This is not just about the calendar turning a page.
As we gear up for the second half of the school year, I find myself reflecting once again on Temporal Landmarks, a concept I stumbled upon years ago while reading Daniel H. Pink’s When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. I highly recommend it.
With the end of Christmas Break in sight and the return to our classrooms looming, this is a perfect time to revisit (again – sensing a pattern here?) another key idea from Pink’s book: the Fresh Start Effect.
Pink’s research highlights the importance of timing in our actions, revealing that when we do things can be just as crucial as what we do. I have found this to be absolutely true in my life. Starting new things on a Monday, for example, is more successful for me than beginning things on any other day of the week. Starting things at the beginning of the month is better for me than starting them at any other time.
Why do we make new year’s resolutions at new year’s?
In the world of education, we are no strangers to the significance of timing. Pink suggests we pay attention to the phenomenon of fresh starts. “Some days stand out,” he writes, “when we want to open up a new ledger on ourselves and use them to construct better beginnings.”
As we transition from our holiday rest to the next months of learning and teaching, what better perspective could we adopt than that of a fresh start?
This is the start of a new chapter as we return to school. This is not just about the calendar turning a page; it is about seizing the chance to start anew because we want to.
This moment is our fresh start. Let us embrace it, with all the promise it holds. The past is behind us, and while much of it was wonderful and enriching, we can leave any challenges or difficulties where they belong—in the past.
Let us move forward with a renewed spirit.
Let us make this a fresh start.
Let us begin again.