One Word: Connection

Like many teachers, I am convinced that the year starts in September, not January, so this is a period of mid-year reflection for me. Also, most of what I have seen posted and tweeted about #OneWord2016 has been uncomfortably Christian for me. Still, thinking about the idea of "One Word" has been a useful reflection tool as I out together my next units: laying out the lessons for the next several weeks or months. Trying on different words it became very clear to me that there is one word that describes exactly what I want for my students and their learning; exactly what I am trying to instill in them to help them grow:

Connection

I want them to learn to use language to connect with their families and friends, both locally and via social media. I want them to understand that they can use language both to get their needs met and to connect socially. 

I want them to make connections between their real life experience and our classroom experience both to enrich their personal experience in ways they may not otherwise have access to but also help them better understand and retain the classroom material they are learning.

I want them to make connections between where they are and where they want to be, to build goal setting and problem-solving skills, the skills they will need to tackle any problem in their lives in the future.

I want them to make connections between objects and possible actions that object could do or that could be done to it. That is the basis of creativity, of wonder, on which all inquiry and scientific discovery is based.

I want them to become independent learners and this is where it starts: with making connections.