Happy New Year!
In 2021, not only are we going to continue to feed our students’ minds to help them think critically, but we also need to feed their souls. I don’t have to tell you that SEL (social-emotional learning) is always a priority, especially as the pandemic continues and the status of in-person learning is uncertain. The many iterations of school continue, but each one is definitely different than students experienced in September 2019 and has possibly changed several times between March 2020 and the present.
When my students and I resume learning tomorrow, I plan on beginning with having them choose “one word,” just like many of us have. What I like about one word is that it isn’t a New Years’ Resolution. It is simply one word that a person can focus and reflect upon throughout the year. It’s pretty easy to remember and to circle back to with students (and yourself!), and choosing one word is not as simple as it sounds. One word makes you think about what’s important: where do you want to improve or what would you like to continue doing? How can you grow?
My word this year is “grace.” I need to be more forgiving of myself and my shortcomings, I want to look out for others’ needs and find opportunities to help, and I want to make sure that my ears are open to hear others and my eyes are open to truly see them. It’s something I’ve been working on, and I want to continue this work. That’s why it is my one word.
Using the attached Google Slide (free resource- yay!), I plan on having students reflect on their one word, too. They only have to share it with me unless they’d like to share it with others, then, rather than forget about their “one word,” I plan on asking them to take a look at it from time to time to see how they’re doing. How does this connect to the content? They can also apply their one word to the history we’re studying. How does their one word fit into the unit? What should the “one word” of the people we’re studying be? This will be a great way to connect them to the real people of history.