After much careful thinking and contemplation, I have decided that my #OneWord2021 is FLEXIBILITY. The top three definitions of FLEXIBLE from a Google Search include ā€œcapable of bending easily without breakingā€, ā€œable to be easily modified to respond to altered circumstances or conditionsā€, and ā€œready and able to change so as to adapt to different circumstancesā€. This resonated deeply with me as I feel that as a new teacher, success relies on oneā€™s ability to adapt and pivot without compromising student learning. I also feel that 2021 will be a year full of constant changes and perhaps even trials and tribulations. Success will be reliant on my ability to be resilient and to be able to ā€œbounce backā€ from struggles. My intentional goal is to be able to meet everything that I encounter throughout the year with an open mind and the ability to adapt. Being able to adjust without cracking under pressures is essential especially as a new teacher not only facing the challenges of adapting to a new work environment but dealing with the new challenges that COVID-19 brings to the profession of teaching. 2021 will be a year of many new changes and implementations in order to create a safer working and learning environment for all. For me, FLEXIBILITY aligns closely with GROWTH-MINDSET because in order to grow, we cannot become static or complacent. Education is ever changing, and my goal is to become comfortable with having a fluid and transformative self.

After watching the Teachers on Fire YouTube video about several educatorsā€™ #OneWord2021, I was especially inspired by the POWER and the WHY behind the one-word practice. I loved how Debbie Tannenbaum described #OneWord2021 as a mindset and a framework rather than a resolution. This makes it seem much more achievable and less intimidating. Steph Rothstein helped to concretize the idea by explaining that #OneWord2021 is an attempt to contextualize intentions and personal goals by providing FOCUS. Bryon Carpenter further solidified this idea by emphasizing the importance of #OneWord2021 fitting on a post-it note. Even though this was a simple idea, it really resonated with me as I find that setting goals and intentions for oneself can become over-critical and over-complicated. By providing myself with ONE important idea, my intention and energy can be focused on my ability to practice FLEXIBILITY in my professional life and pedagogy.