What's your focus this year?

A few years ago I wrote a post called "True Confessions of a Real Teacher."  I was struggling that year with a particular student and lack of support. This was my unfinished anchor chart that year.
 

Each school year, I choose a phrase to guide my focus for the year. It's my wish for the year.  Sometimes I share it. Sometimes I don't.  The year I chose the goal, "This year I hope everyone will feel safe about trying things that feel hard," there was a sudden death in my family. 

Life was hard...for me.

I would like to apologize to the universe for the year my phrase was #embracethechaos. That was 2019-2020. 

Last year my phrase was #faithnotfear.  It was another difficult year.

Maybe I haven't learned my lesson, but I'm choosing a new phrase this year:

Avoid foolish controversies.

I guess I will be off social media by November. 

Have you been mowed down lately?

 

This plum tree in my yard was once mowed to the ground by a careless groundskeeper. It's now about twelve feet tall.

It's a reminder that although a life appears to be completely destroyed, it can recover and grow taller and stronger than before.

Have you been mowed down lately? Do you feel anxious, depressed, alone to face your battles?

In the last six years, first my professional life blew up and then my personal life. I had to go through a process of recovery complete with the twelve steps and a sponsor. No matter what problem I have worked on or program I have explored, they all have these three parts:

1. Reconnect with my higher power -- in my case, the Holy Spirit.

2. As much as I could, resolve the conflicts in my life. 

3. Establish life patterns that continue my spiritual and relational connections so I can keep moving forward.

As I begin my thirtieth year of teaching, I want to grow a community of teachers that care for each other. 

Thank you for letting me share.