Intervention Time: Computation

RtI time can be stressful. Finding an intervention that meets the needs of your learners that is also engaging is hard. Stress no more. Meghan Harris from Keeping Up with Mrs.Harris and I have teamed up to create the ultimate Computation Intervention Bundle. If you are working on adding and subtracting numbers 0-20 we have it covered.

Building foundational mathematical skills is so important for our young students. These skills are ones they will rely on heavily not only throughout their years in elementary school, but in every step of their careers as learners and their life outside of school.

So, these skills are important to teach with fidelity. But shouldn’t they be fun too? These skills need to be reviewed frequently. Facts need to be memorized, yes I said it, memorized. But not through drill and practice. Let’s engage our little learners in activities that will stick!

How do you make it stick?

Manipulatives make it fun and memorable. Use counters, play-doh, mini erasers (hello Target dollar section!), dice, number cards, number lines, subitizing cards, and spinners to make math unforgettable.

Introduce games during your small group time. You want to ensure that students know how to play and are actually playing the game correctly. Play along with them!

This is an excellent time to model your mathematical thinking for students. Encourage them to explain their thoughts and strategies as they play as well. Once students are comfortable you can put these activities in stations to review all year long. Switch them out occasionally. Soon they will be begging to play certain games!

Many first grade and second grade OA standards are addressed in this bundle. While we made it with those grade levels in mind, it would also benefit kindergarteners that grasp the concept of adding to 5 quickly and need a challenge.

Make learning fun again! Get this bundle now, while it is at a discounted price. If you purchase today you will also get all of the updates as we add more content. Don’t wait, because the price will increase.

Interested in trying it out for free? Head over to Keeping Up with Mrs. Harris for a 30 page FREE sample!

Adult Brags: Reward Yourself

This year I took the leap and started using brag tags with my kids and BOY did it change the game! No more treasure box! Quick, easy motivation! Even kids who don't love wearing their brag tags want to earn them. 

I have this beautiful bulletin board of our brag tags in my room that I just adore. 

My assistant principal walked in one day and asked about them, so of course I explained. She commented that she wish she had a brag tag for making dinner... and then it hit me. Why shouldn't we earn brag tags for adulting??

Adult brag tags were born that night. I love thinking up new brag tags. So far I have made....

 Currently, I am just handing them out to my friends at work, and they find it hilarious. Our staff is pretty big, and I don't want to hurt feelings, so I made one to put in everyone's mailbox: I made someone smile!

You can get this growing pack in my TPT store. Get it now, because as I add more the price will increase. Click HERE or the picture below to check them out! 

A Fresh, New Look All Around

Finally, a new look for Snazzy in Second! I have wanted to upgrade my design for a long time now, just never bit the bullet. I decided to commit to a new design right before the TPT conference this summer, and it is finally done. The wonderful Tenille from Designs by Tenille did a fabulous job (I think)! 
I sent her the business card I designed and then let her go from there. 

I think she nailed the 'snazzy' look perfectly. She was so easy to work with too!

She also created new images for Facebook too. Hope on over and check it out.

I have also spent the time since the TPT conference re-branding my store. I wanted a concise look, something that people would see and know it was Snazzy in Second. I still have a lot more work to do, but I am about halfway done.

I am really hoping this new design motivates me to blog more! Back to college football and lesson plans. 

Monday Made It {August 11th}

Depending on when you read this I am either welcoming or getting to know 25 second graders! Yup, it is back to school I go! 
Not only and I anxious to meet my new students, I am also anxious to share what I have been busy making with you. Time to link up with 4thGrade Frolics for Monday Made It!

My first project is one my husband actually made. I suggested a few weeks ago that he should start drawing some clipart for me. Well, he finally finished his first set. Of course, I loved it, but I decided to share it with the world!

Click HERE to get these delicious cones!

"Our" yummy ice cream cone set is FREE, but only for today! Please go download it and leave us some feedback!
If y'all like it I will put him back to work on some more Snazzy Doodle clip art sets.

