Giant Place Value

Giant Place Value Manipulatives

Base 10 Pieces

 Many of you know that it's my first year back in 2nd grade after being in 3rd for the last seven years. In an effort to find fresh ideas I took to Pinterest when I found this! I couldn't wait to get started. I took some Astrobrights Cardstock (9.5x11) and trimmed the long edge to 10 inches. Then cut that in half so that I had two 4.25 inch pieces. Then cut that in half so that I had four 5 inch by 4.25 inch pieces. 
I ended up using 6 sheets of cardstock per color (pink, blue, green, yellow purple). That made ten Base 10 Rods and twenty Base 10 Units. 

I taped 5 together at a time. Then took two halves and taped them together to create the rod. I used a black marker to create the sections of the rod, added a smilie face and found some eyeballs in my clip art, but then found a sheet of them in this Frankenstein Craftivity I had purchased. I'm going to be honest, the eyeballs were a pain to cut out so you could just draw some or not put faces on them at all.  

I'm going to use them in my whole group lessons during my Guided Math Place Value Unit. The kids are going to work together to create numbers while the other kids identify them. I can also see using them when we start regrouping with addition and subtraction. 

Guided Math

Me, Reagan Tunstall and my BFF Adrienne

On October 1st I had the opportunity to attend Reagan Tunstall's Guided Math Game Plan Conference with my best friend. It was simply amazing! I always considered myself a reading person, my strength, I felt, was teaching reading. Well after attending this conference I now feel like I'm a pretty good math teacher as well!
If you can't make it to one of her conferences she has a step by step guide on Teachers Pay Teachers on How To Launch Guided Math. I highly recommend downloading it and reading through it if you are at all interested in guided math. 
I wanted to share my plan on how I plan to implement guided math with my 2nd graders. 
Based on Reagan Tunstall's recommendations my 70 minute math block should be broken up like this: Warm Up- 7 minutes Whole Group- 18 minutes Small Group- 38 minutes Reflection- 7 minutes I chose to break of my block like this: Warm Up- 10 minutes Spiral Review- 10 minutes Whole Group Mini Lesson- 10 minutes Small Group- Two 12 minute groups Review Journal- 5 minutes Reflection- 10 minutes Here's what each component looks like in my classroom and links to the resources I'm using:
Warm Up- I decided to use Reagan Tunstall's Math Warm Ups for 2nd Grade. The students really enjoy them and it keeps them engaged. 

This was our Workout Wednesday Warm Up

Spiral Review- Back in May I blogged about implementing Daily Math Review in my 2nd grade classroom. I could have done away with it in lieu of the math warm ups but I have already created the booklets and my students love working in them daily. 

Whole Group Mini Lesson- I've been using lessons from The Moffatt Girls during my whole group lessons. Since it is a growing bundle every concept is available yet. I've been supplementing with resources from Amy Lemons and Reagan Tunstall. 

Journal Entry- After whole group and before math rotations begin, students have to complete a journal entry. I'm using handouts from The Moffatt Girls Math Made Fun bundle and shrinking them to 85% for students to glue and complete in their composition journals. Students can not begin their first rotation until their journal entry is completed. 
Rotations- I have 5 math groups that do 2 rotations a day, which means each group will visit each MATHS rotation twice a week. 
Math Facts- students practice their basic math facts at this rotation, it includes flash cards and centers on basic facts (the centers are from the Moffatt Girls Bundle)

Math Facts Activity

At Your Seat- students complete a math menu at this rotation, I use menus from Teacher's Clubhouse and Choose and Do Math Grids
Teacher Table- this is my small group rotation and where the bulk of my teaching happens, I use a variety of engaging activities to instruct students while they're in a small group with me, most of the lessons come from the Moffatt Girls Bundle

Odd/Even Small Group Activity

Hands On- students at this station work with math manipulatives and math mats, I also keep Flip and Solve Booklets at this station for students to work on as well 

Hands on Activity with Color Cubes and Math Mats

Stations- students at this station work with math puzzles and centers from the Moffatt Girls Bundle (as you can see I'm getting my money's worth with that bundle!)

Odd/Even Numbers Station

Review- After our two 12 minute rotations I briefly go over the journal entry while students check their work. 
Reflection- We do this to wrap up Math Workshop. I use the Reflection Cards from Reagan Tunstall, students share in partners or with their tables. These can be used in any subject area, not just math. 

Table Reflections

We've been going strong in guided math for about 3 weeks now and I love it! My students are really mastering the math concepts and it shows in their assessment scores. 

3 Weeks In...

Week 3 was definitely one for the books! We spent 3 hours on Monday sheltered in place, meaning, from 2:40pm-5:30pm my students and I were hunkered down in the hallway in tornado drill position. When it was all said and done I think there was about 10 confirmed tornadoes in Central Virginia that day. Many parents rushed to pick up their children as soon as they were able to. My last child left at 6:45pm and most of the buses started pulling in around 7pm. They had to run their middle school and high school routes before they could even head to the elementary schools. I'm thankful for the safety of our students and all our families. 

I took some updated pictures on Friday of my classroom I wanted to share. 

Math Board

Addition Strategies Anchor Chart

Our Super Improver Board- They're moving on up!

We read The Bad Seed and made a Growth Mindset Craftivity. I'm also happy to say that all of my students still have their original pencil from the first day of school!

Books with a Common Theme Board

Our Bucket Fillers/Dippers Chart

We Learned about Nonfiction Text Features last week

Our Reading Posters

More Anchor Charts

Even More Anchor Charts

We started talking about Growth Mindset this week

Our first Wonders were about Hurricane Florence

We read The Jelly Donut Kindness and discussed ways to be kind to others

Close Up of Craftivity

Inside of Craftivity

Back to School Night was Thursday- waiting for parents was their child's Learning Handbook (study guides for every subject), a copy of my Parent Handbook with all policies and procedures, Movie Permission Slip, Computer Log in Card and a note they could leave for their child

Classroom Tour 18-19

My signature Open House outfit paired with my fuchsia Tieks

I'm so sorry it took two weeks to get this done. I'm exhausted... my mind was ready for a new school year, my body wasn't! I'm able to complete this blog post due to my #hurrication. Hurricane Florence is making landfall, VA ended up being spared the brunt of it however they have canceled school in the area due to possible high winds. 

My #teamBFF and I. Different teams this year but still each other's biggest fans!

My best friend and I. She's rockin' her cool grey Tieks and LLR Tank and Madison Skirt. My advice, get you a friend to challenges you to be a better person. #shemakesmebetter

View from the Door

Super Improver Wall and SMART (Brag) Tags

Front Board

View of Corner

Math Bulletin Board

Guided Reading Table

View of Windows

Decided to Hang my Zazzle Decor underneath my Wreath

7 Habits of Happy Kids Posters

View of Cubbies

View of Cubbies

View of Back Wall

PBIS Posters

View of Corner

View of Carpet area

Books with a Common Theme Board

Pencil Challenge and Student Work Board

View of Library

Rocking Chair

Student Desks ready for Open House

I gave my students Cheryl's Cookies at Open House, if you haven't tried them you need to! From the Oatmeal Raisin, to the Frosted Buttercream to the Lemon Burst, I love them all!

Our Wonder Wall... I mean Door.

Welcome Bunting

I hope to share what we've been doing in class soon. Are you on Twitter? You can check us out at 

https://twitter.com/jsaunders2nd!