< Back Recovering from the Classroom Reading time 5 min Published August 2, 2023 Category: Leaving the classroom It’s been just over three years since I left the classroom and here are a few things I’ve encountered that I wasn't expecting. Grief ~ Grief and relief are normal and can exist at the same time. So many tears. So much anger and resentment. I was furious with the system that drove me out and away from the students, families, and coworkers I loved so much - the admin and policies that made me choose between my community and my family. I missed my classroom, my students, co-workers, my career that I'd invested so much of myself into only to have it proven to me how little my bosses cared about me, my family, and my contribution to the school. I was heart-broken but also relieved that I never had to go back there again. So much relief and room to breathe. My dread was lifted. I enjoyed the more manageable pace of life and took all the time I needed to recover. Almost instantly I noticed that I had more energy and patience, and within weeks my family noticed that I seemed much lighter and relaxed than they’d seen me in years. We enjoyed the last days of summer at the pool instead of setting up my classroom. Then I got to take my kids to the bus stop and participate in all the First Day of School festivities for the first time ever. I still love that every year. Our whole family dynamic shifted and continues to shift in really positive ways. However, the time freedom and decreased external structure that once caused relief and deep relaxation also started to cause isolation and depression. t was a very strange and somewhat disorienting mix of emotions. With the lack of externally imposed structure, I needed a new way of approaching my day-to-day life. It felt like my identity was eroding. It took me almost a year to find myself and my footing again. Discovery ~ Discovering myself. I’m not the same person that went into the classroom in 2011. She was just married, didn’t have children yet, and was in her early 30’s. The hobbies and leisure activities I enjoyed back then don’t hold much interest to me anymore. The me who left the classroom in 2020 had 2 young daughters (6 & 8 yrs old), lost her mother, survived postpartum depression, and spent most of her weekends at sports and dance. I felt old and tired from living in survival mode for so long. I didn’t even know who I wanted to be anymore outside of all the responsibilities piled up around me. I hadn’t had time to think about it. And so, when I had some downtime, I started exploring my inner and outer worlds. I started reading and listening to podcasts. I finished my masters degree and accidentally started a teaching business. I started volunteering with the PTO and in my daughters’ classrooms. I’m still discovering myself, but for the first time in a long time, I’m happy, proud of myself, and excited about the future. The best part is that my daughters and spouse are proud of me too. Unlearning ~ The most recent part of my recovery has been unlearning the unhealthy coping strategies I developed during my years in the classroom. Without even noticing it, I recreated the unhealthy work/life balance I left. I love the work I do now, but I didn’t know how to turn it off. I found myself driven by both passion and fear. I worked myself right back into survival mode and burned myself out. I became irritable and impatient. I started abandoning my self-care routines in favor of one more client, one more lesson, one more post, one more training, one more thing. And so I circled back to my grief and discovery but with more understanding and compassion than before. I took time to recover and recenter. I re-discovered myself, my joy, and my why. I’m learning what I need to unlearn in order to create the life I want for myself, the life I want to enjoy with my spouse and our family, and the life I want to role-model for our children. Best wishes always, Rachel Previous Next

< Back Teresa Badalamenti, M.Ed. K-12: ELA and special education At EduSteps, we turn learning challenges into manageable steps. We build custom learning programs for your child. I am a certified and experienced ELA and special education teacher with a master’s degree in education. I help students primarily with executive functioning coaching and the college essay. Go to Website

< Back Claudia Hall Spanish Class With Mrs. Hall Spanish Class with Mrs. Hall I am dedicated to providing engaging and effective Spanish lessons for kids, fostering a love for language learning while nurturing their curiosity and confidence. Through interactive and culturally immersive experiences, I aim to empower each child to become proficient communicators in Spanish, equipping them with valuable skills for a multicultural world. 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

