Reflecting on My Reflections
After answering the reflection questions, I took one more step. I asked for help reflecting on my reflections, and that’s where things really clicked.
What emerged was this realization: I don’t need to do more next semester. I need to be more intentional. Slowing down isn’t lowering expectations, it’s raising understanding.

• Breaking recipes into two days.
• Front-loading recipe reading and measuring.
• Building in reflection as part of the learning rather than something extra.

These aren’t small shifts. They’re design choices.

What I'm Carrying Forward
Next semester, my focus is on protecting what worked and refining what needs more space:

• Slowing down with intention
• Spending more time on recipe literacy and mise en place
• Using guided sketchnotes to support thinking
• Continuing to use AI-created podcasts to explain the why behind culinary methods
• Designing learning that feels joyful, purposeful, collaborative, and real-world applicable

This semester reminded me that what I am doing matters and I want to carry that forward.

Learn more my listening to my corresponding episode on the Make Learning Magical Podcast: A Pause with Purpose: Using Reflection and AI to Plan What's Next.

Find reflections resources below:
Reflection Question template
Interactive Reflection Activity (created with Canva Code)

And then I came home. 
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Instead of diving back into reality, feeling renewed, I spent an entire day binge-watching season four of Emily in Paris. I couldn’t bring myself to open my laptop. I felt overwhelmed by everything waiting for me on the other side of rest. And almost immediately, the guilt crept in. Why can’t I just start again? I rested…Shouldn’t I feel better? For a moment, it felt like failure.
The more I sat with it, though, the more I realized something important. This didn’t feel like failure. It felt like being in between. And maybe that’s the part we don’t talk about enough…the space between rest and restart. The transition. The quiet, uncomfortable middle where things haven’t snapped back into place yet. Transitions don’t come with clear instructions. They don’t announce themselves neatly. They often feel foggy, emotional, and disorienting. Nothing was “wrong.”Something was changing.

When we’ve been running on adrenaline for a long time…pushing, producing, showing up…rest removes the noise. And when the noise quiets, everything we’ve been carrying finally shows up.

The to-do lists.
The expectations.
The pressure we didn’t have time to feel before.

Rest doesn’t always refuel us immediately. Sometimes, it reveals us. That resistance after rest isn’t laziness or lack of passion. It’s often a nervous system recalibrating and adjusting after being in go-mode for too long.
That day I spent binge-watching TV? I judged myself hard for it at first. But looking back, I don’t think it was laziness at all. I think my brain was craving the safety I felt floating in the lazy river in Cancun. Predictability. Zero decisions. No demands. And that’s allowed. 
Often, as teachers, we tend to think that a holiday break and a turn of the calendar year mean a big restart. Lofty goals. A dramatic comeback to the classroom. But what we actually need is a tiny re-entry. A 5% restart.

A 5% restart is not:

• catching up on all the things
• answering every email
• being “back” with lofty new ideas and lesson plans

A 5% restart can look like:

• opening the lesson plans and proceeding “as is”
• responding to one email
• clearing one surface
• setting a 10-minute timer and stopping when it ends
• making a list without acting on it
• doing something familiar and grounding

Right now, my 5% is simply writing this blog and being okay with it not being perfect. Opening my lesson for Monday and nothing more. And that’s enough. Coming back “truer” doesn’t mean coming back slower forever. It means not returning to the exact pace or pressure that led to exhaustion in the first place.

Coming back truer might look like:

• saying no more quickly
• choosing fewer priorities
• letting some things wait
• redefining what “enough” looks like
• protecting space instead of filling it

Rest isn’t a pause button. It’s an edit. If you’ve rested and still feel stuck, please hear this:
You’re not broken.
You’re not behind.
You’re not failing.
You’re transitioning.

And transitions are allowed to be slow, quiet, and uncertain.
You don’t have to come back strong.
You don’t have to come back loud.
You just have to come back honest.
Even that can happen gently.

Wishing you all a wonderful start to 2026, exactly as you are.

I used to think I had my teaching career figured out. I had spent years honing my craft, developing engaging lessons, and building strong connections with students. But just when I thought I had reached my peak, an unexpected opportunity led me away from the classroom and into the world of tech integration and educational consulting. It was thrilling, terrifying, and ultimately one of the best decisions I had ever made.

Fast forward six years, and I felt that same pull again—but this time, it led me back into the classroom. A new school, new students, a new challenge. I had become comfortable in my consultant role, with its flexibility, travel, and the ability to impact educators around the world. Yet, something was missing. The spark of everyday classroom magic. The messy, unpredictable, beautiful experience of working with students daily.

​Stepping back into teaching felt like jumping into the unknown all over again. My confidence wavered. I wasn’t the same teacher I had been before, and the classroom wasn’t the same, either. Education had changed. Students had changed. And I had changed.
It would have been easier to stay where I was...safe, secure, certain. But I’ve learned that the most extraordinary moments happen when we take a risk. When we step out of our comfort zones. When we trust that something magical is waiting on the other side of fear.

​Maybe your risk isn’t changing careers or stepping into a new role. Maybe it’s trying a new teaching strategy, starting that passion project, or putting yourself out there in a way that feels vulnerable. Whatever it is, I challenge you:
Take the risk.
Do the scary thing.
Step into the unknown.
Because that’s where the magic happens.

