#OneWord2017 Reflection and Lesson

Instead of making full-blown new year's resolutions, I have joined the movement of choosing just one word. Two years ago, I chose "calm" and last year my word was "authentic." This year, I have chosen the word purposeful.


I decided to choose "purposeful" because I think it is going to help me be more focused and intentional this year. I tend to be one of those people that say yes to everything before I really know what is being asked of me. While I love having my hands in several projects at a time, it can sometimes make me feel a bit scattered and I'm wondering if I'm having as much of an impact as I would like.

My work feels like a calling to me. It's something I think about in my free time. I like blogging about it and connecting with other educators-- it's almost like a job and hobby! It feels like there is a bigger purpose and that is important to me. Helping others find their "purpose" in education is something I can do as a coach. They might not enjoy the same aspects of their work that I do, but there are can be other aspects that move them and help them feel connected, appreciated, and successful.



Being purposeful this year means (to me):

-ask more questions before saying yes to things. For example, just asking "why did you think of me for this project?" or "what skills do you think I have that will contribute positively to this?" could help clarify a lot!

-help teachers, through coaching, find (or continue to have) purpose in their work.

-continue to advocate for "purposeful" integration of technology in classrooms. I love tech, I think it's impactful, but I also hate the idea of using technology just for tech's sake. However, I also am really frustrated when people think that educational technology can be ignored and we can continue to do things "they way we always have."

-I'm reading The Art of Coaching by Elena Aguilar and there are so many great ideas for how to ask questions for different purposes when coaching. It takes a lot of thought and practice to develop this skill. I'm working on it, but I think being really "purposeful" with my questions will help.

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Last year, I did a One Word lesson with my students when we got back from winter break. I think it is a really worthwhile activity. I gave students this list and let them pick a word that meant something to them. I had them tweet their One Word.



This year, I came across this post from Marilyn McAlister (@RunnerGirl13_1) with some great ideas for making this a lesson in your classroom. I would totally steal borrow 😀 her hyperdoc idea if I had my own classroom this year!

Comments

  1. Awesome word, Annie. I was talking with a friend about how we work - how maybe we start a bunch of stuff all at once. I think it's so important to be purposeful in what we do! Thank you for sharing those excellent ideas from Marilyn! :-)

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