Educator Forever – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode I talk about how fun curriculum writing can be, and how it's such a creative outlet. One of my favorite things about curriculum development is that you get to think about things that are interesting in the world and bring it into the curriculum that you create.

I want you to think about when developing curriculum, you get to create what you find interesting and what you want to see out there in the world. As teachers, we can feel really boxed in by what we're told we have to teach or how we have to teach it. So working in curriculum design for me has been really an exploration and freedom. It’s why I think more teachers should try it!

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode101.

We’ve reached 100 episodes, so we’re celebrating. On this episode I've invited the wonderful Educator Forever team to join me in celebrating not just completing 100 episodes but all of the amazing work that they've done beyond the classroom.

Besides discussing our favorite episodes were, the team let’s me know what they love most about working with Educator Forever and how it’s empowered them. It gets a little emotional! But it’s a wonderful time and made me so happy to work with such fantastic people.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode100.

David K. Richards is an intuitive and visionary leader who helps change makers usher in new paradigms for learning and leadership. He is the current Founder & CEO of Changemaker Schools, a network of microschools, and Pathfinder, a program to help others open schools. David is also a speaker and leadership coach and leads a mastermind program, the Wise Warrior and a podcast, Changemaker ED “U”. He has worked in education reform for over 25 years as a teacher, principal, and founder of several innovative charter schools with nationally recognized Summit Public Schools and the school he started, Growth Public School. David has dedicated his life to helping people of all ages connect with the powerful intuitive leader within themselves.

In this episode, David and I discussed his education journey from teacher to banker to educator again, what he’s learned about himself and why he dove into the world of micro schools.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode91.

Welcome to the very first episode of Educator Forever! To kick things off, I want to share my story of why I left the classroom after discovering all of the new and exciting career pathways for teachers. 

My story begins in a way that’s probably very familiar to you. I had been teaching for several years and I was burnt out. The realization hit me that my salary wasn’t increasing, and yet I didn’t have the time or energy to get another job. I didn’t want to become an administrator, so what other options were there? Well, it turns out that there were (and still are) many. 

I learned that there were actually countless other career pathways for teachers that allowed me to use my existing skills and still make an impact on the world of education. Better yet, I felt empowered and invigorated in these roles. My skills were valued, and I gained time and financial freedom that I had never experienced before.

These new career pathways are available to you as well. There is a huge need for your skills. Did you know that there are people creating education products who literally have zero classroom experience? They need you! Inside this episode you’ll hear some of the many ways that you too can work flexibly in education to expand your impact and your income.

Head to the show notes for all links and resources mentioned in this episode: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode1

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.

Welcome to Educator Forever, where we empower teachers to innovate education!

Are you a teacher who loves working in the field of education, but is burnt out and craving a more flexible work schedule, more income, and more opportunities? Several years ago I felt the same way, until I learned about the many career pathways available to me beyond the classroom.

Now I'm here to teach you about these opportunities! This podcast will give you the tools you need to capitalize on your valuable skills and start your new profitable path outside the classroom. Tune in each week to hear real stories of teachers expanding their impact beyond the classroom and explore ways to reimagine teaching and learning. You’ll also hear from inspiring leaders in education so that you can be up to date on the latest research and innovative approaches to teaching and learning.

If you’re ready to nail down your next step as an educator, I have just the thing for you. You can watch our on-demand workshop to get introduced to the many options you have for flexible, rewarding work beyond the classroom and make a plan for landing these jobs. Sign up for that free workshop now at www.educatorforever.com/workshop

In this episode, I speak to Dr. Taryn Gauvin. Taryn is in her 23rd year as an educator and has served 19 years in the Pre-K through 12 setting as a teacher, assistant principal and turnaround principal. Currently, she is the founder and CEO of Divergent Educational Consulting, LLC, and contractor operations manager at Better Lesson.

We talked about her journey, her new book “Centering Our Voices: The Brilliance, Persistence, and Significance of Black Women Educators,” and what she’s learned over the years as an educator who broke off on her own.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode90.

In this short episode, I share five takeaways that I've learned from helping thousands of educators who find work beyond the classroom. This episode is for everyone, such as the teacher who wants to stay a teacher and expand their impact beyond the classroom, or transition out of the classroom. Having helped thousands of teachers, I found that all teachers are unique and different in their own ways. We all have different experiences and areas of expertise and dreams. But there are some similarities. So in my five takeaways, I want you to think about what resonates with you.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode89.

As teachers, we are education experts. But sometimes it can be really hard to realize this. And I can't tell you how many times I get to talking with teachers who have recently retired, and they have taught for 20-30 years, sometimes even more. And despite those teachers doing it for so long, they still feel like they don't have enough experience. And that is absolutely not true.

If you have been teaching for even a couple years, you have way more education experience than most people. If you have been teaching for your entire career, I guarantee you, you are an education expert. And honestly, all teachers are education experts, we have studied education, we have spent time with children, we know so much about what it's like to teach students.

So let's own that expertise. In this episode, I provide a few tips on how to leverage your education expertise to achieve your goals.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode88.

Lisa Hutchinson is a former preschool center director with over 30 years of experience in the early education field. She has also been a prekindergarten teacher, kindergarten teacher, preschool assistant director, education and training specialist, and a program specialist. She directed a preschool center for over 20 years.

Over the past two years, Lisa has started a virtual preschool called Smart Steps Virtual School for children ages 2-5 to help parents prepare their children for kindergarten. She now works full time from home running Smart Steps and writing curriculum.

In this episode, we talk about how she came to start a virtual preschool, how she continues to expand her business by developing curriculum, and overcoming her imposter syndrome.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode87.

Kathleen Brigham has been in the educational field for over 30 years. With a Bachelor's degree from Middlebury College and a Master's in Educational Administration from Columbia Teachers College, she started Brigham Learning, an education consulting and tutoring company. Her primary goal is to help students discover self-awareness and confidence through academic success. With three children and four stepchildren, she combines her personal experience with her educational background to work with children of all ages and learning abilities.

In this episode, Kathleen dives into her journey from educator to business owner, giving lots of great advice along the way. She also details how she scaled her business, giving such helpful tips you’ll want to take notes.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode86.