Transition from an exhausted, frustrated teacher to an inspired teacher entrepreneur with a unique vision of your life & business as a private practice teacher. T2E Mindset: Claiming Your Identity as a Private Practice Teacher Transition from exhausted, burned-out teacher to inspired teacher entrepreneur and develop a vision for your own unique teaching business. Hi, I'm Rachel, the founder of MyFrenchU & The Private Practice Teacher®. Teaching has always been my passion, and I know firsthand the challenges that teachers face. Many teacher businesses fail to thrive because their owners didn't take the time to address their mindset, self-care, and beliefs about work and money first. That's why I decided to share this portion of my signature program separately – to help educators like you heal your burnout and develop an entrepreneurial mindset, so you can get excited about the very real opportunities our profession holds. Join Self-Paced Course Work at your own pace with Slack Messaging Support & Real-Time Feedback Join VIP Course Claim your PPT Intdentitty in just 10 days with VIP Slack Messaging Support, Real-Time Feedback, & 4 Live Group Meeting Testimonials Sue Klapec "Module 1 is so worth it! I'm so glad I took the course..” Owner of Lantern Literacy Anna Heinritz "I really enjoyed the Mindset Module! It was a great first step toward thinking about my own business and realizing that it truly is a possible option for me. I loved the mindset work and goal-setting work. Highly recommend!" Math & Gifted Education Teacher Ganaia Praema "The Mindset Module is a shining ray of needed empowerment for innovative educators." Owner of The Music Mentor T2E Mindset: Claiming Your Identity as a Private Practice Teacher is the first module of the T2E Business Intensive you will transition from an exhausted, frustrated teacher to an inspired teacher entrepreneur with a unique vision of your life & business as a private practice teacher. Refill Your Cup Create simple and sustainable wellness routines, so you can show up for yourself, your family, and your work. Examine Your Mindset Explore and challenge your fears, perceptions, biases, and hopes, so you canallow yourself to dream again. Create The Vision Identify the parts of teaching you love and answer key questions, so you can create a clear vision your business and life. Join Self-Paced Course Work at your own pace with Slack Messaging Support & Real-Time Feedback Join VIP Course Claim your PPT Intdentitty in just 10 days with VIP Slack Messaging Support, Real-Time Feedback, & 4 Live Group Meeting

< Back Lara Luft Profa Lara Luft Profa Lara Luft offers specialized 1:1 online classes for Brazilian Portuguese and ESOL. Our Mission: To provide effective, supportive learning while embracing diverse cultures. I am flexible to meet your unique needs, ensuring you feel safe and comfortable to ask questions and make progress. My passion is learning, and I love incorporating diverse perspectives into every class. As a native Brazilian with over 10 years of experience, I specialize in teaching literate students (teenagers and adults). Services: Immersion and communication-focused classes designed to help you achieve fluency in Portuguese or English as a second language. Contact Profa Lara Luft via Instagram

< Back Making the Decision to Leave the Classroom Reading time 5 minutes Published March 1, 2024 Category: Leaving the classroom In the years leading up to my resignation from my beloved teaching position, I found myself making monthly and finally weekly pros and cons lists. Leaving the classroom was a decision fraught with inner turmoil, a dilemma I grappled with long before the pandemic's onset. Teaching had always been my calling; I reveled in the connections with students, the camaraderie among colleagues, and the joy of growing and learning together. Yet, beneath the surface, the dysfunction of the school system, culture, and environment grew. The mantra, "Shut the door and do what's best for your students," had long sustained me through many bureaucratic frustrations. But eventually, the dysfunction and toxicity penetrated my classroom walls and became impossible to ignore. Micromanagement, pedagogically unsound initiatives, and impotent responses to bullying eroded morale and disregarded the students' true needs. Despite my attempts at diplomacy, voicing these concerns rendered me an outcast. The hostility from administration during the Spring of 2020 was palpable and ultimately marked my breaking point. "They really don't care about us," echoed relentlessly in my mind during that grueling summer break. Dread, anger, sadness, and resentment consumed me. For the first time in nearly a decade, I couldn't summon excitement for the new school year. Tears and outrage replaced my usual optimism and silliness. The person I once knew, the one who savored impromptu dance parties and embraced life's adventures, I couldn't find her anymore. With a heavy heart, I finally tendered my resignation that July. Despite pouring my heart into my work, my employer's indifference stung. "We'll miss you, but I'm sure we'll find a replacement," they remarked casually. It was a confirmation of my fears: my efforts had been in vain. At that moment, I had clarity – I had made the right choice. Though heartbreaking, leaving the classroom was the best decision for my family and me. Two weeks later, my husband's embrace and our collective sigh again affirmed my decision to leave. It took nearly two years to heal all of the emotional turmoil I'd been through. Ultimately I emerged as a version of myself my children describe as annoyingly happy, confident, and proud of my accomplishments. And while there are still times that I miss having a classroom full of students, I truly love what I do now and the person it is allowing me to become. Best wishes always, Rachel Previous Next

