Ready for a Penguin Party!

Well... our break is just about over and I am getting ready to go back in a couple of days!  I so love being home and enjoy not being on a schedule but I am getting ready to go back with my new... "Pick a Penguin Centers and Activities" packet!  Each year I go back after the holidays and spend a couple of weeks teaching the life cycle of penguins!  I love my penguin unit and wanted to share some of my ideas with you!  One thing I always do is a penguin "flip book" project.  I also have my students create a penguin lapbook!  I hope you will look at this loaded teaching unit/pack!  I am giving you a sample center to help you see the types of activities included.  Here is my Pick a Penguin Word Wall ABC Order!  I hope your students enjoy it!  Thanks so much!-Yvonne

Counting them down!

We have TWO more days this week before we get out of school for Christmas break!  UGH!  I have been overwhelmed with getting ready for the holidays, end of quarter assessments for my students and Christmas fun at school!  I do love this time of the year but for some reason it seems a little crazier this year than usual!  I am proud that my shopping is finished(woo-hoo!) but...usually by now I have several batches of cookies and candy ready for teacher gifts, neighbors, and friends.  I am getting a late start...but I LOVE the baking of Christmas!  Making goodies and giving them away is what it is all about to me!  As I was making my list of what to make this year...I thought about making a teaching packet around the "baking" theme.  I didn't have time to make a center packet but here is a math tub I made this weekend.  It really could be used in your classroom anytime you do sweet treat activities (Valentines, Christmas, Easter, etc...)  Anyway...I haven't been on here in a week or so because of shopping each night and all!  I hope each of you have a wonderful holiday with your families and will get lots of rest over the break!  Count your blessings for the loved ones you have here on this Earth and enjoy your time with your little ones!  Merry Christmas!-Yvonne

Let It Snow...Math and Literacy Centers!

Here it is...my "Let It Snow!" Math and Literacy Center Packet with Tic-Tac-Toe Rubric!   Christmas is all around us and winter fun is everywhere!  I hope you will all check out these new centers for you to use with your second and third graders.  I've had several of you ask for more center packs with my tic-tac-toe rubric.  I've also had a few requests for individual centers so I will try to make a couple on individuals as well real soon.  Here is a preview of what is included with..."Let It Snow!" Hope you enjoy it!   Thanks!-Yvonne

I plan to make a freebie this week to go with this center packet!  It will be...Snow Play Addition Problems!  This will be a modified version of ...Snow Play Partial Sums-for K and 1st grades!  Keep Posted!  Thanks!-Yvonne :)

"Elf Measure Me Cards"...to use with your Elf on the Shelf!

Hi friends!  Today I spent my day planning my measurement unit that I will begin to teach on Monday!  I LOVE to teach measurement especially at the holidays!  I want to share with you all a cute little activity that will kick it off!  I love my "Elf on the Shelf" and try to incorporate our little guy into as many lessons as possible.  This year our class elf will have several "Elf Buddies" come with him from the North Pole!  I have made some "Elf Measure Me Cards" to use for my Measurement Monday activity.  After introducing our Elf on the Shelf with a letter on the board (explained with this freebie) the students will look around the room for his North Pole buddies (Elf Measure Me Cards) to estimate and measure nonstandard and standard units of measure.  We will begin with the nonstandard units of measure recording sheet and work our way into standard.
I have so many students who are already writing and talking about their own elves at home...I know this will get them excited!!!  I hope you will be able to use this with your own kiddos!  Happy Measuring!-Yvonne

Geometry Word Wall Cards and EQ Posters!

Now that Thanksgiving is over I am wrapping up my Geometry unit and moving onto... Measurement!  Both units are so much fun here at the holidays!  There are so many ways to have Christmas fun with nonstandard and standard units of measurement!!!   I plan to make some goodies to share with you all so please keep posted!!!   I also wanted to share with you these Geometry word wall cards and essential question posters.  I placed the EQ cards on my board and the vocabulary cards on the Math Word Wall.  They were great for my formal observation (so glad that is over!!!) My kids really used the word wall cards when we made our shape booklets and wrote about our angle photographs that we took around the school!  I hope you can use them.  Thanks so much!-Yvonne :)

Giveaway...WINNER!

