Hello Mrs Sykes

I'm a teacher. I know teachers don't make much; I knew it when I began teaching in '98. I never got into teaching for the paycheck. I want to make it clear that I am *not* complaining. I am a very fortunate person with a family who makes me laugh every day.  :)  I feel a huge gratitude to have a job that helps me feel as though I am making a difference in the world. Teachers have lean times like everyone else, and we have times that we are overcome by the goodness that comes from the world. That being said, today I want to tell you what a relief to be able to walk into a grocery store and spend an unbudgeted $45 without guilt. By the way, I know unbudgeted is not a word, but you know what I meant. Doesn’t sound like much, does it? Well, here’s my journey to that $45: it is 3 weeks until Christmas, and the only people  I've  been shopping for are my kiddos.  I  have a little health issue, so I'm working half-time this year. The budget is key ...

Ugh.  One of the worst parts of having depression  is that sometimes, for no reason at all, everything stinks.  This happened to me last spring.  It started with being a bit tired/unmotivated.  A month later, I realized I had neglected housework, the yard, and things I am usually passionate about - like this blog.   At the same time, I felt completely overwhelmed. by. everything.  I got through it with a lot of rest, time, support from friends, love from my family, and learning not to be so hard on myself.  I am working on my gratitude, and seeing the blessings present in my daily life as a way to beat depression, including opening myself up to new friendships and opportunities. { source } As we gear up to begin a new school year, I just want to remind myself (and all of you) to be gentle on yourself and each other.  We truly don't know what personal struggles each other face, and we need to be mindful. { source } Teachers are a r...

I have always been the teacher to share.  In fact, if you ask me for my opinion about something in education, you may never shut me up again.  As a Literacy Coach in my county, this was a wonderful trait, as you get the most "Bang for Your Buck" by providing meaningful in-house staff development.  I couldn't understand when teachers refused to share their fantastic strategies with other teachers.  I had been in their classrooms; the work they were doing with their classes was nothing short of phenomenal.  Sadly, now I see where that refusal to share was coming from. The collaborative climate, where teachers freely exchanged ideas and tips, is turning.  Some teachers are starting to figure out that they can shine (in the eyes of their administration) by NOT sharing.  At all.  Not strategies, best practices, how they would deal with a behavior issue, community resources to help a student in need, nada.  In many school systems, teachers are be...

Many times I hear how nice it must be to be a teacher, by people who have no idea why it's fantastic to be a teacher. It usually goes something like this...   We know this isn't the case, but it is a bit discouraging to hear this from others.  That is one of the few things no one tells you about teaching in an elementary school.  Here are a few more: You will need to use the bathroom, and it will be inconvenient.  Yes, I know teachers are supposed to have a planning time and lunch, but occasionally ( weekly ) you will not have a break.  It might be because of a meeting, a specialist being out, standardized testing taking place, etc.  Do not leave your students alone to use the restroom.  Even if they are the most well-behaved little group of angels, when you leave is when little Jimmy decides to stab himself with a paperclip.  You need to have a plan in place - call a really nice office staff member, teacher assistant from Kindergar...

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 know many of you are going back to school soon, so y'all should probably just ignore this post.  It's kind of a downer, and I don't want to cause you unnecessary stress, but it feels cathartic to share this, even though I'm telling you not to read it. I'm in my 6th week back in school, and having a very difficult time doing my job this year.  My green beans are very sweet, and I miss them when I am not there.  These kiddos remind me of why I became a teacher.  I am there to help them become independent, critical thinkers who will benefit our society and the world as adults.  My job is important, and I take it seriously. However, there's the downside: paperwork, meetings, new curriculum, little support for new curriculum, more paperwork, more meetings to discuss the paperwork, 10 different passwords to enter data in 10 different websites - all of which are {apparently} important, changes in how we collect the data, changes in how we analyze the da...

OK.  We did our first day of county-mandated standardized testing today with my 2nd graders.  My poor little 7 and barely 8 year olds who did not know they were taking this test until Monday, when we tracked back in after our 3 week vacation.  (It was just told to us in the past month that we were doing this test!)  Who had very little experience bubbling test items on a Scantron sheet with a number 2 pencil, being sure to erase any stray marks and not redraw a circle if they accidentally erase a circle because the redrawn circle may be scored as your answer.  We practiced bubbling for 3 days. Ick.  Double ick.  Super double-dog ick.  Years ago, I used to teach 3rd grade.  I loved teaching 3rd grade.  The curriculum was interesting, the kids had a wonderful sense of humor, and I worked with fabulous teachers. The issue was the testing.  I gave 8 standardized tests during a year, testing everything from their writing sk...