My word for 2013 re-defined

IRRIGATE

I wrote about my words for 2013 last week. All week I have been thinking about my words, and I decided that I need to simplify my words!!! Here is the simplified version of my word for 2013:

The word for my teaching life came so easy, but I struggled with a word for the rest of my life. But somewhere in the middle of the week everything started coming together. I asked myself why I made this whole "assignment" so complicated? There really is just one word for me this year: IRRIGATE! What does it mean for me outside of school?

• irrigate my soul
• feed my soul with the right stuff
• build from the inside out
• irrigate my body
• keep it healthy
• feed it by sleeping, nutrition, exercise (thank you fitbit)
• irrigate my spirit
• engage in interactions and reflections that nurture and grow my spirit
• serve others as it feeds my spirit as well
• ask God what He wants me to do, and then have the courage to do it
• irrigate my mind
• laugh and then laugh again
• have fun
• dream (as you are nver too old for dreaming)
• maybe a new hobby
• write more (waiting for March :-))
• learn from others

There might be even a few more to add to the list. Excited to see how irrigation will go this year!!!!!
(Here is what I wrote one week ago about my life as an educator)
IRRIGATE

As I was thinking about my life as an educator, C.S.Lewis' words really hit it home for me. "The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts." So, how am I going to "irrigate" at work? I was re-reading my post that I wrote in December (you can read it here) where I talk about the challenges that I face to try to educate a new generation of students. 
Here are a few things I believe I can try this year to irrigate:

• play with curiosity
• teach with joy
• be passionate about what I believe in
• show interest (and then some more interest) in what my students find interesting
• try something new in the classroom = be open to new ideas