Sometimes you need to shake the snow globe: my return to the classroom

​One early morning, on my way to the gym, I flipped on my XM radio just as the morning show host said something that I have been thinking about ever since, “Sometimes you need to shake the snow globe.” I couldn’t help but reflect on how much this simple statement resonated with my unexpected return to teaching high school culinary arts after six years away. After working in a variety of roles throughout these years including: tech integration specialist, Student Engagement & PD Specialist, Global Community Manager and Learning Consultant for Canva, stepping back into the classroom has felt exactly like shaking up my own snow globe. The flakes of excitement, uncertainty, and challenge are swirling all around me, reminding me that shaking things up is not easy, but exactly what I needed.

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Returning to the classroom is challenging me in new ways. Teaching, especially in a hands-on environment like culinary arts, demands problem-solving at a rapid pace. I’m constantly faced with the task of meeting the diverse needs of my learners in an environment with a lot of variables. The range of learning accommodations and social emotional needs in each of my classes requires me to approach every day with flexibility, tailoring my lessons and finding new ways to engage students where they are. It’s both exhilarating and exhausting. But through this process, I’ve realized that shaking up my routine has pushed me to think in ways I haven’t in a long time.

Another realization that hit me upon returning is how much I am using a creative part of my brain that had gone dormant. As an educational consultant and tech specialist, creativity was important, but it wasn’t the same as the classroom. Now, the need for creativity is immediate. Every day, I’m creating opportunities for my students to learn, experience, and grow. They’re depending on me to bring energy, innovative lessons, and ways to make learning relevant and engaging, especially in the kitchen. Whether it’s gamifying the lesson to introduce a concept or designing a culinary challenge that stretches their skills, I’m flexing muscles I haven’t used in a while. And it feels good.

What’s most validating, though, is the reassurance that I still remember how to teach. After six years away, there was that little voice of doubt that whispered: “Do you still have it in you?” Returning to the classroom has allowed me to shake off that doubt. Yes, I can still manage a kitchen full of students. Yes, I can still build connections, foster creativity, and facilitate learning. I’m navigating a new generation of students, new expectations, and new challenges, but the core of who I am as a teacher remains the same.

This transition back to teaching has been a reminder that, sometimes, shaking the snow globe brings about clarity. It has re-energized me, pushed me to innovate, and reminded me of the joy that comes with teaching. It’s not just about stirring things up for the sake of it—it’s about realizing that in the chaos of the shake, there’s beauty and purpose. I’m grateful for this shake-up and excited for the journey ahead.