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< Back Can you be Risk-Averse AND an Entrepreneur? YES! Reading time 3 minutes Published May 12, 2023 Category: Teacher entrepreneur Something you may not know about me is that I’m actually pretty conservative and kind of risk-averse . And I’m not sure that that’s from a quality that we expect from a lot of entrepreneurs, a title which I have fully embraced at this point. But going back to that being risk-averse, I’m fairly conservative I do not recommend that my teachers go all in 100% on their business when they start. I do not want you to be in a position where you were putting your financial security or your family’s financial security at risk. I didn’t, and I don’t recommend that you do that either unless you have a considerable nest egg that you can live on while you build your business. I actually recommend that all of my teachers have some sort of side hustle or side or part-time job in addition to their business as they’re getting started. This is because it takes a couple of months to build up your client book and replace a full-time income. Here are some things that I recommend my teachers do as they are building their clientele and their student schedules: I encourage them to sub if they still feel comfortable in their schools or other schools. You can research which schools pay the best for subs. All the schools are hurting for subs. We know that so you shouldn’t have too much difficulty getting in there. And in my experience as a sub, you can pick what days you’re available which is great because then you could say OK, Tuesdays and Thursdays I’m gonna sub Monday, Wednesday Fridays I’m going to work on my business and that’s perfect and reasonable. Another thing that I did was I worked part-time as a classroom aide. I learned a ton from the teachers I supported that I was able to use to teach the students in my business. Another option is to work for somebody else like OutSchool or to include tutoring among your services if that something that you enjoy doing. The reason I refer to these part-time jobs as your side hustle is because your business is still going to be your business. If you’re anything like me, I had to leave my part-time job within about three months. I had to put in my notice because I had a wait list of students that I need to open up my schedule for, so I could be making more money seeing my own students then I was making at my part-time job. Previous Next

< 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

$27 Services Live Mentorship Programs The T2E Empowerment Intensive Build your unique teaching business from start to finish with a comprehensive digital course complete with printable resources; expert guidance of someone who's already done it; live weekly group meetings; and a community of like-minded teachers where you can ask questions and receive feedback. Program alumni receive lifetime access to all T2E resources and program updates, inclusion on our Teacher Directory, and lifetime membership T2E Community which includes live weekly meetings and ongoing training. This training course is offered year-round but only admits a limited number of new teachers each month. Application Required, Free Zoom consultation recommended. Rolling Admission for Approved Applicants * Three plans to choose from. ** 12 month payment plans available $1,500 ~ $2,750 (with PIF discount) Learn More T2E Mindset Module Peek inside the T2E Empowerment Intensive AND ... Transition from exhausted, burned-out teacher to inspired teacher entrepreneur and develop a vision for your own unique teaching business. Inside the Mindset Module of the T2E Empowerment Intensive, we’ll walk through: Burnout recovery + sustainable rhythms Vision + values-driven scheduling Rebuilding your self-worth before you set pricing Creating aligned and measurable short & long-term business goals Unpacking money baggage (every teacher has some) so you can feel confident sharing your pricing with others PLUS: The cost of this program will be deducted from the T2E Intensive should you decide you want to keep going. * Pending approved T2E Intensive program application. ** No application required for the T2E Mindset Module. $47 Learn More Live 1:1 Coaching 30 Minute Coaching Session 30 Minute, live 1-on-1 mentorship session. We dive deep into your private practice teaching business. Upon scheduling, you will receive a form to complete about your business & specific questions you have. Form must be completed at least 24hrs before scheduled session time for best results. Bulk pricing available upon request. Coaching available after free initial consultation. I want this! $60 per 30 minute session Customized Mentorship Package This option is ideal for teacher entrepreneurs who have already started their business but are not experiencing the success they'd hope for. After an initial free consultation, I will analyze your existing business and create a customized improvement plan designed specifically for your business. This plan will include live coaching and recommended trainings from my other programs. Price will vary. Inquire Price varies based on client's individual needs. Digital Courses Intro to Private Practice Teaching Love to have your own private teaching and tutoring business, but have no idea where to start OR what all it entails? I got you with this self-paced digital mini-course with accompanying PDF workbook. This self-paced digital mini-course outlines each of the 4 main steps of building your unique private practice teaching business. Here's what you'll receive: 4 video lessons Finding your niche Creating your business Branding, and Finding students; and Workflow systems. 