Parent Visitation Day: SUCH Fun!

I've been sorting through the photos on our class camera and reliving awesome moments. Here's a fabulous one to share with you. We had such an amazing afternoon when so many parents were able to visit and explore the properties of solids in the context of constructing towers. Students developed scientific knowledge in this authentic context with your help, parents. And it was so fun!!

How Many, How Long, How Far, is 1,000?!

We have been investigating the concept of 1,000. Students worked collaboratively as a whole group and in partnerships to investigate multiples of 10 and multiples of 100 as they created paper clip chains of 10s, 100s, and then finally, one long chain of 1,000. The chain was made with bi-colored paperclips grouped into sets of ten. Students decided it was "easier to see tens" if they alternated red and white clips in their chains. 

After making a set of ten, students estimated that maybe 100 paper clips would be taller than a second grader. They estimated that maybe 1,000 paperclips would be as long as our classroom. Students were delighted and surprised to realize midway into linking each partnership's chain of 100 that we actually had to leave our classroom and relocate to the upstairs hallway because 1,000 was just simply too many, too long, too far for our room!

Students skip counted by 10s and 100s to 1,000 as well as applied mental addition and subtraction strategies from given points in our building process. In order to be successful with this fun math experience, students needed to work productively and cooperatively with peers and as a classroom community, attend to precision, and apply numerical operations as well as their understanding of our base ten system. 

What's next? Measuring with paper clip chains and then transferring this manipulative model to the concept of a number line to solve problems involving three-digit numbers.

Stay tuned for this post to debut in the district newsletter, Region in Review, this Friday 12/13!

Nothing like compassion from a room full of 7-year-olds (or so)...

Morning Meeting has always been my secret favorite part of the day. Since the start of school, we have held a handful of Morning Meetings that I wish desperately I could have captured on film. Whether to share with you via this blog, or just to keep tucked away in my files so I could watch and reflect or watch and smile at later dates. Today was one of those.

Students were introduced to the art of commenting as first graders, I am sure, and I re-introduced them to the art of commenting on someone's share or someone's work this year as second graders. The criteria for Morning Meeting comments are to stay focused on the sharer and to show empathy with the purpose of fostering positive interactions amongst students and scaffolding student independence in offering thoughtful words to one another and acknowledging those words in hopes that students will do this in their own interactions.

Today's share that was beautiful and brilliant and just kind of jaw-dropping, heart-stopping was actually  a sad one. A student shared about an extended family member who is struggling with illness. The student offered a few sentences about the family member, and why it was of concern and weighing heavy on this student's mind. The student followed with a quiet "I'm ready for comments and questions."

This was the first beautiful part of this Morning Meeting--that this student felt safe enough in our classroom and with our group to take this kind of risk.

The second beautiful part of this Morning Meeting were the 3 comments that were offered by our classmates. Comments of true sincerity and tenderness, of true empathy and care. Comments that acknowledged they understood this student's worries, and offerings of hope and consolation.

I was fighting back the tears. Yay for you, second grade families. You have amazing children. Let's notice and celebrate their developing glimmers of deep understandings of humanity and empathy each time they present themselves. They're the best kind, you know, the 7-year-old kind.

Unconditional love is loving somebody no matter what

During our study of fiction and "how stories work," we enjoyed Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree. I prefaced this read aloud by spilling my own memory bank of childhood bedtimes with my parents and my brother, piled up in my parents' bed, reading and rereading and rereading this book. We all knew how it went, but we all got teared up during it just the same. My brother, Matt, and I knew there was something special about the tree and the boy even though we were just little. And besides, Mom and sometimes even Dad would get choked up while they were reading it to us.

When I pulled out The Giving Tree for our second graders, their faces lit up and lots of "I love that book" whispers resonated around our circle. We read it just for the pure enjoyment of its' metaphorical beauty, not stopping to chat about books and details like we usually do. Even our most eager participators had eyes quietly glued to the book, bodies calm and still, sitting thoughtfully. When I closed the book, many, many hands shot up. They knew we were studying author's message/theme. They knew I had picked this book for just this reason. So I didn't even get to utter the question: "so what do you think the author's message is for us to apply to our lives?" because each hand raised already had their idea ready. The book is just that good.

