How to Leave Teaching – Details, episodes & analysis

On this week's episode I talk to Mike Kaufman, MSW, PhD, Author of Doing Good & Doing Well. Mike challenges the traditional idea that top leadership roles are best filled by individuals with business degrees. Instead, he advocates for the unique perspectives and skills that helping professionals—such as educators, social workers, and community organizers—bring to leadership positions, particularly in non-profit and service-oriented sectors.

We discuss:

1. The Value of Helping Professionals in Leadership: Mike Kaufman discusses how his background in social work has equipped him with essential skills for leadership roles in service-based organizations.

2. Transferable Skills: Insight into specific skills from helping professions, such as empathy, communication, and problem-solving, that are highly transferable to leadership positions.

3. Showcasing Skills and Experiences: Tips on how educators and other helping professionals can effectively highlight their skills and experiences on resumes and during interviews.

4. Addressing Misconceptions: Exploring common biases that hiring managers may have about candidates from helping professions and strategies to overcome these misconceptions.

5. Transitioning to Leadership Roles: Practical advice for teachers and educators looking to move into leadership roles, focusing on networking and professional development.

6. Translating Classroom Experience: How educators can translate their classroom experience into valuable leadership qualities that service organizations seek.

7. Stakeholder Management: Utilizing expertise in managing diverse stakeholders to demonstrate leadership capabilities.

8. Professional Development: The importance of continuous learning and professional development for educators transitioning out of the classroom.

9. Qualities of Leadership Candidates: Identifying the key traits that service-based organizations look for in leadership candidates and how educators can showcase these qualities.

Resources and Links:

• Mike Kaufman's book: Doing Good & Doing Well
• Mike's website
• Connect with Mike on LinkedIn
• Mike on TikTok

If you're an educator or helping professional considering a transition into a leadership role, tune in to this insightful conversation for practical tips and encouragement. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with others who might benefit from this discussion!

Connect directly with employers who want to hire former teachers with Goldendelicious https://www.goldendelicious.ai

Free networking guide for transitioning teachers: https://whatsnextteacher.com/networkingguide/

Done-for-you teacher transition resumes (download and personalize!): https://whatsnextteacher.com/life-after-teaching/

Visit the website: https://www.whatsnextteacher.com 

Get coaching: https://whatsnextteacher.com/career-coaching-for-teachers/

Should I leave the classroom: free quiz https://www.whatsnextteacher.com/quiz

Today I talk to Dr. Jordan B. Smith! We talk about:

• How to stay connected to teaching after leaving the classroom
• Things to think about before you retire
• Understanding your benefits
• How he gets his consulting gigs
• His process for writing and publishing education books

Jordan B. Smith Jr. is a dedicated educator and advocate who has significantly impacted the lives of students through his work as a mathematics teacher, public speaker, and educational consultant. He has served the San Jacinto Unified School District for over 19 years, including roles at San Jacinto High School and Mountain View Alternative Schools, where he specialized in helping students overcome their fear of mathematics and achieve academic success. With advanced degrees in Secondary Education and Educational Leadership, Dr. Smith has also been an active member and chairperson of visiting committees for the Accrediting Commission for Schools Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC). He has presented at numerous educational conferences and conducted field testing for emerging educational technology. In addition to his teaching career, he founded Annapolis Creed LLC and is a best-selling author. Dr. Smith was named Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year in 2023 and AFE Teacher Ambassador for 2024, and he retired in June 2024 after nearly two decades of service.

https://books.teachleadandinspire.com/welcome/

Connect directly with employers who want to hire former teachers with Goldendelicious https://www.goldendelicious.ai

Free networking guide for transitioning teachers: https://whatsnextteacher.com/networkingguide/

Done-for-you teacher transition resumes (download and personalize!): https://whatsnextteacher.com/life-after-teaching/

Visit the website: https://www.whatsnextteacher.com 

Get coaching: https://whatsnextteacher.com/career-coaching-for-teachers/

Should I leave the classroom: free quiz https://www.whatsnextteacher.com/quiz

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Ever felt that your teaching experience limits your job prospects? Think again!

In this episode, we tackle the crucial topic: 'Leveraging Your Current Teaching Role for Your Next Career Move.' Teachers, your classroom isn't just a space to impart knowledge; it's your training ground for diverse roles out there!

Ever scanned a job posting and thought, "I don’t have those skills?" Let’s turn that around. We'll delve into how you can creatively harness your current teaching role to build skills tailored for that dream job.

Remember, beyond the paycheck, your teaching role offers invaluable experience. Learn to monetize that expertise. Let's redefine your career trajectory, one classroom experience at a time. Tune in, and let's embark on this enlightening journey together.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Feeling Stuck in Teaching? Transitioning out of the classroom can seem daunting. But guess what? Your teaching role is bursting with transferable skills.

