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< Back Barb McCluskey ⭐️ PreK, Elementary: Reading ** PPT® Verified Educator The Reading Cube Barb is a retired elementary school teacher with 20 years teaching experience. During that time she noticed that it has become an ever increasing challenge for teachers to address the individual needs of learners. Barb created The Reading Cube to do just that! For Pre-K parents looking to get their child a jumpstart in reading. For homeschooling parents who want a reading teacher. For K-2 parents looking to get their child additional reading instruction after school. For parents of children ages 8-12 that need reading remediation. For parents looking for a reading tutor to help with homework and studying for tests. Go To Website

< Back What is Private Practice Teaching®? Reading time 5 minutes Published March 5, 2023 Category: Private tutor When I tell people that I own my own teaching business as a private practice teacher, the conversation that follows usually goes something like this: "Oh, so you give private lessons? "– Sort of. It’s more than lessons. I teach. I do all the parts of teaching including develop the curriculum; determine the desired learning outcomes; assess where the learners are currently and then develop a plan of how to get them to the next levels all while tailoring instruction to their unique interests and learning styles. "How is that different from tutoring?" – Tutoring is more like homework help. With tutoring, students already have a primary instructor that does all of the teaching, planning, etc. When tutoring, I provide additional instruction and practice to support what’s being done in their actual class. In private teaching, I AM the primary instructor. It occurs to me that part of the confusion may be that most people don’t really know what teachers do inside the classroom or not. To be honest, how could they? What students see in the classroom is only one part of what we actually do. Most adults only experiences with teachers was as students themselves or as parents during Back-to-School night or parent/teacher conferences. Even as teachers, I think we can be so caught up in just doing everything we do, that even WE don’t realize all the different things we’re actually doing! So what exactly is private practice teaching ? It’s doing all the things we need to do to help our students achieve their learning goals, but working for ourselves – not a district, not a private school system, not a charter school, not an online learning community – ourselves . As a private practice teacher, I … develop curricula design lessons and projects create resources create and maintain organizational systems to manage workflow teach face to face and asynchronously provide meaningful feedback am accessible and responsive to my students’ needs pursue my own professional development set my own hours and schedule chose who I work with decide how much my time is worth manage my own business and marketing As a private practice teacher, I do not … grade submit grades turn in lesson plans attend faculty meetings or professional development that has nothing to do with my job have bus duty, cafeteria duty or cover study halls write disciplinary reports Other Master’s level professionals are able to own private practice businesses. With a Master’s degree in psychology or social work I could be a private practice counselor or therapist. Doctors, lawyers, occupational therapists, financial advisors, and more can all take their expertise, knowledge and skills to open their own private practice businesses working for themselves. So why not teachers? We are highly skilled, highly educated professionals. Why shouldn't we be able to to open our own private practice teaching businesses too? I can tell you from experience, there IS a market for what we are uniquely qualified to do. Previous Next

