The Adventures After Teaching Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

“I’m not prepared to give up any more of my personal life” 

After spending 12 years teaching in special needs schools, Assistant Head Rachel loved working with children and young people but found herself frustrated by the lack of resources available to support them and overwhelmed by the impact of teaching on her home life. 

Joining the Academy in April 2023, Rachel went on to land herself a part-time role with children’s charity Barnado’s, and poured her additional time and energy into setting up a business that aligned with her passions and specialist expertise. Now running a successful therapeutic yoga business working with young people, Rachel is loving a life of flexible working, the ‘best bits’ of teaching, and exciting plans for the future. 

In this episode, we’re exploring:

• Riding a roller-coaster of emotion
• Being signed-off sick (and attempting to return to the classroom)
• Battling feelings of ‘it must be me’
• Decision paralysis whilst burnt out 
• Enjoying collective support from people who understand the journey
• Seeking meaning in new career options
• Business-building security
• The practicalities of setting up a local business 
• Making worthwhile connections
• Term-time travel! ✈️

Links:

Rachel’s website:

https://www.discoveringcalm.co.uk/ 

Opportunities at Barnado’s:

https://www.barnardos.org.uk/jobs-at-barnardos 

If you're looking for step-by-step support to start your own business, check out the Adventures After Teaching Business School and choose from five different pathways to turn your teacher skills into a business you LOVE. 

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One of our earliest Academy members, Laura joined Adventures After Teaching three years ago. After 17 years teaching Secondary Maths whilst also dealing with a chronic health condition, she enrolled in our free Stay or Go workshop and began to dream of new possibilities outside of the classroom. 

Laura landed herself a new role as a Digital Skills Trainer and embraced a life of remote working and flexible job perks, whilst still retaining all the aspects of teaching that she loved - relationship building and flexing those coaching and mentoring skills! In the last year, Laura has moved on to  establish her own business, empowering entrepreneurial mums with chronic illnesses. 

In this episode, we chat:

• Feeling stuck in teaching whilst dealing with health struggles
• Gaining perspective outside the school environment
• Illuminating transferable skills
• Negotiating better terms for a new job
• Remote work - does it get lonely?
• Grieving the loss of teacher identity
• Rediscovering yourself again
• Working on mindset - evolving and going with the flow!
• Coming ‘back to life’ ✨

Links and Resources:

1. Laura’s Community

2. Ill Health Retirement

If you're looking for step-by-step support to start your own business, check out the Adventures After Teaching Business School and choose from five different pathways to turn your teacher skills into a business you LOVE. 

⚡️ OUR CAREER CHANGE ACADEMY MEMBERSHIP IS NOW OPEN! ⚡️

Caroline was a Secondary History teacher who has successfully transitioned out of the classroom to become an Administrations and Systems Officer for a local charity. 

Her journey out of teaching took a year and she reflects on her need to take the time to explore her value and skills - the result making her comfortably able to showcase why she was the best person for the job!

In this episode we also explore:

• Teaching not aligning with her health and family anymore
• Values being at the centre of making a positive career change
• Every teacher being on their own path when leaving 
• Creating a confident CV which showcases your skills
• The transferabale skills teachers have for admin and systems work
• The day-to-day variety of her hybrid role
• Reclaiming connection with her family and friends
• Top advice for teachers looking the leave the classroom

Links and Resources

1. CVs for Teacher Career Change Course

If you're looking for step-by-step support to find and secure a new job or start your own business, check out the Adventures After Teaching Academy which will help successfully you leave the classroom!

⚡️ OUR CAREER CHANGE ACADEMY MEMBERSHIP IS NOW OPEN! ⚡️

Lee was a Secondary Geography teacher with additional responsibility for careers, who has successfully transitioned into Programme Management. He shares with that even though he already changed careers when coming to teaching later in life, he still had a lot to learn about “de-teacherfying” his CV and navigating the world of recruitment. 

