My One Little Word: Love

2015 held some of most wonderful and cherished moments and memories of my life so far. It would be easy to look back on my photographs from the past year and feel a sense of sadness that it had to come to a close. However, I know that one of the great beauties of life is that it does not go backwards – it goes forward – and God has some amazing plans for the future!  Today, I’d like to share my “One Little Word” (or OLW) for 2016 with you, and share my hopes and plans for living out this word to the fullest in my professional and personal life.

The word I chose for 2016 is love. This powerful little word is the exact word I want to describe all areas of my life this year. We are grateful for the love we easily feel in our sunniest and most cherished moments in life. In our moments of sadness, weakness, or challenge, love is the word that brings us back and keeps us strong.  It is truly a word that deserves our attention and focus! 🙂 

School Life: The Love of Learning

As busy teachers, it’s so easy for us to get wrapped up in the chaos and hectic schedules of our jobs.  We have report cards comments to write, conferences to schedule, reports to read, data to collect, assessments to grade. Oh, and I did I mention teach?! 😉

This year, let’s make it a priority to stop and slow down every morning before that first bell rings.  Let’s remind ourselves that above all the paperwork, the data, and the lesson plans, our students need to first feel love. Let’s keep in mind that it’s perfectly acceptable to throw that worksheet into the recycling bin and use that extra 10 minutes to sit on the floor with our kids and sing, dance, chant, laugh, chat, and love them. They are the reason we walked into our first education class in college. Let’s be sure to remember that our love for kids and our love for those precious little people we are helping to grow are the reason we open our classroom doors every morning. <3 

Blogging Life: The Love of Our Profession

Six years ago, I felt pretty alone in the teaching world.  I had transferred schools. I was finding my place again in a new building, a new staff, a new school culture. I was just three years out of college, and I was thirsty to learn, grow, and push myself as a new educator. But I had left my colleagues behind at my old school, and instead of the first grade teacher across the hall whom I chit chatted with 100 times a day, there was nothing but a brick wall across from my new second grade door.  So, I started this little blog. And suddenly, I felt pure love and passion again as a teacher. 🙂  When I found out I was pregnant early this school year, my little blog was one of the first things I neglected. Not intentionally – but when “morning sickness” sets in around 2:00pm every day, running to the computer to blog about a new sight word idea is the last thing your body is telling you to do. 😉  Part of my New Year’s Resolution is to write more blog posts for y’all! 🙂 Sharing ideas and resources with teachers – with YOU –  is truly a love of mine! <3

Personal Life: Slowing Down to Cherish Those I Love

Ahh….this one is my most important resolution this year!

I have always been a go, go, go person. I’m constantly running from one task to the next. I have always found myself rushing off from one event to another, and signing up for more “committees” and “extra jobs” than I truly  had time for. (Do you know someone like this? Are YOU that person, too?) This year, I’m dedicated to slowing down so that I can cherish God’s love and my family’s love. Sometimes, I think we are so busy and rushed, that we don’t slow down to appreciate all of the love around us. God has so beautifully blessed us with the gift of pregnancy and a little bundle that we can’t wait to meet!  I can’t even imagine all of the love we will feel when we get to meet him!  This year, I will take time to push aside “to-do” lists. I will say “no” to extra events that take me away from family time, and I will be okay if something has to wait until the following day to be completed – because we will be right here, loving this little bundle, and loving God for his beautiful blessing! <3

I have so many exciting plans and ideas for this blog in 2016! I have a list of teaching tricks, tips, and teaching goodies to share with you. I have pictures to show you, books to recommend, and strategies to send your way. I have Periscopes to plan (Yes, I am determined to get back on there and hang out with you all!), products to help you prepare, and Facebook chats to collaborate.  It’s going to be a GREAT year! Please be sure to follow me not only through my blog, but on my social media channels at the top right corner of my blog, so that you do not miss out on all that this coming year has to offer for your teaching journey in 2016! 

Thank you for reading my “one little word” commitment for this New Year. 🙂 What is your One Little Word for this year? Share it with us below in the comments. I always read every single one and I LOVE to hear from you! <3

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10 Comments

  1. As I return to work this morning to a Staff Development Day your "word" was the perfect reminder to take with me back to the classroom! I hope you're warm and cozy with your snow today!

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