2025 December

• Jan 2, 2026
• & Journal
• 4 minutes reading time

The Vibe

OK – let's round out the year. December started with a bang – the annual Ascilite conference. This year, I encouraged the learning design contingent of my team to write and submit a paper for the conference as part of their professional development. We had completed a pretty significant project before all the merger malarkey – but hadn't actually written up anything. I did submit something previously, but it was hastily written (one day while on holiday in Fiji) and didn't pass muster with Reviewer Two. So the paper we worked on was important – to try and capture what we learnt from the process – in particular, what we could carry on into the future.

I've written one other group paper – and these are challenging beasts. We did do it, though, got some positive feedback from the reviewers, tweaked and submitted. We then had actually to present it. We had a 20-minute slot, and rather than just regurgitating the paper, we pushed ourselves to pull out what we wanted people to take away. And once we presented (in the last slot on day 1), it was a massive relief and also a massive accomplishment. I've loved my team, in all its interactions over the last six and a half years in Adelaide, and this was the real beginning of the end. December marked the end of the University of Adelaide, but also of this team and our legacy and achievements as a group.

There was a lot of future focus at work – on what we, as a new unit, might be – but also a distinct lack of detail to navigate. I didn't know who my new team would be, nor did I know where the team I had would end up. We had a good couple of weeks before we found out, and in the new year, I'll be walking in to manage a completely different team. I haven't worked with anyone on the new team, I honestly don't know most of them – and so we start from scratch in the new year. I'm both daunted and looking forward to something new.

That feeling of endings and beginnings was my December. Old things and new things coming together. Good things and bad things, good news and bad news. It all happened within the ebb and flow of each day. I carried in my lack of sleep and overall tiredness from November into this month and so for the last few days have been experiencing the cold my body needed to have – the final thing to force a few days of rest and recovery.

On the family front, it has been a ride. There were a few dramas on the in-laws' side, which were a challenge to deal with 1300kms away, and I was expecting that they may bleed into Christmas events, but that didn't happen; it required a lot of eggshell walking and negotiating. My brother and I and our little families caught up and went down to our childhood home on the 25th anniversary of our dad's passing. It was nice to hang out somewhere so familiar, yet so utterly different, and take some time to just remember.

I got some good and some bad health news, but overall I'm positive about things. I've made some positive changes and I am seeing the results from that. If I build on that I'm confident that more good will come.

Events

The actual conference and social components of Ascilite were really nice. I got to catch up with some old friends and colleagues and made some really good connections. I got prompted to do my PhD... which I'm giving some serious consideration to.

But probably the more consequential was the end of the Orcas – my team. The make-up has changed over time, but I think what has been consistent is our ability to achieve and get things done. I don't take credit for the work – but I do think I've proven (at least to myself, and hopefully a few others who will now get to experience working with my people) that I've been able to establish a good team culture, one that actually encourages others to succeed and to collaborate. There's always a lot of talk about this and endless LinkedIn philosophising... but not very many examples of it happening. My team has put the runs on the board over the last few years, consistently delivering top-notch work. It's not always happened seamlessly or without issue – but it has always happened. I made up some "merch" to remember the team – some temporary tattoos and sticker packs with the little orca insignia. It was awesome to post the team's brag list for 2025, because even this year we've done a lot as a team, despite not really working together as we have before. Getting to nominate my team for awards, and them working towards accreditation and recognition, has filled me with pride. I definitely had a few #ProudDad moments throughout the year.

Photos

## Watched

Recorded watching Nobody 2 (fine), Superman (liked), Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (fine), and Down Cemetery Road (recommend).

Listened

I think the December episodes of Lamestream media's podcast are fantastic. I've been listening since the start, and I think the last set of episodes really were great listening, offering an absolute ton of insight and unpacking of media issues in Australia.

• Tim Klapdor
• Adelaide, Australia
• & posts