I chose a couple cookbooks as my metaphor for teaching, because the way I cook, I might have a general recipe, but what I end up creating is usually different from what was outlined in the recipe.  This is a parallel to what happens in the classroom.  I specifically chose to take a photograph of this cookbook, a fermenting cookbook, because of the idea that we, as teachers, might provide the basic ingredients, but then they will take on a life of their own depending on the container and what they’re combined with, etc.  Even if we use the same ingredients multiple times, the outcome is different every time because the environment is different every time.  And, even the most tried and true recipes don’t “turn out” every time.  Sometimes you have a little fail, but then you just try again using what you learned to try to avoid making the same mistake again.