Shackleton’s Journey

Shackleton

Shackleton’s Journey, by William Grill on Goodreads

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For a huge portion of the year I teach an integrated reading and social studies unit called “People Who Make a Difference”. Over the course of the unit we visit each of the seven continents and learn about geography, land features, and culture. We also delve heavily into reading biographies on inspiring people who have made a difference throughout history. I love teaching second grade SO MUCH. There is a never-ending supply of things to learn and read and do, each day is the most exciting {and sometimes crazy} race from start to finish. I also LOVE my class this year. They are so motivated and interested, every day is fun and incredibly rewarding.

Over the past two weeks we have been traveling through Antarctica learning about the coldest continent on earth, reading and writing facts about penguins, and seeing the dangers through the eyes the many explorers who have attempted to travel there.

This book about Ernest Shackleton is such a fantastic account of the journey he took exactly one hundred years ago — so many amazingly accurate details and drawings about one brave man and his crew trying (and surviving!) a truly heroic trip to one of the coldest places in the world.

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“I choose life over death for myself and my friends…
I believe it is in our nature to explore, to reach out into the
unknown. The only true failure would be to not explore at all.”

-Ernest Shackleton

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We ended our study of Antarctica by writing diary entries from the point of view of the explorers. We painted the papers with tea to make them look old and everyone got so into it! I am so proud of my students and the voice they brought to their writing. Definitely some of their best work this year.

shackleton

back-to-school // a teaching list.

map-of-the-moon-poster


Things to remember:

Get to work early, don’t stay too late.

Teach kindness first, subjects second.

Stay on top of the papers before the stack gets too high.

Drink lots of water {you always forget}.

Read all the chapter books {and picture books, too}.

Work hard, have fun.

Show love.

Be you.

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Today I started my new teaching job. This year, I’ll be working in a brand new district, in a brand new grade {2nd!} and I am THE MOST excited {and anxious, too}. I had my new teacher orientation today and I kind of feel like I won the lottery. The value and respect for education in this community is extraordinary and I feel incredibly lucky to get to be a part of it. I’m proud of myself for getting here and honored and humbled to be able to be doing what I {with all my heart} LOVE TO DO.

Turning the page to a new and exciting chapter… the kids come next Tuesday and I can’t wait.

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{a favorite post about teaching here.}

{printable poster found here.}

work and weekend.

I haven’t been around here much lately, I know. Turns out April is busy in the best kind of way.

I hope you’re all well, and that April {so far} has been good to you, too.

My days have looked a little like this lately:

School
Time with Zan
Netflix/Reading
Sleep
REPEAT

First grade is taking over the bulk of my energy and I’m loving it. I’ve been in those moods after school where I stay on for hours getting things done, and the whole time I’m there I’m enjoying myself. I always like what I do, but winter drags me down sometimes and the list of things to do piles on with little to no motivation to keep the momentum going. Papers collect, stuff gets pushed to the way-side, and my mind jumps from thing to thing without a lot of effort to just be.

These days it’s different. These days I’m letting myself be completely immersed in my classroom and it feels wonderful. I have a sneaking suspicion it has to do with the sun being out longer and vacation being just around the corner, but still. Open House is next week, too, and that always gets my teacher-mode going into super-drive. Perfectionism at it’s best.

The days are going by fast and time with the littles is making me happy. I know these kids so well by now. I know what makes them tick, and they know how to make me laugh. We have so much fun for those 6 hours a day we’re together. I adore it.

This weekend is all about the nothing, the everything, the whatever I so choose.

{And cheering on Syracuse, definitely that, too.}

Life’s kind of like a roller coaster right now from week to weekend, but I love roller coasters so I’m just enjoying the ride.

my favorite children’s books: picture book edition // v. 2

The Little House + The Dot + The Little Engine That Could

Whistle for Willie + The Diary of a Worm + Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Not A Box + The Jolly Postman +The Popcorn Book

The Rainbow Fish + The Giving Tree + Love You Forever

The Lion and The Mouse + Olivia + Harriet, You’ll Drive Me Wild!

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type + Skippyjon Jones + Miss Nelson is Missing

The Tale of Peter Rabbit + Koala Lou + Library Lion

Goodnight Gorilla + Stone Soup + Goodnight Moon

The Stinky Cheese Man + Where the Sidewalk Ends + Strega Nona

Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse + Zen Shorts + The Story of Ferdinand

The Runaway Bunny + The Story About Ping + Art and Max

The Kissing Hand + Fancy Nancy + Harold and the Purple Crayon

Bear Snores On + The Mitten + The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

Green Eggs and Ham + Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs + Curious George

Tikki Tikki Tembo + If You Give A Mouse A Cookie + Make Way For Ducklings

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The teacher in me needed to do SOMETHING to recognize Read Across America Day.

In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday (yesterday!), and since my Monday-Fridays are filled with books and reading, I thought it might be nice to add to my list of what (I think) are some of the best books around. Lots of these are old classics, many you may recognize or be nodding your head, “Yes, I remember that one!”, and some are newer, and just as fun and/or lovely as the ones written many years ago.

As a teacher and lover of stories for young children, I could go on all day about why these are so wonderful, but next time you’re in a book store, I urge you to stop in the children’s section for a bit to find one of these and see for yourself. I guarantee it’ll make you smile.

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For more favorites:

My Favorite Children’s Books: Picture Book Edition // v. 1

{I hope to post a favorite children’s chapter book edition in this lifetime, too.}

HAPPY READING!