The Teaching Reef: Summer

Well I really have so much to say. First I just want to say that I have never been so under the weather from an ear infection and cold. I was down. Way down. I think the worst part was that it came out of now where and the timing could not have been worst. The end of the year is so busy and then I wasn't there to do all the things I needed to check off my list. So I think you know why I haven't been posting.....I have been playing catch up. So my post tonight is to show you how the end of the year went down in my classroom.

Every year we do a Luau Party with all of the second grade classrooms. We take them outside and do TONS of games and eat lots of delicious food. It is just a great way to end the year. However this year the Florida weather was not so sunny, so we had to move our activities inside. We still had a lot of fun despite the lack of cooperation from the weather. Check out how I got ready for their gifts and take a look at some action shots from the day.

I forgot to mention that I hand stamped a monogram onto all of their tie dye shirts. The kids about died when they came into the classroom and saw their shirts. They were smiling from ear to ear. I even had a few wear them to school for a second day......I didn't recommend this but hey what can I say except that they loved them.

This is probably my favorite photo from the day! Totally exhausted!

The day was a great success minus the weather! So on to other news I am also working on a Mystery Unit and putting together my freebies from my traveling unit. I still have a lot to share so check back this week..... I am back and hopefully I am going to be very productive after all this rest.

Have a great week! Oh did I mention that I am teaching summer school? Well.....now you know! So the ideas are going to be coming all summer long.

The unit was finished and posted on to TpT last night! I know that I shouldn't make more than one post in a day so I waited until this morning to show you the preview. I'm excited about making this with my students. If you didn't get a chance to read my post yesterday I mentioned that I had a lot of work to do with my students in the area of writing this year so I DO NOT want them to forget everything we learned this year. I hope that this writing journal will give them the motivation to write, write, and write some more over the summer. So go ahead and check it out below. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that there is also an end of the year craftivity in this unit. It is a simple but super cute camera craft that you can do without taking a ton of classroom time to complete.

I know that I just showed you the preview of everything that is in this unit but I also wanted to show you what everything looks like when it is completed. So I have a few pictures to share of the journal and camera craftivity.

In order to keep your students writing I have provided 3 different topic cards that have ideas for your students to write about. They are broken up into 3 different categories; people, favorites, and fun. There is also an editing checklist so they can edit their journal entries even when you aren't there telling them to reread a sentence. I also made a key bookmark so that the students can mark their place in their journal after they make an entry. It is a cute little detail that is sure to get your students excited.

Then I have included some fun and creative journaling pages for you to do with your students before you send them off to summer. These pages have your students write in their best handwriting, make goals, and plan a do to list. There is a page where they write their friends names in order to have them for their writing over the summer. Also inside this unit is two different handwriting pages. The handwriting page in the picture is the primary version but there is also lined pages for older students. If you don't want to make copies of writing pages you could always use notebook paper or other paper that you already have in your classroom. Since this journal is made to fit on regular paper it will be easy to use what you have. Last there is a page where the students can illustrate a picture to go along with their writing.

Here is a pocket that is made on the back cover of the journal. Inside the pocket you will send your students home with sight words lists that they should practice writing with over the summer. In the photo I have included both the second and third grade list so that my students can get a little review and a little preview of sight words.

I am excited about this craftivity. It is super easy and it still looks really cute. I wanted to show the camera without the Polaroid in case you wanted to do the ctaftivity without taking pictures of your students. The label says, "Smile! I'm a _____ grader!" Also I know that some elementary schools have PreK classrooms so I have included labels for Kindergarten through sixth grade. I can't wait to do this on the last week of school, which by the way is the week of June 4th. June 8th is my last day with the students and yes, I have started a count down!

Finally, I wanted to mention that this unit {Capture the Summer} is on sale until my last day on school {June 8th} along with my Reflections From the School Year unit. Click on the unit cover to go to my TpT store.

On sale for $2.00 regularly $3.00! I am giving a whole $1.00 discount!