My visit to the Ron Clark Academy!!

At my school, we have adopted the Rob Clark Essential 55 as our focus for the year (we did a book study last year on it)--However, since we are in elementary school we narrowed our focus to 10 of these 55 essentials and have them posted in each classroom.  We spend a week on each "rule" and keeping reviewing them until they are followed naturally by the students.  
A few teachers and I got to visit the Ron Clark Academy today.  If you have never been, or heard of him--he and his staff are terrific teachers!  It was truly an inspirational trip--I love going to workshops that inspire you to be the best teacher that you can be.  Not that I was not already trying to be the best I could be but I was reminded of a couple of things.  I was reminded to teach to the higher achievers and the struggling students will rise to meet your expectations.  Teaching 2nd graders has always been challenging because some have the "wiggles" and can't always sit through a mini-lesson.  Instead of having them sit for long periods of time--spice up your teaching with songs and dances that get them moving in between lessons. 
I can't wait to start implementing these great ideas on Monday-we will be UP and MOVING.  I will share any instructional songs that I find--  
Here are the two books that we have read by Ron Clark--My principal's name and story is even in the Molasses book--HOW AWESOME!!

My Calendar Math (for the Smartboard)--Love it!!

I found these Monthly Calendar Math files for the smart board about 3 years ago on this website: http://www.thewrightroom.com.  The graphics are by Thistlegirl Designs.  We complete these daily during our Math Workshop time.  The calendars cover days of the week, months of the year, date, patterns, expanded form, word form, place value, base ten blocks, multiplying, dividing, counting money, weather,counting by 2's, 5's, etc.  My kids love these--students have been following along with the calendar by writing their own answers on white boards to make it interactive for all.  I start each Math Workshop with calendar.  I love The Wright room for putting these out for everyone to use for free!!!!  You know teachers love a good deal!

Here's one of the first pages from the calendar.

Free Noun and Verb Word Sort

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B2n34CXUaaD3OWNjNGYyZTYtOGM2MC00NWU1LTg2ZjctNzkxYzkxOGNhMDU0&hl=en_US

Here's a free link to my Noun and Verb Word sort.  This is a quick assessment of noun and verb knowledge.  I usually take the sort and run on card stock and laminate for use year after year.

Math Work Stations/Center Ideas

We have already covered the following math skills this school year:  Counting Money to $1.00, Addition and Subtraction of 1-digit numbers, Addition and Subtraction without Regrouping of 2-digit Numbers, Missing Addends, Fact Families, and Place Value to 100.  I have searched for work centers/stations that cover these topics, and these are what I came up with...

Here are some great ideas for math work stations/centers.  After reading Math Work Stations, I know that I should have a part of my Math Workshop time designated for work stations.  These work stations should be introduced before they are placed into work stations.  They should be review skills that have already been taught to avoid many questions being asked.  They should be explained, practiced, and introduced before you expect the students to actually do these independently so that I can work with small groups of students.

This website is very useful for those classrooms that have access to a large number of computers, or a smart board.  This could be used as a center activity/work station.  The website contains practice games centered around all 2nd grade skills: 
http://www1.center.k12.mo.us/edtech/edm/2.htm

Math Tubs--website contains many good math work stations: What's My Number, Cover 100, Money Cans, Money Bingo, What's My Value, Facts Bingo--that I have made.
http://www.marcias-lesson-links.com/MathTubs.html
2nd Grade Teachers Club--This is a free site.  You must register to get on the forum.  There are very good ideas for all topics.  Sign in--go to forum.  Type in the search box-Extreme Bump It.  These are many free printable games that practice adding 2 and 3 numbers together.  My kids LOVE this game!
http://secondgradeclub.ning.com/

Investigations Grades 2-3 games online for Center Practice-Addition, Subtraction, Place Value, Money
http://investigations.terc.edu/library/Games_23.cfm

Enough online games!!

K-5 Math Teaching Resources-This site has a lot of cool free printable games that deal with number activities (addition, subtraction, doubles, doubles+1, Base ten, Skip counting (2's, 5's, 10's), Making 100, and Ten more)
http://www.k-5mathteachingresources.com/2nd-grade-number-activities.html
If you know of any more 2nd grade center ideas for the above topics please share!!!

Math Work Stations-My New Obsession!

 It's been a long time.  With school starting, it has taken up a lot of my free time.  I hope to get better at this blog thing.  I love to share new ideas with others to help make everyone's job easier.  My new obsession is with Debbie Diller's Math Work Stations.  One of our focuses this year is to make and implement work stations for part of our Math Workshop time so that we can work with small groups of students.  These work stations should be modeled before allowing students to work in them so that you will not have a lot of questions.  I have collected many activities from other websites and blogs that I have made for the "work station" time of day.  It is a 20-30 minute time period (or what your students can handle).  

During this time, I am working with a small group--sometimes a remediation, or re-teaching group, or sometimes an enrichment group.  As I find activities that I use in my work stations, I will share with you--