Strengthening 2026!

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

My writing well has been quite dry. This is the fewest number of blog posts I have ever written in a year's time. I miss writing. But have I missed it enough to change my patterns, my habits, my motivation?

I know many people are thinking and writing about their one little words. I have been thinking about it, too. But have I been thinking about it enough to write about it? Did I even want to?

Maybe.

The last few weeks, the word build has been on my mind. What would I like to build in my life? What do I need to build in my life? After contemplating this word, I knew it wasn't quite right. I don't need to build anything new; I have enough "stuff." And I am getting too old to build new things in my life.

What would happen if I strengthened the things that I have spent years building but seem to have crumbled in the last year? That thought became my ultimate question and the word strengthen began showing up in unexpected places throughout my day...until I knew I had found my word for 2026.

What are some things I already have built, but I need to strengthen this year?

• my relationships (personal and professional)
• my health (my knee is still not where it should be)
• my faith
• my writing habit
• my discipline (ok, maybe this one was never built!)
• my positive habits 
• my home

As the page turns over to a new year, my thoughts turn to strength and its ultimate source.

Reflections on #onelittleword2019

As I begin to cross the threshold to a new year and a new decade, I pause to reflect on my one little word for 2019. When I chose this word, I did not...gasp...write about it! 

And I'm not sure why. Reflection is such a big part of who I am and the way I make sense of my world - all parts of it. And reflective writing is what this blog is all about.

I had ideas that needed to start with small things but could have the possibility to create many ripples. In the latter part of the year, the stones I have tossed seemed to have plopped and sunk to the bottom, causing a very little ripple, if any at all. I began asking why? Deep down I know the answer.

I believe there is a direct correlation between writing and reflection and the effectiveness of our one little words. How can a word guide me through the year when I have chosen not to write about it or reflect on it along the way?

Some years, words just don't work out, and I'm OK with that too. It seems that I do better with a one little word that is a verb, an action. I have a word chosen for 2020...and yes, it is a verb. I look forward to putting this word in action starting tomorrow with the #100daysof notebooking challenge with Michelle Haseltine. Check out Michelle's site for more information and to join me along with over 100 other teacher-writers!

I like new beginnings. And I am ready with a blank new page! 

Welcome, 2020!

One Little Word Reflection - A Big Step

Today is the last day of 2018, and it's time to reflect on how my one little has served me the past 364 days.

Choosing one little word gives me a reflective way to approach the new year and a focus to carry me through the year.  This year has been no different.  My one little words in the past years have been:

2013 - Search

2014 - Reach

2015 - Turn

2016 - Intent

2017 - Rise

This year STEP was my word.  I chose this word because I was starting a new journey, and I believe that every new journey starts with the first step.

When I chose STEP, I was three months into graduate school.  There were many days when I questioned my decision.  After all, I was 54 at the time, and old minds just don't work the way they used to.  There were tears. And so many doubts.  

I not only learned about curriculum and instruction, but I also learned what it was like to be a student again. I was walking in the shoes of my students, and I followed in their metaphorical steps.  I think I have become a better teacher not necessarily because of my degree, but because I understand my students in a whole different level. I understand the struggles of analyzing and summarizing, reading difficult texts and writing about them, and staring at a blank page - wishing the words would just come to me. I understand about the power of feedback and how important its timeliness is. I understand about doing things that are just downright hard, yet persevering.  And I understand the power of learning.

We take one STEP at a time!

As I say goodbye to STEP and 2018, I can't wait to share my word for 2019!

Every Journey Starts with a Single Step

I am so thankful for Ruth Ayres, who extends an invitation to share the celebrations from our week.  Here's what I am celebrating today!

Last September I took a big step in my journey as a teacher. I began working on my Master's degree. I am ready for a different turn in my journey, and I knew this path was the one I needed to take.  

Looking back at that first assignment, I remember the tears and the doubt and the fear, and I honestly didn't know if I could do it.  With the empty nest on the horizon, I knew it wasn't a matter of running kids here and there and being present in their lives. I had the time. Teaching full time is a challenge, but now that I had taught 6th grade for three years, I felt comfortable with my curriculum.  The workload wasn't the problem.

