I learned many things this year, none Instagrammable

Cecilia Nobre

Hi, there!

If someone has asked me what I learnt this year, the honest answer is that the list is longer than expected and much less impressive than it sounds.

It is not a list of breakthroughs or big moments of clarity. It is mostly made of small, slightly unglamorous realisations that creep up on you when you are not looking, like noticing how much thinking happens outside paid hours, how often teaching follows you into the shower or the kitchen, and how easily “I’ll just prepare a bit more” turns into overplanning when you are tired but still trying to be a decent professional.

Which is probably why, when things finally slowed down a little, I had zero interest in doing a proper end-of-year reflection. That felt suspiciously like work. So I did something far more realistic instead and wrote a list of very practical things I want more of next year. No teaching targets, no professional growth goals. Just the kind of wishes that make everyday life feel lighter and teaching slightly easier to carry (post below or you can read it here)

The list surprised me too. It had nothing to do with becoming “better” and everything to do with staying human, such as:

More mornings where my brain cooperates.

Fewer spirals before breakfast.

More walks that accidentally last too long.

Less explaining myself when I say no.

Progress that happens quietly, without needing to be announced or justified.

By the end, it was clear that most of these wishes are not really about (only)next year at all. They are about creating enough space to keep thinking clearly, teaching well, and staying curious without burning through yourself in the process.

And somewhere in the middle of that, I also noticed that those same low-key reflections I have been sharing on Linkedinho crossed 1M impressions this year (read post here), which genuinely caught me off guard.

Not because anything was polished or planned, but because thinking out loud with other teachers/educators seems to travel further than quiet perfection ever does. The number itself mattered far less than the reminder that shared thinking still works, even when it is a bit messy.

And let me tell you, if you want to focus on your professional development, career growth and networking, Linkedin in the way to go IMHO (not Twitter, not Instagram or Facebook)

That is where I am landing this year: less fixing, more noticing, fewer declarations, more practical kindness, mostly towards myself, and honestly towards my job too.

Oh, and if you celebrate it, I wish you a very Merry Christmas. If you don't, I hope you get a few slower days, decent rest, and at least one moment where teaching feels a bit lighter again.

Talk soon,

Cecília