My #OneWord2016: "Ours" #KidsDeserveIt

I've thought long and hard about my #OneWord that I wanted to focus on for this year (2016).  I wanted a word that had several meanings to me.

So after much thought I finally chose my word.  This year my word is...Ours.

I think so often I can focus on things like "my" students, "my" family, "my" career, "my" school, "my"self, and so much more.  And I was thinking of a word to focus on this year I realized that a lot of the times the words I would come up with were very selfish words.  Words that were all about me, me, me.

Then the word "ours" came to my mind.

Being a connected educator has taught me a lot.  But I think the biggest thing it's taught me is how we are so much better together and that we can not do this on our own.

The school I work at isn't mine.  It's ours.  It's a family created by parents, community members, staff members, kids, and more!

The career I have isn't mine.  It's a reflection of the people who are around me.  Those who push me, make me think, challenge me, question me, encourage me.

The "me" I'm trying to better, isn't all about me.  I can't do it alone.  I have to trust more of those around me, I have lean on more people for help, I have to be willing to open up more.

The kids we service aren't mine.  They're ours.  And it will take every single one of us to help make an impact in their lives.  Because the impact I leave today, may be made even deeper by the impact you leave tomorrow.  We can't look at students as "mine" or "yours", we have to realize that every kid that enters a school is all our kiddos.

The family I claim isn't even mine.  Some people view family as blood relation, but I see it as so much more.  My family has grown greatly over the last few years and I don't even look at it sometimes as my family, more-so as our family.

So when choosing a word for 2016, I decided on "ours".  I want to think more about us.  About working together, sharing the spotlight, building together, crying together, celebrating together.

I want us to make this year OUR year!

What is your #OneWord for 2016?