• Teacher to Corporate & Beyond: Teachers aren't limited. Dive into the diverse job opportunities for former teachers, from ed tech jobs to roles that tap into teacher skills in the business world.

• Your Classroom, Your Training Ground:

  • Career Change for Teachers: Curious about how to translate a teacher resume for other roles? Learn how to adjust and reformat your resume for a corporate job.
  • Alternative Career Options: Ever pondered, "What else can teachers do for work?" or "Are teachers qualified for other jobs?" We've got answers.
  • Ed Tech Transition: Implement new technology in your classroom and bridge to tech-oriented roles.

• Job Postings as Your Roadmap: Scan them, dissect them, and identify the skills you need. Then, creatively cultivate them right in your classroom.

• Monetize Your Teaching Skills: Realize and emphasize this – one of your most valuable compensation as a teacher is the experience. It's monetizable. It's your stepping stone for applying to non-teaching jobs and can be translated into the business world.

• Services & Support: We touch on teacher career services, career counseling for teachers, and the art of rewriting a teacher resume. Plus, get insights on teacher job fairs and job placement strategies.

Join us as we delve deeper into the world of career guidance for teachers. Whether you're thinking of quitting teaching or just seeking career advice for teachers, this episode offers a wealth of actionable insights. Let's redefine and reshape your career journey together!

Andrea Hanson is a former teacher turned boutique owner + landlord + business mentor. In 2016, she retired as a teacher to focus full time on her first online business and since then she's started *3* more successful businesses which led her to launching RAE (ReAligned Entrepreneurs). With RAE she pours her love for small business into women who feel the nudge for more.

Andrea says she's learned that too many women think their dream business is unattainable, so she's on a personal mission to clear out any limiting beliefs and show you how to lean into the unknown!

In this inspiring episode, we talk about:

• Leaving teaching for a new career path even when you love teaching and aren't really wanting to leave

• Finding fulfillment in connecting with students, not just teaching curriculum, and how that translates outside of the classroom

• Leaving teaching career for passion projects

• How teachers face guilt, fear, and intimidation when leaving the classroom

• Career change, self-doubt, and financial planning

• Blocking out naysayers to focus on your own excitement about what's next

• Struggling with imposter syndrome yet reprogramming thoughts through personal development and constant growth

• How social expectations of women in the workplace hold them back and ways to overcome these challenges

• Andrea's journey of leaving teaching to pursue coaching and boutique ownership, and how mentorship and time management skills led to her success

• How to identify viable business ideas and Andrea's test to determine if an idea is worth pursuing

• How to pay attention to signs that an idea is worth exploring

⁠Check out Andrea's amazing business here⁠ and if you'd like to work with her, please get it touch! @andrea.hanson.82 or andreahanson82 AT gmail dot com.

For more great content for transitioning teachers, check us out at the ⁠What's Next Teacher⁠ website or ⁠@whatsnextteacher⁠ on Instagram. If you liked this episode or have a question or topic for a future episode, drop me a quick note! julie AT whatsnextteacher dot com. 

This week we talk to Jen Widerberg, also known as Financial Services Tech Recruiter.

Jen has been in recruiting for over 15 years, and she's also a friend of mine who talks candidly about how teachers should approach a transition out of education.

In this episode, we cover:

• The difference between internal recruiters and agency recruiters
• Roles that are great for teachers looking to pivot
• What Learning & Development roles entail
• Imposter syndrome and how to reframe your thinking
• Translating teaching experience for job applications
• How to use prompts with ChatGPT to frame relevant information in your resume
• How transitioning teachers can use LinkedIn
• Personal branding
• Leveraging your unique skills to stand out on the job market
• How to reach out to recruiters
• How to choose the next organization you work for
• How to answer the question, "So why do you want to leave teaching?"

You can find Jen on LinkedIn and X where she talks all things tech talent, AI, and marathon running.

Eric James Stephens: A beacon for those considering a teacher career transition. Having personally navigated the choppy waters of leaving the teaching profession, he's emerged as a key figure in advocating alternative career options for teachers. In this episode we talk about just how he pivoted into the world of data during the global pandemic (whew!) with no background in analytics. He started the popular hashtags ⁠#TranslateAcademia ,⁠ ⁠#HireHigherEd, ⁠⁠⁠⁠and⁠ #ChangeHigherEd⁠, and has carved out a very successful path in data analytics using storytelling (and how you can, too!)

