Do you begin your new year with a resolution?

There’s a lot of evidence (in my own life too) that New Year’s resolutions are chosen from a “should” in your life. Whether it’s, “I should do regular workouts,” or, “I should spend more time with my family,” or, “I should manage my budget better,” resolutions that are motivated by wanting to get better seldom last.

But this year, I’m resolving to get better at giving praise.

Can I ask you a question? 

What can you do to make 2026 the year that changed everything - the year that you made progress on your dreams of impact for students with special needs? 

When Public Law 94-142 passed in 1975, everything changed. Students with disabilities were finally guaranteed access to an appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. It was my fifth year as a 7th grade English teacher, and I remember staring at my roster and wondering how I could teach them.

Fast-forward 50 years and somehow… we’re still wrestling with the same questions.

I listened to a thought provoking podcast this morning that left me pondering about where uncertainty and “I don’t know” belong in our commitment to create inclusive school communities.

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” - William Hutchinson Murray

It’s that time again - backpacks are zipped, lunchboxes are packed, and social media is overflowing with first-day smiles. From tiny first graders in shiny sneakers, to seniors striking their “last first day” pose, to proud families waving goodbye as their kids head off to college - it’s a joyful tradition that never gets old.

At Joyful Inclusion, we believe your logo should do more than just look pretty on a sticker or sit quietly in the corner of your website. It should speak. It should whisper your values. Shout your purpose. Maybe even do a little happy dance in your inbox when someone new discovers it. Ours does just that.

Let’s talk about a classroom glow-up.

This year, co-teaching duo Brandon Marvel and Jesse Steele did something bold. They flipped the script from “teacher in charge” to “students, take the wheel!” And the results? Off the charts.

Have you ever had an experience you can point to and say, “That changed me”?

Chances are, it wasn’t during an all-inclusive vacation. For most of us, the experiences that shape us are the tough ones; those seasons filled with strong feelings, uncertainty, and the temptation to throw up our hands and say, “Why bother?”