#OneWord2018

My #OneWord2018 is lemonade and there are 4 main reasons:

#1) 
 I love lemonade. I’ve always loved it. It’s sweet. It’s tart. It’s coolness on a hot summer day. It’s also my reminder to myself that each person has their own interests and passions and listening to their stories on the why they pick that is so revealing about where they have come from and where they are presently. Last year my word was participation and I really feel like I embraced that with my Twitter PLN. 

#2)
When I taught in Thailand and it was international week, I wanted to teach my students about America culture and what’s more American than a lemonade stand? That entrepreneurial spirit…  go out and get what you dream of! 

#3)

The famous saying is “When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade” meaning that you should go with the flow and something sweet can come out of something tart. I feel like I’ve learned a lot more out of my failures than out of my successes. You start this by looking at that sour lemon of a failure and saying, “You weren’t a failure” and using it to create a learning experience. I had a hard couple of years and now I’m finally starting to add the sugar to those experiences and am slowly starting to transform them into part of a narrative that I can love.

There is also the less known expression: "If life gives you lemons, make orange juice and leave them wondering how you did it." I love this as well since there is still magic in the world where people can create things so unexpected using whatever happens to be on hand…

#4)

Lemonade is essentially 3 ingredients: Water, Sugar, and Lemons. But there isn’t a perfect recipe for it. It’s a lot of trial and error.

-You can start with any of those ingredients. There isn’t a set order… I like to start by squeezing the lemons, but my mom starts by filling the water.
-You can mix it in a cup, bowl, or a pitcher… and with a wooden spoon, metal spoon, or stir stick…

-You don’t have to use them precisely: You can use sparkling water instead of tap water, you can use agave, simple syrup, or honey instead of sugar, you can use sweet meyer lemons or even limes.  

-You test it and add more of what you feel it needs. I like my lemonade tart, so my ratio is different than someone who likes it sweet.

-And the best part is, once you’ve finished that basic recipe: you can add to it! Ice, mint, rosemary, basil, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, watermelon… The possibilities are pretty endless.

That recipe for lemonade is how I am trying to view education. There isn’t some magical recipe with precise steps. Everyone will do it a little differently and create it according to their needs. 

In my new role, I get to see the different recipes and share the different recipes in hopes to inspire people to go out and find what works for them.

So here is my new blog: Administratove Lemonade. A little sweet, a little sour, but ultimately something that I love!