My second project is one I CANNOT wait to start using in my classroom. My co-workers (Susan and Natalie) shared an idea with me for student's assessing their own progress. From there I created the "Student Self-Assessment of Learning" pack. Basically, students rate how they feel about the topic your are teaching.

The options for set-up are endless! You can do cups & popsicle sticks like I did, a clip chart, magnetic cards, or individual cards for each student.

 Get the CHEVRON pack HERE!

Get the POKA DOTS pack HERE!

Get the ANIMAL PRINT pack HERE!

My last project is one I will be using today! I made a new frame for a first day of school photo opp!

A very sweet parent (and coworker) made me a frame last year like this, but it got smashed when the cleaning people put my recycling bin on top of it this summer. :(
I loved the frame so much that I made one for my mentee as well!

Couldn't resist having my pup pose for a pic.

Happy first day to all my friends starting back this week!

Monday Made It {August 4th}

Today is my third day of pre-planning, summer is officially over for me.

Before the school year gets me super busy I wanted to link up with 4thGrade Frolics for another  Monday Made It! 

I am mentoring a new teacher again this year, so I wanted to make something that I could give her when we met. I decided on a custom clipboard. I figured while I was making one for her I would make them for my grade level as well.

It was SUPER easy. I started by painting the sides to match the scrapbook paper I picked out.

Then, I traced the clipboard on the back of the scrapbook paper and Mod Podged it on! For my mentee I decided she needed a few extra goodies (notepad, pens, and stickies)!

Next project was one I did a few weeks ago. I planned a 'Craft Night' at my house with some of my teacher friends and wanted to have a little something for them. So, I found wine glass tumblers at the Dollar Tree and then use my Silhouette to cut out the phrase "I teach therefore I drink" in vinyl.

My last project was a Pinterest-Inspiration. I saw Simply Skilled in Second's picture of her math station storage and LOVED it!

I am big on differentiation, and wanted to be able to put the different seatwork assignments somewhere other than a table. I made some labels and Velcro'ed them onto the colored drawers. That way if I only have 4 station or 2 different seatwork assignments I can remove the extra labels.

Funny thing, Mrs. Lemons posted a picture on Instagram this weekend about her Michael's Create2Educate project... it was the same thing! Great minds think alike! Her drawers are white and she used bright labels, it is super cute you need to check it out.

Don't forget the TPT Blast Off Back to School Sale is today and tomorrow!

Check out my STORE! I am about to go empty my wish list into my cart!

Planner and Gradebook Giveaway!

After posting about the planner and gradebook I made I had a lot of great feedback, asking me to post it on TPT! {See the original post HERE}

Thank you for all those that asked about it.

 

 

 

I have indeed posted it to TPT, you can get it HERE!

 

Well, since you asked for it, I thought one of you should get it for FREE!

 

Enter below to win yours!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Birthday + Blue Skies = BIG News

I am excited to share something BIG and exciting with you...

Click the picture to check out the sale!

May is my birthday month, and let me start by saying I am far from a birthday brat. I don't usually make a big deal of my birthday, but I decided this year I would. To celebrate my birthday my entire TPT store is going to be on sale from May 1- May 21st (my birthday). But wait... It gets better.

I will be donating all sales during that time to Blue Skies! What's Blue Skies you ask? Blue Skies is a week-long family retreat to bring the hope of Christ to families living through the emotional, physical, financial and spiritual challenges of pediatric cancer. It is is a week of healing, with new friends and a lifetime of memories they will cherish forever. The goal is that children who are sick will laugh and play again; that siblings, who often compete with illness, will feel cherished and valued; and, that marriages and families will be renewed and strengthened. Check out the Blue Skies site: http://www.blueskiesministries.org/

I first learned about this organization from my bestie Emily. She and her amazing mother volunteered on a retreat two years ago and shared their experiences with me. Their passion, generosity, and willingness to give of themselves for these families truly inspired me. So, this year when Emily asked if I wanted to go I didn't think twice about it. I am honored to be volunteering on a Blue Skies retreat in June.