Here's what our deep-thinking bunch came up with. Seriously, from the mouths of babes couldn't be more true for the way this conversation went down:
-I think the message is to love somebody, no matter what.
-I think the message is that you can love someone for your whole life
-I think the message is to be generous
-I think the message is to be giving, to give and give and give yourself

Oh, how awesome is this group?

Here's some pics of our students representing the central message of The Giving Tree in sketches and in words.

Beautifying 2B!

Many thanks to the Okenquists for transforming the bulletin boards outside of 2B into a beautiful backdrop for our descriptive writing unit! Amber, Syd and Jake spent much time making the space outside of our room something to be proud of. Our fall landscape will complement the writing students are diligently and creatively producing in Writer's Workshop. They have been applying numerous taught strategies for lifting the quality of their writing in elaborative ways--using onomatopoeia, sensory imagery, and careful word choice to paint a picture in readers' minds. Stay tuned for their published pieces to debut in a few weeks, dotting the landscape the Okenquists dreamed up!

Good Morning!

Just a quick peek at the way we ease into our school days in the morning in 2B! Students get settled, find a quiet spot to read or write on topics of their choice, and slip back into the mindset of a student. 

Official Second Graders!

We have a classroom full of 22 well-prepared and highly capable second graders upstairs at WPS! The first day of school brought students bounding into our new classroom's door, reportedly feeling excited and happy about the promises of a fresh year, reuniting with friends, and the newfound joy of being upstairs. 

On our first day together, I read aloud Julie Danneberg's First Day Jitters, the story of a nervous school-going newbie. In the end, much to 2B's surprise, this newbie is a TEACHER, not a new student. While it was relieving to hear from our students that they did not feel jittery the morning before school started, I disclosed that I, in fact, was feeling that nervous! It's important to me that students understand I eagerly await their arrival as soon as August 1 hits, basically! And, like all humans, that I want to feel acceptance, belonging, significance, and fun! 

Our work together during the first week was extremely important in laying a foundation and establishing purpose for our time together. I knew this was going to be a stellar group as soon as I posed the question: Why do we come to school, anyway? 

I wasn't sure what this group of students would generate. After all, this was the first intellectual discussion we had together. Well, I was floored. I was humbled and refreshed and revved up to see many hands waving in the air and my hand couldn't keep up with the flow of thoughtful responses to record on our chart paper. Here are some of the gems of ideas:

-If we don't come to school each day, then we won't grow a bit smarter each day.

-And if we don't grow smarter each day, we won't have success! We won't get good jobs! Or get into the colleges we want! 

-Because (added another student) you know, colleges can be picky with who they choose to let in.

-We come here each day to see our friends.

-We come to WPS to make new friends.

-We come here to learn. To read. To write. To do math. To get better at all of these things.

-We come here to exercise. To run. To play.

-We go to school so we can work together better, so we know how to work with people.

These are just a few of the student thoughts that I wrote and posted in our classroom. I was just so enthused by the level of reflection and substantial thinking that students volunteered literally from day one. 

It's certainly going to be a most fabulous year.

Here are a few photos I took of students in action during our first week. 

Strong students

Friends at school

Feeling the wind in their hair

Generating destinations for Flat Stanley travels and writing why they'd like their project to travel there

 Having a fun break

Researching China and New York City photos to inform illustrations for their Flat Stanley projects

We're Fluent

As end of year reading assessments roll around, I am amazed at the growth our second graders have accomplished over the course of the year in reading. One learning activity we use from time to time during our reading block is Reader's Theatre. This is a partner or small-group, student-led activity that develops fluency. We need students to leave second grade deeply understanding and consistently exhibiting fluent reading.

Fluent reading is multifaceted and supports comprehension:

• Rate: Maintain a fast (but not too fast) pace
• Phrasing: Read "like you talk." Read in ~four word chunks and use punctuation to guide phrasing (commas, elipsis, colons, semi-colons, etc.).
• Expression: Show expression in tone and voice level, applying appropriate stress and pausing, "reading with feeling"
• Accuracy: decode words in text with ease, integrating cuing systems

Thought you might enjoy these tidbits of paired reading performances! They come from a great series called You Read to Me, I'll Read to You! These books are a series of short partner reads. They would be awesome choices for summer reading with your student before bed or whenever!

