It's August, Teachers, Happy New Year!

That’s right, Happy New Year! One of the best things about our professions is that we get not one, but two New Years celebrations! New Year’s Day is the most celebrated holiday on the planet, though we don’t all celebrate it on the same day.

In Asia, New Year’s Day is tied to the lunar calendar, so the date is not constant. It is recognized as a period between the harvest, and the next planting season, and a time for fresh beginnings. In the West, New Year’s Day is tied to the Gregorian calendar and of course takes place on January 1st. In both cases, it is a time to look back and to look forward. Even the month of January, when Westerners celebrate
the New Year, is named after the Ancient Roman god, Janus, the god of gates, doorways, beginnings and endings.

Then there’s the Educator’s New Year which will be taking place as your students arrive for classes soon. This August, there will be little champagne or fireworks, but as always there will be the promise that accompanies new beginnings. For many of us this time of year is one to take serious stock and plan new courses of action to improve our professional lives. An old European New Years custom says that “What one does on the first day of the year, one will do for the rest of the year.”

With this philosophy in mind, it might be a good time to reexamine your personal and professional values if it’s been a while since you’ve done so. This exercise might also include the planning of new courses of action, or resolutions. This August could be just the time to start some new habits. Perhaps you want to work on being more patient with your students, to become more consistent in providing differentiated to your students, to improve yourself as a professional by going back to school, or to work more closely with your team. Whichever you choose for yourself, these resolutions are an expression of your aspirations.

Making resolutions implies that you are in control of your self and that you are NOT a victim controlled by the stars, guided by fate, or led around by luck. You are an individual who can make choices and changes in your life. Your professional and personal lives are in your own hands.
So fill that glass to the brim with your values and drink up. Happy New Year!