I ask that if you can, please check out my Birthday Bash - TPT Sale supporting Blue Skies. You'll be giving children with cancer, their siblings, and their parents a life long memory. If you would like to support Blue Skies another way or make a donation please feel free to email me: Erin.c.stephan@gmail.com 

Integrating Social Studies into Reading

We recently started teaching one of my favorite Social Studies units… Civil Rights! In this unit we focus on the contributions of Martin Luther King Jr. and Jackie Robinson. I wanted to incorporate this unit into my reading groups, so I went browsing in the amazing leveled library at my school.

Well, there was not a book about on any of the civil rights leaders for my lowest group, so I selected What is Government? by Ann-Marie Kishel. It was a perfect introduction of how the government helps us and the jobs within the government. During their computer rotation this group watched the Local and State Government video on Brain Pop Jr.

 

 

 

Most of the students in my middle group read on a level K or L, and I found the perfect book for them. We read Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rapport. Although, I have taught second grade for several years, this was my first time reading this book. Let me say, it will be read every year from now on.  My students really got into the discussion with this book. There was a lot of deep thinking about what influenced Martin, how African-Americans felt, and the reasons behind a non-violent movement. I was surprised how long it took us to get through the book because of our discussions! One of my students even picked Martin’s Big Words for her ‘The Book You Must Read’ opinion writing topic.

For my third group I selected The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles. Before we started reading this book I asked my students to make a list in their journals of ways their classmates are different. I have to share the conversation that happened immediately after giving the directions:

Student 1: I’m black and he is white.

 Student 2: Well, that’s just racist.

Student 1: It is a difference. I’m a girl and you’re a boy. So what?

I had to stop them there. They were hitting the mark with the point of the activity! I wanted them to write down more examples before we got too far into our discussion. Needless to say we spent the rest of our time discussing differences and how we’re are treated fairly. While reading the book in the following days we also had some deep discussions about how brave Ruby was and the type of person she had to be to not get defeated.

To continue integrating the social studies curriculum into reading I selected close reading passages about civil rights leaders for each group to do this week. If you have not tried ReadWorks you must! It’s free! They have a ton of leveled passages.

Like a lot of the country, we got hit with a snow/ice storm last week. This caused us to have 3 days off, so I  put my creativity to work and created a Famous African-Americans: A Black History Month Pack.

 

Click on the picture to check it out.

I included seven activities for ten famous African-Americans: Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King Jr., Harriett Tubman, Ruby Bridges, Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, Thurgood Marshall , Sojourner Truth, Booker T. Washington, and Jesse Owens.

 

I am excited to use this pack within my reading groups and social studies lessons. I hope you will find this helpful in supplementing your own lessons.

 

Happy Holidays!

I love the holidays! It means time spent with my family, time to relax, and time to catch up! My hubby and I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas celebrating with his family and mine. Our puppy Rosie is still exhausted from all the fun!

This was the picture on our Christmas card. Rosie was kind enough to stand-still for a few minutes for me to quickly snap this picture.

My husband gave be a Silhouette for our one year anniversary (get it… paper!). I have really enjoyed crafting on the weekend with it. It is super simple to use! I have made several banners… my specialty. I am thinking Etsy may be a venture I should look into.

Winter break means I have the time to do what I love.

I decided to update some of my older products… some really needed a face lift! If you already own my Types of Nouns pack or my Spring into Learning pack make sure you download the updates. I plan on redoing a few other items, so look out for updates.

 

 

Click the pictures to see the products in my store.

Can you tell I am loving the polka dots and chevron banners?

What else have I been up to?

I collaborated with a friend and coworker to create two amazing products. Jessica Zaninni is a mother, teacher, and  very creative TPT seller. She has more experience in the upper grades than I do, so I asked for her help with two 3rd and 4th grade products. Check them out in my TPT store. I think we make a pretty fantastic team.

This product has been requested by many of my TPT followers. Jessica did a fantastic job, every ELA, Reading, Writing, Speaking/Listening vocabulary word you can think of is included in this set. I hope you all enjoy our labor of love.

 

 This is another product that I had several requests for. I  am so grateful for Jessica's help and expertise with these 4th grade ELA EQs and I Cans.

 

Now, what should we do for New Years Eve? I guess I need to make some plans.