In today's deep dive, we uncover:

• Eric’s unique journey of transitioning out of teaching during a global pandemic and the associated teacher job search challenges.
• Tackling the ubiquitous question: what else can teachers do for work? With his expertise in career guidance for teachers, Eric presents tangible pathways.
• His insights into rewriting a teacher resume to resonate with non-teaching jobs, showcasing the skills that make teachers prime candidates in the business world.
• Eric's candid discussion on the importance of teacher professional development and how he's leveraged platforms like TikTok to extend career advice for teachers.
• A deep dive into teacher career services and the increasing role of teacher job fairs.
• The art of translating a teacher resume for other jobs and the essential teacher career coaching tips for those eyeing roles in Ed tech jobs or pondering the transition from teacher to corporate.
• Debunking myths: Are teachers qualified for other jobs? Absolutely. Learn how teachers transitioning to industry is not only possible but can be a match made in heaven for an employer.
• Eric's own tale of quitting teaching and how he navigated the maze of teacher job placement, and using storytelling to illustrate how his teaching resume suited him for a corporate gig.
• The power of storytelling, networking, and leveraging teacher skills translated in the business world.

Are you a teacher wondering how to transition out of education or seeking to adjust your teacher resume for a corporate job? Discover the roles that are eagerly seeking to hire former teachers and how you can seamlessly get out of the classroom.

For a treasure trove of insights and actionable advice:

Connect with him over on LinkedIn and his translate.academia TikTok account FULL of great content to help you make connections between your teaching skillset and the broader landscape of jobs you can land with it.

Ever wondered how one transitions from teaching to tapping into the booming "Online Course Consultant" space? On today's episode, we sit down with Cindy from Course Magic Designs, who took her final bow in the classroom in May 2023 and embarked on a new adventure. With two years of side-hustling under her belt before the big leap, Cindy now enjoys the liberty of working from anywhere, now tethered only to her love for curriculum design. Dive in as she shares her intriguing exit story filled with journal entries, profound reflections, and strategic skill-building. Discover her insights on kickstarting a side gig, morphing it into a full-time endeavor, navigating the rollercoaster of emotions, and what her day-to-day now looks like. Plus, get a sneak peek into her new evergreen program and her upcoming event tailored for budding entrepreneurs itching to create courses. If you're at the crossroads of 'what's next?', this episode is a beacon.

Find Cindy at https://www.coursemagicdesigns.com/

And check out Cindy's new offering The Pearl! Bring Cindy your ocean and she will help you find your pearl. You have many ideas swimming around in your head. You're not sure which one is right for you. THE PEARL will help you sort it all out. Just follow the directions each day and you'll make your way to the "just right" PEARL for you. You will know EXACTLY where you're going next!

This episode is for my listeners who think networking is slimy, sleazy, or awkward. If just thinking about networking as a teacher job changer gives you anxiety (or maybe you just need a little information to get your started), this episode is for you! 

In this episode, I talk:

• How to find people on LinkedIn to network with
• EXACTLY what to say when you're networking
• Why it's ESSENTIAL for women to network
• All about the hidden job market
• How to reach out (with my scripts!) 
• Why being a newbie in a career field is a huge advantage when you're networking 

And I also put together a free networking guide to help you guys out. 

So excited to have Dr. Sharon Martin, LCSW on the pod today for part II of our talk on *~*~*~boundaries*~*~* for teachers. 

Dr. Martin began her career working in community mental health programs serving her community members in need. She's done it all -- counseling, therapy, and clinical supervision in programs serving adolescents, the homeless, juvenile offenders, veterans, and individuals struggling with addiction, trauma, and mental illness. And she's written books to serve people just like YOU on boundaries. 

In this episode we talk about: 

• How to handle guilt as a teacher...guilt about not doing enough, guilt about leaving for greener pastures...guilt about focusing finally on YOU
• Concrete steps for erecting emotional boundaries when you are carrying a heavy emotional load at work and taking it home 
• How to handle it when you're asked to work long hours and you want to say no but you're scared! 
• Teachers and wageless labor 
• Why younger/new teachers are targets for manipulation 
• How starting a new job can help you press the reset button and put boundaries in place
• How school culture exerts immense pressure to have zero boundaries + how it's affecting your life
• Boundaries for helpers, empaths, sensitive people
• Changing your mindset away from martyrdom 

And more! 

Sharon Martin, LCSW

IG: @dr_sharon_martin 

YouTube: @sharonmartin

Dr. Martin's Free Resources 

The Better Boundaries Workbook by Dr. Sharon Martin 

This week we talk BOUNDARIES! 

If you are trying to make a teacher career transition and leave the teaching profession, it's probably because you're in a toxic school or district OR you are being overworked and you're burning out. 

My best career advice for teacher career changers is my best career advice for anyone in any industry: put boundaries in place. 

So often, teachers face untenable situations at work and we think, "If only XYZ would change, things would be so much better."  But that removes our agency AND our responsibility and it keeps us stuck in contexts where our physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing suffer. 

The key to breaking free is being really clear on our boundaries: where our responsibilities and control start and end. 

In this episode, I help you get clear on what boundaries are, why they matter, and how exactly you make this concept actionable in your own life.