17 for '17

A friend of mine mentioned a post by Adam Dovico with 17 goals for 2017 and also shared with me her goals for the year. This got me thinking about the opportunity a new year brings to make changes and to see things differently. 2016 was a big year for me with the birth of my first child. I always knew that having a child would change my life, but I didn’t realize in what way. So after some reflection, here are my 17 in ’17:
 

1. Patience from understanding. While patience for everyone in every situation is a hefty goal, I think it is important to begin to tackle it, especially in the classroom. No one is perfect and we all get frustrated with students sometimes, but patience from understanding means taking a step back, taking a breath and assessing whether frustration or exasperation is really the best reaction. Showing a bit of patience may be the difference for a successful day in the classroom for both the students and me.  
2. Accept the things I cannot change. Logically, this is an easy one. I know I can only change my behavior and how I interact with people, but sometimes the emotion overpowers the logic. Both personally and professionally, this goal will create less tension and negativity, making things flow more easily. 
3. Positivity reigns. It can be so easy to get into a cycle of negativity, especially with colleagues in the lunchroom. Once the negativity starts, it can be so difficult to break the cycle. I’d like to have just one day, to start, where I focus on the positive. Once I tackle a day, then a week. I can only imaging what a difference focusing on the positive will make for me.
4. Not every day is an A day. I try to give my all each and every day I am at work. Sometimes this results in an A day and sometimes it is nothing more than a B or B+. . If I didn’t quite bring it one day, there is always the next day.
5. Be a better mentor. My colleague moved from full time at the middle school to half and half with the elementary school. I wasn’t there to support her move as I was away on leave. While she has done a great job, I want to be more available to her. It's a huge transition – I still remember the challenge when I moved 6 years ago – which is made even more difficult when you have to face it alone. Now that I am settled, I want to give her the attention she deserves to help make the rest of the year even better. 
   
6. Jump back in. Before my maternity leave, I felt I was in a sweet spot. I was connecting with my PLN through Twitter, presenting at conferences, and feeling like I was helping lead the pack - at least within my district and area. Now that I'm back from leave, it's time to get back on track and to jump in head first. I want to participate in #langchat at least once a month and tweet what is going on in the classroom at least once a week.
7. Say “yes”…selectively. I’ve never been one to say no. I am always volunteering for extras at school and to take on more responsibility. While this isn’t always a bad thing, I have to learn to take a step back and participate in only those things that I really enjoy. This goes for my personal life too – not every family function is a must-attend event!
8. Get more involved in the "right" opportunities. Saying "yes" less doesn't mean not participating. I want to be more involved in my local language organization. Doing so connects me to a greater network of colleagues, opens me to more opportunities, and keeps me learning from others in my profession.   
9. Attend conferences with purpose. I've always attended PD with some idea of what I want to learn, but I want to have more focus. Conferences afford the opportunity to see and learn so much that it can be overwhelming. For this years' conference, I want to focus on the strand of community, to help students see how learning a language has purpose outside the four walls of the classroom and that language can be a way in which to connect with other communities and people across the world. 
10. Present on a new topic. I am slated to present at a conference this March, which is awesome, but I want to do more! I love sharing what I know, because I often learn so much at the same time. I tend to keep my presentations within a certain range of topics, but it is time to explore a new avenue of my work and to build a presentation around that topic.  
11. Blog more. It seems silly to make blogging a goal as I write this post, but I want to write 3 posts a month. Whether my audience is big or small, writing posts helps me reflect on what works and what doesn't. Writing helps me reassess my lessons and build and improve. 
12. Play more! Play is good for everyone. Whether it is playing games in class, having students use their imagination, or just enjoying time together. We get so caught up in the work itself, that we often forget that play can be a great way to engage with the language. Playing a game does not mean the students aren’t learning, but rather that I, as the teacher, need to ensure the students can engage with the target language while playing.  
13. Go digital. (I’m jumping on Dovico’s bandwagon with this one.) We are 1-to-1 at our school. There is so much that can be done on the iPads that it isn’t too difficult to jump to the digital. While I believe in the power of writing and its’ connection to the brain remembering, so much of our learning is conversation based. Moving forward, if writing is not required, my goal is to have it on the iPad.
14. Seize opportunity. There is always so much going on in the world and so much of it is related to the things we study in class. A parent sent me an e-mail over the break about how her daughters and their friends have not stopped singing the song Bumboleo by the Gypsy Kings ever since they saw the movie Sing! This is a great opportunity to make a connection between the classroom and the real world. By bringing the use of Spanish to the students’ attention, they begin to see that the language is not just for the classroom.  
15. Travel. Before baby, travel was a given in our house. Whether we went for the weekend or a few weeks, we knew we would go on at least a few trips a year. Travel is a time for my husband and I to spend time together without worrying about other commitments. Although the destinations may change – I’m not quite brave enough for a long flight with a 6 month old – the idea is still the same. Anything we can do to get some quality family time is worth it.
16. Train. This is not your typical “work out more” resolution, but rather that I want to train with a purpose. My long-term goal is to complete a triathlon sprint this summer, but in the meantime, I want to find something to work toward. This keeps me focused on what I need to do and helps me push myself toward my limit.  
17. Find balance. Finding a life-work balance is always a struggle, especially with a baby in the house. I love my work and want to be the best teacher and colleague I can be, but I also want to give my family the attention they need and deserve. Right now, I want to get a quick workout in after school and pick my little one up by 4:30 at the latest. I want to participate in school events, but I will limit the events to the ones where my family can join me. When I'm at work, my focus is on flushing out any ideas or changes I want to make, but the paperwork stays at school. As the little guy grows and changes, so too will my definition of balance. The important thing is to constantly reassess and adapt to make it work. 

 
What are your 17 for ’17?