Hello Mrs Sykes

It feels like almost everything I want to share with teachers, parents, and administrators is about the importance of Word Study.  There are many different ways to approach word study in the classroom.  During this new series of blog posts, I'm hoping to share many techniques I implemented and used successfully with students in the past.  I hope you'll tune in on Wednesdays... Font:  KG Fonts , Digital Paper:  Sassy Designs Word Games are an effective method to encourage students to "play" with words.  If you play word games often, you may be surprised at the level of discourse students use when discussing their words.  As you hit the thrift shops and yard sales preparing for your classroom, keep your eyes open for a few of these games.  I always do a bit of word work as we begin our Guided Reading group, and when I don't have a particular skill they need to work on that session, we'll play a word game for a few minutes.  Read on, and ...

I don't know about y'all, but I am super duper jealous of the blogger meet ups that have been happening over the summer.  If you teach in Central NC and want to join us, email me or comment below so I can send out invites.  No blogging experience necessary - all teachers are welcome to join us as we chat about teacher things.  Not sure what teacher things are?  Here are a few examples: Cheap school supplies;  Teachers Pay Teachers;  Beginning a new school year; Wedding plans (since a couple of attendees are getting married very soon!) How lovely it is to spend more than 4 minutes eating a meal, (with an adult beverage, too!) {source}   Interested?  We will be going to a restaurant at White Oak Crossing in Garner, NC if you want to Google Map it.  Hope to see you August 24!!  :)   Here's a link to the event on Facebook.

Summer is in full swing, so it's back to school time at our house.  (Remember, I've been teaching at a year round school !)  Except, I'm on sabbatical - er, I mean, unemployed  self-employed.  OK, here's the truth -  I'm only on sabbatical in my head.  On paper, I'm unemployed; the state of NC does not allow teachers to take unpaid leave unless we're serving our country or taking care of someone who is ill.  After 14 years in the classroom, I need a change of pace for the sake of my health.  I love teaching, and will return (one day!)  For now, I'm kind of reveling in the idea that back to school means my own kiddos go.  It's been over 10 years since I've had a quiet house, and I'm loving it! {source} Since I am not currently employed, I decided to spend more time creating and tweaking the teaching resources I've been working on for years.  Here's the most recent creation (over 6 months in the making!)  Comprehension Strat...