< Back What Does It Mean for a School to Fail? Reading time 3 minutes Published September 16, 2025 Category: Education Reform, Teacher Satisfaction, Teacher Burnout Every fall, I notice the same pattern: teachers start strong, riding on back-to-school energy, excited to try all the ideas they saved on Pinterest over the summer, but by October, the burnout begins to creep in. This year, though? It’s already showing up, and it’s only mid-September. The teachers I talk with are reporting exhaustion faster than ever, and that should make us all pause. So it begs the question: What does it actually mean for a school to fail? How We Usually Define “School Failure” When we hear the phrase “failing school,” most people think of: Low standardized test scores Poor state report cards High dropout rates Accreditation warnings Those are the metrics policymakers love to point to. But ask any teacher, and you’ll get a very different picture. How Teachers Experience “School Failure” Failure isn’t just numbers on a page—it’s the lived reality inside classrooms. It looks like: Teachers are so burnt out that they’re leaving mid-year Students’ basic needs (safety, mental health, belonging) are going unmet Administrators are pushing compliance over creativity (and connection) Mandates that strip away joy and professional autonomy The truth is, schools often start to “fail” teachers long before test scores ever dip. And when teachers don’t feel supported or valued, it directly impacts students, families, and communities. New Definition of “School Failure” Now, when I think of schools failing, I think of schools no longer able to keep enough adults on staff to keep their doors open. It makes me sad to consider it, but I've already seen it happen because of shortages of substitute/supply teachers. I've heard stories of one elementary school teacher "covering" two classes in the gym because only 2 of 4 third-grade teachers were able to come to work that day.Local and state governments put together committees to address "The Teacher Shortage" or "The Teacher Crisis" years ago. How many of us can say we've seen any improvement? 🙋🏻♀️ (If you have, please email me and share your story. I would really love to share what your school/district is doing in the hopes it inspires others.)My fear is that until schools start to really experience my new definition of failure, they'll continue to exhaust and exploit teachers. Then, when they've finally driven out too many teachers to keep their doors open, they'll finally listen to teachers and/or look to schools that appear to be thriving and learn from their examples. What If We Flipped the Script? If my new definition of failure is when schools can no longer staff enough adults to keep classrooms running, then maybe the opposite is also true: a thriving school is one where teachers want to stay, grow, and do their best work. Instead of defining failure only by numbers, what if we defined success by the people at the heart of it? Think about the way magazines run their “Best Places to Work” lists. Why couldn’t we have a “Great Place to Teach” designation ? Imagine if schools were recognized not just for test scores and data points, but for things like: Teacher job satisfaction Professional autonomy Administrative support Respectful work culture Opportunities for growth Balance between work and life Wouldn’t that shift the conversation—and the incentives? Your Turn I’d love to hear from you: What criteria would you include in a “Great Place to Teach” designation? Drop your ideas in the comments or share this blog with a fellow teacher who has thoughts. The more voices we add to this conversation, the harder it is to ignore. Because at the end of the day, schools don’t fail because of bad teaching; schools fail when they stop listening to teachers. Previous Next

