4 of 31 - SOLSC 2022
Do you have a One Little Word? (As far as I know this is where OLW started. If my memory has any accuracy, I become aware of OLW through the TWT blog and others slicing about their One Little Word.)
For several years I was not an adopter of OLW. I'm still not sure when I decided I had One Little Word. And I know it wasn't a start of a calendar year kind of thing. I remember we had a consultant visiting our school five or six years ago. She is the one who got me thinking about purpose. It wasn't long before purpose became my focal point, especially around my work at school. A couple of years later I had a PURPOSE banner made. At that point I realized I had my own One Little Word.
Purpose is not going away anytime soon in my conversations with teachers and students and how I organize training and conversations. At the same time I realized I had started pondering a new word often and wondered if it was becoming my new One Little Word.
Today, as I read some slices and poked around in all of the procrastination spots my new OLW kept showing up around the edges of my thinking. I finally acknowledged it and here I am to share with you: impact.
For several years I was not an adopter of OLW. I'm still not sure when I decided I had One Little Word. And I know it wasn't a start of a calendar year kind of thing. I remember we had a consultant visiting our school five or six years ago. She is the one who got me thinking about purpose. It wasn't long before purpose became my focal point, especially around my work at school. A couple of years later I had a PURPOSE banner made. At that point I realized I had my own One Little Word.
Purpose is not going away anytime soon in my conversations with teachers and students and how I organize training and conversations. At the same time I realized I had started pondering a new word often and wondered if it was becoming my new One Little Word.
Today, as I read some slices and poked around in all of the procrastination spots my new OLW kept showing up around the edges of my thinking. I finally acknowledged it and here I am to share with you: impact.
When I started my new journal in January (happened to be when the old one was filled) I wrote IMPACT across the first page. (Does anyone else sometimes leave that first page blank, awaiting inspiration for something worthy of the prominent spot in your notebook?)
I have been thinking about my impact. My impact on student learning. My impact on teachers' practice. My impact on my daughter. My impact on the planet. My impact on those I interact with. All kinds of impact. It's my new OLW.
Love this. And reading it I found myself completely agreeing especially with your concluding paragraph. Same same. My word over the years, I suppose, has been "relentless". It's a big buzz word I start each year in fifth grade with and when kids come back it's a word they continue to attribute to me. I like it because there are countless times others remind me of the word when I need to remember it. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHaving kids think of you as relentless has me imagining what your classroom is like and what kind of community you build that they see a relentless pursuit of their learning being your driving force.
DeleteI wonder what my OLW is. You positively impact people around you by motivating, encouraging and cheering. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Shaista.
DeleteI was just about to make the claim that I do not have OLW and barely fives strokes into typing it, I realized that of course I do and to assert otherwise would be a misrepresentation. Perhaps I've not articulated it so clearly but it is all over my writing, thinking, planning, facilitating. It's "listen" - one little word with a big impact. Thank you for leading me to this unexpected nugget.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you listened to yourself to find it. :)
DeleteI guess, OLWs area a great way to quickly self-assess and evaluate. Here's for the impact.
ReplyDelete👇🏼
https://www.betterup.com/blog/intent-vs-impact
Large or small and it varies person-to-person and situation-to-situation we all have an impact. I enjoy reading what people choose for their OLW and you choose a good one. You've already made one with this slice.
ReplyDeleteI love how you apply your word to so many aspects of your life. Makes me want to revisit my OLW, clear. You're so lucky to have teacher friends join in. I was never successful at getting anyone to join the challenge with me.
ReplyDeleteRamona, it tooks 11 years for it to be more than one person. Keep asking others to join.
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