SOAP Landforms

IVORY galore! Today we used Ivory soap bars to create landforms. Students need to carve 3-4 landforms in their soap bars and then write about their creations! Many loved carving a valley and doing mountains! Definitely, a smelly lesson :)

Animal Unit

It is hard to believe our animal unit is almost completed. I think this year has proven to be the most adventurous, meaningful, and insightful! The experiments that we did, discussed, and questioned and the discussions we shared about animal characteristics, adaptations, survival strategies, and how we impact the lives of animals have been educational, led to deeper understandings, and have also spurred students to do research about animals by themselves! BRAVO 2nd graders!

THANKFUL!

In my 11th year of teaching, I am so thankful for my health, energy, creativity, passion, my students and their families, supporitive staff and coworkers, and most importantly, GOD's never ending support!

10 year award

WOW...today I was honored to be presented with a Golden Apple and a letter from a School Board Member to testify of my teaching skills and impact I have made on her children. It is hard to believe and wrap my fingers around the fact that it has been a decade. The time has flown by, but there have been many changes over the past decade. Technology and parents' views/beliefs about education are the two major areas that I feel have seen tremendous changes. Technology updates, changes and possibilities seem to be endless and at times I feel like I cannot keep abreast of all the cyber world paths. Parents' roles and views about education seem to have swung to being more liberal than in the past. It seems many more parents shine through their children's sports, lives, and activities. They are more active in extracurricular activities and family time at night seems to be minimalized. Additionally, in days past many parents backed their children's teachers on discpline issues/behavior modifications, but today it seems that a wrong choice was not made or an excuse is given for a inappropriate choice. Obviously, this is not the case for all parents, in fact, I'm GRATEFUL TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF MANY LOVING, CARING, and GIVING FAMILIES!!!! Now, I ponder, what will the next decade bring? What trends will sweep the teaching floor?

Pinterest

Well...I think I found a site that has me captured...hook, line, and sinker-or should I say pin!

WOW....so many creative and helpful boards, pins, posts, and resources! It is amazing how many people are on Pinterest and what their favorites in life are! Furthermore, it is so enriching and valuable to see the boards/pins of other 2nd grade teachers! It allows me to spin ideas of off their pins and to check to make sure my students are being taught with the best resources, tools, techniques, and methods!!! Now...I just need to monitor my time on that site!

Eggs

Today we had the opportunity to examine two eggs. We discussed what might be the reasons they are different...how were they different? Students suggested the following: temperature, size, weight, different breeds of chickens laid the eggs, one had a baby inside, etc. Then I had them spin the eggs. One spun slowly, the other quickly. We then discussed what might be causing the different speeds. Finally I told them one was boiled and one was not. But which one? At last we revealed whihc one was and discussed how a hard boiled eggs spins faster because the liquid is now a solid.