As an educator, parent, and passionate advocate for kids, I’ve always believed in the magic every child brings into this world. But sometimes, the traditional markers of success don’t tell the whole story. This realization hit close to home as I watched my son, Tommy, navigate school. His journey, his challenges, triumphs, and incredible talent, became the heartbeat of our children’s book, Dragon Smart.

Tommy is one of the most dedicated learners I know. He listens, studies, and puts his heart into everything he does. But no matter how hard he worked, school often felt like a maze. Words didn’t always line up, numbers seemed to blur, and tests never quite showed the brilliance I saw in him every day. I’m sure many of you can picture a child like Tommy—someone who pours their soul into learning but feels unseen in systems that prioritize one narrow definition of success.

Here’s the thing about Tommy... His creativity is boundless, and his ability to bring ideas to life is breathtaking. Watching him find his voice through art was a powerful reminder that intelligence isn’t one-size-fits-all. I knew his story needed to be told, not just for him, but for every child who has ever felt like they didn’t quite fit the mold.
​
Together, we created Dragon Smart. It’s the story of Tommy the Dragon, a learner who faces challenges in school but discovers that his true brilliance lies in his creativity and his big, kind heart. It’s a story about celebrating the many ways intelligence can look and reminding every child that they have a magic all their own.

Tommy didn’t just inspire the story, he brought it to life with his incredible illustrations. Seeing his artistic vision leap off the pages when I read the published copy for the first time was a moment I’ll never forget. It felt like the ultimate celebration of his journey and a testament to the idea that every child’s gifts deserve to be recognized and nurtured.

As I think back on creating Dragon Smart, I’m overwhelmed by the power of storytelling to change hearts and minds. In our classrooms, homes, and communities, we have the opportunity to move beyond traditional measures of success and honor the diverse ways kids can shine. Whether a child is a dreamer, a problem solver, a builder, or a creator, their abilities matter.

To those who have shared Dragon Smart with the young learners in your life, or are considering doing so, thank you. My hope is that Tommy’s story sparks conversations about how we define intelligence and how we can celebrate every child’s unique magic. Let’s remind our kids, as I remind Tommy, that they are truly Dragon Smart.
​
Thank you for being part of this journey with us. Whether you’re in a classroom, at home, or in your community, let’s work together to create spaces where every child feels valued, celebrated, and inspired to shine.

Once the investigation is complete contestants begin replicating the mystery recipe based on their hypothesis. In order to prepare the dessert within the given time frame requires a large serving of communication, collaboration, and creativity. Teams must be efficient, fluid, calm, and kind. Disagreements and disorganization only lead to frustration and failure to complete the recipe before the time runs out. It also requires prior knowledge and skill to be able to demonstrate the methods and skills needed to prepare the recipe accurately. ​

The Hook:
As students enter have dramatic theme music playing and a graphic displayed on the screen that says "Crime Scene Kitchen". Hand out rubber gloves for them to wear while in the crime scene. You could also dress up as a private investigator to create another element to draw students into the activity.

Crime Scene
​Divide students into teams of 3-5. It could be their regular kitchen teams, or you could divide them up differently for this activity. Share the story line and explain the activity. If using option 1, remove the caution tape and covering from crime scene and let each group in for 3 minutes at a time to investigate. Make sure they bring something to write with to record their findings. If using option 2, hand each group a manila folder and give them 3 minutes to investigate its contents. This may not be as exciting as investigating a staged crime scene. However, it may save a little time. You may choose to give them more time in this phase depending on grade and level of difficulty.

Crime Scene Learning for Virtual Learning
​For those teaching in a virtual learning environment, there are still ways to bring a Crime Scene activity into your learning environment as well. Here are some possible ideas for synchronous remote learning:
Stage the Crime Scene:

• Create a graphic using a digital creation tool such as, Google Slides, Canva, Adobe Spark, or Buncee, to display a variety of clues and false leads. Or, create a Thinglink graphic with links to the same. 
• Set up a table in your classroom or home with all the visual clues. Pan the table with your camera during your synchronous video conferencing session so everyone can see items for 3 minutes. Or, video record the table and share it on your LMS or through the chat on your video conferencing platform.

Hook:

• As students enter the video conferencing platform, have theme music playing and and a graphic up indicating that they are about to enter the Crime Scene "?".
• Dress the part and decorate your background to add interest.

Crime Scene Investigation:

• After sharing storyline and directions, share the crime scene video or graphic on screen for 3 minutes and have them record their evidence.
• Place students in teams and send to breakout rooms for 15-30 minutes to investigate.
• Rotate to each breakout room where students can ask their 3 questions.

Quick Version:

• Bring everybody back to main room. Have one person from each group share their guess privately with you in the chat. Each group has time to explain their hypothesis to the class. Just as in brick and mortar version, the teams that guess correctly get 10 points. You can create additional criteria for scoring based on their questioning, evidence gathered, research, etc., if you wish.

Mystery "Fill in the Blank" Recreation:

• Give each team time in their breakout rooms to create a collaborative graphic illustrating their guess and explaining why they came to that hypothesis. After a determined amount of time, they can come back and present to class. Or, create a Flipgrid video explaining their graphic.

Judging

• Invite school staff, former students, and/or local chefs into your video conferencing session to judge student’s creations. Or, you can be a solo judge, if necessary. As students present their mystery recreation they will explain how the evidence, questioning, and research led to their hypothesis. Judges evaluate the presentation on criteria appropriate for subject and mystery person, place, or thing. If the team guessed correctly, they will earn an additional 10 points.