It’s a new year! It’s time for everyone to make resolutions and try to achieve them for the year 2026. But the question is how do you do that? People set goals for themselves, but never try to accomplish them. Well four teachers from Hawthorne High School were asked that question: Mr.Cao, Mrs. Hawruk, Mrs. Tanis, and Mrs. Russo. They have such great goals that they set for themselves that makes you remember they’re not just teachers, but they live a life outside of school that is so fascinating!
A few questions were asked to each teacher. The Clarion first asked “What are your New Years Resolutions for the year 2026?”
Each teacher had a different answer that was fascinating to hear. Mr. Cao explained that he doesn’t read a lot of books outside of the ones he teaches his classes. He does love the books that he teaches, but he wants to branch out of the normal books he reads.
Mrs.Russo said she would like to paint and travel more. She explains that she always feels so rushed and doesn’t want to take things for granted. By painting and taking more vacations it’s showing her to live in the moment which is hard to do when you’re a teacher because there is so much going on.
Mrs. Hawruk then said she needs to work on getting her sleep schedule better and to just get more sleep in general. If you did know Mrs. Hawruk has busy mornings such as in the Winter she wakes up at 4:30 am to either go to the gym or workout on her rowing machine before she comes to school! She describes how she wants to have enough energy to last her through the day, but would also like to do her workout at the same time.
Lastly Mrs. Tanis expressed that she wants to limit her screen time by taking up new hobbies. She thinks she is on her phone a lot and it is bad for your eyes and needs to distract herself with these hobbies. By taking on these hobbies she explained that it does help her and likes to take time to look around her and appreciate the moment she is in.
The Clarion then asked “ Is your New Year’s resolution going to benefit you in any way?”
Mr. Cao responded to this by saying it is a way to leave reality and to get to be someone else while you are reading. It is a great way to leave reality and learn at the same time right before bed.
Mrs. Russo expressed that being able to paint and leave to go on vacation gives her a sense of calmness when there is so much going on. She says it will help her feel balanced with all of the craziness that goes on when you are teacher.
Mrs. Hawruk responded by saying she will be able to have more energy through the day when you get your full 8 hours sleep. When you have such a chaotic morning it is hard to keep that energy flowing throughout the day because you get drained towards the end of the day. She says it is going to be difficult trying to adjust to a new sleep schedule, but if it is going to benefit her in any way she is going to try.
Lastly Mrs. Tanis expressed that being on your phone is also not good for your eyes so it’s a way to have a great time and not have your eyes hunting.
The last question the Clarion asked was “What are you going to do to make your New Year’s resolutions come true?”
Mr.Cao responded by saying he is going to keep a book by his nightstand because there will be no excuse not to read before you go to bed. He said whether he reads one chapter or a couple before bed it is a win in his book!
Mrs. Russo described that she had bought a couple of new canvases to push herself to paint more. She excitedly said that she booked a vacation for herself in Charleston which is one of her favorite places. She is so excited to relax and start the beginning of her goal and to keep with it throughout the year.
Mrs. Hawruk said that she is going to try and go to sleep at 8:00pm so she can get her full eight hours of sleep. She said that it is going to be difficult, but she is going to be pushing herself this year. Her doctor is really pushing her to because the body needs the whole eight hours not just the brain.
Lastly Mrs. Tanis described that she has already started this goal by keeping herself busy with different activities. Such as puzzles, bored games and reading are all interesting ways to keep your focus away from your phone. She also started setting goals to start and finish puzzles by a certain time.
To conclude, teachers have different resolutions that they want to accomplish in the year 2026! They are all going to try their best and hope to be able to reach these goals. Each goal was different, but they were all equally important and needed for themselves. Each teacher needs calmness in the day to day life as an educator.