February 2nd is Groundhog Day. In addition to hoping whichever regional rodent you turn to for the forecast doesn’t see its shadow, you may also be enjoying a rewatch of Groundhog Day, the movie. For those unfamiliar, star Bill Murray plays curmudgeonly television reporter Phil, who, through some unexplained glitch in the universe, is forced to live Groundhog Day over and over and over—and over!—again. Comedy ensues until Phil is able to break the cycle by becoming a better person.

It’s an enjoyable watch, and offers an apt metaphor for something we’ve observed at Center for Inspired Teaching repeatedly over more than 30 years. 

In late 2025, The World Economic Forum released a whitepaper, New Economy Skills: Unlocking the Human Advantage, in which 4 “uniquely human” characteristics were highlighted as integral to success in a future expected to be dominated by artificial intelligence: creativity and problem solving; emotional intelligence; collaboration and communication; and learning and growth. 

At Inspired Teaching, we wholeheartedly agree with the importance of these skills; so much so, in fact, that we’ve been supporting teachers and students in building “New” Economy skills for more than three decades. Countless “innovative” education technologies and proclamations about future preparedness have come and gone in that time, but one consistent truth is that critical thinking, curiosity, and community have always been vital for teachers and students to thrive in the classroom, and outside of it.

You can learn more about our most recent work on this front in our 2024-2025 Annual Report, available to download here.