It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

... It's time for hour of code!!

My students each spent an hour today learning how to code! They had so much fun learning how to do it, and are all excited to continue coding at home! 

Eggs!

Today, one of my students runs up to me, first thing in the morning and says "ms. Campi I brought you a present!" Proceeds to hand me a carton of 1 dozen eggs. 

At first, I was very confused... My 8am tired teacher brain thought ..."why in the world is this child bringing me eggs?" 

Then after some conversation, he goes deep into explaining how he has chickens, and how he raised the chickens, got the eggs himself, learned how to clean them, and everything. He was so insanely proud! 

It was by far the strangest, most random, yet most heart-felt gift I have ever received from a student. :) 

Cool Story Bro

Found this letter in my teacher mailbox today (my place for students to write me notes if they need to tell me something). 

....

Cool story bro.

Mouse Cheese Water Letters????

Today during writing time, we were revising our work to show our intent. "What kind of story do you want to write?" Is it funny? Sad? Happy? Serious? Scary? 

I leaned in to confer with this student. When I asked her to read me her work she said: "ms. Campi! I revised it to make it hilarious!" 

To which I responded "wow great! Show me what you did." 

She showed me her work where she mentioned she erased her original writing to make it funny.........

"I ate chocolate bar the bar tasted like chocolate chip cookies." 

So far so good.... Then.....

"It tasted like mouse cheese water letters" 

She sits there smiling and waiting for me to laugh. I asked her what mouse cheese water letters were.... She had no idea.      -_____-

I Wish My Teacher Knew...

Many of you have read the article floating around Facebook recently about the teacher who asked her students to write to her using the prompt "I wish my teacher knew..." She did this in an effort to get to know her students better and to build on the trust between teacher and student. That teacher got a lot of shocking and upsetting responses such as "I don't have a pencil to do my homework at night." 

I decided to try this out with my students last week in an effort to get to know them better... But they took a slightly different, more hilarious approach. Here are their responses:

Some were random...

Some were very sweet... :)

Some of them started confessing their crushes...

This one was pretty valid... I also wish I knew why we have outer space...

There were a few sad ones... 

But nothing beats the winner... 

^and here I thought I was excellent at teaching math! Haha 

Zoo!!!

Today the second graders got to go on a field trip to the zoo. They have been looking forward to this day for a long time:) I was so excited to watch their faces throughout the day as they beamed with excitement! We have been studying animal classification, and they were so excited to see some of the animals we have been studying. Watching students connect the information they have learned to a hands-on experience is one of the most amazing and rewarding feelings. Their enthusiasm for learning today truly warmed my heart. I can now safely say, have the best job in the world:) 

(not to mention the weather was also PERFECT today!) 

There's a WHAT in your WHAT?!

In honor of the great Dr. Seuss we read the story There's a Wocket in My Pocket! I then gave students a chance to make their own rhymes. 

And then there's this one... 

Excuse me... What's in your lock?! Haha oops! I guess rhyming can be dangerous sometimes. 

2nd Graders Change the World!

After spending a few weeks studying famous African Americans in history for Black History Month, I allowed my students to decide how THEY would want to change the world.

All very tangible, action-oriented changes! Hahaha 

This one is just too sweet!! 

And then...

In a perfect world, EVERYONE would get Pokemon and Mega Charzard:) 

Happy Lunar New Year!

As a second grade, we got to spend a few days teaching the students all about the lunar new year. The week even ended with a dragon parade and everything! 

Students lining up to give their "elders" their well wishes for the new year to get their lucky red envelopes:) it was very fun having the whole second grade walk up to you and wish you happiness, joy, wealth, and health! 

Last, but not least, I got to be the dragon in the parade! The students loved it! I spent most of my time, however, trying not to be trampled! 

To infinity and beyond!!

As we wrapped up our outer space GLAD unit a few weeks ago, my second graders got to become astronauts themselves and wrote about what they would do if they became an astronaut :) 

So adorable:) 

Honestly, if I went to space, I'd prob eat ice cream on Pluto too ;) 

Love Advice from 2nd Graders

Here's some free love advice for your Valentine's Day... Courtesy of Ms. Campi's second graders.

I gave students a prompt to answer the age old question... What is love? 

Their responses were rather adorable :) 

Love is when you like somebody or something that makes you feel not lonely... Awww :) 

I hold this child's hand every day at the end of the day on the way out to the cars. I never thought about how much it meant to her until now :) 

Love is that your heart is in another heart and you love someone and you feel so much that you want love in your heart :)

... That's just way too adorable! 

Short, sweet, and to the point!

The best part of the day, however, was when two of my students got to the carpet for our end of the day class meeting. These two students are not friends, and usually don't speak to one another. There are language and other communication barriers. BUT... They said to me "Ms. Campi! Ms. Campi! Look!" And they gave each other the biggest hug and yelled "happy Valentine's Day!" 

:) it's the little things...

Even though my students can be absolutely crazy and exhausting. It's refreshing to know how much innocence and love are in their hearts :)

Happy Valentine's Day!