flickr photo by buistbunch shared under a Creative Commons ( BY-NC-ND ) license
If you had to choose one word that would define and guide and shape an entire year, what word would you choose? Would it be a noun? A verb? Perhaps an adjective or an adverb? And could your word be considered multiple parts of speech?
Would your word define you at school? At work? At home? Would it guide you as a brother or sister, mother or father? Would it guide you as a friend or teammate?
Would your word change based on time of year, place, or situation?
So, what would your one little word be?
Today was the start of the second semester and, like the previous two years, my teammates and I challenged our fifth graders to select their one little word for 2017 using a variety of blog posts. But they did so much more than that. Using a Google Form, students identified which articles they read and inspired them, indicated what they found interesting about another’s writing, and shared why they chose their word. Next, with access to the survey data, students asked peers various questions about their words.
To follow up with the one little word activity, students are using Adobe Spark to create avatars for their Edmodo and G-Suite accounts. They are also constructing representations of their words, which will be in display at the end of the week.
Choosing a word, making an avatar, and a physical representation are simply tasks, activities to engage students on the first week back from school. What’s more remarkable are the depths these fifth graders went to in choosing their words. The reasons behind their words.
I chose the word become, because I want to become a leader, become a helpful person, become a part of the KGA 5th family. I want to become my best.
I chose foundation, because its the most important part of making or creating anything. Lets say a building, for example. If there was no foundation, there is no building. And since I am only a kid, a ten year old, I have many things to add to my craft, and it could be many things like building, knowledge, and many other things!
I chose the word cascade, because I think a TON about what I say or think before I say my thoughts. I basically filter my decisions, and end up not writing down ideas. Like if I think, “the science of studying how lettuce grows would be a cool experiment!” But then I think about how it would take a while, and we already have lettuce in my garden, and then how I would most likely become desperate, and eat the lettuce on my lunch. But with the experiment, I could have started a new evolution of farming! So my basic thought is don’t hold back, give it all you’ve got.
Deep, right? And there are so many more phenomenal words with phenomenal reasons by phenomenal fifth graders, 10 year olds! Check out the rest of their words and the reasons behind the words.
So what’s your word? And why did you choose it? I know 112 fifth graders who’d love to know.
I learned about One Little Word at http://www.aliedwards.com many years ago as I found writing inspiration at Two Writing Teachers (http://www.twowritingteachers.org). In 2022, I want to get back to the basics with my writing and there’s no better way to start. My #OLW2022 is FOCUS.
What is One Little Word®? (From the website)
In 2006 I began a tradition of choosing one word for myself each January—a word to focus on, to live with, to investigate, to write about, to craft with, and to reflect upon as I go about my daily life. These words have each become a part of my life in one way or another—a process I document via simple creative monthly prompts from January to December.
You’re invited to join me in choosing your own One Little Word®.
Why FOCUS? Well, as you know, 2020 and 2021 were unusual years, to say the least. During the pandemic, I read less, wrote less, and worried more. My life was in chaos; my mind was not right. Well, that changes…today! It’s a new year and it’s time for me to FOCUS on little changes that will help me to achieve my reading and writing (and living) goals. It is the perfect word for 2022.
Author: Jennifer Sniadecki
I write about literacy education and my love for reading and writing. My passion is sharing titles I use for school libraries, classroom collaborations, and professional development. My goal is to collaborate, research, and share with other life-long literacy learners. Welcome to my blog!
Happy.
Audacious.
Do.
Time.
Create.
These are some of the One Little Words I’ve chosen to anchor and inspire the year ahead since I joined TWT in 2015. Each December, I would begin to think about what I needed and wanted in the upcoming year and the word that would help me remember those goals. This post ushers in December and the season of celebrations and reflections. This is the perfect time to think of your own OLW and also to think how you might share this with your students, encouraging them to select their own OLW. With December being a very full and busy month, you can take a little time now to plan for your OLW lessons when you return to school in January and a new calendar year beckons.
