My #oneword for 2014? It’s easy. Create.
Everyone has that “thing” in their life. The one that fuels their thoughts, ignites their ideas. Fires up their passions. Mine? It’s creating. When holiday break began, I looked at my camera. It was filled with quick snapshots, but nothing that I would even consider photography. It was gathering dust. So, I took a PhotoWalk through my neighborhood. Looking through the lens to see spots I had driven past everyday for the past six months. But seeing them differently. It felt refreshing. So, I bought a Sketchbook and a new pack of Sharpies. The big pack.
I got lost in drawing. Doodling. Sketching. Just being.
It made me realize how I had given up creating. Looking back, it felt like I had given up a piece of myself. A piece that is actually a huge part of my life. I didn’t even realize it was gone or just how much I needed it. But, it’s back. I feel like myself again. I truly believe when you lose yourself into your passion, you will find yourself there.
Today at breakfast? I stopped to notice the egg shells. I dusted off my camera. They weren’t just regular egg shells, they were more. They were possibilities. Your imagination? It can take you anywhere. You just have to be willing to free it, use it, and create.
What did I see in the egg shells? This. It feels good to be me again.
Why am I sharing this? Because there is a kid, or twenty, in your classroom, and the one next door who probably feels the way I do. They need to create. It matters to them the way water matters to a plant. The opportunity to create is what fuels them. Not just their learning, but their soul.
Here’s a little tour of my creative space, where the t-rexs hatched. My happy place.
Want to create hand-drawn photo posters in Photoshop? Draw it. Snap a photo. Then use the “Magic Wand” to remove the background. (Please excuse the bacon. It was part of another project).
Then? Drag the layer onto the photo you’d like to use. Imagine the stories kids could write by placing their own hand-drawn creations into photographs. You can also easily “Remove Background” with Microsoft PowerPoint in the classroom. 
Of course, don’t limit your students to just one type of creating. Or really, please don’t limit your students at all. Encourage creativity. Inspire them to see possibilities. And I bet you’ll see some yourself.