One constant during my 28 years of teaching is that the break from school at the end of the calendar year – winter for me and summer for my Southern Hemisphere friends – comes at just the right time. Leaving for school in the dark, arriving home in the dark, the end of a long semester of teaching (and the behavior of a few students) all have me yearning for a few weeks at home with family, seasonal fun, and the opportunity to reflect on the 12 months that came before me.
Before the pandemic, my message at this time of year would have been “Let’s finish strong,” “Push on through,” or “Crush those final few weeks,”…each message erring a little too close to toxic positivity.
Now, my message is more contemplative, authentic, and nuanced; it’s more emotionally inclusive, and two recent social posts resonated with me.
We all have different emotional responses based on our circumstances, challenges, and joys. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to feel right now, but this time of year does encourage us to be self-aware and acknowledge our emotions. Accepting and acknowledging our feelings contributes to our emotional growth and well-being.
I also appreciated this post from Dr Caroline Leaf. Her message encourages a more balanced and mindful approach to the end of the year, rejecting the pressure to constantly achieve and advocating for a mindset that prioritizes gratitude, relaxation, and intentional pacing. A younger me felt that success was solely measured by continuous striving and accomplishment. Now, I appreciate that constantly being in a state of productivity can contribute to anxiety and stress and that rest is not just a break from work but an essential element in problem-solving and maintaining mental and emotional health.
As I did last year, I will reflect on the past 12 months using the following 10 question prompts, sharing my responses as I model best practices and vulnerability.
If you had to describe the past year in one word, what would you choose? What events made you choose that word?
My annual #OneWord blog post revealed that my word for 2023 was EXPANSION, and I shared that I planned to “embrace EXPANSION as I travel to new states to present at conferences. I can EXPAND my circle of influence by seeking out positions of leadership and responsibility within my communities. I can EXPAND my horizons by trying new things, and EXPANSION can extend to building and maintaining strong relationships with friends, family, and loved ones to help me feel more connected and fulfilled. Mental and emotional EXPANSION can involve engaging in activities that help me process and manage my emotions.“. Reflecting on the year, I successfully followed through on those bold plans. Conference travel only took me to North Dakota, Seattle and New York this year, and I successfully applied to the SHAPE America Board of Directors and am enjoying that professional role immensely. 2023 saw me come out of a pandemic-induced withdrawal, and the past 12 months have allowed me to engage more professionally and socially. Here’s to more of that expansion in 2024.
What were your achievements from the past year that made you most proud?
2023 saw me continue to recover from two Achilles surgeries. Although I’m still not 100%, I see minor regular improvements and know that I’ll eventually “get there,” even if I’m unsure where “there” is.
Continuing to run this blog and receiving feedback from educators worldwide reminds me that this endeavor will always be seen as an achievement in my eyes.
Organizing another very successful Micro Blog Month event and making space for educators to share their thoughts with a global audience is another professional highlight, and obviously, so too was being elected to the Board of Directors of SHAPE America. 2023 saw me giving back to the profession that I love.
My professional goal at the start of this academic year was to explore the features of Meaningful Physical Education. My experiments on a very patient cohort of students have elicited nothing but positive experiences, and the blog posts detailing our shared journey have been VERY well received.
At home, I’ve been a pretty good husband and father, impressing my family by hanging a door (it only took three months), changing a tire in the middle of nowhere, and catching a mouse. #DadSkills
Which events from the past year proved to be most challenging? How did you deal with them?
This question had me stumped. After all, the past 3-4 years have been challenging for many educators, juggling the pandemic, zoom classes, hybrid teaching, and dealing with the post-pandemic educational landscape. Surviving those four years has me thinking, “If we could survive that, then we can survive anything.” Will anything ever REALLY be a challenge again?
My biggest challenge has been fully embracing the message at the top of this blog post. I juggle wanting to do ALL the things while knowing that I can’t do ANY of the things if I don’t slow down and take care of myself and those around me. My wife was a wonderful caregiver for me while I recovered from surgery, and this year saw the roles reversed. Although I couldn’t have been as good as she was for me (it’s not a competition), I showed growth caring for her.
I have yet to manage the challenge of finding time to meditate as often as I’d like or exercise as often as I need. Each time I am successful in finding time, is a tiny investment in myself. That said, I need to invest in myself a lot more.
In what ways did your life move closer toward the life for which you aim?
Everything I do, I do for my family. Family first. Always. Every day takes me one step further in our journey towards being healthy and happy. Despite the daily trials and tribulations of high school teaching, my 90-minute commute home is bearable because I come home to my family at the end of it. My own kids are happy, enjoy school, have good friends, and are involved in sports programs that have their development at heart.
Professionally, my post-pandemic ‘expansion’ means I’m more inclined to become involved in cohorts, committees, and collegial conversations. There’s an end game in play here, and things are moving in the right direction.
What brought you joy this past year?
