BUY ONE, GET ONE!

I am trying to reach a milestone on TpT by the end of April…that's tomorrow---YIKES!
So - I've decided to run a little promotion.  Purchase ANY of my products on TpT and then email me with your choice of a second item for FREE!  It's that simple.  I will email you the file within a few hours (unless it's overnight---then it will wait until the morning!).
Just shoot me a quick email:  afunsecond@gmail.com with your TpT user name (to confirm the TpT purchase) and your FREE choice (equal or lesser value).  Please enjoy your products and if you do, leave feedback.
Also---the GIVEAWAY is still going on!  Scroll down and enter if you haven't yet.  :)

Busy, Busy, Busy!

We have been BUSY in second grade! I really wouldn't have it any other way.  My {fabulous} student teacher just wrapped up day 3 of her "solo week" and I have been busy working on this blog and my TpT products.  In the past week I have created/polished up the following units:  Mysteries, Informational Text Responses, Charlotte's Web, and today - (four hours later!) - Realistic Fiction (a writing unit).  I had a giveaway on FB over the weekend for that Informational Text Response Pack, and have a giveaway running all week for my TpT shop---any products of your choice totaling up to $20.  Enter below (scroll down to the Rafflecopter below) or enter via the Giveaway tab on FB.
Back in the classroom, Miss C is teaching my kiddos all about BUTTERFLIES.   The larvae arrived last week and they have been observing them daily, taking notes, and learning about the life cycle.  Today, they performed two songs for me about the life cycle - one was to the tune of Row, Row, Row your boat (with the most adorable hand motions) and the other was to "Call Me Maybe" (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=call+me+maybe+butterfly) They LOVED performing these songs----SO cute!  The room is all decorated with butterflies and there is so much excitement among the students.
If you are looking for some great butterfly resources, check out Miss C's TpT page.  I've linked you to her great FREEBIE and while you're there---check out her other items and follow her.
Also - just because I have had a great TpT day…my new REALISTIC FICTION writing unit is 50% off for the next two days.  I can't wait to start it with my class next week!

WOW!

I am in awe over these past two weeks.  I have flown past 100, then 150, and now 160 followers on Facebook and am currently followed  by 142 on Instagram.  I upgraded my TpT to a "Premium Seller" account and have more sales in the past week than ever before.  "In awe" might be an understatement.
I have some fun blogs planned for this week and some new product ideas, too.
For now, I am running a GIVEAWAY until Friday at noon.  Enter below for your chance to win $20 towards products in my TpT store.  With my recent creations and updates, you are sure to find something you'll love.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wordless Wednesday

I'm linking up once again with Miss Decarbo!

We are nearing the end of Charlotte's Web and my sweet librarian made me this canvas for my classroom!  I just LOVE this book and the overall theme of friendship.  What books do you love reading to or with your class? 

Hangin' with US Heroes

I am in love with my new blog design.  In love.  Thank you to Dreamlike Magic Designs---it's just what I was looking for.
Time to catch up and share what's going on in our classroom.  We are back from Spring Break and jumping right back in!  Before the break, we were working on composing complete paragraphs.  The students had a variety of practice topics with both informational and opinion paragraphs.  We had been learning about American Heroes, so it made sense to have them write informational paragraphs about how those people made a difference.
This is where it gets fun…

Did I mention that I have a GREAT student teacher right now?  She is down to her final 9 days with us (sniff sniff) and is almost ready to SOLO in the classroom for five days.  She is just meant to be a teacher and loves creating materials to use in the classroom.  Enter Hangin' with US Heroes.

Miss C found a great freebie on TpT:  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hanging-Out-with-History-A-Fun-Alternative-to-the-President-Report-Sample-18046.  After having the students read multiple sources about their American Hero, they filled out a research packet and then wrote their informational paragraph.  Miss C then used the Hanging Out with History Freebie and turned it into a "Hangin' With a US Hero" hanger.  Students used a variety of materials to turn a hanger into their hero.  We then attached their informational paragraphs to the hangers.  The end result was informative, and adorable.

You can check out Miss C's  American Hero Research Packet in her TpT Store (she's new, but you won't want to miss her ideas--give her a "follow"!) with the link below.

End of Spring Break & a Crafty Gift!

We are officially at the end of our Spring Break here in the Northeast.  It was a lazy week in our house - no major plans - but I feel like it was super productive.  I got this blog up and running, gained 142 Facebook Fans (and counting), have (almost) completed my first GIVEAWAY (you have until Midnight to enter on FB!) and finished a Drake Graduate Course on Differentiation and Literacy.  On top of shuffling the kids around town and the normal household duties - going back to work should be a breeze.  Especially since it's solo week for my student teacher coming up (a blog about her and her awesome ideas is coming this week!).
I have always loved crafts and creating things, so I fell in LOVE with my Silhouette Portrait (craft cutting machine) from the moment I first used it.  I've created a few things for around my house and classroom - mostly organizational vinyl labels - but I really love creating gifts with it.
For my niece and nephew's Easter gift, I personalized some bubble wands and it got me thinking about what a great end-of-the-year gift it would be when paired with a cute tie-on-label and ribbon - and of course, my Summer Reading Incentive Response Journal .  So, I hopped right to it and the result is adorable.  The tag is a freebie in my TpT shop (click on the link) and you can grab the bubble wands in most stores during the summer.  I grabbed mine at Target, but saw them in the Dollar Tree, as well.  So cute.

Click the image above to be brought to a FREEBIE gift tag.  

I also played around with the Portrait and copied a cute Subway Style Art Canvas I saw on Pinterest for the classroom.  This might be a gift - and the recipient might be reading, so I will leave it at that.  But again - a great gift for a co-worker or for the teachers of your own children.  My machine will get PLENTY of use in the coming weeks/months.

What do you give your students at the end of the school year?

Freebie Friday, Blog Lovin', and My GIVEAWAY

So in teacher-blogger land, Friday is FREEBIE FRIDAY! I am making my WADDLE WE LEARN Duck Activities Pack FREE just until I go to bed tonight…starting NOW! You probably have until about 11/11:30pm.  I just ask that you PLEASE leave feedback if you take advantage of this freebie….a  big part of TpT is feedback, and it's super quick. Enjoy!

I also am linking up to Blog Lovin'. I added some cute buttons to the sidebar on my page  and the + will bring you right there, or you can click here: Follow my blog with Bloglovin.

Lastly, the GIVEAWAY.  At last check, there were only TEN entries.  It ends tomorrow at midnight, so get over to my FB page to enter (again..use the cute new gray button!)  Thank you to Andrea from Tricks of the Trade in First Grade ( http://tricksofthetradeinfirstgrade.blogspot.com) for her help on getting those up on my page.  :)