I Choose Unity: A Reminder for Today’s World

I Choose Unity: A Reminder for Today’s World

Years ago, I wrote about a moment at school that reminded me of the power of focus -- choosing to focus on the positive in ourselves instead of the negative in others. That message still feels as important today as it did then.

Every few years, especially after an election or a national event, conversations about division seem to dominate our news feeds and social media. It’s easy to get swept up in frustration and fear.

But I believe our focus is often misdirected.

Instead of fixating on what divides us, we can choose to focus on what unites us.

Our Differences Make Us Stronger

I’ve always believed that our differences are what make us great.

Each perspective, background, and life experience adds value to our communities. When we choose curiosity over judgment, we open the door to understanding.

Our focus should be on what we control. 

We control our attitude each day. We can decide that we are going to be positive for ourselves and others. 

We control our thoughts. We can assume the best in others or not, whether we agree with them or not. 

We control our actions. We choose the topics we discuss, the tone we use, and whether or not we see things from another person’s point of view. 

We choose whether or not we build bridges or dig chasms.

| Related Post: Attitude and Effort: The Two Things We Control

What We Share Matters

In a world where our words travel farther and faster than ever, what we share—online, in our homes, in our schools—matters deeply.

Every post, every comment, every conversation is a chance to model kindness, respect, and unity.

We can disagree without disrespect.

We can listen without losing our voice.

We can choose to stand for all—because ALL means ALL.

I choose unity. I hope you will, too. 

Gratitude Conversation Starters {free printable}

Do you ever look for meaningful ways to slow down and connect with others? These Gratitude Conversation Starters are a simple, heartfelt way to spark connection, whether you’re in the classroom, around the dinner table, or spending time with friends.

As part of our ongoing focus on character and connection, I created these Gratitude Conversation Starters for teachers to use with students, families to use at home, and anyone who wants to bring a little more thankfulness into their daily conversations.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you might remember the New Year’s Conversation Starters I shared previously. Teachers have used them as journal prompts, families have used them during gatherings, and one friend even displayed them in DIY place card holders at her party, and they were a big hit! These Gratitude Conversation Starters follow that same spirit of reflection and connection, making them perfect for any season.

The Gratitude Conversation Starters can be used with students at school on days leading up to Thanksgiving. 

Check out this Pinterest board I created to inspire bulletin board ideas for character words:

Character Word of the Month Bulletin Boards

The conversation starters would also be perfect to have on the table at Thanksgiving. Simply print, cut the strips, fold and place in a jar or bowl, and take turns answering the question. 

Want the free printable? Click the picture below. 

If you loved these, you’ll also enjoy my New Year’s Conversation Starters printable — it’s a reader favorite! (They also make a perfect holiday gift for your teacher friend. Print, cut, and put them in a cute glass jar with a ribbon!)

Materials I recommend:

To make your Gratitude Conversation Starters last and look their best, I’ve included a few of my favorite tools below. These are items I personally use and recommend for creating durable, classroom- or family-friendly sets. (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting my blog so I can keep sharing free resources like this!)

• Avery Clear Laminating Sheets If you plan to reuse your cards year after year, these self-laminating sheets are a must. They protect your printables from tearing and make them feel sturdy and professional—no laminating machine needed!

• Galvanized Flower Pot  This cute galvanized pot is perfect for holding your conversation starter cards. It adds a rustic touch to a classroom desk, dining table, or family gathering space.

• Glass Jar with Lid  A simple glass jar with a lid is a classic way to display the cards on a table or in a classroom. It keeps the cards tidy and makes them easy to grab for sharing. This apothecary style jar has a wide mouth so the folded strips fit easily.

• Accurate Paper Trimmer  A paper trimmer helps you cut the cards quickly and neatly. If you don’t already have one, here’s one that’s both durable and easy to store.

• Heavyweight Cardstock  Printing on sturdy cardstock gives the conversation starters a clean, polished look that stands up to frequent handling.

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Stop Calling Them PD Sessions... Try This Instead

What if one small change could completely transform your professional development? At our school, it did, and it started with just changing the name.

