Overload of Classroom Pics

First TPT is having a big back to school sale August 12th and 13th. My products will be 20% off and then if you use the code below you can get another 10% off. Don't forget TPT also takes purchase orders now.

Now, I am one of those nerds that gets really excited about getting my room ready. I am doing the owl theme this year and wanted to share some a lot of pictures with you and where I got my stuff. Here we go!

These first four are the outside of my room. Here is my pinterest inspired crayon wreath. Sure everyone has seen this but just in case you can find directions here: http://momspartycafe.blogspot.com/2010/06/teacher-giftscontinuedcrayon-wreaths.html

This is a FREE welcome sign you can get here.

Another welcome sign that I posted onto super cute colorful card stock that I found at yep the Dollar Tree. Love me some Dollar Tree. This is also FREE from here.

I am going to try Daily 5 and Cafe this year. This is my board for that. I got these cute little owl signs here and here for oh yes FREE again.

This adorable wall art came from Kohls. The alphabet posters I got for only $2 here.

The number cards above and the month posters and days of the week posters I actually made myself and can be purchased here as a set for only $3.50. You can also search my store and purchase them as individuals if you don't need all 3.

This was another pinterest inspired idea. I just cut the letters out and hot glued clothespins on the card stock from Dollar Tree.

This is my boggle board and yes I realize I have the word dumb across the bottom. I switched it.

These are my classroom rules. I am also going to try whole brain teaching this year. You can get these rules posters here for FREE. I just attached them with some pretty pink and green ribbon.

I have more but I am going to have to stop here for today and I'll post the rest in a couple of days. Don't forget about my big back to school giveaway where you can win a lot of prizes. You can enter until Friday by checking out the previous post.







Back to School Giveaway

Well it's almost that time again. Summer break went so fast for me. Feels like it just started. I'm a nerd though, so I'm pretty excited about starting back. To celebrate I wanted to have a big back to school giveaway. I have several wonderful ladies from other blogs that have agreed to help me out. Here is what one lucky lady (or guy) could win:

Oh and you can click on their names to be taken to their blogs or on the preview picture to be taken to the products description page to find out more about each one. The giveaway will go from August 3rd-August 10th. Check out all of the wonderful products and then find out how to enter below!

From me (Second Grade Perks)



From Emily @ Second Grade Silliness

From Corinna @ Surfin' Through Second

From Casey @ Second Grade Math Maniac

From Christa @ Sweet Life of Second Grade
                                                                          
                                                  

From Brandi @ Success in Second Grade

Krista @ The Second Grade Superkids

From Jamie @ 2nd Grade Stuff

From Katie @ Second Grade Sparkle

Here are all the ways you can enter: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lots of Ideas

I had to attend a 2 day training this week where I got TONS of ideas for this year. Thought I would share some with you.

My first session was with Dr. Jean. Pretty impressive huh? She taught us how to make a lot of quick and cheap centers. Here were some of her ideas.

Bean counters. Love this! You use 15" tape and tape 10 beans together to use for nonstandard measurement (common core).



Pencil Pocket Book. This could be used with tons of math topics: multiplication, adding, money you name it. You just get about 5 pencil pockets with the clear fronts and hold them together with pipe cleaner. You put whatever problem you want on the front and the kiddos put the answer in the pocket using what you want them to. The picture uses those little erasers, but you could use paper clips, cotton balls or anything small.


Personal PC. All you need is a file folder, sheet protector and this keyboard download. You put what ever you want the kids to practice typing in the sheet protector. Great word work idea for Daily 5.


Finger Phonics. Also great for word work. Use dollar store gardening gloves and cut the tips off. Write letters on the tips and they practice making words.


At one session I was told about a cute back to school activity to help build self-esteem. It is called We're All Experts and can be used with the book: The OK Book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. You have each child think of something they are good at and draw a picture of them doing it and write about it (or just label it I am an expert at _______ for younger students). You can make a class book out of their pictures and then other students that want to know more about what their classmates are experts at can get with that person to learn more about it.

I went to one session that was all about domino games. There are so many things you can do with dominoes that I had never thought of.
Here are some ideas:

* One student holds a domino and covers one number with their thumb. If they have the domino with a 3 and a 5 on it and they cover the 5 they would say to the other students 8 is my sum what's under my thumb? So cute huh? You can get really big dominoes and do this whole class too.

* Domino War with regrouping. Students draw 2 dominoes and lay them one over the over as a 2 digit addition or subtraction problem. Whoever gets the bigger number keeps all dominoes.

* Dominoes Outcome Chart. Here you have a black and white copy of all dominoes lined up (all zeros in one line, all ones, etc.) There are several things you can do with this page. which can be downloaded here by clicking on workshop handouts on the left. For all versions you put the actual domino face up on the matching black and white domino.

1) Disappearing bone yard (3 versions) 1st version (easier) Student will roll 2 dice (or the double dice)

They have to find the domino that matches and flip it over until all are flipped. 2nd version (middle) Student will roll a 12 sided die and flip over any domino that equals the number. (example: if they roll an 8, they could flip over the 1 and 7 domino or the double 4. 3rd version (harder) Student will roll a 12 spotted die and flip over a domino that equals the number. For the 1st version you remove all zeros and for the 2nd and 3rd version you remove the double zero. All of these dice can be found here under product catalog.

