“Enjoy.” Noticing the Bright Spots in December

“Enjoy.”

That’s what my son said when a Park Ranger asked, “What will you do to help our community at Mt. Rainier today?”

Other people offered the usual practical answers: “Stay on the trail,” “Don’t litter,” “Leave no trace.” All good. All true. All predictable.

My son raised his hand and said confidently: “Enjoy.”

It’s so simple and true, yet as adults we lose track of the impact we can have on our community just by enjoying our lives, by noticing the good things happening around us, being present with the people we love, and remembering to prioritize joy.

As adults, we have so much more on our minds all day long. Planning, taking care of ourselves, our families, our responsibilities, thinking about what’s next, and trying to get everything done. And in the holiday season - with the extra activities, events, travel, and expectations - planning mode is on overdrive. With so much happening in schools, it may feel chaotic, and we can forget to simply enjoy what’s right in front of us.

“Enjoy” is the reset button we actually need.

In Onward, Elena Aguilar offers one of the most grounding resilience practices to bring into your classroom this month: Noticing the Bright Spots.

It is intentionally tuning your attention toward what is working, even when so much feels chaotic. It is choosing to practice appreciation. It is reclaiming the small moments of beauty, connection, success, or joy that would otherwise disappear.

If teachers want to cultivate this mindset, especially in a month that tends to drain us, here’s a simple, powerful activity:

The Bright Spot Reporter

How it works:

• At the start of each day, assign students to be the Bright Spot Reporter for another peer in the classroom.
• Their job is to quietly observe throughout the day, looking for moments where classmates show kindness, effort, courage, patience, or joy.
• At the end of the day, students share the bright spots they noticed.
  This can happen during a community meeting, on sticky notes during a gallery walk, or even the next morning during your opening routine. Adapt it to fit your classroom.

Why do this?

• It trains students to look for what’s going well, not just what’s going wrong.
• It creates a culture of noticing and appreciating each other.
• It boosts classroom connection and belonging.
• It teaches emotional literacy—students learn the language of uplifting and witnessing one another.
• And honestly? It brings YOU bright spots, too. Teachers need this just as much.

This tiny shift - this daily act of noticing - changes the tone of the room. Kids start scanning for goodness. Students who rarely receive positive attention suddenly hear that someone saw them. It slows the frantic pace of the day and ends it on a note of gratitude instead of depletion.

December needs more of this. We need more of this.

And really, it all goes back to what my son said without thinking twice:

Enjoy.