You can love teaching AND still feel ready for change: The story of why I built a program to help teachers find their path
How I got here
Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be a teacher. There I was, seven years old, standing tall in my pink sparkly jelly shoes, teaching a classroom full of lions, unicorns, and carebears, oh my! (Thank you, mom, for my vast stuffy collection.) At times, my baby brother, Keith, reluctantly attempted my overly-doodled handwritten addition worksheets. As I entered adolescence, I tutored in elementary classrooms, coached youth teams, and taught preschool. It was a path I followed to adulthood and never strayed…until a few years into teaching.
At the time, I was teaching a multiage 2nd/3rd grade classroom for a well-respected public school. Don’t get me wrong, I loved teaching…I loved kids (still do)…my identity had become “teacher,” which happens to almost everyone who has their own classroom at some point in their lives. But I couldn’t shake thinking about what was next for me: Would I keep teaching? Would I follow the administration path? Would I do something else in education, and if yes, what and how?
I had just completed my master’s in education and was eager to apply what I’d learned in a new setting. That summer, I made a big decision to drop what I was doing and give it a shot. Instead of returning to my classroom in August, I moved across the state and joined a private education company, focusing on curriculum and publishing.
Over the next fifteen years, I explored almost every role an educator can experience outside the traditional classroom—professional learning, curriculum design, publishing, instructional design, ed tech, consulting, research, and gamification to name a few. Each role showed me the range of paths teachers can take and the real transferability of our skills.
The reality teachers are facing today
My story of wondering “What else?” and “Should I make a shift?” is not unique. Every year, there are teachers asking themselves similar questions. According to a 2024 PEW study, teachers are less satisfied with their jobs than U.S. workers overall. About 3 in 10 teachers said they may look for a new job, and only half recommend teaching as a profession.
The challenges behind these numbers are complex and vary by person, region, school, and district. Even so, research consistently points to burnout, stress, anxiety, political tensions, systemic pressures, and stagnant salaries as some of the most common factors.
And then there are the new pressures that don’t show up in the surveys yet, like the rise of artificial intelligence and what teachers are suddenly expected to do with it. (That’s a post for another day.)
If you’re a teacher reading this, you don’t need me to list what your day to day feels like.
As these challenges grow, many teachers are left unsure of what comes next for them professionally. This uncertainty shows up in different ways, and over time, I’ve noticed that teachers tend to approach their careers through a few common patterns.
Three ways teachers tend to approach their careers
1) Some teachers renovate the space they’re already in.
They stay in the same classroom “house,” but they refresh it. Maybe they redesign units, try new tools, explore new curriculum, or teach a different grade level. Innovation inside their classroom brings the challenge, joy, and fulfillment they’re looking for. They are teaching, reflecting, and renovating their practice and they’re doing what they’re called to do.
2) Some teachers expand their space.
They keep their classroom “home,” but build onto it. They might develop a niche, write curriculum to sell, create content online, coach, speak, or start a side business. They remain in teaching, and they seek additional growth by expanding beyond the four walls of their classroom, not leaving it.
3) Some teachers end up exploring a new address altogether.
They may still carry the mindset and identity of an educator, but they want to use their skills in a new setting–edtech, curriculum design, consulting, nonprofits, higher ed, etc. Often, they aren’t sure what or where to explore, but they know they’re ready to try something new.
And somewhere in between, there are teachers who like to “shop.” They aren’t sure whether they want to stay in the classroom, but they’re curious. They start browsing possibilities, exploring options, and educating themselves about what’s out there. No commitment, just discovery.
Personally, I’ve found myself in each of these situations at different points in my career, and I’ve met many teachers navigating the same crossroads. Across them all, one thing remains true: outside of administration, there isn’t a clear roadmap for how teachers can grow in their careers.
Whether someone wants to deepen their classroom practice or explore possibilities beyond it, most teachers end up navigating that growth on their own. Like any professional, they deserve clarity, structure, and support.
And that gap, the lack of a clear pathway, is exactly what led me to the work I do now.
A program built from real conversations
Over the years, I’ve supported teachers who were navigating these same questions. Sometimes it was on Zoom, sometimes over coffee, but the themes were always similar: conversations about goals, next steps, and what different directions could look like.
Eventually, I realized those conversations needed a clearer structure. Teachers wanted clarity, a process, and a way to explore possibilities without guessing.
So I took what I’ve learned from my years in classrooms, curriculum, higher ed, and coaching, and built something more structured, while still keeping space for the personal conversations that matter most. I wanted a way to help more teachers, not just the ones who could meet on a Tuesday afternoon.
A clearer pathway for teachers: Elevate your practice™
Elevate your practice™ is an online program I created for educators who want a clearer way to understand and explore their professional options. It’s designed for teachers who are rethinking their next step, whether they want to expand on what they love by finding a niche or explore roles beyond it.
I built the program around a four-part framework drawn from my own journey, the experiences of the many teachers I’ve coached, and what I’ve learned about what actually helps educators make meaningful, confident career moves.
Created with busy teachers in mind, the program is flexible and practical. It offers short, focused videos, meaningful hands-on activities, and a supportive community of educators and mentors, designed to fit into real lives, on your time and at your pace.
The four courses guide you through expanding your skills, gaining experience outside the classroom, crafting a professional brand, and building a network that opens doors.
If you want a quick overview, the free Discovery Class walks you through what’s included and gives you a sense of whether this program is right for you.
A closing note - written for teachers
I care deeply about teachers. This work is personal to me, because I’ve lived the questions you might be asking right now. You can love teaching and still feel ready for change. You can stay, expand, explore, or move…none of those paths take away the heart of who you are as an educator.
My hope is that this program helps you rediscover what lights you up and see the many directions your skills can take you. Wherever your path leads, you deserve to feel fulfilled along the way.