20-page, printer-friendly, PDF course workbook Business Start-Up Checklist Note: There is no live component for this course, but email support is available. Now Free on YouTube Watch Now Empower YOUR Expertise Pricing can make or break your teaching or tutoring business . In this mini-course, I will teach you how to: • Calculate a base rate you feel comfortable and confident sharing • Create pricing strategies for 1:1, small groups, workshops, discounts, and more • Structure your terms and conditions of service so you can earn a consistent monthly income independent of student attendance. This product includes: 6 video lessons and the PPT® Pricing Guide ($7 value) Note : There is no live component for this course, but email support is available. Now Free on YouTube Watch Now Finding YOUR Students Love to have your own private teaching and tutoring business, but worried about how to find students?! I got you with this self-paced webinar with PDF workbook. This self-paced digital mini-course outlines each of the 4 main steps of building a strategic marketing plan. Here's what you'll receive: Video Workshop Identify your audience Clarify your messaging Define your marketing funnel & Review marketing basics Putting it all together to create your marketing plan 18-page, printer-friendly, PDF Workbook The School Email Template Bundle included! Note: There is no live component for this course, but email support is available. Now Free on YouTube Watch Now Digital Resources & Templates Business Start-Up Checklist Are you ready to start your own private practice teaching business, but don't know how or where to start? Well, not for long. Here's The Private Practice Teacher® Business Start-Up Checklist . In this printable pdf checklist, I will walk you step-by-step through the processes of: Finding your Niche Registering Your Business Name Planning Your Business Marketing (aka Finding Students) Creating Workflow Systems Free I want this Business Start-Up Bundle Want everything you need to get started and ready for your first client? Step-by-step instructions, digital resources to help you create, market, & manage your own unique teaching business. Includes : Intro to Private Practice Teaching Mini-Course ; Business Start-Up Checklist; PPT Pricing Guide; School Email Template Bundle: and PPT Business Planner. $27 I want this Teacher Biz Starter Pack Not sure which to invest in first? Kind of want it all AND for less money? Makes sense to me! Not only do you get EVERYTHING in The Business Start-Up Bundle ($25 value) you also get: Finding YOUR Students Marketing Workshop with PDF workbook ($37 value) Empower Your Expertise: Pricing Strategies for PPT to help you calculate your base rate, discount, & package pricing ($37 value) $97 I want this PPT Pricing Guide Do have or want to start your own private practice teaching business but have no idea what or how to charge? Avoid the BIGGEST mistake I see private educators make with the help of The Private Practice Teacher® Pricing Guide . In this printable pdf checklist, I will walk you step-by-step through the processes of: Finding Your Base Rate Pricing Services Using Your Base Rate Offering Discounts Creating Your Terms and Conditions of Service $7 I want this Email Template Bundle Teachers, want to let schools know you're available to help their struggling & homeschooled students? This set of 4 customizable email templates (including subject lines) will help you quickly promote your private practice teaching business and services to targeted public and private school personnel. $7 I want this

< Back Beyond Tired? It Might Be Time to Rethink Your Career. Reading time 5 minutes Published October 1, 2024 Category: Mental health October has arrived, and if you're still in the classroom, you're probably starting to feel it: that first wave of exhaustion creeping in. This time of year can be especially tough for teachers, as the excitement and optimism of the new school year wear off and the reality of long days, demanding students, and mounting expectations set in. You can see how the rest of the year will likely play out and what if anything you can do about it. If you're here, reading this, you're probably wondering if this is more than just the usual tiredness. As a former classroom teacher, I know this feeling all too well. October was always when I felt the first cracks in my energy and enthusiasm. And for many teachers, this first wave of exhaustion isn't just a sign that you're working hard—it's a warning sign that something bigger might be going on. Whether it’s burnout, a growing dissatisfaction with the school system, or the feeling that your career no longer aligns with your values, this exhaustion could be trying to tell you something important. For those nearing retirement, you might be wondering if there’s another way to continue teaching without sacrificing your well-being. Or maybe you're one of the many teachers who love working with students but simply can’t sustain the physical, mental, or emotional toll of the classroom anymore. The good news? You don’t have to stay stuck. There is a way to teach on your terms while regaining the flexibility, fulfillment, and balance you've been craving. After I left the classroom, I started my own private teaching business. It took me a few months to figure out my marketing, pricing, and systems, but in less than 6 months it allowed me to replace my monthly income while working far fewer hours. It gave me back my time, my energy, and my love for teaching. Later, I began helping other teachers do the same. You deserve a career that makes you feel appreciated, energized, and respected. If this October's exhaustion feels deeper than normal, it may be time to explore a new path—one that doesn’t drain you but instead revitalizes your passion for teaching. If you're ready to take control of your teaching career—whether that means working part-time, supplementing your income, or completely transitioning out of the classroom—I'm here to help. There’s life after burnout, and it’s possible to build a teaching business that works for you . Reach out to learn more about how I can help you navigate this transition. Best wishes always, Rachel Previous Next

