December 19, 2025 • 8 mins
As the year comes to a close, it’s the perfect time to pause and reflect. In this special holiday episode of the EduMagic Podcast, we share seven powerful reflection questions, one for each chapter of EduMagic, to help you recharge and reignite your passion for teaching.
Get the guide here - https://www.sfecich.com/post/reflect-recharge-and-reignite-edumagic-holiday-reflection-guide-for-future-teachers
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Show notes can be found here: www.sfecich.com/podcast
Connect with Dr. Sam Fecich
Want to keep the conversation going beyond the blog? I’d love to connect with you! Whether you're a future educator, a current teacher, or someone passionate about edtech and innovation in the classroom, there are plenty of ways to stay inspired and supported.
Discover Your Student Teacher Superpower. Take the free quiz: What’s Your Student Teacher Superpower? and uncover your unique strengths in the classroom!
Join the Conversation on Instagram. Tag me @sfecich with your thoughts and takeaways.
Remember, EDUmagicians...You have the EduMagic within you. Keep shining, keep growing, and keep making a difference.
Get the guide here - https://www.sfecich.com/post/reflect-recharge-and-reignite-edumagic-holiday-reflection-guide-for-future-teachers
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- Why reflection is essential for educators
- Seven chapter-inspired questions to guide your growth
- Practical tips for building your PLN, creating a positive digital presence, and practicing self-care
Show notes can be found here: www.sfecich.com/podcast
Connect with Dr. Sam Fecich
Want to keep the conversation going beyond the blog? I’d love to connect with you! Whether you're a future educator, a current teacher, or someone passionate about edtech and innovation in the classroom, there are plenty of ways to stay inspired and supported.
Discover Your Student Teacher Superpower. Take the free quiz: What’s Your Student Teacher Superpower? and uncover your unique strengths in the classroom!
Join the Conversation on Instagram. Tag me @sfecich with your thoughts and takeaways.
Remember, EDUmagicians...You have the EduMagic within you. Keep shining, keep growing, and keep making a difference.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
Hello Edu Magicians, welcome to the Edu Magic podcast with your
host, Doctor Sam Fessich. Doctor Sam is a professor of
education, author of Edu Magic, and a Pumpkin Spice Latte fan.
This podcast is designed for preservice teachers.
Remember friends, teaching doesn't begin at graduation, but
(00:23):
during that first class at 8:00 AM.
Let's get this party started. This podcast is a proud member
of Teach Better Podcast Network,Better Today, Better Tomorrow,
and the podcast to get you there.
Explore more podcasts at www.teachbetterpodcastnetwork.com.
(00:44):
Now let's get on to the episode.Edge Magicians and welcome back
to another episode of the Edge Magic Podcast.
I'm your host, Doctor Samantha Festich, and I am so glad you're
listening in. As we wrap up this year, I
wanted to share something special and give you a little
gift this holiday season. First, we know that reflection
is one of the most powerful tools that we have as educators.
(01:07):
It helps us pause, celebrate those wins big and small, and
allows us to set intentions for the new year.
So today I am gifting you 7 reflection questions, one for
each chapter of the Edgy Magic book.
Now if you don't have the book Edgy Magic, go ahead, pop it in
your Amazon cart or go find it in your local library.
(01:28):
Edgy Magic is a book that's written specifically for
aspiring educators just like you, and this reflection guide
is going goes along with each ofthe chapters.
It's going to help you recharge and reignite that passion for
teaching. So grab your favorite holiday
inspired drink, your journal, your copy of edgy magic, a guide
(01:49):
for pre service teachers and this reflection guide.
You can find it on over in the show notes or if you're on my
e-mail list, you will have out of your e-mail.
If you're not on my e-mail list,head on over to sfestish.com.
That's SFEC, ich.com and you canclick on Find my student
teaching superpower and you willbe added to my weekly list where
(02:11):
you'll get information and tips and strategies to help you as a
college student, as a pre service teacher, and as a
student teacher. So let's start first.
