Take a Second to Peek into 2nd!

This is the first post in a series throughout the school year where you will be able to meet some awesome second grade teacher-authors! Huge thanks to Katie at Pop into Primary for arranging this whole thing! I'm so excited!

This week, take a second to meet Jackie from Neat, Sweet & Hard to Beat!

 This is what Jackie shared about herself:

"I have been teaching for over 5 years in Fairfax County, Virginia!  I was born and raised here and attending FCPS schools myself.  Most of my experience is in the primary grades but I will admit teaching 2nd grade is my favorite!  I love teaching and creating engaging lessons is my passion.  I believe that learning should be hands-on, meaningful, engaging, and collaborative! We can't learn alone, we learn the most when we work with others! Believe me, my classroom sure isn't the quietest one on the hall because we are constantly up moving, learning and interacting!

Outside of school I am a wife to a wonderful guy and a mom to our new baby girl born in May of 2015! I love working out, spending time outside, and being with my family.

I got the name for my blog because it is teachers that are neat, sweet and hard to beat! Teachers make this world go round! Teachers are the most caring, creative and kind people I know!"

She has also put her This or That Cards on sale until Sunday! You can click the cover photo to head to her store, as well.

Check back every 22nd {we had some technical difficulties this month, oops!} to meet another amazing second grade teacher! I heard the October teacher is pretty cool :)

It's Not Too Late...

Seriously, it is not too late! Have you entered Brinca Into Bilingual's {HUGE} giveaway?

She has SO many gift cards and bundles you could win! Check out this one:

 

Do you see it??? My rounding task cards are in there! You could win ALL this for FREE! Can I win?

Make sure you don't miss out! I'd love to hear if you have entered, leave some love below.

Sunday Scoop- 9.20.15

It's Sunday again! Which means... Sunday Scoop! I'm so glad Teaching Trio started this link up. I feel like I'm able to get some thoughts down before another crazy week starts!

 

Also, have you signed up for Brinca Into Bilingual's Giveaway(s)?! If not, you're missing out! Good thing there's time left ;)

I've also been working on a set of vocabulary games that align with the Journey's Reading series. Do you use Journey's? No matter what reading series you use, how do you get your students to learn vocabulary while having fun?? Please leave some comments below, I would love some input!

Giveaway Party!

Yay! I just love a giveaway! Brinca Into Bilingual is celebrating 1,000 followers and she wants you to win!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

ALL GIVEAWAYS WILL RUN FROM SATURDAY 19TH (6AM CT) UNTIL TUESDAY 22ND (12AM CT)


Mrs. Nicolau is giving away TWO DIFFERENT items of your choice!
Here are your choices (click on the link to see the dimensions and more details):

Let's giveaway a gift card!! Enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win a $25 TPT Giftcard! Remember the more entries you have, the more changes you have to win!!!









While we are throwing the house out the window, let's also celebrate with a $21.00 gift card from the AMAZING Melonheadz!

Last, but definitely not least! I have many blog friends that have joined me to celebrate this amazing event! They have all joined me to giveaway bundles by grades!!!

The first bundle is for our Bilingual teachers!

Next is the K-1 Bundle in English!

Last is our 2-3 Grades Bundle in English! {I'M IN HERE! WOOT WOOT!}

Are you excited enough?! We sure hope so! Stop by Mrs. Nicolau's blog to enter on all these great prizes!!!

While you are there, drop a note to her. She LOVES hearing from her readers! :)

Click on Brinca into Bilingual

The Sunday Scoop {9.13.15}

Happy Sunday! It's definitely my favorite day of the week. This week I am linking up with Teaching Trio for The Sunday Scoop.

3 things I have to do...

• I haven't finished a few of my plans for next week {EEK}. I was so proud of finishing my reading plans quickly, that I scooted on home on Friday. I need to finish those math and science plans!
• I like to have a general idea of meals for the week before it all starts. My husband and I are super busy most of the time, so really an idea of meals means "When are we going to be home?"
• In college, I majored in sorority life elementary education. My sorority was a HUGE part of my life for those four years, and it continues to be! I was Chapter President my senior year and fell in love with the impact a sorority can have in each of it's members. I recently started advising for the same chapter I was a member of, and it's great! We have a board meeting tonight so I will be heading out soon for that. 

2 things I hope to do...

• I am making my way through the study Seamless. It's a bible study that tells the story of the gospel and puts it all together. A lot of people know individual stories of the Bible, but do you know how they all fit into the big picture? Angie Smith does an excellent job of putting it all together to understand. I first heard Angie speak on a small devotional CD I keep in my car. She is so funny and so encouraging at the same time. PLUS, she's coming to my church in November! I am PUMPED! If you want to get your own copy of Seamless (and I suggest you do) check out her website here.
• It's Sunday, the week is about to start, my mind is in a million places, but all I want to do is lay on the couch! So, I hope that I can get some TV time to myself for just a little while today.

1 thing I'm happy to do...

•  My husband is the college pastor at a fairly large church in town. Western Kentucky University is right down the street, so we are ALWAYS with college students. At first, I wasn't excited to spend so much time with people that are in a chapter of life that I've closed. However, God has really slapped me in the face. I love it! People are always playing Mario Kart in our living room or coming over for some free food (because, seriously, who didn't love free food in college? Especially homemade). I'm so happy to do life with them and show them what it is like to leave college and still be involved in the lives of others.

So that's my Sunday Scoop! What is your scoop? Link up and leave some comments below so I can read your scoop!

It's September, what??

I have to start this by saying I am sitting on my couch, watching TV, and not worrying about a thing. The past two months have been crazy! And I'm sure of that because I haven't blogged since July 13th, eeeek!

To start, I have to jump for joy because my husband and I are currently living in a house. Yes, A HOUSE! We had been homeless from May until the beginning of August {many thanks to a pastor's family who let us live in a spare bedroom} and we are FINALLY living in our first home! Needless, we don't officially own the home {thanks, bank}, but we are so grateful for God's timing and allowing us to still move in. Here's our new abode!

This is before we did a COMPLETE overhaul. Our yard looks so different taken care of!

The house was a little under-par dirty when we moved in, and we have done so much work. Every wall repainted, hardwood completely re-stained (which is the whole house), all new fixtures, etc. Doing this at the same time as school starting has made me simply exhausted! But, I love it. However, it has forced me to neglect my blog, Instagram, and Facbeook! So, those are going to be put on the front lines now!

For now, you'll have to wait for classroom pictures. Trust me, I'm eager because I'm really proud of how it looks! But look at this treasure that was passed down to me from my mentor teacher. A life size Jack and Annie! I snapped this pic this summer while I was trying to get everything set up. How to be a FRIEND signs are from Digital Divide and Conquer.

 

A quick snapshot of our class, we have been learning about comparing numbers in math. As we are trying to drill home place value, we are also having fun with some games! The kids always love to write on their desks, so we partnered up and tried to quiz each other. You can use an Expo marker on a desk and Clorox wipes take it right off.

 

This week in reading we focused on Author's Purpose. We made these cute paper pies to study with! I prepped all the 'pies' by putting a brass fastener through two paper plates (use a pen to stick a quick hole through first) and then cut the top plate into fourths. We put 'Author's Purpose' on one flap, and P, I, and E on the remaining. Under each flap they named the purpose and wrote what it means. Afterward, they could color the top to look like their favorite pie! I wonder what kind of pie this was?

       

It's a three day weekend, so I think I will sit on my couch for a while long and watch the Jurassic Park marathon. What have you been up to in your classroom? Post the link below, I would love to find out!