My biggest fear stemmed from own self-doubt.  Could I really do this at my age?  At the age of 54, many teachers are thinking about retirement, and I am thinking about stepping out into a bigger circle in the education world.

Today, I celebrate learning, as my first semester officially ends this week. Yes, I did it!

When I chose step as my one little word this year, the decision to go to grad school was a big part of it.  Now I am ready to swing my arms back and jump to the next rock.

And I can't wait to see where this journey takes me.

The First Step

I am so thankful for Ruth Ayres, who extends an invitation to share the celebrations from our week.  Why don't you join us?

I have yet to write about my one little word. There are many reasons why, but the one I am about to write is the biggest.

September 1st I started working on my Master's degree.

September 2nd I was in tears, wondering what in the world was I thinking.

I became a teacher at the age of 43 and was a non-traditional student in a distance program (now called on on-line program!).  I was a stay-at-home mom at the time, and I worked hard to finish that degree.

But this is so different.  I am now almost 54 and working full-time.  Going back to school at this time in my life creates a whole new set of challenges.  The most significant one is time.

I found myself not reading or writing because the guilt would set in.  I felt guilty knowing that  I should have been reading my textbook or writing papers.  I read two books the first semester, when I typically read about 25. But that is for another post.  I wrote a few blog posts, more out of obligation than for the pleasure of just writing.

I missed that part of my life.

Yesterday, I submitted my final assignment for my first semester.  And I finished six weeks early!

When I picked my one little word, I knew I had several journeys ahead of me this year.  This degree is just one of them.

Today, I celebrate taking that first step.

Celebrating A Tribute to Ruth

Each week Ruth Ayres extends an invitation to share the celebrations from our week. I began 2017 celebrating those people who have inspired my writing life.  One of my beliefs for this year was that we RISE when we lift others.  My goal was to lift a person each month.  Sadly, this didn't happen, but you can read my other tribute posts here:

A Writing Gift - A Tribute to Fran
Found Poetry - A Tribute to Terje
The Beginning - A Tribute to Katherine 
Cherishment - A Tribute to Margaret

I want to end the year with a final tribute.  I have waited to write this post because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to capture everything I wanted to say.  I wouldn't be able to get it right.  And I want it to be right because this person has helped me to RISE as a writer, a teacher, and a person. (And yes, I still think it falls short.)

Today I celebrate my friend, Ruth Ayres.

I remember the first time I met Ruth face to face.  It was my first time at the All Write Conference.  I had known Ruth through blogging for almost a year and was looking forward to meeting her.  I walked into the lobby of the hotel and there she was with a a group of fellow bloggers.  She recognized me and came over to hug me. 

What I remember most about that time was how welcoming and down-to-earth Ruth was.  She included me in conversations, in time by the pool, and in lots of laughter.  I quickly learned, that is just Ruth.

In time, I realized that Ruth began influencing my life beyond my blog, and I began a far-away friendship with her.  

As the school year started, I would come from conferences with students from hard places.  My heart would ache for them and the life they were living.  I remember saying to my team, "Every child from a hard place needs a Ruth."  

During my daughter's first year of teaching, I didn't think she was going to make it through the first few months.  I sent a message to Ruth asking for help, and she began praying for Megan.  That is when I told myself, "Everyone needs a Ruth."

I wanted to push myself as a writer and extend it beyond my blog.  Ruth has become my encourager, my nudger. (She's quite good at nudging!)  She helped me to say and mean the words, "I am a writer."  I remember thinking, "Every writer needs a Ruth."

If you are here celebrating today, then I know I am not alone in my admiration for Ruth and the gratefulness for the impact her words have on us.  To celebrate, I have written a found poem from comments from her fellow bloggers and friends.

Your words, 

filled with passion,

connect many

shine brightly
and give us hope.

Your love,

permeates everything you do

and spreads to everyone 

who knows you.

You,

reach out to others

and lean into love.

You,

bring joy and inspiration

make our world beautiful

and make us smile.

You,

are a gift.

Thank you

for nudging,

for sharing, 

for writing, 

and for being a light 

in the darkness.

