Melissa,

This may be the most teacher-friendly balance formula I’ve seen: lifelong learning to satisfy our curiosity, nature and meditation to keep us grounded, exercise to keep us energized, and puppies to remind us that not every problem requires a rubric. 🐶💕

Professional: Creativity
Personal: Balance

I spend a lot of time designing courses and finding new ways to engage students, so creativity keeps me energized professionally. Personally, balance is my goal: making time for family, friends, travel, and rest while still doing work I love. I hope these two priorities will help me maintain…

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I agree. I’ve learned that flexibility is often more valuable than having the perfect plan. As long as students are still meeting the learning objectives, I’m comfortable adapting activities, assessments, or schedules when unexpected situations arise. Teaching definitely keeps us on our toes! 😊

I like your travel analogy 😁 It’s amazing how often the unplanned stops become the most memorable part of the journey. The same is true in teaching, sometimes the best learning happens when we follow students’ curiosity and see where it leads

Isabel, your point about every group of students being different really resonated with me. We can have the perfect lesson plan, and then students take us on an entirely different adventure! 😊 That balance between flexibility and staying on course is what makes teaching both challenging and rewarding.

I’m definitely a Detailed Itinerary Planner. I enjoy planning trips because I see travel as more than visiting places, it’s about connecting with people, cultures, and new perspectives. Planning helps me make the most of those opportunities. That mindset carries into my teaching. I carefully design my courses with intention and structure, but I…

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I count it as reading! 😊 The story made it into your brain, and that’s what matters. The format is just a different route to the same destination. What matters is the experience, not how the words got there. After all, a good book changes us through the ideas we carry with us, not through the way we first encountered them.

I am planning to read “The Rosie Project” by Graeme Simsion.

The premise immediately caught my attention: a professor uses data, logic, and a highly detailed questionnaire to find the perfect partner.

As educators, we know that not everything can be solved with a rubric, a spreadsheet, or carefully crafted learning outcomes… and that’s…

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This summer, I’m revisiting “The Prophet” by Lebanese- American writer, Gibran Khalil Gibran. It’s one of those books that somehow speaks differently to me every time I open it. I’ve found myself drawn again to its quiet reflections on loss, hope, love, and human connection. As a language and culture instructor, I also appreciate how…

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One of my biggest workflow changes was preparing all my Canvas courses before the semester starts. I organize modules, announcements, assignments, templates, and upload all learning materials in advance, including readings, audio recordings, and videos. I also take attendance and update participation immediately after class while everything…

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If I had a month of sabbatical with no strings attached, I would love to learn Arabic calligraphy, study different styles, and understand the discipline and precision behind each stroke. I have always been moved by the beauty of the script and the way language can become art. As someone who lives between languages, that would be a quiet way…

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