Luke? Shadow? Can you say zoo?!

What's an elementary classroom without a few animals...???

Is it a zoo...?

Well, most people who walk in my room are beginning to think so, and no, not because I have 15 crazy, smiling, fun and loving 2nd graders....:) 

...but because of our class pets..that have been with us for about a month now!  Time flies when you're having fun and figuring out how to control these pets in our classroom! :)  

Recently in the Waterloo Courier, there was an article about a Wartburg professor who rents out class pets to different schools in the Cedar Valley area, so I looked into it...and yep, went through with it! 

Read up on the Waterloo Courier article here:  

http://wcfcourier.com/lifestyles/wartburg-professor-bechtel-shares-love-of-exotic-creatures/article_5ac32506-0f31-11e3-9d99-0019bb2963f4.html

About a month ago, we had a leopard gecko join our classroom.  His name was voted on...and the name that was decided on was Luke!  So everyone...meet Luke, our leopard gecko.  No, he is not mine to keep...thank goodness!!! This gecko has been an adjustment to my life style as well as my classroom's life style.  Needless to say, to keep this lovely little guy alive, we have to feed it LIVE food.  Thanks to a few different people, this gecko has been able to stay alive and healthy...no thanks to me!  I have done nothing but replenish the water :)!  I don't do well with bugs! :)

Luke enjoys hiding in his flower pot home!  

He doesn't come out much but we still know he loves 2nd grade :)!

Here is Mr. Luke eating live crickets!! :)

Also, I went garage-saling about a month ago and got a cute little fish tank, so I decided to buy a Beta Fish for our classroom.  I thought the fish would do well in our classroom and I could manage feeding it because 1) It doesn't take live food.... and 2) He stays in his cage and just simply swims :)  We also voted on the fish's name...and his name was decided on Shadow!  Shadow has been an easier adjustment to my classroom and I's lifestyle...as he doesn't take much upkeeping and simply sits where everyone can see him easily!  Now, it is not my job to feed this little guy...but the teacher helper's job!  So each week, we have a teacher helper, and they are in charge of feeding Shadow and keeping him alive :)!

Shadow is a bit more low maintenance compared to Luke.  

Shadow takes after his owner! :)  

Needless to say, it is not a zoo in 2nd grade but it has been a fun experience for my students to have these animals in our room.  Shadow will be staying with us all year; however, the leopard gecko will be leaving us on Friday because it is time for him to return back to his buddies ;) Or that's what I'm telling my kids! :)  

Hope you enjoyed the pictures, the zoo update, but it's time for this girl to get some sleep!  Parent teacher conferences tomorrow until 8:00! Yay me! :)

Thanks all for listening...and until next time..stay safe <3! 

Risin' in the Rainforest

What are the four layers of the rainforest?  Do you know?  Well, you may have just been outsmarted by a 2nd grader!  Yep, that's right...my 2nd graders know the 4 layers of the rainforest and different animals that live in each one of them!  :)

Since school has started, the 2nd grade and I have been studying 4 different habitats.  A habitat is defined as a place where people/animals live.  The four different habitats we are studying are the desert, rainforest, ocean, and forest.  We studied the desert for about a week, and just finished up with the rainforest!  The students LOVED the rainforest and that is why I am deciding to share about the amazing activity we did!

So, we all know that students love computers...right?  Well, at least I know they do...so Miss Nederhoff, being the fun teacher she is...let each group use a computer to RESEARCH the four different levels of the rainforest on an online website called a WebQuest.  A WebQuest is a safe website that teachers create to help students learn about a specific website.

Check out the website at this link: http://mrsgebauer.com/rainforestweb/WebQuest.htm

Anyways...each group of 3 students got a computer/my iPad and got to research the different layers of the rainforest and the different animals that live there.  I provided them with the link to the WebQuest and gave them some quick guidance on how to navigate through the website, and from there...they were on their own!

Working on the computers to help figure out what order the layers 

go in and where the rainforest animals go! :)

I provided them with a white long sheet of paper, the names of the 4 layers, and different rainforest animals.  From there, they had to take their supplies and decide how they were going to design their poster.  They were SO creative!!! :)

Working as a team to color/figure out where everything goes!!! :)

I was truly impressed with how each group did.  They took their time..and I mean, really took their time.  This research project took us 3 days, but I didn't even care because they did so great with it!  They were getting peer interaction, getting exposed to technology, and using their imagination to it's full potential.  I was just amazed...definitely a "proud teacher" moment :)

And....the FINAL PRODUCT!!! :)

Aren't they adorable!?!  I laminated them so they would stay neat and look spiffy :)

I was just so proud of my kiddos and how they did on this project!  :)  Just amazed by the work they can do if you let them take control of their own learning and be independent but also learn how to work as a team!  We are working on team building in 2nd grade because it's important to learn social skills with friends and social skills is a big thing in 2nd grade!  

And to conclude this awesome rainforest post, I received the sweetest note from one of my 2nd graders last Friday...and it truly made my heart melt and reassured me that my students do like me and do LOVE coming to school!

Thank you all for listening...and I hope you learned something new ;)!  Until next time, stay safe <3. 

Happy Fall! :)

Wow!  Can we ask for better weather lately?! Who can't be happy in this beautiful fall weather!?

I know I have been on top of the world the past couple weeks...school has been going great, my students have been amazing, and seeing all the farmers our harvesting just makes a farmer's daughter smile :).  Anyways, enough about this beautiful fall weather...let me show you how my 2nd grade class has decorated our classroom to celebrate Fall and Halloween!!! :) The kiddos KNOW I LOVE fall!  They even tell me now, "We know you love fall, don't you Miss Nederhoff?"  :)

 Enjoy the pictures and Happy Fall!!! :)

Our "Fall Into Reading" Corner!  This bulletin board is set up in the library corner of the classroom, where the students get to put their name and the book they read on a leaf and then hang it on the wall! :)  They LOVE it and I told them if they fill all the white, Miss Nederhoff will bring special treats!  

They have until the 1st day of Winter...December 21st!  :)

Our scarecrow decorations!! I got this idea from Pinterest and just couldn't resist!  Although it wasn't completely related to my curriculum, sometimes you just have to stray away from the curriculum and have a little fun!  And the kids LOVE being artists!! :) They are so creative, 

but I did encourage them to "Think Fall" when they colored...aka: Use fall colors :)!

What kind of pet does a spider make??? This was a creative writing activity that I did with my students!  They didn't turn out quite as well as I wanted them, but hey, you have to try otherwise you never know what could happen!  :)  These spiders are located in the back of my room on the long, skinny bulletin board!  

I never got a picture, oops! :)

Hope you all enjoyed the Fall/Halloween themed pictures and decorations in our classroom!  :) 

Not only am I celebrating Fall in my classroom, but we all know that fall means visiting pumpkin patches...so I got a chance to visit the pumpkin patch with my family (Mom, Brooke, Paul, & Emma and also made a trip with my friend Kelly when she came to good ole Clarksville to visit!)  

Emma & I collecting pumpkins :) She's so stinkin' cute!

One of my gorgeous friends and I getting our pumpkins!  

We had so much fun for the night she came to visit!  

Truly a great friend and such a sweet, sweet girl! :)

Happy Fall everyone!!! Thank you all for reading...and until next time, stay safe <3.