Green Thumbs

We have a room full of green thumbs! Second graders have gained experience with multiple plantings this Spring season, which is just the kind of experiential learning I am so thrilled to have a hand in with our students. Second grade science units include Pebbles, Sand & Silt, Soil and New Plants. We have researched, read about, and explored various kinds of earth materials. Students have developed an in-depth understanding of earth materials involved in soil and have been able to apply this knowledge in plantings with the Washington Garden Club, at Flanders Nature Center, with the WPS PTO, and in our classroom! What a flowery way to welcome Spring!

Strike up a conversation with your student....here's some fuel for your chat:

-Can you teach me about how boulders can end up as a grain of sand?

-What are some earth materials that can be found in soil?

-Which is the best type of soil for plant growth? The worst? Why?

-What are some ways seeds can travel?

-What do all plants need to survive?

-Why should we turn plants we keep indoors?

Happy Growing :)

Dress Up as a Word

 Cade as Leif Ericson

 Charlotte as Ruby Bridges

Kyle as Martin Luther King, Jr.

 Asia as Peru

When the clock strikes 8:45 and the morning bell sounds, 2B is really always abuzz. On Dress Up as a Word Day on March 22, though, it was especially lively. Students hurried around, ensuring their costumes were just so, fastening words and definitions to their fronts, scribbling definitions in a frenzy of energy. It was quite fun.  We had everybody in our room--from "ones" (the ones place in a number), to Vikings, to liquid, to fruit, to Beta fish. 

Months ago, I stayed late one night fashioning the most impractical costume ever. The students in 2B know my words of choice are "hope" and "kindness." So for this occasion, I chose to be "hope," the desire and expectation for something to happen. What I ended up with was a laminated suit of second grade pictures and hopes dangling on strings. Students got a real kick out of seeing me maneuvering around the room, holding up my laminated legs, with little yarn hopes flying around me (and who knew wearing laminated paper could be so HOT!?). The point is, I think of my hopes for this group of young people every day. I think of my hope for them to love school, to make the world a better place, to smile 100 times a day, to notice the small beautiful things in life, to accept others' differences. And this was just another chance I couldn't pass up to tell them about it. It weighs on my mind every day, and they should know. 

And they do know, for our room is filled with hope.

WORMS!

2B is having too much fun with poetry. Poetry is one of my favorite units because of the artistry inherent in its written craft. I feel especially passionate about it, and I'm thinking it's catching on amongst the class.

On Friday, Haleigh performed a rendition of "Hiccups" by the hilarious children's poet Jack Prelutsky with poise, humor, and fluency. I was in stitches and our class listened actively and in amazement at Haleigh's excellent reading and flawlessly placed "hiccup" sounds as she read. I wish I caught that one on tape. The celebrated her reading with a round of snaps, as in a coffee shop listening to a poetry slam.

Instead, I have a little gem of a video to share with you from Reading Workshop on Friday. Students are growing in their understanding that poems demand to be read in very intentional ways in order to carry the meaning and music they were written to carry.

Our students might have thought I had gone looney when I told them to "watch me" as I got up, walked across the room, sat on the floor quite close the wall, and started reading to it. The strategy is called Reading to the Wall, and it's a way to develop fluency and meaning in poetry by reading aloud to the wall to perfect performances while hearing oneself.

Though it's a little loud in the background (only because all students were excitedly reading to the piece of wall they had laid claim to), here is a short clip of Cade "reading to the wall." The poem, by Frank Flynn, is called "Spaghetti" and it is about spaghetti's uncanny, fun-but-grotesque likeness to worms (wriggling down your throat, flapping on the side of your face as you slurp). At one point, Flynn writes "WORMS!" on the page...so when you hear lots of screaming, it means students reading to the wall around the room had reached that part and are reading it just as it was meant to be read--in a scream! Next time you eat spaghetti, I hope you don't think of WORMS! 

Travel To Peru!

Who knew our second graders could develop PowerPoint Presentations that could rival some of my college professors!?! :)

As a culminating project for our Social Studies Unit on Peru, students were guided through the research process as they researched, took notes, drafted, and designed presentations on various selected topics relevant to Peru. Their mission? To become experts on their topic and teach their classmates more than they would have known from our regular whole-group instruction on Peru.

