My #OneWord for 2018

My favorite part of the #oneword movement is the reflection.  #OneWord is designed for an individual to conduct a series of introspective exercises in the hope that, in the end, "one word" emerges that sums up one's hopes, goals, focus, direction for the coming year.  My reflection for this year began several weeks ago, and I'm excited to finally come to my word.

As I began to reflect on my focus for the coming year, I considered both my personal life and my professional life, specifically my children and my students.  And I was surprised...actually maybe not so surprised...to see how frustrated I really am.  And how much my frustration bled between my two foci.  My frustrations as an educator are combined with my frustration as a parent.  My frustration for what I hold as my hopes for my sons are in many ways mirrored in my frustration for the future of my students.  And, as I came to find, my direction, my focus, my "one word" pointedly summed up what I need to do. 

My #OneWord for 2018 is "In".

Before I explain why this word works for me, let me explain the root of this frustration.  As an American, I'm frustrated with the current direction I see our country heading.  After nearly a decade of what I felt was real progress I feel like we are regressing.  I'm frustrated with the dearth of leadership I see in this country.  As an educator, I am frustrated with the current educational paradigm, one in which public education has become far more about tests than kids.  I feel like I've noticed this reality more this year than ever before.  The volume of time we spend in our crooms preparing for, and then administering, tests is alarming.  And one of the most frustrating by-products of this testing mania is the impact it is having on the teaching of social studies.  In previous posts on this blog I have detailed my feelings on the importance of a strong social studies curriculum, and what our students miss without it.  At a time when we need to study history more than ever before, both for the lessons it holds but also for the examples it puts forward, we are cutting it back.  At a time when we need to be encouraging environments where critical thinking and civil discourse are promoted, we are finding social studies crooms a convenient thing to cut.  And, in the end, this frustration comes back to my most important role, as a parent, and in that role I am worried about how the consequences of decisions being made now could impact my sons. 

While I'm frustrated about many things, I've never been a wallower.  I prefer solutions, and my reflection led to the realization of what I have to do in the face of these frustrations.  The answer is in action.  Action in helping to develop stronger leaders.  Action in fighting for the social studies, and making sure that my croom is one in which the skills of critical thinking and dialogue are being encouraged.  Action in no longer being silent when I see something I know is wrong.  I once heard a great teacher say that "silence is dangerous", and I know that's true.  In short, the solution to these frustrations lies not in sitting on the sidelines, but from being "in" the game.

Over the course of this year, my hope, focus, direction is that, if you're looking for me, I will be the one in the croom where students are engaged in discussion, dialogue that is backed up by substance, and where these same students are being challenged to look at multiple points of view.  You will find me here, in this blog, speaking out.  You will find me active in the social studies community, fighting for the present and future of the field.  You will find me on Twitter, learning from the countless educators that make up my PLN.  And, most importantly, you will find me at home with my two boys, helping them to understand the importance of love, respect, and leadership.

Where you won't find me is on the sidelines.  For 2018 and beyond, I am IN!