In this episode, we also explore:

• Mapping Lee's varied skills from teaching
• Utilising his event's management experience
• Embracing change without fear and knowing it will work out
• Practical career change support that helped him
• Targeting his energy in the job search
• Actually enjoying the interview process!
• Lee's day-to-day and a different type of manageable pressure
• Having his life back!

Links and Resources

1. LinkedIn for Teaching Career Change Course

If you're looking for step-by-step support to find and secure a new job or start your own business, check out the Adventures After Teaching Academy which will help successfully you leave the classroom!

⚡️ OUR CAREER CHANGE ACADEMY MEMBERSHIP IS NOW OPEN! ⚡️

Academy Alumni Ruth was a Deputy Head with experience as a Designated Safeguarding Lead and SENCO, who is now working for a Local Authority as Domestic Abuse Liaison Officer (Schools). 

Ruth was able to combine her safeguarding knowledge and transferable leadership skills to successfully secure this role, allowing her to make a difference while not taking her work home with her. She shares her experiences of the local authority interview process and the gifts of working in a hybrid role.

In this episode, we also explore:

• Recognising the impact work was having and discovering the choice to choose another path.
• Reflecting on your values to explore what you want from a future role.
• Preparing for the interview using positive visualisation and evidencing impact with clear examples. 
• Ruth’s core responsibilities and day-to-day life delivering training, monitoring data and triaging cases.
• Working flexibly from home, mixing visits to local offices and schools across the local authority.
• The benefits of being able to choose and book your own CPD to up skill your CV!
• Slowing down, enjoying a manageable pace and being able to schedule your own day.

Links and Resources

1. https://www.operationencompass.org/
2. LinkedIn for Teaching Career Change Course

If you're looking for step-by-step support to find and secure a new job or start your own business, check out the Adventures After Teaching Academy which will help successfully you leave the classroom!

⚡️ OUR CAREER CHANGE ACADEMY MEMBERSHIP IS NOW OPEN! ⚡️

Fran's fascinating career change has seen her move from Primary Music Teacher in a rural Primary school (along a squiggly career path) to where she is now as a Learning Technology Strategist. She offers some great insights into the world of learning design and we can utilise our teacher transferable skills.

We explore where we can find roles in learning technology and learning design and chat about the need to put yourself out there - particularly the power of networking on LinkedIn!

In this episode, we also explore:

• Feeling that teaching didn’t align with her values anymore
• Finding a lifeboat job to get out of school quickly
• Branching into e-learning and taking on temporary roles
• What a learning technologist and learning designer does
• Bringing a range of teacher transferable skills to problem solving
• Finding an organisation who has the same values
• Why you need to be on LinkedIn when changing your career!
• Top tips for teachers applying for similar roles

Links and Resources

1. https://www.linkedin.com/in/fran-harrison-uk/
2. LinkedIn for Teaching Career Change Course

If you're looking for step-by-step support to find and secure a new job or start your own business, check out the Adventures After Teaching Academy which will help successfully you leave the classroom!

⚡️ OUR CAREER CHANGE ACADEMY MEMBERSHIP IS NOW OPEN! ⚡️

Academy Alumni member Gemma talks about her interesting move from Secondary Art teacher to Quality Assurance Leader at NCFE. She shares specific examples of the skills that she evidenced in her application and interview, and how these help her in the day-to-day role.

As teachers and leaders in education, we have a wealth of quality assurance, moderation, assessment and training experiences - this episode shares another way we can use this in a very different setting.

In this episode, we also explore:

• Maternity leave, lock down and competing with her pre-children teacher self
• Financially preparing to leave teaching
• Knowing that feeling sad doesn’t make it the wrong decision
• The wealth of teacher transferable skills and how to reference them
• Translating job specifications and understanding what they mean
• Preparing for her interview and giving great examples
• Struggling with imposter syndrome
• Quality assurance as a day-to-day role
• Top tips for working for an accreditation body

Links and Resources

1.  https://www.ncfe.org.uk/careers/
2. LinkedIn for Teaching Career Change Course

If you're looking for step-by-step support to find and secure a new job or start your own business, check out the Adventures After Teaching Academy which will help successfully you leave the classroom!

