Inspiring Intentions - Educators Look Ahead

My word for 2025 is "connection." I choose this word for both my personal and professional life. I want to celebrate and enjoy each and every person in my life, and tell people what they mean to me in more open and loving ways. My students and colleagues are a big part of my life, I want them to know how much I value them, and how we help each other feel happy and connected. Also, I picked "connection" because I realized just how quickly time is flying by. Two of my children are teenagers who will soon leave home, and I want to make the most of my time with them.

There has been much discussion recently around the importance of the concept of "awe," taking time to seek, appreciate, and find joy in the amazing, wonderful and inspiring moments life offers us.  I find this term particularly meaningful as a guiding idea moving into the new year.  Every day, I am presented with amazing moments - watching students learn something new, achieve something they didn't think they could, develop skills which boost their confidence and inspire them to learn more.  These are among the things I often find awe-inspiring, and I hope to fill 2025 with regular celebrations of the amazing works of "awe" which surround us all!

In public & in private life, the concept of gentleness is often overlooked, with the quality itself going most often unnoticed, undervalued, & unrewarded.  Nevertheless, when it is truly absent, although the words used to describe the void vary greatly, it is keenly felt. My focus this year is to remember that regardless of the message that needs to be conveyed or my own state at any given time, each person with whom I interact -students, colleagues, parents, visitors-, is just that: a person, & therefore worthy of the effort it takes to be genuinely kind. And the most wonderful thing about gentleness is that even when I fall short of this intention, it is just possible that the person with whom I am interacting will find it in themselves: It is an entirely renewable, shareable resource. Gentle greetings, friends. 

My word to focus on this year is "positivity."  I want to be an energy-giver not an energy-drainer, and to stay positive and not get bogged down by negativity. I want to be accepting of people's feelings and realities, while not letting it impact the way that I interact with people in the world. 

The one word I plan to focus on is "impact" because I want to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others, big or small, while also highlighting the powerful ways the Elmwood community has shaped our school and supported our students. By emphasizing this connection, I hope to inspire others to continue contributing and recognize the value of collective effort.

One word that I'm choosing to focus on this year is "gratitude". I’m very grateful for the Elmwood community and the incredible students I have the privilege of working with every day—they inspire me endlessly. I’m thankful for this beautiful life and all the amazing opportunities it brings, and I am excited to see what new joys await in 2025.

My focus and inspiration this year is joy.  In my short time at Elmwood, I have found an abundance of joy in my role. Joy and happiness are central to the connections and relationships that make this school an authentic and uplifting learning community. I look forward to the joyful experiences and lessons ahead in 2025. 

This year, I’ve chosen “adaptability" as my guiding principle. I’m focusing on staying flexible and adjusting my plans in response to change, recognizing that perfection isn’t required—only doing the best we can with the time and resources available. I believe modelling this mindset is essential, especially for our students.

I would like to focus on being more present, more “ in the moment” so that I can experience my day to day with more intent, attention and gratitude. 

My brain has a tendency to start finding solutions and moving forward with a problem, before hearing all the details. Therefore I am working on strengthening my listening skills to gain a deeper understanding, and connections. Active listening and asking questions helps me to hear other perspectives and ideas. It’s also a reminder to be present and to not let my mind move onto the next thing in this fast paced world full of distractions that we live in.

The word I chose as a guiding principle for this new year is "focus." My goal is to focus my energy by better curating what I direct my time and attention towards. When I reflected on last year, I realized that I was allowing myself to be spread too thinly by not being purposeful in my choices. This year, I aim to be intentional about what I choose to focus my energy upon. My hope is that I can make a more meaningful impact as an educator by carefully directing my efforts based on our school's values.

 

For me, balance is more than just dividing time effectively, it is about being fully present in every moment and giving it my all. For me, this ranges from engaging with my kids at home, fulfilling my different roles and responsibilities at Elmwood, and also finding time to focus on self-care with my own activities and friendships. If only there were more hours in the day!