We have a Turkey Day Giveaway Winner!  Congratulations to...Ali Schepis!  Lory, Denise, and I want to thank everyone for participating!  Again, we are thankful for each and every one of you!  We hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving yesterday with your families!  Off to the stores for some "Black Friday Shopping!"

Speaking of shopping... Please check out our stores and use this promo code to get your discount: CMS28

TPT is having a one day only CYBER MONDAY Sale on Monday the 28th!!!  The three of us are going to have everything in our stores on sale in addition to the 10% from Teacherspayteachers!!!  This is a great time for you to get teaching packets with lots of savings!!!

Again, thank you for participating  in this giveaway!   Enjoy the rest of your Thanksgiving Break!

Gobble Gobble Giveaway!

I am so excited!!!  Three of us second grade teachers have teamed up to have a…
“TURKEY DAY GIVEAWAY!!!”  

This is our way to give thanks to all of our followers!!!  Two amazing bloggers ...Lory Evans from Lory's Page and Denise Boehm from Sunny Days in Second Grade... are joining me in this holiday fun packet giveaway!!! Again we are thankful for all you teachers out there in the blogging world!!!  You are all blessings to your students!!!

All you have to do is follow all three blogs and TPT stores!!!  Please leave a comment here on my blog that you have done so.  You get a bonus entry if you post this giveaway on your own blog, Facebook page, Twitter account or Pinterest boards!!!

Denise at Sunny Days in Second Grade is giving away set 1 and 2 of her "Weekly Word Wizard" packet! 

Please follow Denise's blog:  Sunny Days in Second Grade

Please follow Denise's TPT Store: ShopSunnyDays

Lory at Lory's Page is giving away her "Must Be Santa Math Centers" packet! 

Please follow Lory's blog:  Lory Evans Page

Please follow Lory's: TPT Store

Yvonne at Sassy in Second is giving away ..."Christmas Math and Literacy Centers with Tic-Tac-Toe Rubric" packet! 

Please follow Yvonne's blog:  Sassy in Second

Please follow Yvonne's: TPT Store             

Giveaway ends Thursday night (Thanksgiving) at 9:00 eastern standard time.

The winner will be announced on Friday Morning!  If you are shopping at the malls...don't forget to check back to see if you won!

Good Luck and Happy Thanksgiving!

Christmas Freebie!

Hi dear friends!  Just spent the day in a CCGPS Language Arts roll-out class and wanted to come home and do something fun!  I thought it would be great to modify my "Toy Factory...Time!" Christmas Math Center for younger kiddos in K-1 who are working on telling time to the hour and half hour!  I just downloaded it if you want to check it out!  I have been crazy busy these past couple of days getting ready for my formal Class Keys Observation!  It is on Monday and I am going to teach Geometry!  If anyone has any amazing ideas for me between now and this weekend on plane shapes and angles...please jot me a note!  Gotta fill those buckets you know!!!  I've had a blast searching blogs and getting ideas!  Thanks so much and have a great week!-Yvonne

"Blog on Fire" Award!

I love to check out ideas and get great resources from other blogging buddies!  One person who has amazing ideas and loves to share is Amy Lemons from...

Amy is a second grade teacher who shares materials/games that are perfect for my students!  I've just downloaded her two-digit addition and subtraction fall games for my kiddos to enjoy!  Thank you Amy!  I would like to give you the "Blog on Fire Award!"  Check out Amy's blog for her to tell you seven special things about herself.  

Just got back from a "fall" camping trip and saw this!

Jen R. (The Teachers' Cauldron)said...I just awarded you the "Blog on Fire Award!!"

Please share 7 things about yourself and pass the award on.

