We are realizing the power of language. One word may be applied to history, to politics, to current events, to our own thinking, to human psychology, to philosophy, really to so many aspects of our humanity.In our Social Studies classes at Mt. View, we have a routine of learning one word a day.
This learning routine was created 19 months ago when a student asked our teacher what the word “hospitality” meant. After the teacher explained that it was what is often demonstrated by teachers to their students when they welcome them and plan for them and provide for their learning, the student made a request. “Can you teach us one word a day?” As a Social Studies teacher this request was taken seriously. This practice has been daily and rarely do we repeat a word. In fact in our first 40 days of school we have 40 different words. We are shown the 3 different definitions from Merriam Webster Dictionary and we are led to think philosophically and psychologically about the word. This practice strengthens our creative and critical thinking as well as our metacognition skills as it also builds our literacy in reading, writing and speaking in the English language. Many of us are learning English in addition to other languages that we know. This is a category of student known as M.L.L. or “Multi Language Learners”. We have noticed that there are many lessons to be learned from thinking about one word with multiple perspectives and multiple applications.
Below is a list of our first 40 days of class with the corresponding “Word of the Day”. The date is listed along with the number of days in school. The word is linked to the online Merriam Webster dictionary definitions. We write both the definitions and a creative response every day by hand in our notebooks. We practice reading out loud what we have written. In Journalism class we have chosen at least one word from the 40 to elaborate upon with creative writing and applied images. If anyone sees a word in this list that they would like to elaborate upon please let us know. You know where to find us.
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AUGUST 18: DAY 1
to hear something with thoughtful attention : give consideration
Alert awareness
to pay attention
What is it that you hear?
What possesses your attention?
there is so much noise
Echoes of the truth have been handed down to each generation
Receive as you learn; decide what is true.
Let go of the lies.
Listening is not simply hearing sounds; it is an active, conscious, and complex process that involves paying attention to, interpreting, and giving meaning to what we perceive. Listening goes beyond grasping words: it involves recognizing the tone of voice, emotions, intentions, and context of the speaker. It requires concentration, patience, and empathy, as it allows us to connect with others, understand their feelings and thoughts, and respond appropriately. It is an act that involves both the mind and the heart, because it is not enough to receive information: we must process it, analyze it, and, in many cases, integrate it with our own experiences in order to fully understand the message. Listening also means interpreting nonverbal sounds, such as laughter, sighs, pauses, or silences, which convey valuable information about a person’s emotional state or intention.
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TUESDAY AUGUST 19: DAY 2 COMMITMENT
Commitment is a simple word, but full of meaning.
When you commit to something, you are actually making a covenant with yourself.
Commitment is the force that makes you finish what you start.
Even when you’re tired, even when no one understands you,
Commitment is the voice inside you that says:
“You must continue, because you promised.”
Commitment means being faithful to your goals, not just on easy days,
But on days when you are in doubt, despair, or tired of fighting.
It means believing in your dreams, even when they seem far away.
Commitment means doing, even when you don’t feel like doing.
I have learned that true commitment comes from the heart
From the love I have for my goals, from the faith I have in myself,
And of the hope that lives inside me.
I am committed to my goals,
Because I believe I will achieve my dreams one day.
I promise myself,
I will never give up trying,
To be stronger every day than yesterday,
And that my progress in life is the result of my commitment and perseverance.
My commitment is my path of progress
And my progress, a sign that my dreams are alive.
Farah as translated from Dari
COMMITMENT: an agreement or pledge to do something in the future
the state or an instance of being obligated or emotionally impelled
an act of committing to a charge or trust
Let your COMMITMENT appear as a sign of encouragement
Offer your presence with humility; a listening heart
Where is your COMMITMENT and for what purpose?
COMMIT to a true path for you and be present; one step at a time.
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WEDNESDAY AUGUST 20: DAY 3 EQUAL
THURSDAY AUGUST 21: DAY 4 INVITATION
FRIDAY AUGUST 22: Day 5 PEOPLE
AUGUST 25 DAY #6 ENDURANCE
AUGUST 26 Day #7 AFFECT EFFECT
AUGUST 27 Day #8 WITNESS
August 28 Day 9 Reassurance
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a time characterized by a particular circumstance or feature
a suitable or natural time or occasion
To Season: to add flavor, to make fit by experience.
