Our 2025 New Year Priorities Poll revealed some clear priorities for educators 2025—an overwhelming number of votes focused on self-care. Similarly, exploring new teaching strategies also garnered significant support, with many teachers eager to innovate and enhance their instructional practices. Encouraging more student-led learning and exploring new resources also ranked highly, reflecting a desire to empower students and enrich teaching with fresh materials and approaches. These objectives showcase a strong commitment to personal and professional growth in the coming year.

As educators, we know what we should be doing, but let’s be honest: finding the time to do it all is the real challenge. We’ve put together some suggestions to help you tackle these goals and (hopefully) take them into 2025 because you deserve it!

As educators, it's easy to get caught up in the demands of teaching, but prioritizing self-care is essential for maintaining personal well-being and a passion for teaching. Teachers can take several steps to care for themselves:

1. Set Boundaries: Clearly distinguish between work and personal time. Setting boundaries can help avoid burnout and ensure time for relaxation and reflection.
2. Move Your Body: Whether it's a walk, yoga, or a full workout, movement can reduce stress and enhance mental clarity.
3. Use Tools Like RGR’s Professional Development Resources: Engaging in professional growth opportunities with Really Great Reading, our webinars and workshops, can reinvigorate your practice while providing a mental break from routine tasks. Bonus: many of our PD opportunities are complimentary!

Exploring new teaching strategies can energize your teaching practice while meeting the diverse needs of your students. Here are ways to do that effectively:

1. Incorporate Active Learning: Use strategies like think-pair-share, group discussions, and problem-solving activities that require students to participate actively in their learning.
2. Use Differentiated Instruction: Adapt lessons to meet students’ varying needs by offering different levels of tasks, materials, or types of support.
3. Try Our Structured Literacy Solutions: We offer evidence-based programs that can be seamlessly integrated into your curriculum. These structured literacy methods ensure that students build strong reading, phonics, and comprehension foundations. The best part? Our easy-to-implement lessons will reduce prep time while increasing student growth!

Encouraging More Student-Led Learning

1. Incorporate Project-Based Learning (PBL): Allow students to choose topics for projects that interest them, empowering them to explore and present their findings.
2. Use Self-Assessment and Reflection: Encourage students to assess their work and set goals for improvement. This practice promotes self-awareness and responsibility.
3. Leverage RGR’s Interactive Lessons: Use our student-centered tools, which encourage learners to engage with the material through interactive activities and assessments. These allow learners to take ownership of their learning while receiving targeted feedback. Have you checked out Letter Tile Freeplay? Make learning come to life as you build, segment, sound out, and spell together.

Exploring new resources keeps lessons fresh, engaging, and aligned with best practices. Teachers can access a wide range of tools to enrich their classrooms:

1. Decodable Books for Confident Readers: Decodable books are a game-changer for building fluent readers. These carefully crafted texts align with students’ phonics knowledge, allowing them to practice decoding skills while experiencing the joy of reading success! Did you know that we have Decodable books in print and digital form? Learn More
2. Collaborate with Colleagues: Share lesson plans, resources, and teaching ideas with fellow educators in your school or online communities.
3. Use Diagnostic Tools: Our Complimentary Reading Assessments and Grouping Matrix provide powerful tools to help assess and group students based on their unique literacy needs. With these insights, you can fine-tune your approach and ensure that every student gets the proper support to succeed. It’s a fresh, data-driven way to supercharge your teaching and take your literacy instruction to the next level.

As you reflect on your goals, know you are not alone on your teaching journey. Together, we can create positive, lasting change and empower our students with the literacy skills they need to become confident and joyful readers.

At Really Great Reading, we’re excited to see what 2025 holds and are honored to be part of your efforts to shape brighter futures for your students. Let’s step into this new year with passion, purpose, and the belief that anything is possible. Here’s to a year of growth, success, and meaningful progress for every classroom!