The Private Practice Teacher ®, I’ve turned my teacher entrepreneur journey into a step-by-step mentorship program for innovative, passionate, student-centered teachers who want to do what I do and start enjoying life like never before. Hi, I'm Rachel Founder of MyFrenchU and The Private Practice Teacher® For me, a teacher is much more than a content delivery specialist. A teacher is a mentor, a resource for their students to help them thrive, see their own potential, & help them achieve their goals. Sadly, current education systems make that kind of teaching harder and harder to accomplish - especially if your life has demands outside of the classroom. This is my Story I moved around a lot as a child, living in 3 different states, and attending 8 different schools in 7 different districts. I attended schools in areas that were low-income, high-income, rural, urban, and everything in between. One of the few things that was consistent in my life was a great teacher. No matter where I found myself, I always had at least one great teacher who helped me feel wanted and safe. That's why I've wanted to be a teacher ever since I can remember. Finally COVID made it impossible for me to manage the demands of both school-life & home-life. I made the heart-breaking decision to leave teaching, BUT I missed it so much! That's when I decided to try to create my own private teaching business & MyFrenchU was born. Now, with The Private Practice Teacher ® , I’ve turned my teacher entrepreneur journey into a step-by-step mentorship program for innovative, passionate, student-centered teachers who want to do what I do and start enjoying life like never before. Schedule Free Consultation If other educated professionals can go into private practice, so can teachers. Rachel Cicioni M.Ed. Nikki Mitchell Owner/founder of Brain Boost Academy ''Rachel always says that we could figure this all out on our own, but I really don't think that I could have. The information in the course, the sequencing of it, and the support was exactly what I needed to create my business.'' Teachers deserve to have the autonomy to practice their profession in a manner that is consistent with why they chose teaching in the first place. Rachel Cicioni M.Ed. Press & Interviews Click Image Below to Read or Listen Collabs.io Mag Online Magazine Online magazine featuring solopreneurs and their stories for the purpose of collaboration, learning, and storytelling. The Teacher Story Podcast Podcast centering teachers journey and ideas about education reform. Ep.12-Rachel's Story-"Edupreneur-The Private Practice Teacher" WLCH Radio Centro Podcast How does a French teacher end up on a Spanish-speaking podcast? Because a former student asked me to, of course! Beyond Business Podcast Katherine interviews entrepreneurs to help share their stories of success, struggle, and life beyond their business. Schedule Free Consultation Get in touch Email me rachel@theprivatepracticeteacher.org Connect with me

< Back Niki Mitchell ⭐️ K-12: Reading, Writing, Math ** PPT® Verified Educator Brain Boost Academy Niki is a K-12 reading specialist, level 1 Dyslexia specialist, and a 7-12 English & Honors English teacher. Niki is also an experienced Elementary teacher and offers instruction in K-8 math. She also offers writing instruction and editing services for college essays. Go To Website

< Back Teacher Traits That Last Long After Leaving the Classroom Reading time 3 minutes Published October 2, 2025 Category: Leaving the Classroom, Mindset, Community You can take the teacher out of the classroom, but you can’t take the classroom out of the teacher. Every teacher who has left the traditional school system knows exactly what I mean. The habits and quirks we carried for years don’t magically disappear when we hand in our keys—they follow us into our next chapters. Some are funny, some are frustrating, and some are reminders of how deeply the profession shaped us, for better and worse. The Quirks That Follow Us School dreams: recurring nightmares about forgotten lesson plans or endless stacks of grading. Speedy eating and bathroom runs: we learned to survive on lightning-fast breaks, and those patterns are hard to unlearn. The "teacher look/voice" in public: yes, it still slips out at the grocery store or the park. And, no, I don't mind that at all. These little quirks are funny, but they’re also proof of how much teaching becomes part of our way of being. Some Habits That Are Harder to Shake Some habits aren’t as lighthearted. They speak to the unhealthy coping mechanisms we pick up to make it through the day: Hiding comfort food or working while eating, watching TV, or even spending time with family 🫤 Forgetting to drink water because there’s no time for bathroom breaks Living in the burnout/recovery cycle, both daily and yearly A good work ethic is important, but teachers often take it to an unhealthy extreme. Without a calendar dictating breaks, many of us don’t know when (or even how) to rest. Years of ignoring our body’s cues train us to push past exhaustion until we no longer recognize what balance feels like. Why These Traits Stick With Us Teaching trains us to put others first, multitask constantly, and normalize exhaustion. Those patterns don’t vanish when we leave the classroom. They linger, reminding us just how much the profession asked of us—and how much we gave. Until or unless we notice them, we don't have any way to change them. Where Healing Happens But here’s the hopeful part: healing happens when we notice. When we've been out of "Survival Mode" long enough to recognize the patterns and unhealthy ways we've learned to accomplish tasks on our ever-growing to-do lists. Without awareness, we take all those exact ways of being into entrepreneurship. We accidentally re-create the very situations we're trying to leave. I’ve been sharing clips from last year’s retreat, and what struck me most wasn’t the workshops or the content—it was the power of being surrounded by people who get it. People who don’t need an explanation for why you eat fast, dream about grading, or struggle NOT to speak to a child in public. For years, I've dreamt about creating a year-round version of that community, where we can continue to lift each other up and redefine what it means to thrive as teachers-turned-entrepreneurs. A place for camaraderie, support, accountability, collaboration, and even co-working/body-doubling. A place where we can network and refer students and clients to each other’s businesses. Because when teachers support teachers, everyone wins. Your Turn What about you? Which “teacher traits” have stuck with you long after leaving the classroom? And if a community like this existed, what would you want it to look like? Best wishes always 💕 Previous Next

