Here we are again. A final post for calendar year 16 on Culture of Yes.
As I close out another year, I find myself in an unexpected place. This was the easiest year of writing in the 16 years I’ve been doing this. Not because the topics were simple or the world less complicated, but because I found myself needing to write. It never felt like a chore. In a year where it would be easy to drown in bad news and uncertainty, I chose optimism. I chose curiosity. I chose to keep saying yes. And if I go back to my word for the year – I chose to thrive.
If you are wondering what you might have missed, here are the previous years Top 3 lists: 2024 (here) 2023 (here) 2022 (here) 2021 (here) 2020 (here) 2019 (here) 2018 (here) 2017 (here) 2016 (here) 2015 (here) 2014 (here) 2013 (here) 2012 (here), 2011 (here) and 2010 (here)
You know the format by now. Grab your beverage of choice and join me as I look back on what made 2025 special.
Top 3 “Culture of Yes” Blog Posts which have generated the most traffic this year:
- All Means All: A Commitment Not a Checkbox
- Words for This Year’s Graduates
- Could AI Reduce Student Technology Use
These three posts represent so much of what I think about in my work. All Means All is at the core of everything we do in West Vancouver. It is not a slogan; it is a commitment. The graduation post has become a fairly regular share, and it forces me to think about what really matters for young people heading out into the world. And the AI post speaks to a tension I keep exploring: how technology might actually help us be more human, not less. I wrote a lot on AI this year, and it was interesting to see the most popular post was one about AI leading to less technology use.
Top 3 Blog Posts That Were My Personal Favourites:
- Paul Simon: A Lifelong Soundtrack and a Quiet Celebration of Connection
- When Mentors Become Memories
- Baseball, The Blue Jays, and the Classroom
The posts that mean the most to me are often the more personal ones. Writing about Paul Simon let me explore a relationship with music that has spanned more than 40 years. The mentors piece was hard to write but necessary as I am beginning to feel my age in this work. And the Blue Jays post reminded me why I love using sports as a lens to think about learning and life. That was quite the run for the Jays!
Top 3 Shifts in BC Education in 2025:
- The focus on 0 to 5 and the ongoing integration of childcare and K-12 as one system
- A renewed emphasis on early literacy and knowing where our young learners are so we can adjust quickly and nimbly
- A steadiness that allowed the work to get done
I want to dwell on that third one for a moment. There was not a lot of drama in BC education this year. And that is a good thing. When the system is steady, educators can focus on what matters most: the students in front of them. I look at other jurisdictions across North America and they seem constantly distracted from the business of learning. Steadiness does not make headlines, but it makes a difference.
Top 3 Questions I’m Carrying Into 2026:
- What do we need to stop doing so we can focus on what truly matters?
- How do we prepare students for an AI-shaped future without losing our humanity?
- What does leadership look like when certainty is no longer available?
As I wrote in my June post on the power of questions (here), I’m increasingly convinced that progress in education doesn’t come from having better answers, but from asking better questions. These three will quietly shape my thinking, decisions, and conversations as I step into 2026.
Top 3 Things I Was Wrong About:
- I thought ethical discussions on AI would be more mainstream by now
- I never thought Canada would come down with Blue Jays fever
- I did not see my own writing renaissance coming
On AI ethics, I expected 2025 to be the year we would see more public conversation about the big questions. What does this mean for work? For creativity? For what it means to be human? Those conversations are happening, but not at the scale I anticipated. Maybe 2026.
The Blue Jays World Series excitement this year caught me completely off guard. I wrote about it, and it connected with people in ways I did not expect. There is something about baseball that still captures the imagination.
And the writing renaissance? I genuinely did not see it coming. After nearly 500 posts, I thought the well might be running dry. Instead, this year I found more to say than ever. I needed to write. That was a gift.
Top 3 Things I Am Getting Worse At As I Age:
- Public speaking
- Seeing stuff
- Connecting with new staff
This is a new category, and I think an important one. Humility matters.
Public speaking used to feel effortless. Now I feel the rust. I am not as smooth as I was 20 years ago, and I notice it. I am conscious now that I am not as good as I once was. My glasses have become a constant companion, though I am still fighting that battle. Far too often I am using my phone to take a photo of text to enlarge and read. And connecting with new teachers who are younger than my own children? I can feel my age in those conversations sometimes. It takes more intentionality than it used to. Speaking and connecting are definitely two areas I can work on in 2026.
Top 3 AI Tools for Education (The Migration to the Big Players):
- ChatGPT
- Claude
- Gemini and CoPilot (tied for third)
Last year I wrote about niche AI tools. This year I find myself using fewer specialized tools and relying more on the big players. Co-Pilot, Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT have become my core toolkit. They are more powerful, more integrated, and constantly improving. The niche tools still have their place, but the migration to the majors has been real for me this year.
Top 3 Presentations That Pushed My Thinking:
- Speaking to teachers in Beijing
- Sharing AI thinking with Safe Schools Coordinators
- Let’s Talk Science
The Beijing presentation stays with me. Their issues are our issues. The questions teachers ask in China about AI, about engagement, about preparing students for an uncertain future are the same questions we wrestle with here. It was a powerful reminder that education’s challenges are global.
Safe Schools Coordinators pushed me to see AI from a different perspective. When you talk about AI with people focused on safety, you think differently about risks and responsibilities.
