of tea for the students to choose. Marshall's, Home Goods, etc. is a good place to find all different flavors for reasonable prices. They added the "I love you!" tags to the teabags and slipped them into the teacup.

Fun Day Monday

Who doesn't love a sale? For the next 3 days, you can get some great products for the end of the year or stock up for next year. Don't miss out on this 15% off sale. Happy spring and happy shopping!
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Stephanie-Donaldson