Yvonne Dixon said...
Oh...how cool Jen! Thank you! I actually just got back from a "fall" getaway with my family and this is a great surprise to come back to. Let's see, seven things about me??? I love my family, I enjoy the outdoors and camping, I love chocolate, teaching is my passion-not just my job, I have been married 21 years, I love my miniature dachshund, and I am a Georgia Bulldog! I will pass this on to another "Blog on Fire Award Winner!" Thank you!!!-Yvonne

Using Counters!

Here are some of my students using clear counters (chips) to help with counting sets of coins!  This really helps them to keep track of the coins they have already counted and the values climbing up the 100's chart!  As they counted the mixed sets of coins on the cards (these are from my Sassy Cat Spending Spree Math Tub) they used the 100's chart to count up!!! Money is always so tricky for my students each year and I try to provide lots of tools (100's charts, number lines, counters) to help my students when needed! My students know they can get whatever "tools" they need.  The key is knowing when students are ready to transition from these "conceptual hands on tools" to mentally doing math on their own.  For example, many students still need the 100's chart to see adding ten/taking ten away from larger numbers (numbers and their neighbors) but my goal is to help students eventually transition to doing these skills on their own with no tools.  It takes the student showing me through conversation and class observation before I feel they are "developmentally ready" for this!  Would love your input on this.   Let me know what you think.  Thanks!-Yvonne

Feasting on Subtraction Facts!

Here is a freebie I modified from my "Thanksgiving Math and Literacy Centers" Packet!  It should fit the needs/levels of earlier grades (K-1).  Just a little something to kick off the month of November!!!  -Yvonne Dixon (Sassy in Second)

Trick-or-Treat Giveaway!

I am happy to announce the winner of my Trick-or-Treat Giveaway!  I reached my 400th follower today!  Thanks to all of you who participated!  The winner is...  Shelia Davis!!!  Congratulations Shelia!  You will receive my Trick-or-Treat Tic-Tac-Toe Center Packet along with my Greater Than/Less Than Fall Bear Fun Math Tub!  Thank you to everyone who helped with this giveaway!  I hope you will keep posted for future giveaways coming soon!!!  Have a Happy Halloween!-Yvonne

And The Winner Is...

CONGRATULATIONS Michelle!!!

Michelle Proper is the teacher from this cool blog...Room 5 Rocks!

Thank you everyone for participating in this giveaway!

Watch for more goodies to come in the future.

Happy Halloween!!!

Spooktacular Trick-or-Treat Giveaway!

Halloween is here and you don’t want to miss out on this Spooktacular Trick-or-Treat Giveaway!  This giveaway is a chance for you to check out some familiar blogging buddies and meet some new friends as well! Seven spooky surprises to win in all!  All you have to do is follow each blog and TPT store and leave a comment that you have done so.  You get a bonus entry if you post this giveaway on your own blog, Facebook page, or Pinterest boards!

There are 7 chances to win!

Write a comment for each blog/store you follow and EXTRA BONUS entry if you blog about this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, or Pinterest page!

Check out all the great blogs and “treats” you could win below!

Giveaway ends Monday night at 9:00 eastern standard time.

The winner will be announced on Tuesday Morning!

Good Luck!

Miss Kindergarten's Blog!

Miss Kindergarten's TPT Store!

Terri's Teaching Treasures Blog!

Terri's TPT Store!

Kinderglynn's Blog!

Kinderglynn's TPT Store!

Primary Graffiti's Blog!

Primary Graffiti's TPT Store!

The Wise Owl Factory's Blog!

The Wise Owl Factory's TPT Store!

The Blogging Mom's Blog!

Elementary Lesson Plan's TPT Store!

Sassy in Second's Blog!

Yvonne Dixon's TPT Store!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!

Candy Corn Teeth Math Facts!

Here is a cute math fact idea I do each year!  I made these a few years ago and my students love them!  Once you laminate your pumpkins you can use them over and over again.  All you need is a bag of candy corn and the worksheet below!   I have my students use the top teeth for the first addend and the bottom teeth for the second addend. (ex:  this pumpkin's equation was 10 + 5 = 15).  This is a really good activity for my struggling math students who still need to use counters.  For the higher students they must show equations in small group AND explain the strategy they used for each.