Long Draining Day Today

Hello friends!  I had planned on posting something great about school...but then today happened.  Have you ever had one of those days?  Let me set the background....on Thursday we dismissed an hour early due to bad weather.  On Friday school was canceled (LOVE snow days that we don't get very often!) and we were off yesterday for the holiday.  We returned to school today, after not being able to get ready for this week before we left on Thursday, and during our planning time we had a PLC Meeting.  At this meeting, we express how overwhelmed we feel due to our system wanting us to do more and more...we walk away feeling very frustrated and unheard.  This puts us all in a wonderful mood, lol.  I hate to feel that I pour my all into teaching the students, which I LOVE to do, and we are expected to do more and more from our district and if we express our concerns, that we are not really listened to. Okay, I thought my day couldn't get any worse....I came home to my downstairs heat not working.  Ugh!  It had acted up when we first turned the heat on in the fall, but it has been fine for almost 2 months and I thought that it would be fine.  My  husband always says I have the special touch to get it to kick back on (not sure what I do), but it is going to be COLD tonight and I can't get it to kick on.  This is one of those times that I am thankful that I have two separate units and I can go upstairs where it is warm.

Enough about my pathetic life.  A few weeks ago, my class learned about penguins.  I always love to teach penguins and then polar bears.  Here is a picture of our penguin craft with writing.  They turned out so cute!

Due to the snow, I finished teaching about Martin Luther King, Jr. today.  At the end, we talked about how no matter what someone looks like on the outside, we are the same on the inside.  We demonstrated this by using a white egg and a brown egg.  The kids loved it!  Here are some of their writing about it.  We did a craft today and will finish the writing with it tomorrow.  I will post pictures when it is finished.

I am off to crawl in bed and sleep this day away.  I just hope tomorrow will be better.  I will begin teaching polar bears and I know my students will love it!

 

Giveaway

There is a great giveaway that I joined recently.  It is hosted by Rockin' Teacher Materials.  It's a Flash Drive Giveaway and looks so great!

The giveaway is divided by grade levels and the above link is to the second grade giveaway.  It's open until Sunday evening, so go on over and enter!  You don't have to jump through as many hoops to enter, so it's easy!

Penguin Freebie

Well, as many of you have already come to the realization, Winter Break has come to an end and we have to go back to school.  I know some of you went back this week - I go back on Monday, with the kids returning on Tuesday.

I thought that I better start my lesson plans, as much as I dread it.  I am planning on working in activities on penguins and polar bears the first few weeks back.  I love learning about polar animals!  I have made a few graphic organizers for penguins that I am sharing.  Just click on the the picture to grab a copy.

Also, I made a January calendar and a few pages of winter writing paper.  The graphics for these came from DJ Inkers.  I just love their graphics.  Just click on either picture to grab a copy.

I have so many things going through my head that I need to get done to prepare for my kiddos next week.  I have enjoyed spending time with my boys over the break and really haven't done anything for school.  Sometimes when our breaks come to an end, stress sets in.  I hope each of you have a wonderful start back to school.