Hello Mrs Sykes

Truly, I have much to be thankful for.  I hope that you are able to enjoy time with your families this weekend, and remember how fortunate we all are in so many ways. By the way, good news!!  I won Ms. Bainbridge's 2600 Follower "I'm Thankful for You!" giveaway.  Her products are amazing (as you all know!)  My absolute favorites?  Glad you asked.  :) Partner Reading Comprehension Activity Pack {Partner Reading Party!} Pet Shop Math 2nd Grade Common Core Center Set Gobble, Gobble, y'all! Have you heard?  There's some crazy shopping sales going on... and I'm participating!!

This post is a personal one for me.  Don't judge - it just makes me feel better to put it out there.  ;) Some of y'all might know I'm a *bit* stressed   crazy   nuts  stressed about report cards, assessments, Profile Cards that do not align with my county's pacing guide, developmental expectations being thrown out the window as I prepare 7 year olds for standardized testing (complete with bubbling), and tracking out of my classroom for the first time in years.  It's The Super Teacher Myth . What isn't helping matters is my personal battle with depression .  I have been battling this illness since being diagnosed when I was 15.  Most days, I am fine, but during periods of high stress, it becomes unmanageable.  That's when I rely heavily on the village of support I have around me: family, friends, coworkers, my amazing therapists, my kids' teachers, strangers, etc.  We have more frozen meals, more cozy family time, and a messier h...

I was inspired to write this post after a chat with my buddy Casey , and we were talking about the way I use music in the classroom.  I have different music that goes with different moods/tasks.  For example: For Writing, we listen to Enya .  Specifically, Watermark .  (Really, anything by Enya  would probably accomplish the same thing.)  It's dreamy, new-agey background music, and my kiddos can still focus on their work.  I play it softly, and if our conferences are getting too loud, I simply ask someone at the other side of the room if they can still hear the music.  They stop and listen, then tell me they can't hear it.  That's the cue for the class to be quieter - they know if people can't hear the music, they can't have their calm, focused writing time.  Love it!! For Partner Work and Math, we listen to Vince Guaraldi .  This year, we're listening to Oh Good Grief!  My kiddos love it, and they recognize that thi...

My green beans have really been making me laugh lately... Kiddo (with an apprehensive look): "What is Gooey Dance?" Me: "I don't know.  What is Gooey Dance?" Kiddo: "Mrs. Sykes, it says on the schedule we have Gooey Dance tomorrow.  I don't know how to Gooey Dance." Me: "We are having a Guidance lesson tomorrow.  No worries!"  :) Kiddo #1: "Do you know who you're going to vote for?" Kiddo #2: "My dad said I should vote for Omaha {{Obama}}, but I don't know yet." Kiddo #1: "You need to vote for Omaha if your dad says to.  He's probably right." Kiddo #2: "I know, but the other guy is named Mitten.  That would be pretty cool." Hope all's well with all of y'all, and the folks impacted from Hurricane Sandy can begin returning to a bit of normalcy soon - know that you're in our nation's thoughts.

Y'all know  I have a huge crush on VistaPrint, right?!?  Check out my latest order... My personalized 2 G flash drive Magnetic Clip Stress Ball - for a couple of ADHD kiddos A measuring tape - since I can never find mine! Grand total - 4 items, including shipping and tax...  $11.05 (I had 30% off from an email).  Absolutely love these!  If you are new to VistaPrint , be sure to click here  to get a special discount using my code.  I haven't quite figured out how the code-thing works, but we can give it a shot.  :)  All of these items are located under Promotional Items, and prices are given for large quantities.  Click the item you want, and look for the words "Try a Personalized Sample" - only $7.99 for the flash drive. I think I'll be picking up a few more as teacher gifts - what teacher doesn't love personalized stuff? What are you going to shop for?