Before we jump into our questions, let's talk about why
reflection is so important. When we take time to reflect,
we're not just looking back, we're actually leaning and
(02:32):
learning forward, right? It helps us to grow and stay
grounded in our why. Make intentional choices and
plan ahead. So as you listen, I encourage
you to pause after each question, jot down a few
thoughts, or you can download the guide and we can get started
again. It's over in the show notes.
Let's start with our first chapter in Edgy Magic, Your Why.
(02:54):
So the question for this one is,what inspires you to be a
teacher? Why do you want to be an
educator? Go ahead and jot down your why.
This might be a bullet point. This might be a story, this
might be a statement. And if you've ever been to any
conference where I where I was avendor, you will notice that I
have a why. I teach cards and I give them
out whenever I speak or wheneverI'm a vendor because it's so
(03:17):
important to keep us in the loopas to what our why is and keep
that focus. You can hang that up in your
dorm room. You can hang it up on your desk
just to keep your focus. And why do you want to be an
educator? Chapter 2 is all about your
professional learning network oryour PLN.
So go ahead and think about thisquestion would be, how can you
(03:38):
build a strong PLN to help you grow as a teacher and grow as a
learner? What's one step that you can do
to help you expand your networking opportunities?
Whether that's on LinkedIn or Instagram or Pinterest, you're
making those connections, sharing your ideas, and gaining
resources as you go. The 3rd chapter of Edgy Magic.
(04:03):
It's all about honing in on yourdigital presence.
You want your positive and professional self to shine
through on a Google search, right?
So that starts by owning your digital footprint.
Because if you're not controlling it, then who is?
You want your digital footprint footprint to be positive and
professional as a future teacher.
(04:23):
So what are some ways that you are making sure that your online
presence reflects you as a professional educator?
What are some things that you'resharing and doing and learning
about? I also recommend with this one
an action item, which is Googling yourself.
Google your first and last name and see what comes up.
Is it cringy? Is it something that are like,
(04:44):
oh, that's positive and maybe think about sharing that.
So you want your positive professional self to shine
through. You want to keep that personal
protected and private. Chapter 4 is all about making
those classroom connections and classroom management.
So the reflection question for Chapter 4, what strategies can
you use to make meaningful connections with your students?
(05:06):
Really building those relationships with your learners
from day one is super important.Even as a field student or an
observer, building those connections very important.
As an educator, it really does set the stage for classroom
management, lesson design, and lesson delivery.
Chapter 5 is one of my favorite chapters in Edgy Magic.
A guide for pre service teachersis about technology.
(05:26):
So how can technology enhance your lessons?
How can IT support or differentiate material for
learners? How can IT support the way
you're teaching your students? How can it help collect data?
So there's lots of different ways you can integrate
technology into the classroom asa support to augment but not to
replace. An action item I have for this
(05:48):
chapter would be try something new, try out a new tech tool
over the break, see if you can get certified in it or become
I'm a certified educator in it like near POD or Paradec Magic
school. There's so many different ways
you can continue to learn. That would be a great one to
really build your educational technology muscle.
Chapter 6 is all about having a growth mindset and this is about
(06:10):
how can you really think about maybe being in the students
shoes facing a challenge. So thinking about a challenge
that you face during your teacher journey and how did you
have the growth mindset to overcome it?
Remember, it's important to reframe mistakes.
These are learning opportunitiesand the last chapter of Edgy
Magic Reflection and self-care. Why is it important for
(06:30):
educators to reflect? Well, we know it's in the
Danielson framework. It's a part of our job.
It's what we do, whether reflecting on lesson design,
delivery, content, materials, resources, feedback, or on our
own professional development. And I would love for you to
practice your action item for this chapter is scheduling
self-care. So you can schedule it like a
meeting with yourself. And you don't want to ever
(06:53):
reschedule that. So make sure you're putting in
time for you as an educator because we know that teaching
can be a 24/7 job if we let it. Teaching is a part of our
identity. It's not all of who we are.
We are of many facets. We have lots of different
features. So make sure you set those
boundaries and practice self-care as an educator.
