After 20+ years of in-person teaching, I took a leap of faith that led to major changes in my life! I left the in-person classroom to pursue opportunities that would allow me to work from home. This career change has given me time and freedom to start some new digital adventures and be more present with my family.
When I started my career, I never thought I’d do anything other than teach in an in-person classroom. I went to college, got my Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Education, and became an elementary school teacher in the same district I attended as growing up. The district provided me with security, salary, benefits, and retirement. I thought I had it made! What I wasn’t prepared for was the extra. Overtime hours, working late nights after I put my kids to bed, extreme student behaviors, lockdowns and active shooter trainings, and negativity from fellow teachers all slowly chipped away at my mental and emotional well being.
After 20 years, I knew I had to find different OUTSIDE of the classroom. That would be the only way I could find some inner peace. With the support of my husband and family, I found a new job that allows me to work from home and explore new opportunities.
My New Chapter
I really had no idea what to expect once I left, but I can definitely say it’s been an incredible journey so far! Let’s face it, I earned my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees 20 years ago and that education is no longer relevant in today’s online world. I needed to modernize my skill set, so I put in overtime hours learning how to develop an online presence and create passive income. I committed myself to learning, growing, and setting goals. It’s amazing how much of our world is online, and I’ve started to follow other moms and former teachers accounts and blogs to get ideas. Many of them are achieving great things by having a business minded approach. That is something teachers don’t really do, think of how to turn themselves into business owners. I am proud to say that have my own small business as a digital entrepreneur making passive income for my family!
Finding Balance
I found a position with a virtual homeschool as a Kindergarten teacher. This is home-based and it provides salary, benefits, and retirement. I am the happiest I have been in my teaching career in years! I was even presented with the “New Teacher of the Year” Award from the district! Many of the skills I learned to become an online entrepreneur are helpful to me as an online educator. This job also provides me with more free time and flexibility, so I am able to do both teaching and my online ventures.
If you are like me and need something different, outside of the classroom, there are so many ways you can earn money! Or at least start something on the side that will lead you to new avenues of opportunity. I can honestly say that I am thriving; the risk was worth the reward, 100 times over!
Life after the in-person classroom. Simple words that eloquently express the immense joy and freedom I now feel. Leaving my teaching career was the biggest risk I’ve ever taken, but doing so brought me back to life. The old me that I had lost so many years ago has returned, and the difference in my daily interactions with myself and others is astounding.
I hope that me sharing my journey will offer you comfort in knowing you’re not alone. I have written an ebook, “From Burnt Out Teacher to Teacher of the Year… and Business Owner,” that shares my entire story, and explains in detail how I was able to change my career, modernize my skill set, and become a digital entrepreneur.
If that sounds like a place you’re finding yourself in and you would like to have more support, I created a “What’s Next?” Journal to give you some guidance as you find your way. I wish I would have had these documents when my journey began!
Links:
Click here to find my products and resources on Amazon.
Click here to find my products and resources on my MDM Publishing page.