< Back Sue Klapec ⭐️ Elementary: Reading ** PPT® Verified Educator Lantern Literacy was established in 2024 by Sue Klapec, certified Reading Specialist and 19 year veteran classroom teacher. Her passion is teaching struggling readers to read fluently and with confidence using an explicit, systematic, and hands-on approach. Lantern Literacy provides customized reading intervention plans designed with the specific needs of each learner. In addition to 1:1 private instruction, each enrolled student has access to a digital classroom full of engaging practice activities, parent resources, story-time read alouds, and more! Website Under Construction ~ Not Currently Taking New Students Contact Sue at @lanternliteracy on Instagram or Facebook

< Back Pilar Vanderstelt ⭐️ PreK - Adult: Spanish, Spanish Immersion ** PPT® Verified Educator The Spanish Learning Nook offers: • Spanish immersion instruction to learners age 4 and up. • Spanish as a foreign language tutoring and support (ages 4 and up) • Family Support for family members of students in Spanish Language immersion programs Pilar, a native Spanish-speaking, bilingual teacher who is passionate about sharing the love for my language and culture.Her teaching experience extends from preschool to college and spans over 25 years, teaching Spanish immersion for 14 years. With a multi-cultural, creative and enthusiastic approach, she provides learners with literacy-rich learning activities to develop biliteracy skills. Go To Website

< Back Michelle Sorrells PreK - 5: All content areas Simply Fun Dr. Michelle Sorrells is a passionate and accomplished leader in the field of education, with a wealth of experience in curriculum development, strategic planning, and instructional leadership. In her current role, she serves as a dedicated supporter of K-12 learning initiatives across multiple schools in her region. As an adjunct instructor at University of the People, Dr. Sorrells shares her expertise in education by teaching online courses and mentoring learners from diverse backgrounds. She also offers private tutoring services and specialized math and reading enrichment programs for students in homeschool, public, and private education settings. Her mission is to build confidence, make math enjoyable for every student, and show them that they are a math person, capable of mastering any challenge. She's dedicated to reducing math-related anxiety, fostering a growth mindset, and turning homework time into a positive, productive experience. Dr. Sorrells advocates for play based learning at all levels. Find her favorite games at https://simplyfun.com/?ref=michellesorrells Go To Website