(07:14):
All right friends, I hope you enjoyed this quick episode with
a beautiful little gift for you.7 reflection questions as you
read through Edu Magic, A Guide for Pre Service Teachers book
this holiday season. I hope you enjoy it.
I hope you take time to reflect,engage and interact with these
reflection questions. Thanks.
Thank you so much for being partof this community.
(07:34):
I hope that these help these questions really help you
reflect and recharge and reignite your passion for
teaching. Don't forget to grab this
reflection guide over in the show notes.
And I would love to see how you're using it.
Make sure you tag me on Instagram at aspessage.
That's SFECICHI. Would love to see how you're
using it and what you've come upwith.
(07:55):
Wishing you peace this holiday season.
And you got this because you know what?
You have the edgy magic within you.
Bye for now. And there you have it, edgy
magicians. If you enjoyed this episode,
please subscribe and share it with your friends.
(08:18):
For more Edu Magic, check out S fessage.com and follow Doctor
Sam on Twitter and Instagram at S fessage.
Until next time you have the EduMagic within you.
Hello Edu Magicians, welcome to the Edu Magic podcast with your
host, Doctor Sam Fessich. Doctor Sam is a professor of
education, author of Edu Magic, and a Pumpkin Spice Latte fan.
This podcast is designed for preservice teachers.
Remember friends, teaching doesn't begin at graduation, but
(00:23):
during that first class at 8:00 AM.
Let's get this party started. This podcast is a proud member
of Teach Better Podcast Network,Better Today, Better Tomorrow,
and the podcast to get you there.
Explore more podcasts at www.teachbetterpodcastnetwork.com.
(00:44):
Now let's get on to the episode.Edge Magicians and welcome back
to another episode of the Edge Magic Podcast.
I'm your host, Doctor Samantha Festich, and I am so glad you're
listening in. As we wrap up this year, I
wanted to share something special and give you a little
gift this holiday season. First, we know that reflection
is one of the most powerful tools that we have as educators.
(01:07):
It helps us pause, celebrate those wins big and small, and
allows us to set intentions for the new year.
So today I am gifting you 7 reflection questions, one for
each chapter of the Edgy Magic book.
Now if you don't have the book Edgy Magic, go ahead, pop it in
your Amazon cart or go find it in your local library.
(01:28):
Edgy Magic is a book that's written specifically for
aspiring educators just like you, and this reflection guide
is going goes along with each ofthe chapters.
It's going to help you recharge and reignite that passion for
teaching. So grab your favorite holiday
inspired drink, your journal, your copy of edgy magic, a guide
(01:49):
for pre service teachers and this reflection guide.
You can find it on over in the show notes or if you're on my
e-mail list, you will have out of your e-mail.
If you're not on my e-mail list,head on over to sfestish.com.
That's SFEC, ich.com and you canclick on Find my student
teaching superpower and you willbe added to my weekly list where
(02:11):
you'll get information and tips and strategies to help you as a
college student, as a pre service teacher, and as a
student teacher. So let's start first.
Before we jump into our questions, let's talk about why
reflection is so important. When we take time to reflect,
we're not just looking back, we're actually leaning and
(02:32):
learning forward, right? It helps us to grow and stay
grounded in our why. Make intentional choices and
plan ahead. So as you listen, I encourage
you to pause after each question, jot down a few
thoughts, or you can download the guide and we can get started
again. It's over in the show notes.
Let's start with our first chapter in Edgy Magic, Your Why.
(02:54):
So the question for this one is,what inspires you to be a
teacher? Why do you want to be an
educator? Go ahead and jot down your why.
This might be a bullet point. This might be a story, this
might be a statement. And if you've ever been to any
conference where I where I was avendor, you will notice that I
have a why. I teach cards and I give them
out whenever I speak or wheneverI'm a vendor because it's so
(03:17):
important to keep us in the loopas to what our why is and keep
that focus. You can hang that up in your
dorm room. You can hang it up on your desk
just to keep your focus. And why do you want to be an
educator? Chapter 2 is all about your
professional learning network oryour PLN.