Deeply grateful for your words
and to have your voice 
in our ears
in our hearts, 
For, we would have never written a word to share  

if it weren't for you.

©Leigh Anne Eck, 2017

Thank you for just being Ruth.

A Writing Gift ~ #sol17

I believe being a writer is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your students. ~ Stacey Shubitz

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating a space for me to share my corner of the world.

Writing every day is a challenge, not only in finding the time, but in finding the topic and writing something that is worth sharing.

Too many times this month I feel I have slapped a slice together and hit the publish button, just to fulfill the requirement of writing posting each day.  I have reasons excuses, but I don't allow excuses from my students, so I don't want to use them either.  

I have "met" a new blogger this month, and her writing has inspired and refueled me as a writer.  She crafts slices of memories that place me, the reader, right there.  She is a true wordsmith, using perfect words to create the perfect image.   Her writing sucks me into her story, day after day after day.  I have placed many of her slices in my mentor text file, not only for my students, but for me as well.

If you have not had a chance to read Fran Haley's slices from Lit Bits and Pieces, I encourage you to find some time today.  And when I say time, I mean time to read each and every piece of her writing.  I promise, you will come away inspired and motivated to reach for the pen.

In one slice she writes about “...creating the magic” – writing about what matters to you, tapping into your heart, your dreams, your struggles, your memories, making your writing authentic so you can help students do the the same..."

I have lost some of that magic this month.  I wonder if it is because I am just trying to "complete the assignment."  But for me, that is not why I write.  She also says,

"Writing is the closest thing to magic that there is. As teachers we create the atmosphere for our writers. It’s one of excited expectancy, of energy, when young writers discover the power within them, learning how to harness words to impact readers. Writing, after all, is meant to be shared – it’s the connecting of human minds and hearts."

It is our responsibility to create that magical atmosphere for our students.  But when another slicer creates it for us, we are given a gift.

I am on spring break this week, and I will have some extra time to accept the gift I have been given through Frans's writing.  I hope to "harness words" and reconnect with my writerly self to find that magic once again.

The Beginning - A Tribute to Katherine #sol17

I believe being a writer is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your students. ~ Stacey Shubitz

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating a space for me to share my corner of the world.

This is NOT the post I had written and ready to publish today.  But yesterday when I saw that Katherine at Read, Write, Reflect, was back to slicing this month, I knew I had to change my plans.

My one little word this year is RISE, and I have made it a point to lift others, especially those who have played a part in my writing life.  I celebrated and honored Margaret here, and Terje here.  

Today, I celebrate Katherine.  It is because of Katherine that my little space, A Day in the Life, was born.  

Her blog introduced me to the blogosphere.  It was the first one I faithfully read every day.  It is probably the only one in which I have read the entire blog more than once! 

In the early days of my teaching career, Katherine was the teacher I wanted to be.  I was teaching on that deserted island by myself and desperately needed some validation of my teaching practices.  Katherine was that validation, even if it was online.  I needed to know that what I was doing in my classroom made sense.  I needed her encouragement to create those reading relationships with my own students like she had with hers.  I needed to read her slices, her stories that she so bravely and beautifully shared.  But most importantly, I needed her inspiration to create my own writing life.  I had no idea that a supportive community of writing teachers even existed out there, a place called Two Writing Teachers.

After reading every blog post she wrote, especially her slices in March, the idea of creating my own blog started permeating my thoughts, but I had so many doubts.  Could I do this?  Did I want to do this?  Would anyone read what I had to say?  Who would care?

I took the plunge, created this blog, and have been writing ever since.  But I know if it wasn't for Katherine, my writing life would not be what it is today.  

Over the last couple of years, Katherine has taken a little bit of a break due to family and other obligations.  I understand that, but I will be honest, I have missed her presence in my teaching and writing and reading life.  Her last Slice of Life March Challenge was my first.  She has so much to share with other educators, and it has certainly been our loss.

So when I read Katherine's post, "You'll Be Back" I knew who I would be lifting next.  Thank you Katherine for being my inspiration.  

Welcome back!  

One Little Word 2017

Thank you Two Writing Teachers for creating this space for me to share my corner of the world.

