Today has been a day of choice words in several ways.
My morning was spent in family conferences. Parent, student and me-the teacher, gathered around a table in our classroom. It was all about choice words.
Me describing a child's progress and behaviors, sometimes in a delicate manner. Broaching sensitive topics that had to be addressed, then crafting a plan with everyone's input. At other times, I expressed all the words and affirmations a parent desires to hear. Teachers typically speak this praise with just the right amount of acknowledgement. Enough that the positive message is heard but not so much as to be gushing about what is a classroom expectation.
My afternoon of errands and appointments each had it's own words of the setting. Health vocabulary when I met with my physician, bankers terms when moving an insurance payout to the form of a check, discussing the work done on my car at the body shop.
My evening is an anticipated joy as I type choice words and join in on another year of Two Writing Teachers March Writing Challenge. I began by leaving behind my old blog and opening this new one, choosing title words and a post. I type, delete, and type again. I frequently travel over to Dictionary.com to seek words and their synonyms.
I'm looking forward to the coming month of choice words.
i liked how you reflected on the different kinds of words that filled your day. I,too, frequent Dictionary.com while writing. Here is to choice words!
ReplyDeleteI love how you captured the delicate balance of language in parent teacher conferences, and then it was fun to see the shift of the different types of language as you switched to other aspects of your day. Here's to another great month of slicing.
ReplyDeleteRemember to post the link to your specific post, rather than your general blog link. As part of the tech team, I will go ahead and post your specific link for today as a reply on your original post.
Choosing words is the key. Being brave enough to hear them is sometimes the challenge.
ReplyDeleteLanguage is so complex, isn't it? The intonation, the choice of words. As I read your post, I thought about the parent-teacher-student conferences I had this week, and I realized how sometimes the choices are require much more conscious deliberation, while at other times, the shifts come with less thought. You've inspired me to reflect more on the word choices I make.
ReplyDelete