The Classroom Exit Strategies Podcast

With increasing learning deficits observed in students since 2020 and increasing demand for personalized education, teachers have become a vital resource for students seeking extra academic support. 

In fact, tutoring has become a relevant source of income for many teachers. But that begs the question, How much do teachers charge for tutoring?

Well that's a great question, but to figure out what your private tutor rates would be, we need to pull back the curtain on what other factors need to be considered.  

While we know tutoring is an excellent way for students to gain more in-depth knowledge of a subject, strengthen their academic skills, and improve their academic performance, it is also a lucrative option for teachers who want to supplement their income or take the first step in their exit strategy from the classroom.

📝  Click here for a transcript of this episode.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Website Design Services
• One-on-One Coaching

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If you have a TpT shop or have considered starting one, you’ve probably heard talk about some of the issues that have arisen on the TpT platform regarding search issues, security concerns, and the acquisition of TpT by the IXL platform.

And each of those can be super-terrifying, which is why many teachers are running scared.  They are fearful…

1. their income is going to tank, and
2. all of their work will be for nothing

Therefore, many have decided to add an e-commerce shop to their own websites in order to sell their resources. 

And if you've been listening to any of these conversations, one e-commerce solution is garnering a lot of attention in the teacher entrepreneur space…and that is WooCommerce.

I personally have a WooCommerce shop, but that is getting ready to change.

Why, you might ask?

Well, I reached out to my "go to" tech guy, Grayson Bell founder and CEO of iMark Interactive, with a couple of questions about setting up a WooCommerce shop for a client...

And he dropped a bomb on me when he said, "To be honest, Woo is such a terrible e-com system. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone anymore."

To say I was shocked would be a gross understatement.

After recovering from that startling revelation, I knew I had to ask if he would be willing to come on the podcast and share his insight, reasoning, and suggestions for teacher entrepreneurs.

And trust me when I tell you that if the tech side of starting a blog or website scares you, then this is the guy you want in your corner.

So he is here today to share all of his insight regarding Woo Commerce and which e-commerce solution is going to be the best for teacher entrepreneurs.

📝  Click here for a transcript of this episode.

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Making a career change can be a scary prospect! The reality is most of us choose a career path and plan to stay the course until we retire. 

But if you’re feeling more and more convinced that you need to pursue other options, then this podcast is for you.

Today we are going to explore the best career changes for teachers who want out of the traditional classroom and are actively seeking other alternatives.

Now I know we’ve spent time touching on the topic of seeking a new career path before, but today we’re going to look at...

• 15 of the best jobs for teachers that capitalize on your transferable skills and your experience in the education field,
• why they are each considered the best career change for teachers,
• and how to determine which one you should pursue.

So if you’re ready, let’s do it!

📝  Click here for a transcript of this episode.

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There are as many different types of teachers in the world as there are grains of sand on the beach. We are all unique individuals with specialized skill sets, which is why we are the most enticing candidates for any position.

But have you ever considered the idea that the type of teacher you are might actually be providing you with clues as to what job you should pursue outside of the classroom?

Interesting thought, amiright?

While we’ve established that we’re all great teachers, there are certain characteristics and traits that tend to surface within different groups of teachers that make them ideally suited for certain careers.

So we’re going to take this wealth of information and filter it three different ways in order to help you narrow down your prospective options including…

• Age group taught,
• Content knowledge and subject area, and
• Teaching styles

If you’re ready to dive in, let’s do it!

📝  Click here for a transcript of this episode.

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Fresh April Flours
• Bunsen Burner Bakery

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The best way to be able to leave the classroom is to be more efficient while in the classroom. This will allow you to spend more time focused on your exit strategy and/or your side hustle.

In order to do that, we need to determine how you can accomplish everything you need to in less time so you are able to leave as soon as your contracted hours are complete.

And of course, this means we need to narrow down the absolute best time management tips for teachers because good time management skills don’t just happen by accident.

But you're in luck because that is exactly what today’s blog post is all about. We are going to discuss how to…

• determine your most important tasks (even when everything feels equally important),
• set boundaries so your professional life doesn’t bleed over into your personal life, and
• successfully and consistently apply these tips in order to leave the classroom

📝  Click here for a transcript of this episode.

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Whether you want to be hired for your first teaching job or simply find a different teaching position outside of your current school, in a different district, or another grade level, it's essential that you understand the common weaknesses of teachers.

I know this sounds ridiculous, but as you seek employment even as an experienced teacher, you be required to be interviewed. And with that interview you will be forced to answer the two trickiest questions in the world...What is your greatest strength? and What is your biggest weakness?

The truth is...your answers to these two questions could be the deal-makers or the deal-breakers. 

And while many articles you read (or podcasts you listen to) focus on how to answer the strength part of the question, I want to dig into the weakness question because I want to help you...

• honestly answer these questions without sounding totally arrogant or completely spineless,
• strengthen some of these weak areas (before you interview), 
• know how to prepare exactly what you will say ahead of time (with sample answers), and
• increase your confidence before you step foot into the interview.