Here is a sample--our student group who researched what it is like to go to school in Peru was captured on film to give you a taste of what our second graders were able to produce.

It was very impressive to behold the level of professionalism that students were able to carry out. Their process was mega-multistep:
1. Rate choices for topic preferences from 1-5.
2. Read and highlight key information in 3 print sources.
3. Reread highlighted information and paraphrase.
4. Make decisions within each group as to what material each student in the group would be responsible for reporting on.
5. Craft an outline for each PowerPoint slide with only KEY words.
6. Decide as a group on a slide layout and create slides.
7. Select images that would support text and insert on slides.
8. Craft notecards that elaborate richly on words from slides.
9. Rehearse as a group and provide feedback to one another before presenting.
10. Present as a group to the rest of the class.
11. Provide written feedback to one another and self reflections.

Wow. When I type it out like this, I am even more amazed at the grown up work our students have done. This is super exciting because these research, public speaking, and collaborative group work skills will serve our students well throughout life. Not to mention, students were able to compare and contrast life in CT to life in Peru with understanding, our goal in working to understand cultural significance and grow global perspectives.

We're settin' these second graders up for success!

The Content of our Character

At our faculty meeting this week, we reviewed the results from the Climate Survey completed by staff, parents, and students at the beginning of the school year. Kindness is king in 2B--all students know that kindness is my favorite word and concept. Ever. Morning Meeting fosters community and kindness, and I try to foster kindness throughout the day in subtle ways, just through the way we communicate, our nonverbal language, etc. The results of the student surveys were promising in that many students responded that someone says something nice to them and/or they say something nice to someone each day. Some students, though, indicated that they say or hear mean words being spoken toward peers. A part of me cringes in acknowledging that this is reality: people are not always kind. But the ceaseless idealist in me says: I will work tirelessly to help students in 2B to be the kindest in all the land.

It's March. And our students have been together most days of the week for most waking hours of the day for about 6 months. Not to mention learning and growing in a classroom together through Kindergarten and 1st grade, as well, for the most part. With that being said, at this point in the year, I think we can all use a refresher focus on kindness. In celebration of kindness, here are some recent shots of our students--smiling, cooperating, being silly, having fun.

We continue to focus on building character at school. Here are some of our school wide character focuses to keep in mind in teaching and learning with your child at home. I am quite sure we all hope for these things for our students. I encourage you to think through how you can focus on these concepts with your child in daily life at home :).

Respect: The Golden Rule, courteous actions, acceptance, nonviolence, understanding

Responsibility: accountability, self-control, perseverance, hard work, self-discipline, right/wrong, thinking before acting

Caring: show concern for others, friendliness, empathy, charitable, compassion, generosity

Effective Communicator: patience, active listening, optimism, assertion, cooperation, tolerance, reliability, just, honest, integrity

Creative Problem Solver: take initiative, persist in spite of obstacles, flexibility, creativity, resourcefulness, open-mindedness, leadership

Citizenship: honor and respect for authority, for our country, volunteer, have a voice

100 Days Smarter

Since the 100th day of school came and went, time has felt like it's speeding up! It was precisely 8:42 when I began making this decoration for our door on the 100th day of school. I pressed the adhesive onto the door just as the first second grader rounded the corner to start their day and their reactions were SO worth it. Their faces absolutely lit up as they entered the classroom and all were very gentle so that all could enjoy our celebratory streamers all day.

The truth is, our students are 100 days smarter. Well, more than 100 days smarter now! When I take a moment to reflect on what students could do in late August as fresh second graders compared to what they can do now, I am floored. Some of you have been through life with a second grader before and some of you are new to this experience. Well, I'm right along with you newbies. This is my first year watching this seven and eight year old physical, emotional, and cognitive development process unfold. 

Our students' stamina in reading and writing is much longer. Their mental addition and subtraction is swifter. Their ability to construct many sentences in writing is far less laborious than at the beginning of the year. Their ability to explain their thinking is more cohesive. Their spelling requires less guessing-work on my part :). Their group work is more independent. Do you notice it? 

Can't wait to revisit this idea in June and behold what I find! 

On the 100th day of school, students produced self-portaits and accompanying paragraphs about what life will be like for them when they are 100. I recently sent these home. Did you enjoy them?!