My #Oneword for 2017 is Elevate! Elevating my students by challenging them to continue to learn and improve. Elevating my co-workers and PLN by co-learning, networking, encouraging and praising the amazing work I see, hear and read about on Twitter. For myself, I want to continue to grow and challenge myself professionally. I want to elevate all students and advocate for those students who voices are often silenced or not heard. In elevating those that are marginalized, I believe we all benefit. I want to continue to encourage teachers and students to see themselves as change agents and leaders so that together we can continue to grow and improve our system and the greater world we live in.
I read recently in a blog article by Micheal Fullen called “Find your own Finland” and he talked about creating a culture that “establish[es] teaching as a respected and attractive profession.” In the article he articulated that cultural changes does not come from top down but rather “bottom up, the middle out, and all around.” I hope 2017 is an era where we can create this culture. A year of working together and elevating each other while continuing to challenge ourselves to co-learn, improve because all of our students deserve it.