My Hopes for Word Shift

My hopes... dreams... impact for Word Shift?

What's the big deal about this dictionary of sorts?

It happens. It's happened to me. It happens to teachers I greatly admire and respect, and it will happen again. A word will come out of an educator's mouth to describe a student or a coworker, and this word (Is it a label? An adjective?) is now attached to the person being described. If it's a negative word, it's usually due to stress, and these stressors are not going away any time soon. Our minds tuck the word away. We head to our next task, and the next time this person's name comes up, that word wraps its way around our thoughts, etching itself deeper into our subconscious. We may even become irritated by the person who said it and caused this word to stick in our minds. Negative labels fester in our minds, infecting us and those around us. What will bring about positive shifts in school culture? Choosing different words will change our thoughts and our actions. I believe it could be as simple as that.

Could it be as simple as that when it comes to our mental wellbeing? With directives coming at us (educators and administrators) from all directions, the teaching field is more stressful than ever. Some words we use seem to stop progress in its tracks. So many teachers shrug their shoulders and put up their arms and say, "I'm just a teacher. It's not in my control." I disagree. I believe we are readers, researchers, writers, contributors, explorers, collaborators, hypothesizers, experimenters, adventurers, risk takers, learners, visionaries, coaches, guides, amplifiers, leaders, and change makers! We are trying to do what we believe is right and good for the young learners in front of us every day.

I shared this message in my first keynote session in Boston last year, after I'd written that part of Word Shift. (I'll be sharing it again at IETC in November - come join us!) I then dug into the tough stuff... how educators speak at school when there are no children around, and how this affects our students.

My goal of writing Word Shift was three-fold.

1. For ME to note, recognize, and stop using words that make me think negatively (subtly or overtly) - about myself, peers, and students.
2. Help others recognize and reconsider some words we use with children and peers.
3. Keep the conversations going - and focus on what will bring about much-needed positive shifts in school culture.

If more positive words would be planted and take root in our minds so they can bloom, we can share their positivity and effectiveness. Hopefully this awareness will extend to our families and online presence - so we can speak up with more focused intent...

I told a friend "I've thrown a lot of teachers under the bus - myself included" - in this book. If you recognize yourself and are uncomfortable with it, what will you do? Will you complain to me? Will you look inside yourself and reflect? Will you choose to change your language and share that with us?

This book is not based on research - it's based on 24 years of observing classrooms and teacher interactions. I'm still an educator in the American school system, striving to do better. Striving to learn, to grow, and to help my students succeed and be the best people they can. As you read - and long after you read - Word Shift, please share what words you feel we could omit, shift, or add to our language in the educational system and beyond.

Let's get this conversation started.