Social media this week is full of people claiming their one little words.  This is my fourth year of choosing a OLW to guide me through the year.  Search (2013), Reach (2014), and Turn (2015) were all words that suited me well.  

I felt I had a purpose for the year. 

Last year I struggled with Intent (2016).  The word fit more with my personal life, but it failed to encompass my professional life.  Looking at my words, I also noticed that the first three were verbs.  An action I had to take.  Something I did.

Since I am a doer, I knew this year I needed another verb, and I needed something that would guide all the "people" who make up who I am.  

I began reading other peoples' words hoping that one would find me.  I thought about the words quest, journey, metanoia (means a journey of changing), and elevate. I read tweets, followed the #OneWord2017 hashtag, and poured over pins on Pinterest, hoping something would surface.  

And it did.  

I read and pinned the quote "Decide to Rise".  It lingered in my thoughts.  

It was a verb; it was an action.  But could it guide all of me?

I thought my word had found me, yet it still wasn't perfect.  How was I going to rise in the year 2017?  It needed a purpose, a focus.

I found my answer through a post written by Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience. I discovered how I was going to purposely extend my word across an entire year.  

Last year, Ann made a list of verbs for each month and attached a noun to make a "SOULution" instead of a resolution.  I knew my one little word was leading me in a new direction.  (This also makes the fourth word that has been influenced by Ann. Read how she previously influenced me here and here.)

I have made my own list of twelve verbs and attached a purpose to each one, very similar to Ann's.  Now I hope to RISE each day with: 

love on my lips, 

hope in my heart, 

and thankfulness in my thoughts.

My word has a purpose for each month, a purpose to make a difference in my life and the lives of others.  They are not resolutions, but instead, a way to look positively in the year ahead.  I look forward to writing about and sharing my one little word this year with all of you.

Intent - OLW 2016

Thank you Two Writing Teachers for creating this space for me to share my corner of the world.

The year will soon come to a close, and I am sure many slicers today are reflecting on their one little word for 2016.  My OLW was all forms of intent - intention, intentional, intentionally.  

My goal this year was to be intentional about looking at the snippets of my life to focus on what was important.  

My purpose was to focus on my personal life, to take the time to breathe, to love, to laugh.  But I realized that I am made up of many people.  I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister.

But I am also a teacher, a reader, a writer, a Christian and I needed my OLW to encompass all parts of me - not just my personal life.

I cannot separate all the people who make up my life, and that is what I tried to do with intent.  

As I say goodbye to 2016 and all of its intentions, I look toward finding a new word which will guide all of me for 2017.

One Little Word Check-in

Spiritual Journey Thursday is a small community of bloggers who write about our spiritual lives.  Holly Mueller at Reading, Teaching, Learning began the community, and it slowly grew.  We took a hiatus for awhile, but Irene Latham at Live Your Poem has brought the group back together.  All are welcome to join us on the first Thursday of the month to share spiritual thoughts around a common theme.

This week we are checking in with our One Little Word for 2016.

My word was intent.  I cannot say that my word fit me this year like Search (2013), Reach (2014) or Turn (2015) did in previous years.

I wanted to slow down and enjoy life in the snippets of the every day.  We are only granted the present, and I felt like I was so wrapped up in the everyday chaos, that I was missing what was most important.  I wanted to focus on those small parts of life that mattered.

My blog is about a day in the life of a teacher, a reader, and a writer.  Those three people make up a large part of the person I am.  Those three people make up a large part of the chaos in my life.

Looking at life in snippets made me realize I cannot separate myself from those three people, no matter how much I try.  It was among the chaos when I became the most intentional.

When I look over the words I wrote back in January, I understand I must be intentional to not lose sight of who I am.  

But I know now, that includes all parts of me.  I cannot separate one from another.

I am ready to move on with another word in 2017, but I am far from finding it.  Please consider joining us next year as we explore and share our journey.

Things We Notice

Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating this space to share our stories.  Read other slices or write your own and share here. 

Have you ever noticed when you purchase a new car, you see many others just like yours?

Or when you are/were pregnant, many other women were pregnant too?

