From the Mindful Writing Teacher to Moon Daisy Creative
Looking Back
There’s a familiar rhythm to ending a school year: the final finish line push, some time to recover, and then, turning to the projects and ideas that have been patiently waiting in the wings for their turn.
For me, that return comes after another year of teaching, faculty leadership, and a season of AP Reading. After spending an additional week immersed in student writing, I’m finding my way back to my own.
As I sat down to write this post, I revisited the very first blog entry I published in January 2023. At the time, I was launching a brand-new website and introducing a space dedicated to mindfulness, writing, teaching, and yoga.
3 years later, those pillars have not changed.
What’s Changed
I’m still a writing teacher brimming with ideas. I still believe in the power of reflection. Yoga remains a practice and a way of being. I still find myself drawn to mindfulness, not as a cure-all, but as a something that can be gentle, effortless, and practiced in our everyday lives.
The context has changed.
As I continue to teach writing in both secondary and higher education settings, the growing role of AI has captured my attention and observing how quickly the demands placed on educators continue to evolve.
I keep coming back to an essential question: How do we sustain ourselves as educators?
Teacher sustainability isn’t about “time-maxxing” or creating hacks to become more productive. How can we possibly squeeze even more in an already full day? Seriously? No, this is about meaningful work without losing ourselves in the process.
Teacher sustainability is becoming buzzy and it should– practices, perspectives, and tools are needed to help educators remain healthy, engaged, creative, and happy while retaining them in the classroom long term.
What’s Ahead
As my work here with Moon Daisy Creative continues to evolve, you’ll find me writing about writing instruction, reflection, mindfulness for teachers, creativity, AI in education, and yoga. While these topics seem unrelated at first glance, I increasingly see them as connected by a shared concern for a sustainable teaching practice.
How do we create classrooms, routines, and lives that support both meaningful work and personal wellbeing?
I don’t have all the answers, but I’ve never been about pretending that I do. This space is an exploration, a place of thoughtful consideration, and sharing what’s worked for me. That’s what I do here.
If you’re a teacher, writer, lifelong learner, or simply someone looking for a more sustainable way forward, I’m so glad you’re here.
Welcome back.
Jennifer
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