I have such a terrible memory. When asked, “How was your weekend?” I have difficulty remembering the past 48 hours, so I return to this hack to help remember the joyful moments from the year. I take a lot of photographs with my phone and only delete the ‘bad’ pictures. As a result, my photo album is full of many of my highlights from the past 12 months. Starting with January and scrolling forward, I can see the many joyful moments I experienced.
My photo album would suggest that quality time with my family, including sports practices and games, was (and remains) a joyful highlight.
Presenting at conferences in North Dakota (thanks to Joe Deutsch) Seattle, and New York (thanks to Charlie Rizutto) was a highlight. I don’t like spending time away from home, but I feel affirmed when I’m at a conference, I’m surrounded by ‘my people.’ And if you are reading this, YOU are ‘my people’ too.
Visits to the city filled me with joy. Leaving London in 2008 was hard, but Chicago is a fantastic city. I enjoy being a tourist there with my family (who are obviously my #1 source of joy), taking great photos, eating great food, and checking out the seasonal attractions.
Music gives me joy. It always has. I’m forever Shazaming the soundtrack to my life, and my digital photo album is littered with screenshots of music to be added to a future playlist.
Finally, every act of self-care provides me with a feeling of joy. Each act is an investment in me, and I know that I can’t do anything if I cannot spend time ensuring I’m physically and mentally nourished.
Who helped you grow over the past year?
The number one person on my list…for the last 15 years running, is my wife. Everything I do, I do with her support (and patience). She is my constant ‘nudge’ to do (and dress) better. I must tell her more frequently how appreciative I am of her love and support.
My school has also helped me grow. I acknowledge that I work in a unique school and community and feel valued as a teacher. My administration supports my professional development needs and trusts me with classroom autonomy. I am encouraged to take risks and try new things with my students, which helps me grow as an educator, and each year, I come closer to becoming the master teacher that my students deserve.
Finally, I am the teacher I am today because of my classroom’s many wonderful young adults. I know the future is bright because of them, and they inspired my 2019 TEDx talk.
What caused you most stress, and how did you cope with stressors?
My 2022 started with an Achilles heel tear that required two surgeries and much rehabilitation. The lessons learned from that experience carried over into 2023, and the habits that I developed held me in good stead this year. I guarantee that my annual stats on the @Calm and @OnePeloton app show that I meditated more than ever before.
Music, reading, making sleep a non-negotiable, and being creative are my other go-to strategies, and I continue to remind myself that self-care is never selfish. If I’m not at my best, I can’t be the best husband, dad, son, teacher, friend, etc..
How active were you during the past year? Were you as active as you planned to be?
This is an area where I can grow in 2024! This academic year, I haven’t found the right balance between my professional and personal responsibilities. While I’ve had a great first semester, this has come at the expense of my need to move more frequently. Yes, I have an active job, and yes, I achieve at least 10,000 steps on the days when I’m also teaching PE, but this doesn’t mean that I’m moving as much as I need, and want to. With the opportunity to select a #OneWord for 2024 almost upon us, I wonder if my chosen word will relate to being more active.
In what ways did you positively impact those around you?
Perhaps you, Dear Reader, are better positioned to answer that than I am.
I hope my family felt loved and supported by me throughout the year. My students give me fantastic feedback, and they appreciate my efforts in providing engaging and effective instruction. I presented at three conferences, and the messages of thanks from attendees reminded me why I love to share my work with other educators. I continue to volunteer in my community, give my time freely to coach youth sports, serve in several leadership positions, and support several charities. My lack of certainty as to whether I have impacted others reminds me to acknowledge the efforts of those who have impacted me.
What would you change from last year if you were handed a re-do?
I rarely have regrets, and aside from a snafu on some important paperwork (!) that is proving time-consuming to rectify, I’m happy with the past 12 months. This opportunity to pause and reflect on the year has given me the sense that 2024 will be good for me. I have shaken off the insularity that developed during the pandemic, and the strides taken to ‘expand’ my visibility/influence have given me the confidence to continue traveling in that direction. Onwards. Upwards.
How will you reflect on the past 12 months? What prompts do you use?
If you’re looking for additional resources, in 2019 the Calm blog shared this Holiday Journal, a mix of practical mindfulness tips and contemplation prompts to cultivate more peace and joy https://cal.mn/holiday.
Whether you’re looking forward to a well-deserved break or facing the season with mixed emotions, you are part of a global community of educators making a lasting impact, and for that, I am thankful.
Here are some end of year recommendations for you:
My Book of the Year was Up to Speed: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes by Christine Yu
My favorite podcast to guest on was the PE Insights Podcast with Nathan Walker.
My soundtrack to 2023 (all of the songs that caught my ear this year).
#slowchathealth 
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This blog post is so refreshing with its shift from toxic positivity to a more nuanced and authentic perspective on year-end reflections. It’s great to see a focus on emotional inclusivity and the importance of self-awareness.
I’m interested to know, how has this change in mindset towards year-end reflection impacted your overall well-being and approach to setting goals for the upcoming year?
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