The shorter, darker days of winter can be a hard adjustment for some. For the estimated 10 million people in the United States who suffer from a medically recognized condition called seasonal affective disorder (SAD), it’s even more difficult.

The holidays are over, the weather may be dreary — but you’ve got your list of New Year’s resolutions to make this your happiest, healthiest and most financially stable year yet.

To do their jobs well, educators need to understand their students’ lives and cultures. This involves skills we often downplay in Western culture: the art of listening and asking questions with humility. 

Is this your first year in a new assignment? Are you a veteran teacher who has transferred to a new school? Has your administration changed? Have you switched from pupil accounting to payroll secretary?