2nd Grade Product Swap Blog Hop

Welcome to the second grade product swap and blog hop!  EIGHTEEN wonderful second grade bloggers have joined together to swap and review each other's products.  Best of all, we are giving away all of the products to one lucky winner!  

If you are looking for the start of the hop, head over to see Casey at SecondGrade Math Maniac to start hopping.  As you check out all the fabulous products, make sure to follow each blog on Bloglovin' as well.  There will be a Rafflecopter at the last stop.  This is where you can enter to win all of the products being reviewed!

I had the amazing privilege of swapping with Tracey from The Teacher's Chair. First of all, you need to head on over and check out her blog! It is adorable and chock full of great resources and ideas!

I received Tracey's Measuring Cats and Dogs pack. It is perfect as we are preparing to start measurement soon. I always am looking for ways to make measurement engaging and fun and this hit the spot!

Here are a few things I LOVE about this unit:

1. Tracey not only covers measuring but addition and subtraction. This is great as my kiddos ALWAYS need addition and subtraction practice, especially in the context of problem solving.

2. Key Math vocabulary is used consistently throughout the unit. As the students measure the cats, dogs and other fun items they are challenged to compare the items using comparison words.

3. IT IS ADORABLE! Seriously, this unit is so fun! I know my kiddos are going to have a blast measuring the cats, dogs and accessories. All of the activities are highly engaging!

4. It matches up perfectly with common core. Tracey has aligned the problems and activities to go with 2nd grade common core math standards. 

Head on over to Tracey's store, The Teacher's Chair, to grab this AWESOME unit! You won't be disappointed!

Also, don't forget to keep following the hop so you can enter to win 18 fantastic second grade products!

Click the button below to head over to The Price of Teaching. 

Bright Ideas Blog Hop: Magic Trash

It's time for another Bright Ideas Blog Hop!!! Lots of awesome teacher bloggers are sharing some great ideas!

Do you ever feel like your classroom won't ever be completely clean? If you're like me, there is always a pencil or crayon on the floor, jacket that fell from its hook, or snack trash on the carpet.

All those crafts and activities can create quite the mess!

In comes one of my favorite classroom "games" - Magic Trash! I can't remember how I learned about this game but if I did, I would hug the person who came up with it because it's that great! I tell the kids that I see a few pieces of "magic trash" on the floor. If they pick up the magic trash, they get a prize. I usually give them an "eagle buck", part of our school's reward system.

My kiddos eat this game up. As soon as I say "Hmmm I see some magic trash" they are down on the ground looking for every speck of dirt. I will wait until ALL of the trash is off the floor until I say who found the magic trash and reward them.

Teacher Secret: Sometimes I don't pick the magic trash until the end of the game. I may even just reward the students that I saw cleaning up the most.

By the end of this game you will have ZERO trash on the floor. A nice clean classroom. :) Pure teacher bliss!

For more Bright Ideas hop on over to Teaching Maddeness to see how Amanda organizes her craftivities.

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