Last week, I visited the incredible team at Tiwi College on Melville Island in the Northern Territory. This time of year, it’s the ‘Build-Up’ season—what the Tiwi call Tiyari and the Larrakia call Dalirrgang.
The Build-Up season brings a thick, breathless heat that settles over everything. The sky’s bloated with cloud, a lid clamped down on the land, trapping the humidity. Thunder growls, a low rumble that never quite arrives, while the air hangs still, waiting.
The whole place feels like it’s on the verge of spilling over—lightning crackling, restless clouds churning, but the rain holds back, teasing, never falling. There’s a tension in it, a kind of raw anticipation, as if the land itself is holding its breath, bracing for a release that keeps slipping just out of reach.
Schools have their own seasons, rhythms that rise and fall like tides, each term its own stretch of weather. And somehow, the ‘Build-Up’ season feels right for Term 4—the school year’s own kind of brooding heat. No matter where you’re teaching or what you’re teaching, there’s that same pulse of anticipation, tangled with unease, as the year-end rushes closer. Reports pile up, planning for 2025 ramps up, and deadlines bear down. Everyone’s running on fumes or fire, that hum of tension in the air, building.
So how do we flow through this school season? Don’t fight it; embrace the art of yielding — be still and listen, check in, and share the weight with those around you.
As the heat intensifies, notice your inner dialogue, ticking away under the surface. We’re always reminding our students to be kind to themselves, but do we heed our own advice? When you hear yourself grumbling, “I can’t take one more thing,” maybe try, “I’m getting through this, one step at a time.” It’s a small change, but these little shifts can reshape how you navigate the day. It’s like seeking refuge under a shady tree on a blistering afternoon.
Is that thunder and lightning on the horizon? A quick morning circle with your class or your colleagues, defuses the energy in the room and reminds us that we’re in this together. There’s something steadying in those quick exchanges—grounding you through the highs and lows, softening the edges, cooling the tension.
So as we move through Term 4, let’s remember—this season has its own fierce beauty. We’re in it together, riding the pressure, swapping the laughs, celebrating the wins and sharing the load. And if all else fails, follow the lead of the amazing staff at Tiwi College: take a quick leap into the creek to cool off, feel the tension melt into the water, and remember that it’ll all pass, like it always does. We’ll come out on the other side with stories worth telling—tougher, maybe a little sunburned, but proud, knowing we made a difference.
You’ve got this!
