Hidden Impact: The Words We Often Overlook
While my dreams have changed over the years—some of which I am no longer pursuing, and some I continue to strive for today. From an Olympic gymnast, to a professional basketball player, avid reader, and world-renowned journalist working alongside Barbara Walters (my Gandma told me it was possible), to becoming a full-time teacher, mom, aspiring author, and accomplished marathon runner, with room for the unknown—the feeling that the dream is still alive empowers me. Today, I live in that dream and love where I am, but I know there is more to do and more impossible to build.
It is easy to overlook the simple, seemingly insignificant words that fill our conversations, books, and even thoughts. Hidden, simple words often blend into the background, overshadowed by the more dramatic. However, simple connecting words carry profound weight and meaning. Words like “And”, “Small”, “The”, and “Your” shape our understanding, direct our actions, and build our impossible. I thought about simple and hidden words and I went through a number of books on my shelf.
For example, Annick Rauch's book, Phenomenal Teacher: Pursue Your Dreams and Still Be Your Best Self at Work and at Home. At first glance, the words "phenomenal" and "dreams" capture our attention. But when we focus on the words "your" as well as "and," a deeper understanding emerges. "Your" personalizes the message, making it clear that the book's wisdom is meant for you, the reader, empowering you to take ownership of your journey. The word "and '' combines two different goals—being your best self at work and at home and says you have permission to do both. Annick’s message assures us that we don't have to choose between personal and professional success.
Lauren Kaufman's The Leader Inside: Stories of Mentorship to Inspire the Leader Within offers another example. While "leader" and "mentorship" are pivotal, and words to gravitate to, the "to" and "the" in the title are powerful. "To" suggests a path, a direction, indicating that leadership is a journey we can embark on. And, "The" means that the leader within us is definite and waiting to be recognized, not just a possibility but part of our identity.
In Meghan Lawson’s Legacy of Learning: Teaching for Lasting Impact, it's easy to get caught up in the concept of "legacy" and "impact." But the word "for" offers a subtle yet profound focus on purpose. It reminds us that teaching is not just about the act itself but about the reasons behind it—the intentionality of our efforts and the goals we strive to achieve.
Christina Schneider's Building Strong Writers: Strategies and Scaffolds for Teaching Writing in Secondary ELA has a subtitle that captures two significant ideas worthy of deep thinking. Strategies and Scaffolds have layers of meaning. Strategies represent the diverse methods we use to teach and adapt to our students' needs while Scaffolds, on the other hand, are temporary supports that we gradually remove as our students become more competent.
Likewise, the newest EduProtocols book by Jacob Carr and other authors for the ELA classroom reads, The EduProtocol Field Guide ELA Edition: 10 Student-Centered Lesson Frames for Deepening Student Involvement features "for" and "deepening." "For" implies purpose and benefit for the students, while "deepening" suggests a focus on going beyond surface-level understanding to achieve meaningful engagement and learning.
Dan Tricarico's Write Here and Now: The Mindful Writing Teacher's Guide to Finding the Zen in Their Pen uses "finding" and "the" in its subtitle to create a sense of discovery and presence. "Finding" implies an active search, a journey toward inner peace and creativity. "The" suggests that this zen state is not just any state but a specific, attainable mindset that resides within our writing.
Laine Rowell’s Evolving with Gratitude: Small Practices in Learning Communities That Make a Big Difference with Kids, Peers, and the World highlights "evolving" and "gratitude," but the phrase "small practices" is where the true magic lies. It emphasizes that even the smallest acts of gratitude can lead to significant positive changes in our lives.
Teach Like a PIRATE: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator by Dave Burgess initially had me focused on the words "Pirate," "Engagement," "Creativity," and "Transformation" as it breathed life back into my practice as an educator. However, when I pause to look at the title now, the words "Your" and "And" stand out. Mentors in education teach us to take ideas and make them our own. "Your" personalizes the transformation, emphasizing that it’s about my unique journey. Additionally, the word "And" means that not only will I increase engagement and improve creativity for my students, but I will also transform my life as a professional.
Tara Martin’s Cannonball In! shifted my focus from the word "Cannonball" to the word "In." It’s not just about jumping, but about diving in with a big splash, fully committing to the direction you need to move through.
Jonathan Alsheimer’s Next-Level Teaching: Empowering Students and Transforming School Culture captivated me with "Next-Level," aligning with my word of the year. Now, when I look at the title, I focus on "and," which ties together empowerment and transformation, illustrating that both outcomes are connected and achievable through dedicated teaching.
Beatles fan extraordinaire Sean Gaillard’s The Pepper Effect: Tap into the Magic of Creativity, Collaboration, and Innovation brings attention to "into." It suggests that the magic of creativity, collaboration, and innovation isn't just around us but something we can actively engage with and immerse ourselves in.
Sometimes, it's the words that don’t initially stand out that make the biggest difference. Like the simple words that tie best-selling books together, what feels like our simple days or relationships can make a huge impact. A principal I worked for years ago always said, “Even on your worst day, you are someone’s best hope.” This quote continues to remind me that our impact goes beyond our perception. Pay attention to hidden words, the simple days, and the things that do not initially catch your attention; they guide us, shape our intentions, and ultimately have transformational power. Take a moment to pause, reflect, and embrace the hidden impact of the words we might overlook.
Excellent reflection Laura!
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