Thanks so much to the SO many of you who reached out to wish me luck on my upcoming transition. I can’t quite believe I’m leaving the classroom, but the past few years have brought a lot of things none of us could have anticipated.
Many of you have asked me what’s next for me. A lot of my future is still uncertain, but I have some thoughts. And, as usual, if I get my way, I’ll have a full plate with lots of diverse experiences. Here are some of the possibilities.
Copywriting
I shared a while ago that in September I started graduate school for a master’s in strategic communications. Though working through this program for the past six months or so has been TOUGH, it’s been an incredibly enriching experience. I’m thoroughly enjoying my classes and I’m doing well in them! It’s nice to have a little reminder that I have a lot to offer — even in the grown-up world.
The experience (and my increasing age) got me asking questions about the best use of my skills. Teaching has been incredibly personally rewarding, but the truth of the matter is that as I get older, I need to think about doing work that compensates well — in the more traditional sense. Over the past few months it has felt even a little irresponsible to continue doing this work that I love, while putting very little towards my future. I’m a single woman without much of a safety net and my kids are already dreading drawing straws to figure out who’s going to take me in.
For years, I’ve done copywriting work on the side to supplement my teaching and my goal is to transition into doing that work full-time. Though I would love the flexibility of freelance, the stability of a full-time position is probably the more responsible move.
In the past, I’ve done B2B and B2C writing for tech, healthcare, finance, and, of course, education — so if you’ve got any leads, send them my way.
Mentoring and Evaluation
Getting into other teachers’ classrooms has always been one of my favorite things to do and I would LOVE to keep doing this work. I know there are a lot of new teachers out there and schools need to give those teachers as much support as they can to help ensure their success.
I’ve been talking about the importance of mentoring for a long time. Truly, I would have walked away from teaching in my first year if I didn’t have the solid support of a mentor — who wasn’t teaching full-time herself.
A lot of schools can’t afford outside mentors, so they rely on a robust peer mentorship program. Teachers start with the best of intentions, but things inevitably fall apart as everyone gets busy and they just don’t have time to go visit other teachers’ classrooms.
I’m hoping that whatever full-time gig I come up with can allow for some flexibility so I can get into Waldorf classrooms with some frequency.
A Waldorf Journey
I’ve also done a lot of thinking about how NOT spending my days in the classroom will allow me more time to focus on A Waldorf Journey. Of course, the classroom gives me such inspiration for the content I share here, so I’m sure it will be an adjustment. But Waldorf Education is a part of my heart and soul — I think I’ll find plenty of things to write about.
Honestly, there are so many directions this little business could go. I’d love to fill in the gaps of the curriculum resources I offer, get podcasting again, and let more people know about my courses and other resources.
I’ve also had a dream of creating a six-month long mentorship program that provides hand-holding, tools, and one-on-one support through those important first few months of teaching. Maybe I could make it affordable enough to persuade schools to make the investment!
So, in many ways, the world is my oyster. I’m excited about all the possibilities, but also slightly terrified. I’m trusting that the path will make itself clear, and I’m routinely reminding myself that growth follows discomfort. It would be easy to keep teaching forever. But life isn’t always about taking the easy option, I suppose.
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