Join the Club

I have been thinking about the phrase “a culture of love.” In education, we talk often about culture. We talk about belonging, psychological safety, relationships, trust, collaboration, and community. We seem far less comfortable using the word love in professional spaces. We should be using it more. I know a culture of love is possible because I am watching and listening to a school community describe itself this way. Not as an aspiration. Not as a slogan printed on a wall.

“May we all have a vision now and then of a world where every neighbor is a friend. Happy New Year.” — ABBA As we step into a new year, this quote feels less like a wish and more like a quiet challenge. What if we imagined community not as something abstract, but as something lived through small kindnesses, patient listening, and a willingness to see one another as neighbors first? A new year invites reflection and intention. We don’t need a perfect world to begin building co