< 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 Nothing Beats Community Reading time 7 minutes Published March 25, 2024 Category: Leaving the classroom Teachers need other teachers because teaching is one of those careers that can also be an identity. People say, “I work in retail", or" I work in business.” But we say, “I am a teacher.” Teaching is not a job that can be done in isolation. We need other teachers for various reasons, from practicality to camaraderie to our very sanity. The truth is that this a job that only another teacher can understand. Only another teacher can truly comprehend the trials, challenges, overwhelm, joy, triumphs, heartbreak, and heart-warming moments that our unique profession entails. That camaraderie is how we survive the insanity that is teaching. It’s the thing that makes it possible for us to stay as long as we can, and it can be one of the things that makes it so hard to leave. When we leave the classroom, we leave our teacher friends. We leave the people we have so many shared experiences with, the people who’ve listened to our rants, offered helpful advice and resources, shared our jokes and eye rolls, grabbed our mail and copies, and watched our classrooms while we ran to the bathroom. In some ways, these extraordinary people understand us (at least parts of us) better than our families can. Even if we don’t leave teaching, we lose them for at least 9-10 months out of the year. Because classroom teachers almost never have the time or energy for a social life during the school year. That ridiculous sacrifice and lack of work/life balance is what drives so many of us out of the classroom in the first place. As a private practice teacher, leaving the classroom doesn’t mean we stop needing other teachers. Entrepreneurship offers many wonderful opportunities and has enabled me to create a teaching career that truly works for my life and values. But entrepreneurship can be hard and lonely. Just as much as teachers need other teachers, entrepreneurs need other entrepreneurs, and for all the same reasons. We need each other to bounce ideas off of, ask questions, share resources, and share stories. We need each other for encouragement, support, and accountability. We need each other to share our trials, challenges, triumphs, heartbreaks, and heartwarming moments with. Nobody understands the rollercoaster that is entrepreneurship like other entrepreneurs. Nobody understands teacher entrepreneurship like other teacher entrepreneurs. That’s why Community is one of the most important parts of the Private Practice Teacher®. That’s why there is an ongoing community option for every budget and level of training I’ve created. The first level of community is our free private FB group, Private Practice Teachers. In this group, I share as many free resources and training opportunities as I can. I also encourage members to do the same. Next, once you join one of my mentorship or custom coaching programs, you have a home with us for as long as you wish. There’s never an extra charge to stay connected. When you join the T2E (Teacher to Entrepreneur) Mindset Module, you are welcome to stay in our Community Group for as long as you wish. I want you to build and maintain relationships with the other teachers there. We grow together during these courses, and I want you to continue to have that support for as long as you want and need it because I want you to be successful. Finally, when you join the T2E 90-Day Intensive Program, you remain a member of our PPT community. We have live group meetings every week (except for holidays) all year round because we want and love our community. We do continuing education for each other, and you always have access to any paid training classes we offer at no additional charge. In this group, we have found our new community. We have found our teacher entrepreneur besties and coming together is not only good for our continued professional growth, it’s so much fun and good for our teacher souls. Ultimately, I want you to have everything you want for yourself. I’m happy you found us, and I want to help you on your journey wherever you happen to be. It’s like I tell my students when we no longer have class together, “I won’t reach out to you uninvited because I don’t want to bother you, BUT I will always be available to you and happy to hear from you!” Best wishes always, Rachel Previous Next