⚡️ OUR CAREER CHANGE ACADEMY MEMBERSHIP IS NOW OPEN! ⚡️

Amy shares her adventure after teaching, setting up an alternative provision centre where she now employs a small team of teachers.

In business for two years, we talk about her early experiences working in different settings before exploring the practicalities of securing a space, compliance and working with local schools. A must listen for anyone passionate about teaching on your own terms!

In this episode we explore:

• Feeling the call to create high quality holistic provision for young people
• What to know about setting up an alternative provision centre
• How running a centre is similar to managing a classroom or department
• What to consider when looking for a space
• The relationship between the local authority and schools in placing students
• Amy’s day-to-day in the centre and taking the best bits of teaching with her
• Managing and growing the business in the future
• Top tips for teachers wanting to follow a similar path

Links and Resources

1. https://www.alearningplace.co.uk/
2. https://www.acas.org.uk/

If you're looking for step-by-step support to start your own business, check out the Adventures After Teaching Business School and choose from five different pathways to turn your teacher skills into a business you LOVE. 

⚡️ OUR CAREER CHANGE ACADEMY MEMBERSHIP IS NOW OPEN! ⚡️

Academy member Paul shares his teacher career change journey with us - from teaching internationally to securing a role as an Outreach Officer at “Make Happen”, a company working in partnerships with local university and disadvantaged schools to increase access advice and info to students, teachers and parents on reality of higher and university education.

He enjoys a hybrid role with time at home and the ability to truly switch off evenings and weekends. Paul's day-to-day gives a fascinating insight into the sorts of skills and experiences universities and charities who work with them are looking for. 

In this episode we explore:

• Finding support from a community of teachers leaving
• Making the most of LinkedIn when job searching
• Evidencing project management and events management in the interview process
• What school outreach looks like day-to-day 
• Feeling the benefits of work-life balance
• Facing imposter syndrome on the career change journey
• Opportunities for working with universities

Links and Resources

1. www.jobs.ac.uk
2. www.jobsafterteaching.co.uk

If you're looking for step-by-step support to find and secure a new job or start your own business, check out the Adventures After Teaching Academy which will help successfully you leave the classroom!

And if you've seen an Outreach Officer role and would love some help translating your teacher skills, check out my popular  CVs & Resumes for Teacher Career Change  course.

⚡️ OUR CAREER CHANGE ACADEMY MEMBERSHIP IS NOW OPEN! ⚡️

Angela was a Secondary Languages teacher who mentored ECTs before moving on to be a Regional Manager for a Financial Education Charity. Angela has the best of both worlds, working hybrid from home and also visiting schools.

We chat about the skills you have for similar roles developing partnerships with schools and other organisations.

In this episode we chat about:

• How Angela knew it was time to walk away from teaching
• Finding us through the Adventures After Teaching Podcast and help from the Summer Bootcamp
• Evidencing transferable skills on applications and finding roles
• Being assertive in asking for feedback and making initial contact
• Setting up a new regional division and using “teacher skills” in her day-to-day role
• Upskilling her subject knowledge and enjoying be paid to do CPD 
• Networking and developing partnership development skills

Links and Resources

1. www.jobsafterteaching.co.uk

If you're looking for step-by-step support to find and secure a new job or start your own business, check out the Adventures After Teaching Academy which will help successfully you leave the classroom!

And if you've seen a training role and would love some help translating your teacher skills, check out my popular  CVs & Resumes for Teacher Career Change  course.

⚡️ OUR CAREER CHANGE ACADEMY MEMBERSHIP IS NOW OPEN! ⚡️