As 2015 has drawn to a close, I have been reflecting upon the year with fondness. Although I never formally announced my "One Little Word", I did have one.
2015 was the year of change.
For those of you who have not followed my blog and/or are unaware of the "one little word" tradition, you can read more about it in the link above. I was inspired by two friends of mine who had begun the tradition of approaching each new year with a word, instead of new year's resolutions. A single word can be very powerful. Honestly, these little words have improved my life in so many ways. They have been the nudge I needed: to push myself to be better as a parent, spouse, family member, friend, and teacher; to slow down and reflect upon experiences and emotions from the perspective of my word and to learn and grow from these; to assist me in prioritizing what is important; to lean on in times of worry and distress; and to ultimately assist me in becoming a more loving, understanding, gracious, present, strong and inspired individual.
My previous words include:
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| This was a thoughtful gift I received from my Mommy Group in December 2014 for my 40th birthday! |
2012 ~ WONDER
2013 ~ STRENGTH
2014 ~ JOY
2015 ~ CHANGE
Looking back on 2015 there were many big and little changes in my life. The year began with my mom in the hospital recovering from pancreatitis. I was reminded of the unpredictability of life. It was an upsetting time and in the back of my mind I kept wondering if the doctors had misdiagnosed her. Was her cancer back? Were we going to lose her? Thankfully the doctors were correct, it was not cancer but indeed pancreatitis and indeed my mom did recover. It took many months and it definitely took its toll on her. She lost a lot of weight and took many months to get back to her old self. She walked slower, became tired more easily, and wasn't able to do her typical activities of shopping, cooking, and visiting with others. My mom's situation, combined with my Aunt Audrey's passing in January was a wake up call that things can and do change in a moment. And although we cannot prepare for these moments, they are reminders to embrace each day with appreciation and love and not take anyone or anything for granted.
Another big change this year was our move to our new house. With the exception of the week we spent in Oregon this summer, every day I visited the house and ran errands for supplies. Looking back on it all now, it was exhausting but in the end it was a labour of love. There is something special about the place we call our home and I didn't quite realize how much I had been yearning for this until a couple of months after we moved in. There is a feeling of being settled that everyone in our family seems to be enjoying. I see it in the joy the kids take in decorating and rearranging their rooms, and in the nesting Scott and I have been doing. We both love to putter and organize and even re-organize different areas the house. I have taken such happiness out of decorating for the seasons, hosting friends and family, baking, and in particular during this holiday, spending numerous hours relaxing at home.
As if moving wasn't enough, this year I decided to make some big professional changes. Although I have a fond and deep appreciation for the Richmond School District and my colleagues there, this year I took a position with the Surrey School District as an Early Numeracy Teacher. In this role I get to work in an inner city school in Surrey with students in Kindergarten and Grade One co-teaching with their dedicated teachers in the area of Mathematics. My learning curve has been steep, as the different context has required significant changes in my pedagogical approach. The first month was rough and humbling. I felt like a new teacher. Thankfully I have the most amazing mentor and friend whom I could turn to, who listens and supports, and someone whom I am learning so much from. The move to Surrey was just what I needed. I feel a renewed and inspired passion for teaching! I drive to work excited each day to see students take joy out of mathematics. I lay awake at night thinking about ideas I want to try and wonder how to reach certain students. There is nothing quite like seeing a student get a concept that they had been struggling with.
The other part of role in Surrey is supporting teachers in their own professional inquiries in the area of Mathematics as the Changing Results for Young Mathematicians advocate. Similarly, this role brings me great joy supporting such dedicated teachers who truly want to make a difference in the lives of the students they teach.
This is also my fourth and final year at UBC as the CITE Cohort Coordinator, instructor, and Faculty Advisor. Last year I had the most wonderful group of students that I truly feared the change that September would bring with a new class. I have had great students in the past but as a whole group, I had never had one like the cohort of 2014/15. I cried several times that last week I taught them in August. I wondered if I could ever feel for another cohort of students the way I felt for them. It turns out I must have lucky stars watching over me; I ended up with an equally lovely and talented group of students whom I feel honoured to teach.
As you can see from photos, my kids are growing and changing a lot too! Some days I wish I could just bottle them up and keep them this age forever. Scott and I are still amongst their favourite people to hang out with. Yes, they both have many friends but they still take great pleasure out of doing things with us. Their favourite thing is to have a "sleepover" in our bedroom. A "sleepover" is where we bring their mattresses into our room and we all watch a movie together and they sleep in our room for the night. This holiday I spent some time reading posts from past years and it frightens me how quickly time flies. I look at photos of Megan and Matt a mere four years ago and they look so much more like little kids, than the tweens whom I now live with. Looking back through the blog was a wonderful reminder of why I would like to blog more often. I really don't want to ever forget the memories and feelings I experience each day and want my kids to be able to read the blog in years to come and take joy in the memories made.
Looking ahead to 2016 I am inspired to continue to the tradition of my "One Little Word". These past few months I have been feeling such a sense of gratitude for everything in my life and a genuine feeling of happiness. I love this feeling and want to experience more of it. Therefore, my 2016 word of the year is
I hope to explore and reflect upon what brings me happiness, as well as what brings others in my life happiness!
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