A Year in Reflection: 52 Workshops Later... Here's What I Have Learned

As we edge toward the end of another deeply human, beautifully complicated school year, I’ve been taking a quiet moment to pause and look back. (Yes — an actual pause. Not the “pause-but-still-emailing” kind we’re famous for.) 

And honestly? 
This year has been big. 

Here’s the snapshot: 

• 52 workshops 

• 33 different schools 

• 9 conferences 

• 16 live webinars 

• Countless meetings 

• 45 flights 

• 38 hotel rooms 

• A New website launched – New branding plus 2 photoshoots 

• Launched The Reignite Room – a monthly membership 

• Several new online courses released — plus a suite of free wellbeing resources 

• An award from my business community (a true “unexpected yet proud” moment) 

• ….. And I got married! 

That’s a whole lot of handshakes, hallway chats, coffee-fuelled conversations, and brave, honest moments with educators who care so deeply it sometimes hurts. 

And I want to say something clearly: 

It is a privilege — and a profound honour — to walk alongside this community. 

Every time I step into a staffroom, a hall, (or a slightly-too-cold conference room), I’m reminded that the heart of education is not policy, programs, or paperwork. 

It’s people. 
It’s you. 

10 Years Ago… 

Teacher wellbeing was considered a “nice-to-have.” A buzzword. A soft add-on if time allowed. 

Fast forward to today? 

We’re having real conversations. 
Whole teams are naming invisible labour. 
Leaders are asking better questions. 
Teachers are learning shared language for stress, emotions, and sustainable practice. 

Is there still confusion about what “being well at work” actually means in education? 

Absolutely. 

Are we still untangling the myths, the guilt, and the impossible expectations? 

Every day. 

But there’s a shift. 
 
A new wave building. 

And I’m genuinely excited. 

Because 2026 is going to bring a fresh chapter — one where we move from just talking about teacher wellbeing to actually building it into the fabric of how schools operate. 

Not as an add-on. 
Not as a “self-care month.” 
But as part of the architecture. 

So, after a year of conversations across Australia and around the world, here’s my biggest takeaway: 

Teachers don’t need more pressure to be well. 
They need permission to be human. 

The spark is already there. 
We’re just learning how to fan it, protect it, and share the flame. 

So, as the year wraps up, I’m asking myself: 

• What am I proud of achieving in 2025? 

• What impact have my decisions had on myself and others? 

• What will I be letting go of, and prioritising in 2026?