*Clockominoes-2 player game-Each student has their own set of dominoes and game board that looks like the one below. You can easily draw a master of this. I do not have one to share or I would. They will take turns turning over a domino and saying the problem. For example, a domino that has a 1 and 4 on it would be called as 1 plus 4 is five and thy lay that domino on the 5. The object it to be the first to cover each number on the clock. If the same student from the example drew the 5 and blank they would say 5 plus 0 is 5 and have to put it on top of the other 5.

 

 You can get a 6 set (each a different color) here for only $20.

 I learned so much more and could go on for days but these are some of my favorites. Hope you got some good ideas.

FYI tomorrow I will be having a BIG giveaway with tons of prizes!!

More Monster Freebies

If you read my last post you saw my monster themed daily 5 posters. I made a couple of more for EEKK, I Pick, and 3 ways to read a book that you can get for free here at TN and here at TPT.

Also, since I don't have a lot to post today I wanted to share what has made my summer the most awesome ever........my beautiful 10 month old baby girl Tinley. How can you love someone soooooo stinkin' much?!?!? Notice the last picture. She got kinda tired shopping with me for my classroom.

Happy Thursday!!

Daily 5 Freebie

Sorry I have not written very much this summer. I am changing my room theme to owls so I have been busy busy in my room. I forgot my camera last time I was there, so I'm going to take it back and get some pictures to show you and I'll be letting you know where I got most of my stuff. I found a lot of it for free from other lovely bloggers so stay tuned for that.

My sister is doing a monster theme in her room and asked if I would make her some monster themed daily 5 and cafe posters. I thought I would share them with you. Click here to get them for free from TN and here for TPT. Here is a preview. Enjoy!

Make sure you check out an awesome giveaway at Finally in First. She is giving away her decoding strategies packet. I really hope I win this!

Updated Blog and Giveaway

Hey there! Hope yall's summer has been wonderful. I know mine is going by way too fast. Well, I finally broke down and had a blog template designed instead of using a free one. I love it! What do you think? I also decided if I was updating my template I would update my blog name as well, so I said goodbye to Second Grade Perks and came up with The Perky Teacher. One of the main reasons for this was when you buy a blog template they charge you if you change your blog name to change it for you on your template. I thought, well what if I swap grade levels (fingers crossed that doesn't happen) and then my blog is called Second Grade Perks. So anywho I came up with The Perky Teacher (since my last name is Perkins).

On to the BIG giveaway. I was invited by Casey with Second Grade Math Maniac to join in on a huge giveaway. There are 26 prizes. I am giving away one of my common core packets (Numbers and Operations in Base Ten). Click here to check it out.

Daily Warm-Ups and Teacher's Notebook

I first wanted to let you kow that I recently opened a Teacher's Notebook Shop. Head on over and check it out if you get a chance and become a follower. It has all the same items as my TPT store, but I know some of you may prefer one over the other.

I have been wanting something to start my day off with that has meaning. I came up with Daily Common Core Math Warm-Ups. The way I designed it is 3 questions per day that covers the math common core standards. There are enough for a full school year. I thought what better way to introduce new skills the kiddos have never seen before. That way when we get to that skill in the year it won't be brand new to them. They will already have the basic concept down, making my job much easier. Also, if it is a skill I have already covered that's ok too because you know you always have those one or two students that did not get it the first time and it refreshes their memory on an old skill instead of teaching it once and forgetting to ever go back to it again.

The way I plan to use it is put the 3 questions up on my overhead in the morning (easy enough) and then have them bring their answers to morning meeting where I can then have mini lessons on the topics covered. If you hop on over to my TPT store you can pick it up. I want to do something a little special for my blog followers soooooo if you purchase my new math warm ups and send me a comment on this blog post that you did, you can pick any other item in my shop that is the same price or lower to be sent to you for free. So in your comment leave the item you want and your email.

Now I know this concept is not a new one, but I wanted it to be aligned to the common core standards since that is what I will be teaching next year, so I just created my own. Here are some sample pages. Click here to be taken to the product page at my TPT store and here for TN.

I have also been invited to join in a big giveaway soon. Keep watching for more details on that. Have a great Fourth of July!!!!

One more thing I had to come back and add. Learning is Something to Treasure is having a HUGE awesome giveaway with 19 prizes. I just entered. Hope you do too!

I'm Done Centers Freebie and Purchase Orders

First of all, do y'all know that TPT now accepts purchase orders. That's awesome. I spend so much of my own money on TPT and I know you probably do to so just wanted to pass that info along.


Next, I have been working on something for my students that always finish early and say I'm done what can I do. I created I'm Done Centers that I want to share with you for free. A little explanation first. There are big signs for each center that states the name of the center and what choices they have at the center. The little center signs I am going to use as bucket labels where I will keep each center and its materials. I have not yet decided how I want to let them use them though so feel free to share your ideas. Here are a few of mine:


*When they are finished they just go over and pick the one they want to do (which may mean they pick the same one every time)
*Create a rotation schedule and they are allowed to go to only one center once a day. I'm thinking since it is always the same students that finish first they are going to run through these centers so fast and so often that they will very soon become bored with them.
*Let them make their own schedule on Monday in their journal of which one they will go to each day. Again, this way they only get to use one per day.


Here are a few preview pics of what I made. If you want to download yours for free just click here.

Hope everyone enjoys! Don't forget to read my last post to find out about my common core buy one get one free offer going on this week!