In the SEASON of learning
What are the habits of mind and body that will bring
strength & confidence to weather the storms as they come?
How has our HISTORY taught us important lessons that strengthen us today for this current season?
Every season has a different emotion for people. I think so many people like summer, because in the summer we have many choices and time to do things. It’s important to think that we don’t have school in the summer.
Well my favorite season is autumn. Because in autumn it is not too cold and not too hot. I love October the most. The weather is so beautiful and magnificent. The most important thing for me this month is my birthday. On my birthday, everywhere is red, orange, yellow and green. It makes me feel so happy. If they ask me which season I want to stay in, I would say autumn. One beautiful thing is that I love rain. In rainy day I feel very happy and I like to get wet in the rain.
Winter gives us peace and time to rest.Winter is cold, but it feels nice to stay inside and drink something hot. The one thing everyone likes is a snow day. Making a snowman gives people happiness. Playing snowball is a very very amazing thing.
We are reminded that there can always be new life in the Spring.
Each season teaches us something special. Spring shows new beginnings with flowers blooming and trees turning green.
Summer reminds us to enjoy life and spend time outside. Autumn teaches us change can be beautiful, and I think seasons are like chapters in life. Each one has its own beauty and purpose. No matter which season it is, there is always something to enjoy and be thankful for. Every season is special in its own way. Spring has pretty flowers and green trees. Summer is warm and fun for going outside. Autumn has colorful leaves and cool weather. I think every season has something that makes people happy. That is why I enjoy watching the seasons change every year.
https://mtviewmirror.com/seasons/
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September 3 Day 11 SENT
SEPTEMBER 4 Day 12 WORTHY
SEPTEMBER 5 DAY 13 BEGINNING
SEPTEMBER 8 DAY 14 FEED
Luana:SEPTEMBER 10 Day 15 KNOWLEDGE
SEPTEMBER 11 DAY 16 PATIENCE
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the capacity to endure what is difficult or disagreeable without complaining
accepting pains or hardships calmly or without complaint
the checking of one’s true feelings and impulses when dealing with others
Practice PATIENCE as you teach & learn
Correct with respect
As you give you will receive; we learn best in community
What is the hardest to forgive?
How can we be a people of reciprocity?
What happened on September 11th 2001? VIDEO timeline
Patience is not about how long you can wait, but how you behave while you wait.
It’s the gentle strength to stay calm when life feels uncertain, to smile even when nothing seems to be working, and to keep faith when everything inside you whispers to give up.
Life does not always move at our speed.
Sometimes, doors stay closed for a while, not because we are not ready to walk through them, but because life is preparing what waits on the other side. True patience is trusting that process — trusting that the right things will come, not when you want them, but when you are ready for them.
Patience means believing that delay is not denial. It means understanding that every small step forward matters, even when it feels slow. A seed doesn’t bloom in one night — it grows in silence, under the soil, where no one can see. Yet one day, it becomes a beautiful flower. The same happens with your dreams, your healing, and your journey.
When you are patient, you learn to see beauty in waiting. You stop rushing time and start trusting it. You realize that everything — even your pain — has a purpose. Every season of your life teaches something: winter teaches strength, spring brings growth, summer gives joy, and autumn reminds you to let go.
So, take a deep breath. Let things unfold naturally. You are not behind; you are exactly where you need to be. Patience is not losing time — it is building strength, wisdom, and peace within you. Because in the end, what is meant for you will find its way to you — slowly, quietly, and perfectly, at the right moment.
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SEPTEMBER 24: Day 24
present time; : importance in influence or effect
a stage in historical or logical development
The power of now; something that arouses action or activity
In this MOMENT how is your MOMENTUM?
Hear & Act
Lift up your questions
Take hold of the answers
Freely received in each MOMENT
Recognize your doubts
Trust in the next step
Hear & Act
Life is not measured by years or achievements, but by moments — the moments that touch our hearts, awaken our souls, and quietly shape who we become.
We rush through days, chasing what is next, dreaming of tomorrow or grieving yesterday, and in that endless race, we forget the simple truth: the only time that truly belongs to us is this very moment.
A moment can be small in time, yet massive in meaning.
One moment of honesty can end years of confusion.