Selecting your OLW
If you are new to thinking of a OLW, you might want to peruse the TWT archives to see some of the words the co-authors have selected through the years. Last year, I chose CREATE as my OLW and shared my thinking here. You can get as fun and creative as you like when thinking about your OLW….or you can keep it simple. Some people have created playlists on Spotify or Youtube that have songs or videos that connect to their OLW. Others have made Pinterest boards for more inspiration. You can make your OLW your screensaver or set an alarm on your phone to stop and think about your word and how it has guided you (or not) that day. You can share your word on social media with the #OLW23 or other variations (#oneword2023, #onelittleword) and read how others are thinking of their own OLW for the new year.
My process has been to start brainstorming words that feel particularly important at this time in my life. In 2016, I chose the word “HAPPY.” My grandmother had passed away at the end of December and it was a very sad time. She had always modeled a happy perspective and often bought me the Clinique perfume “Happy.” It felt like a joyful way to honor my Grandmother by looking for happiness despite the sadness my family felt. Another year, I chose “DO.” I felt called to action – to DO the things that needed to be done instead of lamenting all the reasons they couldn’t be accomplished. I haven’t selected my word for 2023 but I’ve started making a list of words I might need more of: peace, steps, savor, connection, focus…(I’ll keep you posted!) I’ve found that when you start thinking about possible words, the word meant for you almost finds you! You start seeing it in more places and it becomes ever more clear that the word will be yours to cherish and nourish in the months ahead.
Bringing OLW to your students
When you and your students reunite in January, it is a meaningful time to talk about our goals for the year ahead. You might want to share the picture book One Word for Kids by Jon Gordon, Dan Britton and Jimmy Page. You can share your chosen word with your students if you deem it appropriate. To spark conversation about selecting a OLW, you could share the following slides with your students:
Students can make posters for their OLW or make digital creations on Google Slides or Buncee. They can write letters to their families, explaining why they selected their word and what it means to them. Each month, you can ask students to reflect in writing on how their OLW is helping them or reminding them of what matters.
Have you selected a OLW in the past? Do you plan to choose a word this year? Will you share this tradition with your students? Please share your ideas the Comments!
For the past 3 years I’ve selected a word as a gentle reminder of what I want to invite into my life each year. This year my One Little Word is CHOOSE. I’m participating in the One Little Word workshop with Ali Edwards and sharing my journey with CHOOSE each month here at Heartmix.
To start off this month Ali introduced some monthly reflection cards that will help us look back over each month and allow us to give thought to how we tried to live out our intentions. I think this will be a good exercise to bring me back to why I chose my word and to help me identify what I might want to focus on for the following month.
Reflecting back on these initials weeks of 2014 I’ve really been able to slow down and CHOOSE how I’m responding to others, especially Reza. Areas that I’d like to focus on in the coming weeks are CHOOSING to soften more with Reya. I pretty much need a constant reminder that even though she is a mature 6 year old she will still need my help A LOT of the time and that is OK. I also need to come up with a game plan to get moving physically. I recently read this post from zenhabits which really reiterates the idea that small incremental changes are what leads to larger changes in habits. So instead of setting a pie in the sky goal of heading to the gym 3x a week, I’d like to start just a small morning exercise routine. Maybe just 10 sit-ups each morning as a small change so that I can build myself up to a bigger plan.
This month’s prompt was to decide on 6-12 actions to take over the course of the year that will help make real your intentions with your word. Since there would only be twelve cards Ali suggested cutting the last column of the page protector and I love ideas that add variety to an album. In the example, the action cards were numbered, but for my left-brain, numbers=order and then I would have to do these things in order and so I chose to leave mine numberless.
I have recently been inspired by the triangles Elise Blaha used for Project Life and how Jennifer Wilson used triangles on her One Little Word title page. So I decided to incorporate them here on my action cards. I would have liked to stitch along the seam where the two triangles meet but I’ll have to visit Ally first to get my hands on a sewing machine. You can see the bottom half of this image at the top of the post. My front page actions are: drink water, date nights, 5k run, creative time for me everyday (guilt-free and even if its only 15 min), and explore more of the South Bay (I love discovering cool little hangout places and there are lots of hiking trails and parks we’ve never visited).
