Educator Forever

When you're applying for jobs beyond the classroom, it's really important that your application materials stand out. And by that I mean your resume and your cover letter. It is so hard sometimes to write resumes and cover letters. But putting in the cognitive work is worth it. Reflecting on how your unique experience connects to the jobs that you hope to land goes a long way.

I have applied for so many jobs beyond the classroom. And I've also hired for a lot of jobs beyond the classroom. So I've seen all sorts of resumes and cover letters, and I've learned what makes them stand out. So in this episode, I want to share with you some tips for writing resumes and cover letters that will get you those jobs you hope to land.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode72.

When you're thinking about using your skills as an educator in a new way, it's completely normal to feel overwhelmed and struggle with self doubt. After years of working with so many teachers as part of Educator Forever, I've realized that teachers go through some predictable stages when they begin to look for work outside of teaching.

Being a classroom teacher is so entwined with our identity. So much so that we can simply think of ourselves as just being teachers. But there's no such thing as just a teacher, we do so many things, our skills are so valuable, impressive, and applicable in other areas, you truly are an education expert. So when you're dealing with self doubt, or really any other obstacle, the most important thing to do is to move through it, recognize it, feel it and even appreciate your doubtful feelings, then don't let it stop you keep taking action to make your dreams a reality. And you can use these five tips to overcome self doubt when you're stuck. 

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode71.

When my daughter was born, I was teaching kindergarten and first grade — by then I had been teaching for seven years. But after she came into my life, everything changed. I had been trying some things on the side curriculum development and consulting mainly, and I had this idea that I could maybe leave the classroom. But I wasn't convinced; there were many things that I loved about teaching, and I wasn't quite sure if I was ready to give it up.

But after my daughter was born, I didn’t want to leave her. I wanted to spend all my time with this tiny baby. The thought of leaving her to go to the classroom and teach a bunch of other kids was heartbreaking to me. So I found a way to replace my teaching income with a new job, but it was hard. I was so excited to have the chance to stay home with my daughter, but I was also really sad about leaving my school community. Still, doing so was the best thing I could’ve done for my future.

This week my daughter turns 12, which is CRAZY, but her birthday made me reflect on my journey outside of the classroom. Looking back, I realized I had five tips I wanted to share, so I focus on those in this episode.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode70.

Want to keep making a positive impact in the world outside of teaching? Melissa Bloom is here to help. Bloom is the founder and CEO of Expanse Strategists, where she partners with purpose led CEOs. She's all about transforming businesses so they can positively impact society.

Melissa began her career as a high school English teacher and progressed through the administrative ranks. After four years as an assistant superintendent, she decided to step into the corporate world. She saw similar successes there, a feat she credits her "superpower," AKA her background in education.

In this episode we discuss her journey and what she's learned along the way.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode69.

In this episode I talk about building a support system as you move beyond the classroom. When I first started thinking about leaving the classroom, I felt really alone. I didn't feel like I had a support system, or really any examples of educators who had moved beyond the classroom in a way that I wanted to. I wanted to stay working in education, I wanted to make a difference in education. But I also wanted to have more flexibility, and not seeing models made it feel like I was uncertain about whether it was possible or not.

This episode is for those who want to take that next step and I might think you can just look everything up on the Internet. There is so much to gain from networking, especially those who model what you want to do beyond the classroom, and I go through it all.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode68.

For this episode I had Allison Williams, founder of Tutor Tots online, back on the podcast. Allison's business focuses on creating engaging online classes for kids and it has really grown in the past few years since we started working together.

Allison is also an Educator Forever team member. She helps me run our Education Business Foundations program, and our Grow Your Education Business accelerator for graduates of the Foundations program.

We discussed marketing our education businesses and the winning strategies we’ve found over the years. We also get into the importance of having the right mind set when growing your business.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode67.

For this episode I invited April Brown, our amazing director of learning and development here at Educator Forever, onto the podcast to talk with me about one of our very favorite subjects, which is how to support teachers to truly thrive.

The idea for this episode came after I had a discussion with the head of an Edtech company who thought that teachers should be happy now that things are back to normal after COVID. That's so far from the reality that we're seeing within our Educator Forever community. So April and I talked about what's not being seen outside of the world of teaching and what would really help.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode66

When people ask me about leaving the classroom and how to build their experience I advise them to do something on the side while still they're still teaching. Sometimes that's not possible. Maybe you just need to leave or you've already left, and that's totally fine. But if you do have a little bit of time to some work on the side while teaching, it allows you try out things before completely flipping your world upside down.

In this episode I talk about my own exit from teaching and how trying things out on the side helped me find a new career. But it comes with the caveat that while I use the word "side hustle" to describe the work, it's not about hustling to the point where you sacrifice your happiness.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode65

We've all likely experienced moments when we feel trapped, stagnant, or unsure of how to move forward in life. It's a frustrating and disheartening feeling, whether it’s related to your personal or career journey. But if you’re feeling stuck in teaching, you’re definitely not alone.

At Educator Forever, we’ve worked with thousands of education professionals who felt trapped in their classroom careers. As an educator, you might find yourself yearning for more in your career, but perhaps you’re uncertain about how to move beyond those feelings of being stuck. In this episode, I explore four key steps for educators to stop feeling stuck in their careers and pursue alternative jobs beyond the classroom.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode64

Watch our free on-demand workshop to learn more about flexible work opportunities beyond the classroom: https://www.educatorforever.com/workshop

Take our free quiz to discover your next career step: https://www.educatorforever.com/quiz

Follow us on Instagram @educatorforever.

The start of a new year is the perfect time to think about all that you hope to accomplish throughout the year. I like to call this having a clear vision. One of the best ways to follow through with your vision is to participate in goal setting. So, in today’s episode, I’m going to share steps towards achieving your new year goal setting.

With so many possibilities, new year goal setting can be overwhelming. However, my simple three steps allow you to reflect on your previous year, how you want to feel, and the final action of setting goals. I break down each step with examples and provide easy ways to achieve not only the process but also the result of achieving your New Year goals. Happy New Year, everybody!

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode63

Watch our free on-demand workshop to learn more about flexible work opportunities beyond the classroom: https://www.educatorforever.com/workshop

Take our free quiz to discover your next career step: https://www.educatorforever.com/quiz

Follow us on Instagram @educatorforever.