Last year, I blogged about doing “One Little Word” for the first time. I chose, for 2015, the word “accept” as my word.
I told myself I needed to do a few things centered around that word:
- I needed to accept the teacher I am while I strive to become a better teacher
- I needed to accept the blogger I am while I strive to. . .do whatever I hope to do through blogging
- I needed to accept my own faults and weaknesses before I can begin to become better in those areas
- I needed to accept the students my students are while they strive to become better readers, writers, speakers, and mathematicians
- I needed to accept the things I cannot change
What I really needed to do was also accept that the word “need” is a little strong for these sorts of things. Perhaps “desire” would be more practical.
But, in regards to these “needs” I identified, how did I do?
I needed to accept the teacher I am while I strive to become a better teacher.
I have worked on improving my teaching while allowing myself to acknowledge that I’m a pretty good teacher already.
I needed to accept the blogger I am while I strive to. . .do whatever I hope to do through blogging.
I have not really been as adamant towards my blogging as I would have liked to have been, and I still struggle with accepting that maybe this just isn’t going to be what I would someday like it to be.
I needed to accept my own faults and weaknesses before I can begin to become better in those areas.
I have identified some areas of weakness — writing workshop being one — and worked to improve it. I have not done as well with this in my personal life.
I need to accept the students my students are while they strive to become better readers, writers, speakers, and mathematicians.
I think I have done a really good job this year of meeting my students where they are and helping them work from their currently level. Using more workshop methods has helped this. What I need to work on accepting is not ability levels, but work ethic levels. Some students aren’t going to do the work I ask of them. I need desire to accept that as a truth while working to help them become better workers.
I need to accept the things I cannot change.
This is always going to be the hardest one. I’m not sure how I am with this.
So, that’s 2015. What about 2016? I’ll post about that once the new year is here.
Wyz Reads 
You are such an inspiration! Thank you for this post and all of your posts about blogging. I have a passion for my faith and homeschooling and I am trying to earn some income for my family starting a blog in the last couple weeks. I feel completely overwhelmed with all there is to do! I’m trying to not let it take over my life, but it seems it has to if I want it to succeed. I don’t need or expect to make $10,000 a month (my husband is a great provider!) but I do want to help us pay off our house in the next couple years and save for my children’s college education. Any advice?