“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
As I snapped my last selfie in the classroom, I reflected on nineteen fulfilling years of teaching at ten different primary schools, both nationally and internationally. While being a kindergarten and ELL teacher brought immense joy, I realized the need to prioritize family time and explore more flexible avenues for making a living.
Finding Opportunity Amidst Chaos:
Amidst the pandemic’s upheaval, I found a silver lining in the form of reflection and introspection. It provided me with the opportunity to reassess my priorities and make the decision to prioritize my family while pursuing my passion for creating digital resources. This pivotal moment inspired me to channel my creativity into entrepreneurship, crafting educational materials that would resonate with educators worldwide while allowing me the flexibility to spend quality time with my loved ones.
Discovery and Turning Point:
While I started my TPT shop in 2017, it remained neglected. Yet, I relished creating resources for my classroom. Sharing these with fellow teachers marked a turning point. Their recognition of value filled me with happiness and ignited a newfound purpose.
Unleashing Potential:
Becoming a curriculum author is not bound to one physical place but is out there for everyone who is connected to the internet and has a passion for educational resources. It evoked my curiosity about what talents I could put out there in the world to help teachers to create an inclusive and welcoming environment.
Embracing Uncertainty:
Despite concerns about stable income, I embraced the journey, placing full faith in creativity to forge an online income and enrich the ESL community.
Navigating Challenges:
Venturing into entrepreneurship brought its share of hurdles beyond the classroom. Copyright laws required careful attention to ensure I created original content while staying compliant. Selling online came with its complexities in pricing and marketing strategies. Email marketing became a crucial tool for reaching and engaging my audience, though mastering its nuances took time. Despite these obstacles, each challenge spurred growth and reinforced my dedication to providing educators with top-notch resources while navigating the dynamic world of digital entrepreneurship.
Every journey starts with directions. You don’t need all the answers and won’t have all the answers right away. Think of what your next first move is to manifest a better life for yourself and if you don’t like it you can always go back to teaching.
What are your thoughts? Share your feelings in the comments below as we embark on this adventure of creating education beyond borders.
This touched home with me, as I left for the many reasons that you mentioned – if not more. Glad to see that you are bringing some joy back to education and realizing your self-worth. More stories like yours and mine need to be shared. This is the new norm and we should not feel discouraged, but rather happy that we were able to see beyond the classroom walls.
Good luck!
Thank you Michelle, good luck to you too with your new endeavours!