It is October and we know all things pumpkin are everywhere, even in the 2nd grade at Mulready! The students measured the stems, the diameter, and height of the pumpkins, then cut them and pulled out the gooey pumpkin seeds to count them. They grouped the seeds by 10s and 100s to count them more efficently. The amount of math talk I heard was fantastic! One student, who was finished with her work, was creating different number sentences to show how many seeds her pumpkin had,670. She wrote "1000 - 400 + 70", and then started to explain her thinking. "I use what I know about 1 digit numbers to help me with 3 and 4 digit numbers. I know 10 - 4 = 6, so I know 100 - 40 = 60 and 1000 -400 = 600, you just add the zeros! I was amazed! To hear a 2nd grade student say this to me spontaneously just blew my mind! The number sense that this 2nd grader has is so impressive. I am glad to say that this is not an isolated case, but more of the norm. Our students really have a great sense of their numbers and how to work with them in their heads! I love these moments, and it cements my belief that teaching is THE best job, as well as the fact I need to have a recorder with me at all time! I so wish I had gotten this whole conversation recorded, it was amazing!