Omgosh...
I TOTALLY forgot to tell y'all!! lol
So...last year was my first year back down in 2nd grade after 7 years in 3rd grade.
I thought...ok...they're pretty much the same, it'll just take a little longer for them to finish things...
BOY WAS I WRONG!!
OMGOSH...that first day, when they come in, I usually have something independent for them to do while I'm talking to parents or students, or dealing with supplies.
Well....
hahaha!!
The idea that I gave them to do was always GREAT for my third graders...
hahaha!!
Boy, was I nieve...
my second graders were NOT so great at it...lol.
I just hung my head in shame...and thought, wow...wake up call!!!!
Soooo....
this year, I came up with something else for them to do...
I enlisted the help of some friends to guide me through what would be a good first day independent activity for my 2nd graders..lol
THIS is what we came up with..
coloring/labeling - and then they have to write the words in ABC order on the back...
A scavenger hunt around the classroom - fun!!
(this is actually 2 pages)
and a wordsearch...
nothing too amazing, but I'm sure it'll be MUCH better than my activity I had last year! lol
I can laugh at it now....
You know - at least I learned from it...
What else can you do, but learn from your failures, right?!? And...now I know :)
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24 comments
Ha! I can totally relate! I forget every year how much Firsties seem to know NADA at the beginning of the year. We have a basic first day packet that they work on while I am juggling about a million other things and for the most part they can do it now (after learning the hard way myself) but I always have 1 or 2 do something completely squirrelly!
Your activities look wonderful! =)
Heather
Heather's Heart
I laughed when I read this, I did the opposite, went from first grade to second and boy were they capable. On the first day I was amazed how much we got done. Now I am going from second to first, I imagine I am in for a shock.
Jill
Bubbalulu.blogspot.com
Wow Jen,
That's a fabulous freebie!
Can't wait to see how your ocean room is coming along! I am getting excited. I found my fabric yesterday for my classroom makeover!
August is my FAVORITE!
:) Reagan
When I moved to second (after seven years of sixth grade!) I asked a teammate if second graders could read. That's how much I knew about second graders!
My big wake up is always having my end of year second graders in mind and pulling my hair out at the start of the year since they can't do anything! (Which they totally can...but the end of the year is so much better.)
Thank you SO much!!! This is PERFECT for the first day of school!!!!!! I appreciate you sharing because the first day is always a little bit scary, enough... you never really know it's going to go. So having this on their desks will be SO nice!! Thank you!!!!
This is great! Thank you for sharing it-
Tracey
Third Grade All Stars
Thank you for these! I am always looking for an engaging independent activity for my 2nd graders to complete while I go through their supplies. I love the labeling/ABC order!
Your rock!
Halle
Across the Hall in 2nd
Haha!!! I did the same thing in first grade! It was my first time having a class of my own and I just told them to pile all of their supplies on the table... well, some stuff was labeled and other stuff wasn't... it was a nightmare for the rest of the year!!
Sandra
Sweet Times in First
sweettimesinfirst@gmail.com
THANK YOU for sharing these! I did the exact same thing moving from second to fourth! I like this WAY better than the activity I have! :)
Jessica
Mrs. Heeren's Happenings
I meant...fourth to second! Oops! Thanks again! :)
Downloaded this for Kyzer to do...he can't do one of the pages because he doesn't have a Room # and he better know his teacher's name. :-)
I love it! Thank you for sharing!
EIleen
Second Grade Sunshine
Great packet!
I remember my first year in 2nd after being in 4th grade for 5 years (mind you it was not my choice to move and I was NOT happy with admin's decision BUT I have grown to LOVE 2nd). I had created a word search with the students' names in it. I had a little girl come up to my crying because she didn't know how to do a word search. I went home that evening and cried.
Love it! I usually have them decorate their portfolio covers while I'm unpacking supplies. It always cracks me up how shy and quiet they are for the first hour they are there. Then the comfort sets in... =)
Emily @ Second Grade Silliness
Do you have anything similar for 3rd?
You JUST described my first day in second grade this year after four years in third.
It was interesting, very interesting.
So happy to have the older kiddos back this year.
This pack looks great, Jen! Great job!
Lisa
Fourth and Ten
Like Fourth and Ten on Facebook!
Formerly Stories From Second
Very cute! Thanks for sharing!
Swimming into Second
I love your fun activities!! Do you sell the third grade beginning of the year packet you were talking about? I am going from 2nd to 3rd next year and I know my 2nd grade activities will be too easy for my 3rd graders. Thanks for sharing your creative ideas!
Nancy
I would love to hear how you started third grade. I need some beginning of the year inspiration!
I can totally relate. I am back in a classroom after 8 years, having been on leave to have my 2 children. I returned to a Year 1 classroom after leaving a 3/4 classroom. Wow! What a total shock that was on the first day!
Thanks for your wonderful resources (and making my life easier) Jen. You rock!
Susan xxox
stamponme.blogspot.com.au
STEPPING STONES :) Thank you for sharing! My 2nd Graders love word searches especially when I put all our names in it! They all want to be the first one to find my name :>)
It's amazing how independent 2nd Graders do become through the year! I love this grade and am in awe of how much they grow (in all ways) through out the year! SMILES :) (check out my Blog if you haven't done so already)
Thank you so much!
I have been teaching 2nd grade for 7 years but I am an EL teacher so every year, I feel like they take a step back. Thank you for this. We started school last week but this will be great for this week!
I would love to hear how you started third grade. I need some beginning of the year inspiration!
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