One Word to Rule Them All - Welcome to 2026 Student Activity

  

"History repeats itself, and that's one of the things that's wrong with history." - Clarence Darrow

Success and failure should never be an endpoint. The best learning happens when we build on what we know and reflect on what we need to still learn and explore. 

I always like to welcome my students back after the holiday break with a bit of reflection on the year that was. It is also important to revisit successes and failures to help reset goals for the new year. 

A few years ago, I read a post about most New Year's resolutions failing too often before we flip the calendars to February. For this reason, I decided to scrap the long list of resolutions I won’t remember a few weeks from now anyway! The focus is now on choosing just one word as a foundation for the new year.

One word you can focus on every day, all year long… One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live. It will take intentionality and commitment, but if you let it, your one word will shape not only your year, but also you. It will become the compass that directs your decisions and guides your steps. (OneWord365)

Today I wanted to share an activity template designed to help students set goals for the 2024 year with a focus on "one word". This activity is inspired by Mike Ashcraft's and Rachel Olsen's book My One Word: Change Your Life With Just One Word. 

2025 Year in Review - A Collection of Resources to Explore and Reflect on the Year

 

I'm back to start 2026. It's been too long since I've posted. Sorry if you've followed my blog and wondered what happened to my sharing of learning. 2025 was a challenging year, and I am not sorry to see it go.

I'm looking forward to a reset in 2026, and I wanted to start sharing again. I am starting today with this collection of resources to reflect on 2025. In the next several days, I will also share my "One Word Student Activity" and some additional resources to revisit the year that was and look ahead to 2026. 

I hope everyone has a great year!

The Joy of Not Knowing! - Unanswered Questions

Educators spend countless hours preparing lessons, crafting explanations, and striving to impart knowledge. We often aim to be the source of all answers, guiding our students through the complex topics and ideas. But what if the true measure of our success isn't when a student perfectly recites a fact, but when they ask a question that leaves us momentarily stumped?

"The test of a good teacher is not how many questions he can ask his pupils that they will answer readily, but how many questions he inspires them to ask which he finds it hard to answer." — Alice Wellington Rollins

This quote perfectly encapsulates the idea that our role isn't just to provide answers, but to ignite a thirst for knowledge that leads students to uncharted territory. 

It might sound counterintuitive, but for many teachers, the greatest joy is when kids ask us questions we don't know the answer to. This isn't a moment of inadequacy; it's a profound indicator that something truly remarkable is happening in the classroom.

Summer Reading for Teachers - Articles to Grow as Teachers and Learners

In past years, I've ambitiously published a long list of summer learning opportunities for educators. (Last year, I never quite got anything published.)

This summer, I will start by focusing on the stories and articles I added to my Chrome reading list over the past year. In the rush of a school year, there are just too many that I never found the time to explore. Time to remedy that!

To help me hold myself accountable, I will explore one or two articles each week and add any that I find valuable to this post. Stop by weekly or wait until the end of the summer to be part of my learning experience. 

Book Recommendation - The Depth Advantage by John Spencer

 The Depth Advantage: Deeper Learning in a Distracted World

by Dr. John Spencer

In a landscape of diminishing student focus and increasing teacher burnout, "The Depth Advantage" challenges the limitations of conventional, compliance-driven education. The book proposes a shift towards deeper learning, a pedagogical approach designed to equip students for a future dominated by artificial intelligence and automation. It systematically breaks down this approach into eight fundamental competencies: Focus, Mastery, Problem-Solving, Curiosity, Self-Direction, Resilience, Collaboration, and Communication. Through a blend of research, actionable strategies, and engaging narratives, the author provides a comprehensive framework for cultivating these essential skills, aiming to foster academic achievement and the development of well-rounded, adaptable human beings.

Imagine a classroom buzzing with genuine curiosity, where students are not just passive recipients of information but are empowered to think critically, persevere through challenges, and master concepts at their own pace. "The Depth Advantage" offers more than just a critique of the current educational climate; it provides a tangible and hopeful roadmap for creating such an environment. This book is a vital resource for any educator who has felt the strain of a system that often prioritizes speed over understanding. It will rekindle your passion for teaching by offering practical, creative strategies to move beyond the frustration of "fast clicks" and "instant answers," and instead guide your students toward the profound and lasting benefits of deep, meaningful learning.

Looking for more learning? Be sure to visit my Teaching and Learning Book Recommendations.