Our classroom is where we spend most of our day; therefore we want it to be as welcoming as possible. Enjoy the pictures of our room. Our theme this year is The Wizard of Oz!
Each morning we start our day with Target Reading. It is a reading program that spirals through reading skills. A few examples of skills that it works on are main idea, summary, author’s purpose and it also builds fluency.
Building responsibility is important in a 2nd grade classroom. This is our ‘Hearty Helper’ chart. Each week we rotate which students are responsible for each job.
At our school we support a positive and proactive classroom management program called CHAMPs. We encourage each of our students to act like a CHAMP!
Wall space is limited so we have a hanging word wall. These are our ‘no excuse’ words that students are expected to spell correctly in everything that they do. Each week we add more words to our wall.
We also try to be bucket fillers in our classroom. A bucket filler encourages their classmates and build them up with positive comments.
These are our book boxes. Each student has a book box that they fill on their ‘shopping day.’ These are their books for the week that they use during read to self time. Above the boxes are our word work tubs. During word work, the students grab a tub and work on that week’s words. The tubs include activities such as stamping, rainbow words, magnetic letters, wiki sticks, and stencils.
This is our writing center. It includes paper to use during writer’s workshop as well as editing tools. Also on the wall we have lists of better words to use and our writing process.
This is our number corner. We meets here each day to work on mathematics skills such as counting coins, reading calendars, comparing numbers and many more skills. The skills that we work on change each month.
This is our classroom library. As the year progresses, I add books to our library from my ‘secret book stash.’ Our library just seems to grow and grow. This is where the students shop each week for their books. Each shelf stands for a different level of book. The binders on the bottom row are our writing notebooks that we fill weekly with items that help us become awesome writers.
To go with our theme, each student has their picture posted with them standing on the yellow brick road. We had to travel quite a far way away to Oz to have these pictures made, but it was worth it!
Looks like a fun place to learn. They say there’s no place like home, but I am thinking that this place might just be the one.
I would like a copy of the adorable I Pick to use with my 1st Graders!!
You can download the words at the link below.
http://vr.woisd.net/users/saccoccioj/
Tell me more about your Bucket Filler display… What exactly have you got there?
We read the book, Have You Filled a Bucket Today. This book talks about being bucket fillers which are people who are positive and build one another up. We talked about not being ‘bucket dippers’ which are people who make fun of one another, are bullies, or who just are mean to others in general. This book does an awesome job of explaining the difference in a bucket filler versus a bucket dipper. We then colored our own buckets and put them on library book pockets and posted them on the wall. We have bucket filling slips that the kids can fill out in their spare time to fill another person’s bucket. I model for them what these slip should say and how they should be genuine and considerate. We also talk about the importance of filling everyone’s bucket and not just our close friends. On Thursday night, I glance through the slips to check them and then I also try to fill any person’s bucket that hasn’t been filled. I pass out their slips to them on Friday before they leave. The kids really have enjoyed doing this and love getting their slips on Friday. If you are interested, I will email you the slips and the buckets to use. You can get the book at most books store or online.
I love your new blog layout. Seeing all the pictures from your classroom is great. I loved reading all of the bucket fillers that Katelyn had in her folder this weekend. Love it all!! Thanks so much for all your hard work with this.
You are doing an amazing job in your classroom and have a very impressive web site. How do you have time to do all this? I’m especially interested in the binders that are filled with items that help your students become awesome writers. Can you share your ideas for these?
I am a Reading Specialist in Va. We are just beginning to use the Daily 5 and Cafe. I love your “I Pick” song! We can’t use You Tube at school. Is there any way to get a copy of the video?
I am Corbin’s Nana, and a third grade teacher in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Our class is also doing Bucketfillers! What a nice thing to see our connection 🙂 My third graders have been busy filling buckets around our school as well. I love this program! Your class looks wonderful! A great learning environment. Hugs to my grandson – and kudos to his teacher! L. Crane
Wow. I am a first grade teacher and so impressed with you! Your classroom looks amazing. What lucky children you have. I would love the buckets and slips. I’m looking forward to stealing this fabulous idea and using it with my little darlings next year. Thank you in advance!
Hi, I’m Khaled from Lebanon (middle-east). The book is great as well as the ideas posted. wish me an overseas luck with this new positive ideas.