2018 Word: CREATE

I know that we are not quite at 2018. It’s only 2-weeks away. YIKES. I still have marking to do, grades to submit, and bags to pack before heading out on a family vacay. No pressure. But of course, everything takes a sidestep when I get inspired to write. I hope this happens to everyone… when you get inspired, stop everything that you do, and just do what inspires you. I am trying to make this a new habit. DROP EVERYTHING and WRITE. It seems like the “write” thing to do. Originally, I had a “CYH stock photo” of one of my scribblings for this blog, but it was from my dissertation. The photo did not “feel” right. I’m done my dissertation. I need to move forward and welcome 2018 with a NEW scribble… and voila. It’s one I’ve just composed before being inspired to write.

For those in education, you can kind of make out what I have written. As you can see, I was not one of those teachers who was blessed with TEACHER WRITING. I’m one of those other teachers, who’s now a doctor, that likes to mimic the classic doctoral scribble as if it had something very, very important to say. Well, I would like to think it does as it sets out the framework for the book I would like to write. It’s funny how good ideas come to you. They just… come to you. I was thinking about this book for quite some time about “math stories” but I could not figure out the SO WHAT. Classic. I think I’ve got it thanks to the inspiration of my EDUC471D100 class. I’m in the middle of reading their final papers and they have collectively pointed out some key points that are worth highlighting.

Certainly, what the students are writing about is based on what I have taught in the course, but what’s amazing is how students articulate some of the concepts and what they found were important. Of the papers that I have read so far, I really think that they get the principles behind BC’s New Curriculum and the various factors that influenced it’s development but also influences it’s implementation. I love their aha’s because it feeds into my aha’s. As much as I used this course (and previous courses) as an opportunity for me to learn as my students are learning, they are willing to engage in the experimental nature of my course to discover something new and self-actualize what is possible.

This brings me to my 2018 Word of the Year: CREATE. The word came to me a few days ago, but I was uncertain and unclear why that would be important to me. I feel that I have achieved other words in the past like COMPLETION, JOY, WHOLEHEARTEDNESS, ABUNDANCE, and AUTHENTICITY. I am rarely motivated by money and power… because I continue to believe and know that the money (and influence) will come when I am doing what I love to do. My ALIGNMENT… as mentioned in my TEDxWestVancouverED talk.

Strangely, I think I did say in my talk… underneath my final mumble… “maybe I’ll write a book.” Now, that’s a broad concept. I do want to be published. I am working on a couple of projects to get my dissertation and another study published. I am presenting both of these studies at the Hawaii International Conference on Education (HICE) in Honolulu in January, a great start to my 2018 year. That said, I am looking to publish and research more. I hope to be teaching more at the university. And yes… maybe write a book which my scribble above so implies. CREATE takes on so many meanings… not just to create in terms of writing and researching… but also create opportunities. That gets me excited.

Anytime I find myself in a fear-based, fixed mindset… I look back. It’s not to say that I was not good at what I used to do or am currently doing. What it does say is, I am worried about what’s ahead and there is an extraordinary comfort in keeping with doing the same things or returning to what I used to know. If I look back and beyond, the path I created is a straight line. One event lead to the next event. Sadly, when moving forward, it NEVER feels like a straight line… and that’s ok. When I decided to turn left, stay left… and trust the journey. Going back to what I used to do will not bring me the joy and happiness I believed had back then. I need to CREATE in 2018. This is the time.