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< Back Teaching, Like Medicine, Is a Science-Informed Art Reading time 5 minutes Published May 22, 2025 Category: Education Reform Last week, in my doctor’s office—after discussing the next phase of my care plan for some ongoing health issues—I joked, “I feel like a science experiment.” She smiled and said something that stopped me in my tracks: “Well, you kind of are. Medicine is as much science as it is art. No matter how much research and testing we do, every human body is complex and different. We never really know how a medication or treatment will affect someone until we try it. But, like art, we get better with practice. It’s a science-informed art.” “So is teaching,” I replied.“I guess it would be,” she said. “Every student is different.” Every student is different. Each one who walks into our classroom is a complex human being with unique experiences, perspectives, strengths, and challenges. That conversation stayed with me. And the next day, while walking my dog, it hit me: In both education and healthcare, the people doing the real work are trained, thoughtful, and deeply committed. But in both fields, those professionals are often silenced by systems that prioritize money and metrics over care and wisdom. I’ve experienced this in both spaces—personally and as a parent. Decisions aren’t being made by the people doing the work. They’re being made by the people funding and profiting from it. The Parallel Between Education and Health Care Doctors get overridden by insurance companies. Patients are denied medications because of cost or bureaucracy—not based on what their physician recommends. In our family, it took nearly a year to get a specific asthma medication for my daughter because the version her doctor wanted her to take wasn’t covered by insurance. The name-brand version, which would have been available through a script-sourcing channel, was discontinued, rebranded as a generic, and thus became inaccessible through that channel as well. We tried workaround after workaround and various other medications for nearly a year before finally getting what she needed. In another case, I was prescribed the only medication available to me during a pregnancy complicated by hyperemesis gravidarum. The side effects were so intense and demoralizing that I seriously questioned whether I could go through another pregnancy. There was a better alternative with significantly fewer side effects—but it was $5,000 per pill. It wasn’t covered. It wasn’t an option. In the United States, over 25% of women with hyperemesis gravidarum report suicidal thoughts, and over 6% take their lives each year, according to the NIH. The suffering is that relentless. And while better care exists, it is often completely inaccessible. What This Has to Do with Teaching In education, the dynamics are heartbreakingly similar. Teachers—the professionals doing the work, implementing research, and studying best practices—are often treated as disposable. They are rarely invited to decision-making tables. Instead, curriculum is dictated by publishing companies. Policies are influenced by testing companies. Technology platforms tell us how students should learn, regardless of how students actually learn—or how detrimental all that screen time is to the developing brain. (Both teachers and pediatricians have been sounding the alarm on that one for well over a decade.) We’re seeing more and more school districts so beholden to standardized testing and government funding benchmarks that authentic learning is getting sidelined. Teaching to the test isn’t just happening—in some places, it’s mandated. But educators know better. We know that what helps students grow isn’t endless test prep; it’s practicing the skills those tests are meant to measure, in real and relevant contexts. And yet, we’re forced to retrofit bad curriculum, limit our creativity, and ignore our professional judgment in order to meet external demands that often contradict what we know is best. So What Do We Do? We teach in spite of the system. Just like doctors who bend red tape to help their patients, teachers adapt, advocate, rewrite, intervene, push back, and resist. We do what we can for the kids in front of us. But imagine if we didn’t have to fight the system every day just to meet the actual needs of our students and patients. Imagine what education and healthcare could be if the people doing the work had the power to shape the work. Teachers are not “just teachers.” Doctors are not replaceable by software. These are professions. These are callings. These are forms of care work and craft that deserve respect, resources, and trust . We don’t need more tech. We need more trust in human expertise. We are the science-informed artists. And the longer we practice, the better we get at it—if only the system would let us. If you’re an educator seeking a way to reclaim your autonomy and build a life and business that reflect your values, check out the T2E Intensive or the Intro to Private Practice Teaching mini-course on YouTube. Let’s reimagine what’s possible—together. Previous Next

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< Back Niki Mitchell ** Brain Boost Academy ** 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