Summer Plans and whats a goin' on

Camping on Beaver Mountain
I bought new pointe shoes. Can't wait to get started again!

Here is a quick list of what I've been doing this summer and also my summer lovin'plans!

June

24th Birthday

Gifted and Talented Class

2nd Grade Core Academy Workshop

3rd Wedding Aniversary Las Vegas

Tuacahn Cats

July

Salt Lake for a week- Anatomy and Physiology class

Content Literacy Instruction Class

Family Camping Trip Beaver Mountain

Bought new Pointe shoes. Can't wait to dance on them!

Tuacahn Tarzan

5 Year DHS reunion

August

Personal Retreat Mesquite

John Mayer Concert

School Starts Aug. 11th!

Summer Lovin'

Summer is going great. I am keeping busy, but I'm also taking the time to do things I enjoy like reading, sitting in the sun, working out, sleeping...all that good stuff.

Happy Summering!

Living with Anxiety

It's been about 3 months since my diagnosis of anxiety. I am doing really well with the medication I am taking. Infact, I feel like myself again...like a rebirth, it's great! I have been studying books about anxiety and depression and have really become aware of what it means to have a mental illness.

My personal illness is stemmed from the decrease of serotinin uptake between neurotransmitters in the brain. (Which means that I am producing a normal level of seratonin but it is not being absorbed normally when transferred to other neurotransmitters.) My medication allows seratonin to be absorbed at a normal level.

Taking medication was a huge step in healing my anxiety. I feel like myself. I can deal with stress healthfully. I laugh more, I see the good more, and I am a happier person.

Myths about anti-deppressants:

myth- Once on an anti-deppressant, you'll be on them forever.

fact- Depending on your individual experience with depression, most people enter re-mission after 6-8 months of medication.

myth- Anti-depressants will make you have a different personality and not allow you to experience "normal" feelings.

fact- anti-deppressants are designed to allow you to become your normal self again, not become a different person.

myth- anti-depressants can't really help a mental problem

fact- Depression is a physical symptom not only an emotional symptom. Medication helps balance the chemicals in the brain to maintain a healthy level.

I just finished a book about anti-depressants yesterday. It was amazing. One thing I found intersting was this:

Here's a list of a few people that suffer or suffered from mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety:

Buzz Aldrin

Abraham Lincoln

Vincent Van Gogh

Einstein

Jim Carrey

Winston Churchill

John Denver

Charles Dickens

Kirsten Dunst

Nelly Furtado

Anne Hathaway

Janet Jackson

Beyonce

Beethoven

Martin Luther

Michelangelo

Mozart

Isaac Newton

Marie Osmond

Brittney Spears

no habla ingles

I got a new student today. Yep, three weeks before school is out. And yes, she can't speak a word of English. I was kinda freakin' when I found out...but now that I've made a plan, I think it will be a very good learning experience for all of my students. Deep breath. Let it out slowly... alright here we go!

Finally! I've updated

Yes I'm alive! Here's a quick update of what I've been up to.

Testing. My students start CRT testing this coming week. I'm a little nervous, yet confident too. I think they will do great.

I think it's important to be honest and open. The last 6 months have been tremendously difficult for me. I've had a lot of things to deal with, and lots of changes to accomodate to. After seeing the doctor because of excessive anxiety, we decided to go with medication. It's pretty crazy what stress can do. I've been on meds for about a month. They are helping a lot. I'm supposed to continue my dose for atleast 6 months, then hopefully get off them. This was a hard decision to make, but I know it's been the right thing to do. I've never suffered from anything like anxiety, and it's been a huge learning experience and I know that I can overcome it.

Blake's School- We are saving some money to finish his last month or so of school. Then what? I really don't know, we're just hoping for the best.
My class earned a class pet! I now have 2 frogs in my classroom. The kids named them Billy Bob Joe and Freddy. Ha.

Here's a glimpse of my classroom

My favorite boys. Here we are relaxing and watching Charlotte's Web.

My writing bulletin in the hall. Thanks to my mom who helped me create this. She did most of the work. Isn't it cute!

My students' work. Each student did a report on an animal cycle. They did a wonderful job!

The newest addition to the family. This is my sweet nephew, Mattix.

Hailey bum.

During my Spring Break I went to Salt Lake and stayed with Nate and Maria. I had so much fun with the boys! It was the best way to spend a Spring Break.

Transformers! Robots in Disguise. The transormer snowman that Eric and Blake made while visiting in Salt Lake.

That's about it! Thanks for visiting our blog!

7 gifts you can give that don't cost money

I gave this exact writing prompt to my students this week. Twas hilarious and utterly adorable! Examples:

give them hand-me down clothes
you can thank them
give them books
tell them you're thankful for Jesus
rake their leaves
invite them over for dinner
make them a homemade card

and last and definately not least...
give them something that's free


Merry Christmas to everyone!

My plans during our 2 week break-
sleep
exercise
get my life back into shape (gotta love being emo)
catch-up on school stuff
relax
go christmas shopping
run
fix my ipod
hangout with my family!

The Daily Five

This is what I was trained on this last week. It's a new and improved, successfull, student friendly, teacher friendly "literacy centers" program. It is amazing. I am not yet doing it in my class but I plan on reading the book over Christmas break and starting it in January. Here's the gist. Instead of doing "centers" students do five things everyday during the daily five.

1. Read to self (Silent Reading) at independent level
2. Read to someone (at independent level)
3. Word Work
4. Write
5. Listen to reading

Meanwhile, you the teacher are doing guided reading groups with a mini-lesson between each group.

Look it up. Buy the book. Read it and implement it if you want your students to succeed at reading and writing. Happy Teaching!