I used transparencies on 4 cards as I really like the clean airy look they add to pocket page albums, especially when when you’re already using a lot of white. I didn’t want cards backing up to those so I just adhered a journaling triangle to each side of the transparency so that it would remain clear. All of the embellishments are from Freckled Fawn’s February ohdeerme kit. I’m not a subscriber but I was really drawn to this months kit so I made a “one-time” purchase. I really love it though so we’ll see what they have in store for March and I may be a subscriber the next time you hear from me. I’m such a sucker for Happy Mail. My back page actions include: pick up the phone (call instead of text), morning & night routines, home projects (just simple things that will make our home of 4years! feel more lived in and welcoming), morning exercise, say yes more, and unplug from social media (less “checking-in”).
Thanks for taking a peek at my February layout. Did you chose a One Little Word this year? How has it worked in your life recently? Let us know in the comments.
I’d read about the concept of One Little Word on my very favorite teaching blog : Two Writing Teachers. Stacey and Ruth give credit to Ali Edwards, another blogger. The idea is this: choose a word to live intentionally for a year. I like the idea so much more than a New Year’s Resolution. A resolution feels like a stick. But One Little Word? That feels like a plumb line. A guide. Grace.
A word landed on me like an errant piece of confetti from the sky. “Celebration!” I announced it as soon as I saw it. I wanted my first read-aloud of the year to reflect my word, so I read I Am in Charge of Celebrations by Byrd Baylor. I love the poetic language, the graceful use of ellipses and parentheses. I love what it says about noticing, naming, and marking the smallest details of life–seeing how we choose what matters– and knowing if we don’t, we miss it. Celebration. Word. Yes.
I couldn’t wait to call Elizabeth Dunn. We teach at different schools in Richmond — 
probably a good thing, because sparks fly from our heads when our brains get too close. We have both been participants in the Reading/Writing Project at Columbia Teachers College. We speak the same language. We are passionate about our work. She lives a teaching life that is brilliant and inspired. And she inspires me.
It was late in the afternoon. The lights were turned off and setting sun poured its fading color through my classroom windows. I was getting ready to leave. I called Elizabeth. “Read this book tomorrow,” I told her. “It is perfect.”
By Byrd Baylor? She was very excited about what had happened in her classroom that day, and went on to tell me about it.
She told me that, coincidentally, she had also read a book by Byrd Baylor to her class that day: Everybody Needs a Rock. She told me that she had chosen One Little Word for herself and thought it would be helpful for her students, too. Then… and this is where her brilliance shines: She used Baylor’s rules for rock finding to show her children how to find their word. Each of her students chose a word that was theirs. And then found a rock to mark the occasion. We marveled that once again we were on the same track.
I got out the Baylor book as we talked and placed it on my desk while we were still on the phone. I was ready.
I told her that I had chosen a word, but hadn’t thought of the children choosing a word, too. It was brilliant! I shared that my word was celebration.
“Celebration?” she asked. “Are you sure? I’m wondering if that is really the word.” It was a gentle push. We agreed that maybe I needed to pick a word that wasn’t already so much a part of me. I would wait for another piece of confetti to land.
The next morning I read Everybody Needs a Rock to my class in our Morning Meeting. We talked about rules for finding a word that was our very own. We sat quietly and I invited them to gently call out their word, one at a time, as they realized what it was. There was the confetti again…beautiful words rang out as they fell around us, melting as they hit the ground. I saw my piece of confetti again, but this time I could see the word more clearly: Mindfulness. Noticing, naming, and marking the smallest details of life–seeing how we choose what matters– and knowing if we don’t, we miss it… Mindfulness.
We wrote our little words big in heavy crayon on manila paper. We painted over them with watercolor and glitter; We saw how each word sparkled and kept shining through.
We wrote about our words.
At the end of the week, Elizabeth and I met at Starbucks to match up our kids as pen pals. This will be our second year doing this. Our kids write each other and then at the end of the year we bring them together for a final writing celebration. We talked about our words.
She has her one little word and I have mine, but together we keep finding one giant word: Collaboration. It sparkles. And it keeps shining through.
About Annie Campbell
Annie Campbell is a National Board Certified teacher and loves her work. After a forty year career in the classroom, she continues to support teachers. Annie enjoys cooking for family and friends; she likes to lose herself in a good book; she loves discovering new ideas, restaurants, perfect picnic places, and movies with her husband, Ben.