My #OneWord for 2016

I've been thinking for days about my #oneword, searching for the precise verb that would lead me into and guide me through the new year.  As I sat the other evening and navigated Twitter, it looked like so many other people had found their one word!!  But there I sat - blankly starting at my screen.  And so I left it for later, certain it would come to me.
It came crashing down on me just a few moments ago as I was shuffling through the books, emails, to-do lists, potential blog posts, and most of all, the disenchantment of teachers in general.  It hit me all of a sudden as I thought about the upcoming week.  You know, it's been a tough  couple of years for math coaches as the media attacks the "new math"  (there is no 'new' math!!) and even tougher for teachers who are faced with the possibility that they may not understand how to best serve the needs of their students when it comes to math.  This makes it sometimes very difficult to love coming to work!  It also makes it difficult to stay positive, current, and excited about teaching.  
To add fuel to the fire, the memes started floating around Facebook and Instagram and Twitter this past weekend about not wanting to come back to work, dreading the steps through the classroom door and once more facing a classroom full of little faces.  For five.more.months.  Sigh.  
I could hear my mother in my head saying, "This, too, shall pass."  And she is right.  This, too, shall pass!  These kids will pass.  This standardized test will pass.  This weather will pass.  This. Will. Pass.  We just need to find something that grounds us, something to hold on to through the toughest times so we can succeed when the storm is over.  
So my #oneword for 2016 is PERSEVERANCE.  It's not just a math practice standard for children, it is the lifeblood of teaching.  Stick with it!  Stay on it!  This, too, shall pass! And we'll all be the stronger for it! Happy New Year!