I have always been a fan of learning new vocabulary. Sometimes I hear a word and wonder if it's a real word. Therefore, I have a new word pop up on my computer every day. Part of the fun is seeing how I can relate the word to my life. I admit that sometimes it's a stretch. Today's word, worriment, hit me as funny because I am close to being a professional worrier.
wor·ri·ment (wûr
-m
nt, w
r-)
(noun) A difficulty that causes anxiety.
Synonyms:
troublesomeness, inconvenience
Usage:
To him, everything was a worriment, and his anxiety increased every day.
I have always been a worrier. Even as a student, I studied way longer than I needed to and sometimes even forgot information because I worried too much. After each test, I was always sure that I had failed. I reviewed my answers in my mind until the teacher handed back the graded test. Thank goodness I didn't grow up in the current testing environment that has taken over our schools. All of those tests would have been a worriment for me! My health would have surely suffered.
Back to teaching and vocabulary. A great way for students to learn new words is to think about a word, its meaning, and how it applies to them. I did this with my students and had them write paragraphs on Friday using the four words introduced that week. They sometimes worked in groups and acted out their paragraphs. They came up with some great stuff.
Have a great Super Bowl day and try not to worry!