Funny how that happens.

I noticed the same thing last week when I was reading everyone's one little word posts.  It seemed as if a common theme thread its way through many posts.  

One of relaxation and reflection.

Slowness and simplicity.

Many people seem to be less driven and have more of the attitude of taking time, slowing down and noticing what has been given.  

I saw words such as presence, essential, believe, intentional, happy, joy, possible, wonder, developing, contentment, wait and home.  I even learned a new word: selah, holy pause, which really encompasses all of these words.  

I also noticed that many of these words were not verbs or words of action; they were nouns and adjectives or states of being.

Maybe there was a reason why I noticed.

One Little Word 2016

Thank to Two Writing Teachers for creating this space to share our stories.  Read other slices or write your own and share here. 

A new year.  A new word.  A new story.

Last week I tweeted how choosing a one little word is almost as serious as naming a child. Much thought goes into choosing this word which will guide my new year.  I love reading everyone's stories of how their OLW found them.

Here is my story in three parts.

Part one:  

In December I challenged myself to write a haiku a day.  Writing every day opened my eyes.  I captured life in snippets of syllables and learned that life appears differently when looking at it through the lens of a poem.  

Small things appear big and big things appear small.

If you look at my blog posts, a time span of about six days is void of poems.  That was the time when I was held hostage by the chaos of life and school.  I was not taking the time to see the snippets, and I realized how much I missed it.  I began wondering if I was missing the opportunity to see and live life because I was so wrapped up the chaos.

Part Two:  

During this time I also was pondering my one little word.  I narrowed my list to two words, but felt one was tugging a little harder than the other.  I began looking for signs, quotes, or inspiration to see if this word was truly calling me.

It wasn't.

Everything I read about this word made me feel that I had to change me by adding something or taking something away.  It was do this and do that.  

I didn't want to change me.

I was discouraged, and I began looking for another word.

Part three:

I have a student writing group, and I started making an "I am..." idea prompt in my notebook.  As I was making this list:

a daughter

a sister

a wife

a mother

a teacher

a quilter

a reader

a Christian

I realized that some of these titles were who I am, but most were who I became. There is a difference.  

I decided to change my list to "I choose..." and my list started looking like this... 

to laugh

to cry

to believe in God

to be kind

to write

to read

to teach

to inspire

That is when I realized that my one word I had been thinking about was right all along.  All three of these events became an epiphany.

I don't have to change who I am.  

I get to choose who I am, and I choose to become me by living and capturing my life in snippets.  

In snippets that matter.

In snippets with intent.

My One Little Word for 2016:

Intent

{ion}

{ional}

{ionally}

Thinking about Choosing a One Little Word?

This time of year many people are thinking about their one little word.  Some may be narrowing their choices.  Some may be waiting for that sign.  While others may be choosing a word for the first time.

Last year I read the book One Word That Will Change Your Life by Jon Gordon. Many lines and ideas made me think about choosing the right word for me.  Giving up resolutions was very easy for me because that was something in which I typically failed.  Choosing one word gives me a way to approach the new year and a focus to carry me throughout the year. It certainly becomes a way for me to grow each year in so many ways.

If you are narrowing your choices or considering choosing a word for the first time, the book suggests you ask these three questions while opening your heart for your word:

1.  What do I need?  Think about what areas of your life need attention or change and why?  Try not to think about what you want, but rather what you need.  You might be surprised by what you find.  

2.  What's in my way?  What obstacles are in your way?  What do you need to remove in order to find this personal growth?  "Sometimes the barriers are simply in our mind."  This line was an eye opener for me.

3.  What needs to go?  We all make mistakes or hold on to things in which we need to let go.  This is the time to let go and move forward.

Each year the power of one word becomes a journey that leads me throughout the year.  It changes me, or maybe I just become more in tuned with who I am. Regardless, I know I want to continue with choosing a OLW, and hope you will consider choosing one too.

I end with these final words from the book.  For me, this is the key.  This holds the power of one little word.

Your word shapes your character.  

Your character influences your actions.  

Your actions influence others.  

The lives you touch and the impact you have 

determine the story that will be told about you tomorrow?