One Little Word 2014: Spark

Shortly after I started blogging, I chose my first "one little word": a word that would build me and others up.

Last year, I had a difficult time finding my OLW... but once I found it, it permeated my year.

This year, my OLW came to me so easily that I don't even know how I found it. However, I think it's just what I need: it keeps last year's DELIGHT alive while challenging me to move forward with new intensity.

made with DoodleBuddy, although it's not as cool as Linda's art!

Like last year's word, "SPARK" is both a noun and a verb: something I want to be and something I want to do:

from my new favorite dictionary, Vocabulary.com

I want to SPARK change in my school: to set off a culture of student-centered teaching and prepare my colleagues to meet the unique needs of my ELLs. (To do this, I'll have to nurture my own SPARKS of courage!)

I want to SPARK a love of learning in my students: to activate curiosity and trigger lifelong reading and writing habits.

In all of this, I want to shine like a SPARK: emitting rays of delight and energy while spreading positive change.