In a recent presentation by John Draper, I was reminded of the power of language. Language is a culture builder, pain inducer, confidence booster, safety provider, and more. How we frame problems makes a difference. How we describe actions provides insight. 

Dr. Draper shared a story about a potential employee for Disney. Potential employees don’t go for interviews, they go to auditions. If they are hired, they’re not called employees, they’re called cast members. If you visit Disney, you’re not a customer, you’re a Guest. Disney intentionally uses those terms because they mean something special for their organization. 

Words shape culture, and they can shape how we learn, too.

We do this at our school. When we welcome new teachers to our staff, we welcome them to the Buc Family. We are making implications with our words. We are being intentional.  

We used to call our monthly meetings ‘PD sessions.’ Neutral, boring, and uninspiring. This year, we renamed them Collaboration Hour. That small change, paired with intentional design, made a huge difference.

For the first meeting, we changed the name, but I didn't give much direction to our teachers who were leading the meeting. There was a little collaboration that happened, but more was needed to maximize learning and create more of a "shared experience" for our teachers.  For the most recent one called Write to Learn, I talked with the two teachers who would be leading the session and told them that I really wanted them to design the meeting so that teachers were DOING - and not just listening about - the strategy they would be teaching.

The teachers did a fabulous job in creating a truly Collaborative Hour for our teachers, and the positive feedback has been overwhelming. Teachers are now sharing strategies from Collaboration Hour in their classrooms. One teacher said, "I finally feel like I can take a strategy from the meeting and use it tomorrow." Another said, "I loved actually doing the work instead of just hearing about it."

What small change could you make to your PD that would completely change how your staff engages and learns?

An easy and awesome tool to flip your PD

About a month ago, one of our teachers told me about a new website called EDpuzzle that she had started using with her students. She was so excited about it and talked about how easy it was to create interactive lessons for her students using either videos she had created or videos that were already on Youtube. 

I decided to give it a try for teachers who weren't able to attend our recent professional learning day. At the beginning of each nine weeks, we hold "Collaboration Hour" for staff members to attend teacher-led PD that introduces the literacy strategy for the nine weeks. Since it is part of our school-wide literacy plan, we require all teachers to attend. But what about teachers who were unable to attend that day? It's an issue faced by schools all over... how do we provide a simulation of the day so that it is as (or nearly as) meaningful as being present and collaborating with other teachers?

We've tried different ways to hold "make-up sessions" for teachers who miss required meetings, from meeting one-on-one with an administrator to recording the video and using a google doc for follow-up questions. 

The teacher-led session was so interactive that I knew we could never reproduce the face-to-face time with each other. I decided to give EDpuzzle a try since hearing the excitement from our teacher AND because she had praised the ease of using it. I needed easy during this busy time of the year! 

Knowing that I was going to need a video of the collaboration hour, I had two plans for recording the session. We used a Swivl to record it, and we also had our tech guys to record it. I really liked the recording done by our tech guys, so I took that video and uploaded it to Youtube. 

All I needed to do was paste the link to the Youtube video into EDpuzzle, and I was ready to create. 

EDpuzzle allows you to insert voiceovers, comments, and "quiz" questions. For the flipped PD, I simply watched the video and wherever the teacher asked the group questions, I would insert a quiz question. 

To "grade" the participants, I simply go each person's progress page and I can see how many times they watched each section, the percentage of video watched at that time, and I can also leave a comment about each answer.

I've had great feedback from participants who weren't able to attend the live session and had to do the EDpuzzle flipped PD. They have found it easy to use, and they like the feature that allows them to work at their own pace and not have to finish the session in on sitting.

Another feature I should mention even though I don't use it is the ease of integration with Google Classroom. If you're an administrator and you use a Google Classroom with your teachers, you could easily share this with everyone in the class with one click. 

If you can't see the video above on your device, click here to watch:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVQgt1HIClU

What other tools are used to FLIP the PD at your school? Does EDpuzzle sound like something you want to try? I'd love to hear your thoughts!