Teachers in Transition: Career Change and Real Talk for Burned-Out Teachers

Send us Fan Mail We are experiencing very difficult times right now. The pandemic has offered more than enough stress for us in recent months, but now we need to add economic uncertainty and social unrest to the mix. The peaceful protests are justified if the looting and violence are not. But revolution is just about the only thing that manages to change the status quo, and we are witnessing a kin...

Send us Fan Mail No one has a crystal ball that will allow them to accurately predict what the post-pandemic world is going to be like. But you don't need a crystal ball to predict that there are going to be significant changes--more in some areas than in others. Out of the millions of people who lost their jobs, how many will have jobs to go back to when things start to open up and get back...

Send us Fan Mail During this time of high stress and uncertainty, everyone is experiencing a difficult time. We are all stressed out and in need of some extra TLC. This episode is about the need for us to tend to our self-care and that pertains to during the pandemic and after it is behind us. We need to tend to self-care in four categories:  physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. You can aff...

Send us Fan Mail No one has been spared the consequences of COVID-19 whether you had succumbed to the virus or not. Because of the massive shutdown we all experienced as a country, as some states start to open things up and others cautiously consider their options, it occurs to me that the economy will never be quite the same. We are going to need to approach the post-pandemic world with caution a...

Send us Fan Mail We are all dealing with the challenges of COVID-19 even if the biggest challenge is cabin fever and wanting to go places that aren't open yet. In this episode, Kitty offers that sometimes using positive affirmations can help. If you start to feel yourself spiraling into negative thoughts, try to be aware enough of your thoughts to stop them in their tracks and replace them wi...

Send us Fan Mail As the weeks drag on, even though the curve may be flattening, the economic hardship that people have been feeling will continue into the coming weeks and months. Let's be honest. Some jobs are going to disappear for good. And depending on what happens with Congress and its sense of responsibility--or lack thereof--for states and localities, even more jobs may be on the chopp...

Send us Fan Mail As the days drag on that we are self-isolating and keeping to ourselves as much as possible, we may start to experience some symptoms of cabin fever. Having a routine that limits our activities and keeps us cooped up in the house for this long (we're going on six weeks or thereabouts here in my part of the world) can make us cranky and irritable. The important thing is to avo...

Send us Fan Mail Job hunters and career changers are facing unique challenges during this historic period. We have been struck down by the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that has the country in its grip along with the economic fallout of closing down all non-essential services in an effort to slow the spread of the deadly virus. You don't have to stop your job search during thi...

Send us Fan Mail During these difficult days, weeks, and months, we are all feeling the stress and strain of living with a ruthless pandemic that is also causing economic mayhem. If you think you're stressed, imagine how our children are feeling! This episode points to the importance of helping our children learn how to manage their stress because they are certainly as stressed as you are--pe...

Send us Fan Mail Whether you are working from home or you've been laid off or furloughed during the pandemic, because of the "stay at home" order that many of you have been given, you now have some extra time on your hands. Like it or not, you can't go anywhere except the grocery store and drugstore, and there's only so much Netflix one can watch. Might I suggest that you...

Send us Fan Mail Many of us were at a point of feeling highly stressed and anxious even before this latest situation that has all of us in its grip. Part of the reason I became a stress management coach is that I wanted to help people learn how to manage and reduce their stress. Taking care of our psychological wellness is an essential part of maintaining our health overall. So when you start to f...

Send us Fan Mail No matter where you live or what you do, the current health crisis which has turned into an economic calamity is impacting you. You have probably been asked to stay home from work unless you are a health professional, a government worker, or a first-responder. What does all this mean if you were in the midst of a job search or an effort to change your career? The honest answer is...

Send us Fan Mail We are experiencing a global phenomenon right now, and it is impacting the health and wellbeing of thousands of individuals worldwide. It is also affecting the economy because of the uncertainty around global markets. There isn't a lot the average person can do about any of it except to stay informed and do what he or she can to protect themselves and their loved ones. In thi...

