I am THRILLED that I have decided to return to the classroom full time. I've been in administration (vice principal) for the past couple of years. It was interesting to say the least. I am grateful to have been given the opportunity and the experience...but there is nothing like being the captain of your own classroom. My love is instruction - creating, thinking, learning and working with students to be their best. Although administration involves instructional leadership, I found that it was only a small part of the administrative portfolio. The management of facilities and of course people take up the majority of your time. Goodbye administration! Hello TEACHING!

This year I plan to spend a great deal of time talking about WORDS. This may even be a year-long theme. The quote on one of our bulletin boards pretty much sums up my thinking:

This quote will be the starting point for students to add their thinking in this space. Students will think of their own word that they feel is important and that they want to try to practice in their own lives. They will also find a quote that connects with their word. 

We will be discussing how words can have great impact. We'll be looking at specific words - kindness, integrity, courage, grit, resilience and more. Using a wonderful book called...wait for it...WORDS by Lora Rozler (pictured below), a lovely message will be discovered. I can just imagine the different ways we can discuss this text.

I also have decided to create a "BE" bulletin board. This idea is all over Pinterest. It's quite popular and definitely looks pretty. However, the potential for students to discuss the various words is phenomenal. We can share why certain words are important, the ways we can practice them and how we can use them to help us in life. The possibilities are endless. I can't wait!