Last year was a hard year for many in higher education globally, so I thought it would be nice to welcome the new year with hopes for kindness in the year ahead.
And as with all intersession posts, feel free to post resolutions/hopes/goals/intentions, report on events, or just say hello!
My slightly wonky tree, providing light on a rainy day, when I'm sitting and working on my index.
Happy New Year! Definitely wishing everyone peace and kindness and joy for the coming year. While those things are often in short supply in many facets of life I think striving to create them where we can is a worthy goal, and makes the world better. And that is something!
ReplyDeleteHappy indexing! Thanks for the tree and good wishes!
I figure kindness is one of the few things I control, so I try to practice it.
DeleteThanks for the reminder, and also for the cozy picture!
DeleteHappy New Year! Around COVID time I discovered there is a literature/discussion around pedagogies of kindness, and I found it very helpful. Kindness - to self, to students, to loved ones, to the wider world - feels like a solid, actionable thing to focus on in the new year. Despite some colleagues, systems etc.! And as Susan says, it's very much something in OUR control, but which leads to concrete outward actions like, say, word choices or module policies or whatever (something like "accepting" problems in my mind at least turns into internal actions, not outward concrete ones, and as a natural over-thinking introvert, I can get too far into the unproductive kind of self-criticism around that kind of thing!).
ReplyDeleteI've had a very quiet and not-much-done-at-all kind of break - I'm trying to just accept that apparently I needed a lot of sleep and idleness and rest, but it would be nice if there had been more "active rest" and doing and making rather than scrolling and dozing and reading mind candy, but it's hibernation season, and I did better than last Christmas (plus was pushing the amount of work I can do in the weeks running up to break to try and get some things out the door) so, that's life!
Happy New Year to everyone. I love the thought of hope for kindness, and that it is within our control.
ReplyDeleteWe had a lovely Christmas with all the in-laws, and some quiet days afterwards. But we have started 2026 on a very sad note: my husband's sister died very suddenly and unexpectedly of a heart attack on 30th December. My parents-in-law have now lost two children, my other sister-in-law both her siblings, and my brother-in-law, niece and nephew are in the same situation my kids and I are in, except they have been plunged into it without any warning.
So kindness seems very apt for 2026.
Oh, Julie. That's so hard for the family. Sudden death is particularly shocking. Sending warm thoughts for all.
DeleteOh, goodness, what a shock. I am so sorry for you all. I think sudden is better for the individual but terrible for those left behind.
DeleteI'm so sorry to hear that, so hard for you all. I'm glad you at least had a good Christmas before the tragedy,
DeleteThank you all. It is a huge comfort that we had such a good Christmas together beforehand.
DeleteOh, I'm so sorry. Peace and love to you and your family.
DeleteOn a different note, I am still happy to host this session but I know Dame Eleanor had also mentioned possibly hosting. I can just as easily host the session after.
ReplyDeleteWould you be up for splitting this one?
DeleteYes, of course. My email is julie.marfany@gmail.com if you want to chat about how we do it. I'm not sure my theme ideas are very exciting!
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