One moment of courage can open a new life.
One moment of love can soften a heart full of scars.
And one moment of presence can turn an ordinary day into a memory that lasts forever.
To live the moment is not to ignore the future or forget the past — it is to understand that now is the only place where life actually happens. The past cannot be changed, and the future cannot be touched, but this moment is alive. It breathes with you. It listens to your choice. It responds to your courage.
When you learn to be fully present, everything becomes richer.
The sky is no longer just the sky — it becomes a painting.
Silence is no longer empty — it becomes peace.
Time is no longer something you chase — it becomes something you feel.
Not every moment will be easy. Some will break you, some will heal you, and some will change you in ways you won’t understand until much later. But every moment has a purpose. The difficult ones teach strength, the gentle ones teach gratitude, and the quiet ones teach clarity.
Slow down.
Breathe.
Look around.
Notice the sunlight on your hands, the voice of someone you love, the beat of your own heart. These simple moments are not “small.” One day you will look back and realize they were the very pieces that built your life. Happiness is not a destination waiting in the future — it is a moment you allow yourself to feel now.
So live this moment with presence, with awareness, with kindness — toward yourself and toward others. Collect moments, not fears. Create memories, not regrets. And remember: life is not waiting for you somewhere else. Life is happening here, now, in this moment.
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SEPTEMBER 25: Day 25
an accumulated store or productive result
to gather in (a crop) : reap
to win by achievement
Now is the time
The HARVEST is plenty; “you can do it today”.
How will you seek satisfaction?
Consider the truth.
Hear & Act.
The word “HARVEST” has a different meaning which is literal agricultural meanings like gathering crops. It is the most common meaning, referring to the physical act of collecting ripened crops from a field. Also, it can also refer to the yield itself, such as “harvest the apples”. As well, “Harvest” can mean the time of the year when crops are gathered as in the “harvest time”. The word “Harvest” has interesting figurative and metaphorical meanings such as, it can represent the outcomes of any effort, like a “harvest of love” or “harvest of dividends” from a business. -T
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SEPTEMBER 26: Day 26 COURAGE
SEPTEMBER 29: Day 27 DOMINION
SEPTEMBER 30: Day 28 INHABIT
OCTOBER 1:DAY 29 REQUEST – Lucas
OCTOBER 3: Day 30 CONFIDENCE
October 6: Day 31 BUSINESS
October 7: Day 32 PROCLAIM
OCTOBER 9: Day 33 : REMEMBER
OCTOBER 10: DAY 34 :JUDGEMENT
OCTOBER 14: DAY 35 EVIDENT
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OCTOBER 15: Day 36
sympathetic concern for the well-being of others
the quality or state of being generous; unselfish; patient
When the EVIDENT truth is hard; JUDGE with KINDNESS
Judge the actions with compassion for the person
Be careful of hypocrisy; forbearance and mercy are necessary
Kindness is a powerful and beautiful word quality that makes the world a better place. It means showing care, respect and understanding toward others, even in small ways. A simple act of kindness like helping a friend, sharing with someone in need, or offering a smile can brighten another person’s day and spread positivity. True kindness comes from the heart; it does not expect anything in return. When we are kind, we create connections and make people feel valued and loved. Kindness also helps us grow as individuals by teaching us empathy and compassion. In a world where everyone is kind, there is more peace, happiness, and trust among people. Even the smallest act of kindness can start a chain reaction that changes many lives for the better.
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OCTOBER 16: Day 37 WAY
OCTOBER 17: Day 38 WORK
October 21: Day 39 ACQUITTAL
OCTOBER 22: Day 40 YIELD
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OCTOBER 23: Day 41
a lawyer engaged in the trial or management of a case in court
to give (someone) a recommendation about what should be done : to give advice
A divided counsel; whose wages do we seek?
Be careful when choosing the advice of others.
Where are the areas of divided counsel in need of recompense?
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October 24: Day 42
to explain or tell the meaning of : present in understandable terms
to conceive in the light of individual belief, judgment, or circumstance : construe
making plain or intelligible what is not immediately obvious or entirely known.
How do we INTERPRET the law? Which law do we INTERPRET?
INTERPRET the evidence of conflict.
Judge what is right & true as you settle your disputes with compassion.
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