And my Let’s Talk Science presentation late in the year forced me to take stock of where West Vancouver is right now. Sometimes you need an external audience to clarify your own thinking.
Top 3 Authors Who Pushed My Thinking in 2025:
- Yong Zhao
- Peter Diamandis
- Adam Grant
Yong Zhao continues to challenge my assumptions about what education could be. I got a look at a new book (here) he has coming out in 2026, and he is pushing again! Peter Diamandis (here) got me thinking about longevity, which connects to so much of how I approach my own health and habits. And Adam Grant? He pushes my thinking (here) even when I push back. That is what good authors do.
Top 3 AI Connections I Always Recommend:
- Leon Furze (LinkedIn)
- Adam Garry (LinkedIn)
- Tom D’Amico (LinkedIn)
- OK, I want a 4th one – a BC Special – Marcus Blair (LinkedIn)
If you want to follow smart people thinking carefully about AI in education, start with these four. They are generous with their ideas and always worth reading.
Top 3 Blogs I Never Miss (Even After All These Years):
- Dean Shareski
- George Couros
- Dave Eberwein
- OK – and 2 BONUS BLOGS – both from West Vancouver Schools – Cari Wilson and Sandra-Lynn Shortall
The edu blogosphere is not what it was in 2011 to 2014, but these passionate educators keep writing, and I keep reading. There is something to be said for people who have been at this for years and still find things worth saying. They inspire me to keep going.
Top 3 Concerts I Saw This Year:
- Paul Simon (multiple locations)
- Andy Grammer
- AC/DC
Paul Simon is not really retired yet, and I am grateful for every chance to see him. I have written about what his music means to me, and those concerts remain a highlight of any year. Andy Grammer brought pure joy. And AC/DC? Sometimes you just need to rock.
Top 3 Travel Moments of the Year:
- 25th Wedding Anniversary at Niagara Falls
- Running the 45th Anniversary Terry Fox Run on Confederation Bridge with my two sons
- The VK Basketball Summer Circuit (Phoenix, LA, Montreal, Las Vegas, Chicago)
Yes, Niagara Falls for a 25th anniversary is a cliché. I do not care. It was great.
The Terry Fox Run from New Brunswick to PEI with 10,000 people on the Confederation Bridge with my sons will stay with me forever. There is something about running alongside your children for a cause that matters that defies easy description.
And the VK Basketball Circuit hit year 10 this summer. Phoenix, LA, Montreal, Las Vegas, Chicago. One more summer left with a playing age daughter. I am not taking it for granted. For the last 10 years I have spent my summers with amazing young athletes and coaches who are some of my very best friends. It is so much fun!
Top 3 Social Media Follows That Keep Me Focused:
These three help me stay disciplined. Discipline is key. In a world of endless distraction, I need voices that remind me to do the work.
Top 3 Things I Tried To Do More Of This Year:
- Say no to stuff that was not something I was passionate about
- Say yes to AI and athletics, two areas where I think I can really add value
- Be a better mentor and reach out more to colleagues I think I can assist
Saying no is hard for someone who writes a blog called Culture of Yes. But saying no to the wrong things creates space to say yes to the right ones. I need to still cull some things I do from my professional life that are time and energy drags and add little value. AI and athletics are where I can contribute most right now. And mentorship? I want to be for others what my mentors were for me.
Top 3 Daily Streaks I Still Have Going:
- Running 5 outdoor km a day (just passed 1,800 days, looking forward to 2,000 on July 9, 2026)
- 10,000 steps a day (now at 12 years)
- Daily photo posting to Instagram (January 1st will be 10 years)
The streaks continue. They are about discipline and consistency, qualities I believe are in short supply and more important than ever. The running streak crossing 1,800 days feels significant. 2,000 is on the horizon.
Top 3 Artists for Me According to Spotify This Year:
- Paul Simon
- Simon and Garfunkel
- The Beatles
Not much to see here. For all the things that change in the world, my music tastes are not one of them. I am still my parents’ musical loves. Spotify gives you an age based on my music – I came in at 73 years old.
Top 3 Photos From This Past Year That Make Me Smile:
With Nick and Zack on the Confederation Bridge
Paul Simon at the Massey Hall in Toronto
Learning alongside K students at West Bay Elementary School
I could easily pick so many others. I love going through my photos from each day to look back on the year. A collection of work, family, and friends. Scrolling through them will always make me smile.
Final Thoughts
As I wrap up my reflections on 2025, I keep coming back to the word that has guided this blog from the beginning: yes.
Yes to curiosity. Yes to optimism. Yes to the belief that education can be better and that the people in it are working hard to make it so.
This year brought me a writing renaissance I did not expect. It reminded me that even after 30 years in education, there is still so much to learn, so much to say, and so much to be excited about.
Early in the new year, I will hit a milestone: 500 posts on Culture of Yes. I did not know when I started this blog that it would become such a constant in my life. But here we are, and I am grateful.
To all of you who have read, shared, and engaged with these posts throughout the year: thank you. Your reflections, challenges, and encouragement fuel my writing and inspire my thinking.
Here is to stepping into 2026 with the same energy, passion, and hope that have carried us through this year. Here is to staying curious as I finish my 30th year in education.
Happy holidays, and see you in the new year.
The image at the top of this post was generated through AI. Various AI tools were used as feedback helpers (for our students this post would be a Yellow assignment – see link to explanation chart) as I edited and refined my thinking.