So go ahead and think about thisquestion would be, how can you
(03:38):
build a strong PLN to help you grow as a teacher and grow as a
learner? What's one step that you can do
to help you expand your networking opportunities?
Whether that's on LinkedIn or Instagram or Pinterest, you're
making those connections, sharing your ideas, and gaining
resources as you go. The 3rd chapter of Edgy Magic.
(04:03):
It's all about honing in on yourdigital presence.
You want your positive and professional self to shine
through on a Google search, right?
So that starts by owning your digital footprint.
Because if you're not controlling it, then who is?
You want your digital footprint footprint to be positive and
professional as a future teacher.
(04:23):
So what are some ways that you are making sure that your online
presence reflects you as a professional educator?
What are some things that you'resharing and doing and learning
about? I also recommend with this one
an action item, which is Googling yourself.
Google your first and last name and see what comes up.
Is it cringy? Is it something that are like,
(04:44):
oh, that's positive and maybe think about sharing that.
So you want your positive professional self to shine
through. You want to keep that personal
protected and private. Chapter 4 is all about making
those classroom connections and classroom management.
So the reflection question for Chapter 4, what strategies can
you use to make meaningful connections with your students?
(05:06):
Really building those relationships with your learners
from day one is super important.Even as a field student or an
observer, building those connections very important.
As an educator, it really does set the stage for classroom
management, lesson design, and lesson delivery.
Chapter 5 is one of my favorite chapters in Edgy Magic.
A guide for pre service teachersis about technology.
(05:26):
So how can technology enhance your lessons?
How can IT support or differentiate material for
learners? How can IT support the way
you're teaching your students? How can it help collect data?
So there's lots of different ways you can integrate
technology into the classroom asa support to augment but not to
replace. An action item I have for this
(05:48):
chapter would be try something new, try out a new tech tool
over the break, see if you can get certified in it or become
I'm a certified educator in it like near POD or Paradec Magic
school. There's so many different ways
you can continue to learn. That would be a great one to
really build your educational technology muscle.
Chapter 6 is all about having a growth mindset and this is about
(06:10):
how can you really think about maybe being in the students
shoes facing a challenge. So thinking about a challenge
that you face during your teacher journey and how did you
have the growth mindset to overcome it?
Remember, it's important to reframe mistakes.
These are learning opportunitiesand the last chapter of Edgy
Magic Reflection and self-care. Why is it important for
(06:30):
educators to reflect? Well, we know it's in the
Danielson framework. It's a part of our job.
It's what we do, whether reflecting on lesson design,
delivery, content, materials, resources, feedback, or on our
own professional development. And I would love for you to
practice your action item for this chapter is scheduling
self-care. So you can schedule it like a
meeting with yourself. And you don't want to ever
(06:53):
reschedule that. So make sure you're putting in
time for you as an educator because we know that teaching
can be a 24/7 job if we let it. Teaching is a part of our
identity. It's not all of who we are.
We are of many facets. We have lots of different
features. So make sure you set those
boundaries and practice self-care as an educator.
(07:14):
All right friends, I hope you enjoyed this quick episode with
a beautiful little gift for you.7 reflection questions as you
read through Edu Magic, A Guide for Pre Service Teachers book
this holiday season. I hope you enjoy it.
I hope you take time to reflect,engage and interact with these
reflection questions. Thanks.
Thank you so much for being partof this community.
(07:34):
I hope that these help these questions really help you
reflect and recharge and reignite your passion for
teaching. Don't forget to grab this
reflection guide over in the show notes.
And I would love to see how you're using it.
Make sure you tag me on Instagram at aspessage.
That's SFECICHI. Would love to see how you're
using it and what you've come upwith.
(07:55):
Wishing you peace this holiday season.
And you got this because you know what?
You have the edgy magic within you.
Bye for now. And there you have it, edgy
magicians. If you enjoyed this episode,
please subscribe and share it with your friends.
(08:18):
For more Edu Magic, check out S fessage.com and follow Doctor
Sam on Twitter and Instagram at S fessage.
Until next time you have the EduMagic within you.
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