< Back “Old keys won’t open new doors.” Reading time 3 minutes Published June 8, 2023 Category: Teacher life “Old keys won’t open new doors.” I’ve been meditating on variations of this idea for a couple of weeks now, both as it applies to my own life and the teaching profession as a whole. In my life, I seem to vacillate between two versions of myself: Version A, bold, optimistic, inspired, calculated risk-taker, and Version B, timid, more pessimistic, worried, and risk-averse. I can’t help but wonder which of these versions has been making most of my decisions lately, and if it’s the version best suited to carry me into the future I want to create. Despite leaving the classroom 3 years ago, I still repeat the same cycle: inspired, work up to near burnout, pausing only to find myself disoriented, reorienting myself again, and thus the cycle continues. The awareness of repeating this cycle is what leads me to the question above. And so, I’ve decided it’s time for a different approach. When discussing my most recent dance with burnout with my counselor, she suggested I describe in excruciating detail what I want my life to be like five years from now. She called the exercise “Contemplation”. I’m still getting to know this future me, but I’ve decided that if I want to have her life, I need to start making the choices she’d make now. As for the teaching profession, many teachers go directly from someone else’s classroom to their own. The current career path laid out for teachers is a very narrow one. We’re only taught one way to seek and apply for a job - one way to market ourselves to only one type of employer. Then if you’re able to secure a teaching position, you essentially stay there regardless of how much education you have or professional development you do. The path to professional advancement is even more narrow unless you want to leave the classroom. I believe that’s why it’s hard for many teachers and non-teachers to visualize teaching options existing outside of educational institutions. Teaching, while being my dream job, is my third career. I worked in sales and healthcare before returning to school to get my teaching degree. I think that’s why I’ve refused to accept the poor treatment of teachers by schools and society, and why I dared to think I could open my own business to teach 3 years ago. Other professional careers do not have these limitations. No one blinks an eye when someone with an advanced degree in almost any other field goes into private practice. Think finance, counseling, marketing, interior design, nursing, technology, engineering, trades, … the list goes on and on. Education doesn’t have to be any different. With so many seeking options outside of traditional, institutional learning, now is the perfect time for teachers to consider the same entrepreneurship options that other fields have been enjoying for decades. I started the Private Practice Teacher® as a way to help other teachers enjoy the freedom, respect, joy, and consistent income that I enjoy as a private practice teacher. As I reach the first anniversary of starting my teacher mentoring business, I see even more potential for private practice teaching. Now, I see it as a way to elevate our profession as a whole - a way to show society what we and our students can accomplish when we have the autonomy to practice our craft the way we know it should be done. Previous Next

< Back The Pros & Cons of Paid Business Coaching Reading time 3 minutes Published April 7, 2023 Category: Business coaching Let's talk about the elephant in the room - paid coaching. Offers for paid coaching are literally everywhere right now, & I want to have a very frank conversation about it. Personally, I have spent approximately $20,000 in paid coaching & courses over the last 3 years. That's how I learned A LOT of what I teach my clients. I also learned a lot about what works (and doesn't work) for me as someone being coached. Most, but not all, of it has been worth the money. When I started my first business - it was by accident. I didn't pay for coaching. I learned EVERYTHING as I went. It felt like a second job sorting through the free advice of so-called gurus. On my own, it took me about 18 months to get my business to the point where I was profitable, consistently earning 4-figure months, and my business ran smoothly. With my second business, I didn't want to take that long. There was still a lot that I didn't know, and I wanted to educate myself. That's exactly how I approached it too. I researched coaches and their programs the way I researched grad programs. I also met with them to make sure that we were philosophically aligned and someone I would enjoy working with. Finally, I met with one or two people who had been through their program and asked them my questions too. Later, almost a year into my second business, I invested in coaching again. This time I wasn't as thorough in my research. I allowed myself to be "sold" a result instead of learning the specifics of the program I was purchasing. I assumed that the creators of this program would operate with the same level of care and integrity that I do with my clients. Still I learned a lot from that experience, albeit the hard way. I learned how much I care about my clients and my business. I learned what my non-negotiables are and that, for me, some things are worth more than money. They were hard and expensive lessons to learn but also important ones. For me, paid coaching has mostly been worth the money I've invested. I've been able to experience much faster growth in both of my businesses and with significantly more confidence. I believe in my ability to learn and put into practice what I learn. I also really appreciate having someone "lay it out" for me rather than having to do ALL the research and trial & error on my own. It's taught me about business and about the type of business person I want to be. Can you create your own private practice teaching business without investing in a coach or mentor? Absolutely! I know you can because I did. Could I have done it more efficiently AND started turning a profit more quickly if I'd had proper guidance? Also yes! The bottom line is this: You're going to have to invest some ratio of time and money when starting a business. Only YOU know what ratio is right for you. I hope this helps Best wishes always. Previous Next

