Step: an act or movement of putting one leg in front of the other in walking or running. ~Definition courtesy of Dictionary.com
Each year when I choose a One Little Word to live by I find ways that the word weaves its way into my days. This year, however, more than ever, I think my one little word is a bit of perfection. We are in the midst of rebuilding our home, we are at the last stretch of the school year, and summer is on the horizon. This past week I struggled to step forward. I struggled to breathe and even think. As I made the feature image on our main page for this post, the purple hyacinth, I reminded myself to do these three things as I move forward. Step calmly, breathe deeply, think freely.
The school year was once again a learning year. As I look back at all the steps I have taken in this still new-to-me grade level I continue to find things I hope to do differently and things that have gone really well. My class this year has been fun to work with and watch. The last couple of weeks I have agonized over state testing while working diligently to make sure my students did not. I have proctored hours of tests and watched from afar as students did their best choosing a, b, c, or d, typed in answers, dragged, scrolled, and crafted beautiful paragraphs. I say beautiful even though a score may not reflect the beauty. I have watched my students grow in so many ways and unfortunately, as we slide around the corner to the end of the year they start to fall apart a bit. I have to continue to remind myself of all the steps they have taken. That slipping back does not mean they have lost their way but instead, means I need to hoist them up a bit more as we finish out these final weeks.
As you reach toward your final weeks, how is your OLW serving you? Are you noticing it creep into your day? Maybe some intentional looking will help you find it!
TWO WRITING TEACHERS 
Thank you for your post! It was beautiful and a needed, welcomed reminder of how far students have come in a school year amidst the end of year testing, and spring fever!
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What a wonderful reminder to be mindful. I am bad at choosing an olw… but in the back of my mind, “balance” has been mine. This post is a good reminder that I need to make it in the forefront.
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So much is encompassed in this one word: step. It denotes putting in the time and effort needed to get to where you are while also noting that you’re going somewhere with each step you take. Like the progress made in the past that leads you to where you currently are and subsequently will be in the future. What a great choice for a word! I think I need to let this simmer awhile so I can think about what my OLW will be…
Thank you for sharing!
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Your OLW seems to be serving you wonderfully. “One step at a time” is something I whisper to myself when things seem daunting or overwhelming.
My word is “breathe.” We have four days left as I write this. It’s chaos in the best way. So I am remembering to breathe in the calm more than I usually do. I love this word. It’s been incredibly helpful these past 5 months, almost mantra-like. It’s helping me keep my focus on being present and mindful throughout the hullabaloo.
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Step seems to be a good word for you as you take step by step to get to know this grade level as well as to rebuild your home. There is something sacred about focusing only on the steps. My word, cherish, has been cropping up more and more for me lately. I’ve been posting on Facebook and using the hashtag cherish. I am trying to be mindful of positive and serendipitous moments.
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