This time of year, many of us feel the pull to start fresh -- to do better, try harder, and set resolutions that promise a brighter, more balanced version of ourselves.
But what if this season wasn’t about reinventing who we are, but instead about reimagining how we show up in our classrooms, our communities, and our lives as educators?Resolutions can feel heavy, tied to the weight of what didn’t work before.
This year, let’s shift the focus forward toward curiosity, creativity, and the possibilities within reach. Instead of “fixing” something, let’s explore small, intentional ways to grow and thrive.
Here are three energizing alternatives to the traditional resolution, each one designed to help you reflect, experiment, and empower yourself and your students in the new year ahead.
Replace pressure with play. Instead of resolving to “differentiate more” or “engage students better,” pick one small element of your teaching to experiment with.
Maybe it’s using new reflection prompts, trying flexible seating, or shifting how you start the day.
Treat it like a design challenge, something you and your students can test, tweak, and talk about together.
Ask yourself: What might happen if I tried this for two weeks?
Keep it short, simple, and fun. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s curiosity in action.
A single word can serve as a powerful compass. Think of connection, joy, flow, focus, or grace.
Choose a word that captures what you want to bring into your professional and personal spaces this year.
Write it somewhere visible: your planner, classroom wall, email signature.
Then, let it remind you to stay centered and intentional.
Better yet, invite your students or colleagues to do the same.
You’ll be amazed by the conversations and insights that grow from one small word shared aloud.
Resolutions can be isolating, but commitments, especially shared ones, build belonging.
Think about one thing your class, grade level team, or staff community could commit to together.
When the commitment is collective, accountability feels lighter, and the results more joyful.
You’ll model what growth looks like in a community, not just in isolation.
As the calendar turns, let’s resist the urge to measure our worth by what we accomplish or change. Instead, let’s measure it by how we stay curious, connected, and courageous in the work we already love.
Choose one of these alternatives this week -- just one -- and give it a try. Invite your students, your team, or even your family to join you.
Because transformation doesn’t happen in a single resolution.
It happens in the small, intentional steps we take together.