< Back Why Are Teachers Leaving, and Who’s Paying Attention? Reading time 5 minutes Published August 13, 2024 Category: Retention Teacher retention is at an all-time low, and it feels as though no one is paying attention—or worse, no one cares. Our schools resemble leaky buckets, constantly losing valuable educators with little effort to retain them. Principals, who play a crucial role in fostering positive school environments, are often not evaluated effectively. In many states, neither teacher retention nor turnover rates are considered in school administrator evaluations. It’s as if we’re ignoring the problem entirely, hoping it will resolve itself. Spoiler alert: it won’t. In most professions, HR departments routinely assess and refine their retention strategies. Unfortunately, when it comes to our teachers, we seem to be stuck in a never-ending cycle of losing staff and desperately attempting to hire replacements—without ever taking the time to understand and address the reasons they’re leaving in the first place. It’s clear that we need a new approach, and we need it quickly. Consider the healthcare industry. Despite facing many of the same staffing challenges, healthcare providers are focusing on understanding and improving employee retention. In stark contrast, the education sector is often preoccupied with recruitment efforts, and, disturbingly, many states aren’t even collecting teacher retention data. We need comprehensive state programs that evaluate and support school leadership, similar to the systems in place for hospitals. For example, a simple Google search reveals a National Health Care Retention Report (listed below) that outlines the costs, details, and the urgent need to build retention capacity and understand turnover trends. Meanwhile, 22 states have not collected any teacher retention data at all in the last five years. And yet, so-called "innovative" programs and solutions are being implemented by every state in an attempt to address the teacher shortage by making the teaching profession more accessible and appealing. But how can we solve a problem if we don’t even know its full extent? It’s time we stop treating our teachers as expendable. We must truly understand why they’re leaving their schools and involve them in the problem-solving processes to address these issues. After all, the future of our children and nation depends on it. Best wishes always 💕 References: DailyPay. (2023). Employee Turnover Rates in the Healthcare Industry . Retrieved from https://www.dailypay.com/resource-center/blog/employee-turnover-rates-in-the-healthcare-industry/ Education Commission of the States. (2022). 50-State Comparison: Teacher Recruitment and Retention . Retrieved from https://reports.ecs.org/comparisons/teacher-recruitment-and-retention-2022-03 Learning Forward. (2022). How Districts and States are Addressing Teacher Turnover . Retrieved from https://learningforward.org/journal/tackling-turnover/how-districts-and-states-are-addressing-teacher-turnover/ Learning Policy Institute. (2023). Tracking State Teacher Workforce Across States . Retrieved from https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/blog/tracking-state-teacher-workforce-across-states#:~:text=Based%20on%20our%20analysis%2C%20Vermont,salaries%20and%20more%20supportive%20teaching NSI Nursing Solutions, Inc. (2023). 2023 National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report . Retrieved from https://www.nsinursingsolutions.com/Documents/Library/NSI_National_Health_Care_Retention_Report.pdf Previous Next

< Back Pamela Vasquez ⭐️ PreK - HS: French , French Copy Editing ** PPT® Verified Educator French Creek Language Academy Pamela holds a master's degree in French with a specialization in Culture and Civilization. She has extensive experience teaching all ages including students as young as 18 months through high school in public, private, and homeschool settings. Her passion is teaching in a way that engages students and infects them with her own enthusiasm for the French language and francophone cultures. French Creek Language Academy offers personalized French classes to students from 18 months to adult. The following programs are currently available: Private 1:1 French personalized French classes for children and adults Small group French classes for children and adults Homeschool French courses - both 1:1 and small group Preschool French programs Mommy & Me French programs French Tutoring for students enrolled in French classes in school or elsewhere Go to Website