< Back The Subconscious Patterns of Teacher Life Reading time 5 minutes Published July 8, 2024 Category: Teacher life Since leaving the classroom I’m becoming increasingly aware of the subconscious patterns and coping mechanisms we develop due to the unique stresses of teaching in a traditional school setting. Even now, four years into my life as a self-employed teacher, these patterns strongly influence how I live and work. The first pattern I noticed I call the “Due Date List”. This pattern influences my daily life and decision-making regarding how I prioritize tasks. A mentor of mine once told me that teachers need due dates. Oh, how I’ve found this to be true. A task without a due date rarely gets accomplished. We live with never-ending To-Do Lists and are in a near-constant state of overwhelm 9-10 months out of the year, therefore tasks get accomplished in order of urgency - no matter how much we want to do it or how beneficial completing the task may be. The next pattern I call the “Teacher Hamster Wheel” . This pattern is how I function during a 24-hour period for 9-10 months of the year. Here’s a snapshot of a typical day. Alarm goes off Snooze button 2-8 times depending on the level of sleep deprivation Coffee Get myself ready Get kids ready Out the door Pre-work work Work work Post-work work Pick up kids Make dinner (or at least a plan for dinner) After school activities Veg out and try to visit with my spouse until I’ve worked up enough energy to put the kids to bed Put kids to bed Pass out (or at least try to) In a nutshell, wake ➡️ triage needs/responsibilities ➡️sleep ➡️repeat. A perfect recipe for burnout, exhaustion, and mental health struggles. This is the life of a human-doing, not a human-being.The final pattern I noticed, I call the “Yearly Teacher Cycle” . This is how it goes: Back-To-School, Starting the year off excited, nervous, and hopeful. I’m excited about some of the cool new ideas you want to try. I’m excited and nervous to meet my new students. I’m hopeful and optimistic that the new self-care habits I established over the summer coupled with the new workflow procedures I created will help me to spend less time on the “Teacher Hamster Wheel” this school year. Of course, the district has some new ideas and initiatives of their own, but thankfully I have new systems in place now, so I’m confident I can handle the additional workload. Late Fall , October-November, the first wave of exhaustion hits. My self-care habits are nearly gone by now, many of your new workflow systems and procedures aren’t functioning as well as I hoped (if at all). I’m firmly on the “Teacher Hamster Wheel” and just holding on until Fall Break and then Winter Break when I can work on recovery, get caught up on work, and maybe enjoy some socializing. January . It’s only been 10-14 days, but everyone needs to relearn how to be in school, and some form of high-stakes, standardized, benchmark assessment has to be administered in two weeks. The Long Dark Slog aka mid-January through March. Things usually go fairly smoothly here except for illnesses. Everyone seems to be in some sort routine which is nice, but everyone also takes turns being sick. Sub plans are exhausting and you need to save your PTO for when my own children are sick, so I go to school anyway as long as I can drag myself out of the house. Spring Break is a breath of fresh air (and allergies), but I finally get to catch up on some sleep and some grading. The Last Push , April through the Last Day of School. The older students get, it seems the less they fully return from spring break. For this reason and because of those lovely, high-stakes, standardized spring, assessments, most of us try to get 90% of our curriculum taught by early April at the latest. That last month of school feels like straight chaos and survival as both a teacher and a parent. We’ve also started packing up our classrooms because we might get 2-3 hours of contract time to do 10-12 hours worth of work. Summer Break Part 1 is all about recovery. I’m a shell of a person at this point. I’m in full zombie mode, doom-scrolling, and binge-watching TV (usually TV shows my non-teacher friends recommended during the school year but never had time to watch). I’m only barely able to make the simplest decisions. Depending on the year, this could take 5-15 days. Summer Break Part 2 welcomes “Summer Rachel” I’m a person again, “Want to go out to lunch?” Want to meet at the pool?” In late June and July, I’m ready to be social again. I can’t wait to see all the friends and family I missed during the school year. I do fun things with my children and spouse. I develop healthy routines and healthy eating habits. I also start casually working on plans for the next school year (about 5-10 hours a week). This is my favorite version of me. The only sad part is that I really don’t love this time of year where we live. Summer Break Part 3 I start getting excited about Back To School. Late July into August, I begin moving back into my classroom. Just a few hours here and there. A couple of new projects, bulletin boards, seating styles, new organization, and maybe some new furniture. I also start getting new or updated systems in place to manage routine tasks and workflow that I’m certain will make this next year run much more smoothly. Back-To-School , ... It’s been three years since I left the classroom completely, and it’s taken that amount of time to see how much these patterns became deeply and subconsciously ingrained those patterns had become. Even being my own boss as a self-employed teacher, I accidentally recreated these patterns in my life and businesses. Now that I am aware of these patterns, I can consciously create new ones that support my vision for a more balanced and harmonious life for me and my family. I hope this post will help you do the same. Best wishes always! 💕 Previous Next

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