Teaching, Second Grade, Learning, Work Stations, Reading, Math, Math Work Stations, Reading, Work Stations
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Welcome to my Teacher Website

My name is Annette Protz and I have been a second grade teacher at Cleveland Elementary in Alabama for 11 years. 
I am constantly searching for ways to make my classroom learning environment one that lets my students discover, wonder, and learn how to learn on their own.  Reading is a key ingredient in learning.  Once students are on their feet with their reading skills, it is time to kick it into gear letting them discover a whole new world.  I incorporate this philosophy into my daily routines.  Routines include identifying a new place around the world each day.  I purchased a pack of cards at Target this past summer in Georgia while on vacation (yes I still think about school when we are out for the summer).  They feature landmarks from around the world. I use them after lunch each day while the students are letting their food settle and getting back in the learning mode.  I show them the card with a place, have them guess where they think it is, and then tell them see where it is in the world on the little map on the back of the card.  Then I read them a little information about the place.  After our brief discussion, I place it on our Oh the Places We Know bulletin board in a pocket chart.  This lets the kids see all the places we have discovered. 

Each time we begin a new unit of study or have a new lesson, they often have wonders and questions that I may not be able to answer without a little research.  I decided a week or so ago that they are plenty capable of being their own researcher. So, I created a Wonder Box on top of one of my computer towers.  It is just a little pencil box with the words Wonder Box attached to the top.  Beside it I placed several index cards.  Students take an index card when they have a wonder and place it in the Wonder Box.  When we go to the computer lab, we take the wonder box with their wonders and they do searches on Google after our lessons in the computer lab. 

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Teaching, Second Grade, Learning, Work Stations, Reading, Math, Math Work Stations, Reading, Work Stations