My #OneWord for 2016

 

Take a piece of paper. Jot down the #oneword which describes the mission of your classroom. Take a minute to think about it. It may be hard to encapsulate all that your classroom is in one word. If you have thought deeply about what you are trying to accomplish in your classroom, the #oneword may come easily.

Engagement?

Learning?

Passion?

Maybe thinking?

As we embark on a new year, I would like to suggest another word: Others.

We spend a great deal of our time teaching students academic content, as well as a variety of soft skills like interpersonal communication and negotiation.

Let’s teach our students to build relationships with others.

Let’s teach our students to be empathetic towards others.

Let’s teach our students that by learning to serve others they can live meaningful, purposeful lives.

Let’s teach our students to give back to others.

Let’s teach our students to learn from others by connecting our students to experts.

Let’s make our students appreciate others for who they are as individuals.

 

Let’s make 2016 about others.

 

 By @RACzyz