Send us Fan Mail When you are thinking of changing jobs or careers, the first question that comes to mind is often what you want to do and what you feel you would enjoy, not to mention what you might be qualified to do. I recommend that you take time at the beginning of the process to do a lot of self-reflection and introspection. Consider what your core strengths, abilities, and aptitudes are. No...

Send us Fan Mail Stress affects us in a variety of ways including mentally, physically, and emotionally. We sometimes feel the emotional and mental impact of stress, and we may be aware of some of the physical symptoms, but few people know about how stress impacts a variety of hormones. One of the hormones that stress can wreak havoc on is cortisol. We need a healthy balance of cortisol in our sys...

Send us Fan Mail If you are thinking of changing your job or career, chances are you feel stuck, and one of the reasons you feel stuck is that you don't know what you would like to do instead. In fact, you don't even know what you might be qualified to do instead. That's why you need to learn how to research. You need to research different jobs that sound interesting to you. You nee...

Send us Fan Mail Self-care is not selfish, but a lot of people think that it is. They think self-care is for other people. Or they convince themselves that they have to take care of other people first. You ignore your need to take care of yourself at your own peril, however. Learn why I mean by reading my newsletter article from this week at this link:  http://bit.ly/selfcarepracticestouseyourwhol...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode, I interview Suzanne Klein, a former teacher turned serial entrepreneur. Suzanne worked as a teacher in multiple roles and different grade levels before becoming an instructor for BER (Bureau of Education And Research). She developed a writing curriculum that was so effective she was able to turn it into a million-dollar idea--literally. She started a busin...

Send us Fan Mail A recently released study conducted by the University of Missouri indicates that 94% of middle school teachers are feeling high levels of stress . Needless to say, that is very alarming. Interestingly, the article posted in Science Daily entitled, "Nearly All Middle School Teachers are Highly Stressed" pointed to the negative effect that the high level of stress by teach...

Send us Fan Mail When thinking about changing jobs (or careers) some people would rather work for someone else as an employee and others would prefer to strike out on their own. The trouble is they don't know how or where to start. My guest today, Brittany Long of My Life After Teaching offers in my interview with her that a health scare sent her looking for something she would rather do with...

Send us Fan Mail Stress is on the rise as we enter the new year and a new decade. Indeed, I learned some startling statistics as I was putting together a presentation on stress and stress management last weekend. To hear more about those startling statistics, listen in. To watch the Facebook presentation, click here:  https://www.facebook.com/kitty.boitnott/videos/10156961199070745/UzpfSTU1NjUzMDc...

Send us Fan Mail We are a week into a new year and a new decade. Are you drifting along or do you have plans to make something big happen in your life this year? Do you want to lose weight? Change something about a relationship? (Maybe FIND a relationship?) Or do you want a new, more fulfilling job in 2020? Whatever you want for yourself, you should consider creating specific goals (like SMART goa...

Send us Fan Mail The holidays may be behind us, but that doesn't mean our stress is. In fact, as we enter a new year and a new decade, stress may still be very much part of our lives to a greater or lesser degree. If you feel stressed but you aren't sure how concerned you should be about it, why not take this opportunity to take a stress assessment? I provide this instrument for my clien...

Send us Fan Mail I can't tell you how many times I have heard people say, "I am going to knock off the job search over the holidays and start fresh after the New Year," They mistakenly think that everyone else is taking a break for the holidays. I say "mistakenly" because they are wrong! Many companies only take the actual holidays off...and they still have openings to fil...

Send us Fan Mail The holiday season is stressful for some. In fact, for some people, it brings more stress than joy. Teachers hand on to the thought that during their holiday break, they can get some rest. But there is no rest for the weary person who is responsible for decorating, baking, party planning, and attending, and Christmas shopping while working full time. If you find yourself more stre...