Saturday, January 3, 2015

One Word...

I am excited to share my first blog of 2015!  Our principal, Jay Posick, asked us to pick a word that would guide us throughout the year.  A word that would mean something to us and that we could keep in the forefront of our minds as we go through each day.  Only one word?  Are you kidding me? Out of all the wonderful words out there I have to pick just one?  After a lot of thought, I came up with my one word:  APPRECIATE.

I thought of this word with two sets of people in mind:  my students and my colleagues.  I think of my students in the context of APPRECIATE because far too often I am concentrating on the "next thing" and not living in the moment.  What is their potential?  At what can they become better?  How can I help them improve?  And while all of those are great questions, I think we are always on to the next thing and do not take time to APPRECIATE the moments we have in front of us at that specific moment in time.  There is always room for improvement.  However, there is also room to APPRECIATE and celebrate where we are right now.  I also want to APPRECIATE the WHOLE student.  They come to us with hidden talents, worries, victories, problems at home, and hobbies they love.  This makes them who they are and if I am going to build a relationship with them I want to APPRECIATE everything they bring to the table. 

My colleagues are not much different than my students.  I want to APPRECIATE everything about them!  They too have hidden talents, worries, victories, problems at home, and hobbies they love.  I want to APPRECIATE them as people and celebrate what each of them contributes to their students, the team, and our school.  

With all of this APPRECIATION going on, I cannot help but think that this would make people feel all warm and fuzzy inside and I like that!  Adults and kids alike can sense when you are taking a genuine interest in them and not just a fly by of "How are you?" when you do not even stick around for their answer.  Showing people they are loved, validated, and APPRECIATED is like spreading sunshine around the world!  So when my students and my colleagues show up on January 5th , I am going to look at them with a new sense of APPRECIATION and reverence.

7 comments:

  1. Gratitude is such an important thing to remember. When you focus on all the things and people you appreciate it helps you to remember what is truly meaningful in your life. Good choice, Heidi!

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    1. Thank you, Jennifer! Happy New Year! I look forward to more connections with you in 2015!

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    2. For sure - that's definitely something I've appreciated about 2014 - lots of connections and great educators to share ideas and to encourage one another.

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  2. Your word fits you, Heidi. Have a great 2015!

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    1. Awww..thanks, Mark! I'm so touched that you read my blog AND left a message! Thank you so much. I hope you are doing well. Please know that I think of you often. If you're in the area these next few months, please stop in school and say hello. I know people would love to see you. We could have a big hug fest! Hello to Chris, and Happy New Year to both of you!

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  3. What a powerful word! I love the idea of living more in the moment. Will you blog about your progress?

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    1. Hi Sue,
      Thanks for reading my blog. Blogging about my progress is a great idea, thank you! What is your #oneword?

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