This December ...

December often brings with it a natural pause. Away from deadlines, meetings, and momentum, it offers space to step back and observe more closely.

This year, that pause gave me something especially meaningful: time with my son, nephews, and nieces. Not as children. Not as students. But as young adults, standing right at the edge of life beyond classrooms. What stayed with me was not how much they knew, but how they thought. The clarity in their conversations. The ease with which they spoke about the world, about themselves, about what excites them and what still feels uncertain. There was an awareness of who they are becoming, a grounded sense of what matters, and a quiet confidence that did not need to announce itself. They are young professionals now. Independent. Thinking ahead. Planning careers, managing finances, organising travel, navigating work. Technology is second nature to them. At the same time, they step in naturally, supporting parents, grandparents, pets, family with care and affection. Responsibility, without being asked.

And all of this made me pause !!

Active parenting or teaching is not about control. It is about creating a foundation of values, confidence, and capability and then trusting enough to step back. Watching them was a lesson in itself for me. They helped spontaneously. They shared freely. They listened attentively. They have learned from conversations, from situations, from one another. Each spoke about a learning moment: some from work, some from failure, some from travel, some from people they have met, observed, and interacted with along the way. It was a quiet reminder of a simple truth: learning never ends!

This December reaffirmed something I deeply believe in that education does not belong only to classrooms. It lives in homes. In conversations. In choices made and values modelled. It comes from parents, yes but also from family, peers, teachers, mentors, coaches, professors, and colleagues. Anyone who shows up with consistency, care, and belief becomes an educator in some way.

To my son, nephews, and nieces: we have nurtured you, supported you, and walked beside you for part of your journey. Now, we trust you enough to step back – but always here for you, always caring, always standing behind you with pride.

To my siblings: be proud - really proud. What we have built together as families is now being carried forward. Each of them so different. Unique in personality, interests, and strengths. Yet bonded by a shared value system, the same grounding, the same spirit, the same sense of belonging.

As the new year begins, I carry this reflection into my work. This December, I did not teach. I observed. And I learned.

So over to you then: what did this December teach you?