📝  Click here for a transcript of this episode.

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We spend a lot of time discussing how to make money outside of the classroom, how to start a website, how to find jobs in other fields, how to set goals for yourself, and the list goes on.

But today I want to talk about something I've never talked about before...teacher leave.  Understanding what types of leave you can take (and when you can take those times of leave) could actually be the first step in your exit process.

However, for that to be the case, we need to dig into questions like...

• How long do teachers get for maternity leave?
• How does FMLA work for teachers?
• Can I use FMLA even if I plan to leave the classroom permanently?
• How much of a role do school districts play in personal leave, sick leave, and /or annual leave?
• What does this information have to do with my exit strategy?

And what about the teacher with a chronic illness?  What about the teacher who is ready to leave the classroom, can that teacher use leave?

Well, that's exactly what we're going to explore in this episode!!

📝  Click here for a transcript of this episode.

Articles and Info Mentioned in this Episode: 

• Comparison of Different Types of Leave PDF
• Frequently Asked Questions About FMLA
• Analysis of Sabbatical Leave Clause (NJ Teachers)

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Let's face it, we all have things we want to accomplish in our lives. But it seems like we get so distracted from the big things because of all the little fires we have to put out each day.

We have great intentions, but rarely do those intentions actually come to fruition because we're so busy just doing the day to day stuff. Then we look back a few years down the road wondering why we never accomplished that 5 year plan we had for ourselves.

We know what goals are, and we may have even participated in a few goal setting sessions during our life. But for whatever reason, we just didn't make those goals a priority in our lives and now we're once again at a crossroads trying to determine whether to give up on our dreams and just continue aimlessly walking through our lives or finally work toward achieving those big dreams.

So today, we're going to finally take the first step toward creating meaningful goals and look at individual goals examples you need to address in your own life. 

And just to be clear, yes, it's going to mean...

1. setting aside time to think through the good things you want for your life,
2. facing some of our bad habits head on,
3. acknowledging that we are aren't necessarily where we thought we would be at this point,
4. realizing that we can change our path, and
5. putting in the hard work needed.

This isn't going to just be a quick thing you do in between phone calls so you can check it off your to do list. This is going to require you to get out of your comfort zone, put forth a concerted effort in order to dig into some uncomfortable things, and learn some new skills. 

But aren't your biggest dreams worth mucking through some discomfort?

If you said yes, then let's do it!

📝  Click here for a transcript of this episode.

Articles Mentioned in this Episode: 

• 11 Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Your Body
• 10 Surprising Effects of Lack of Sleep
• Extent and Health Consequences of Chronic Sleep Loss and Sleep Disorders
• Just One Night of Sleep Loss Harms Your Well-Being, New Study Finds

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As classroom teachers, we're constantly learning and setting goals for ourselves. Unfortunately, just setting a few superficial goals isn't enough to take us from where we currently are to the level of effective teachers we might want to be.

Goal setting requires you to dig deep into what you hope to accomplish, why you want to achieve it, and how you plan to make it happen.

Maybe you're a brand new teacher just beginning your teaching career and you want to set yourself up for success or maybe you're one of the many experienced teachers with a lot of years in the classroom and you want to make an even bigger impact on the kids in your class.

Either way it's essential to reflect on the direction you're headed because the truth is, the amount of time you've been in the classroom is irrelevant to the career goals you set for yourself.

But that brings us to a series of interesting questions as we think about setting professional goals for teachers... 

• What if you don't intend to continue teaching until you retire?
• Do you still need to create professional goals for yourself? 
• What if you are on the fence about leaving the classroom?

Here's the truth; teaching is hard. Discussions about how difficult teaching has become flood social media daily, and teachers everywhere are questioning whether or not they want to continue down this path.

But whether you intend to leave the classroom at the end of this school year, five years from now, or never, you need to take a step back and determine new ways to connect with the students who are currently in your classroom.

So, we're going to look at a professional growth plan that will help you make strides in setting and crushing your professional goals inside the classroom, apply this same approach to your personal goals outside of the classroom, and how to move forward from this point.

📝  Click here for a transcript of this episode.

Product Links Mentioned in this Episode:  (affiliate)

• Cube timer
• The Five Love Languages
• Find Your People
• How to Win Friends and Influence People

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Goals and objectives are words we hear frequently as teachers.   But do you actually know the difference between the two?

Without blinking an eye, most of us would yes.  However, if we were asked to explain the specific distinguishing factors, we might be a bit stumped.

Now, you might be thinking, "Does it really matter?"  And the answer is yes!!

So in this podcast episode, I want to...

• define goals and objectives, 
• discuss the 5 major differences between the two, 
• determine how you can create a clear action plan that will set you up for success, 
• discern whether or not you're progressing at the appropriate pace (and in the right direction),
• describe how all of this relates to leaving teaching, opening a TpT shop, and becoming an entrepreneur.

📝  Click here for a transcript of this episode.

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