Send us a text

Stop Saying “Someday” + Teacher Career Transition Tips from Knight and Day

Ever notice how “someday” sounds like a plan… until it becomes your excuse?

This week, I’m diving into the utterly bananas spy movie Knight and Day—and pulling out some surprisingly relevant lessons for teachers on the edge of burnout. Between Tom Cruise’s calm chaos and Cameron Diaz’s underestimated genius, there’s a message every teacher-in-transition needs to hear:

If you keep waiting for the right time, you’ll wait forever.

🧭 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why “someday” is a career-killing word
• What June Havens teaches us about being underestimated and overqualified
• How Roy Miller’s “go on three” moment is a metaphor for clarity in chaos
• 8 red flags to watch for in new jobs (before you jump from one fire into another)
• How to use your teacher instincts to make better moves

🔗 Ready to Stop Waiting?

→ Join my next DECIDE Workshop (Sept 1 or Sept 27, 2025)
→ Book a free Discovery Call: Click here
→ Or just rewatch Knight and Day and let the metaphor work its magic

🤝 Connect With Me:

📧 Vanessa@teachersintransition.com
📞 512-640-9099
📅 Schedule a free Discovery Call
📸 Instagram,Threads and now TikTok!- @teachers.in.transition
🐦 X: @EduExitStrategy
🔵 Facebook: Teachers in Transition Page
🌐 Bluesky: @beyondteaching.bsky.social

👋Connect with and Follow Vanessa
📧 Email: Vanessa@teachersintransition.com
📞 Text or Leave a Voicemail: 512-640-9099
📅 Book a Free Discovery Session: teachersintransition.com/calendar
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vanessajackson78132
📷 Instagram & Threads: @teachers.in.transition
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565671792885
🌤️ Bluesky: @beyondteaching.bsky.social
X (Twitter): @EduExitStrategy

I need your help!

Please share this podcast with someone that you think might like what it has to say – many teachers are aching to find a way to a new career. You can help them. People find new podcasts mostly because they’ve been recommended by someone they know.

The transcript to this podcast is found on the episode’s homepage at Buzzspout

Send us a text

Hey friend, this one's personal.
If you’ve ever said, “Maybe I’ll just stick it out one more year,” this episode is your invitation to something different. Not a lecture. Not a pitch. A real workshop. A pause. A chance to breathe.

In this short episode, I’m sharing:

• What I mean by the “Invisible Backpack” and why it keeps you stuck
• The truth about “just one more year” (hint: it’s still a decision)
• The 5Ps Framework I created to help you sort the chaos and find clarity

But more importantly, I’m inviting you to join me for the DECIDE Workshop—a live, interactive session designed to help burned-out teachers make career decisions that are grounded in truth, not guilt.

🗓️ Two Dates to Choose From:
September 1 or September 27 at 2PM CT
🎟️ Click here to register now

Spots are limited because this isn’t a webinar. It’s a conversation.

You’ll walk away with:

• Space to set down what’s been weighing you down
• Reflection prompts that cut through the noise
• A personal roadmap—whether you stay, shift, or leave

This isn’t about rushing out the door. It’s about making your next move with eyes wide open

Let’s stop surviving and start deciding.

If you have any questions, reach out to me directly at Vanessa@teachersintransiton.com.

I hope to see you there!

Send us a text

What does a ridiculous comedy bout dodgeball have in common with the emotional rollercoaster of being a burned-out teacher? More than you think.

In this episode of Teachers in Transition, Vanessa uses Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story to explore the hidden truth behind teacher burnout, resilience, and identity loss. From flying wrenches and Globo Gym gaslighting to career pivots and Average Joe’s community, this metaphor-rich episode will help you name your exhaustion, reclaim your worth, and start your exit strategy with clarity.

Whether you're flinching at every new initiative, grieving your former self, or finally whispering, “I can’t do this anymore,”—you’re not broken. You’re rebuilding.

Keywords: teacher burnout, teacher career change, teacher transition, emotional exhaustion, resilience, career pivot, leaving teaching, post-teaching jobs, mid-career reinvention

Listen now and remember: you've given enough. It’s time to build a future that gives back.

Connect!

📧 Email: Vanessa@teachersintransition.com
📅 Schedule a free Discovery Session: teachersintransition.com/calendar
📱 Text or leave a voicemail: 512-640-9099
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vanessajackson78132
📷 Instagram + Threads: @teachers.in.transition
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565671792885
✳️ Bluesky: @beyondteaching.bsky.social
🧵 X (Twitter): @EduExitStrategy
🌐 Website: TeachersinTransition.com

I need your help!

Please share this podcast with someone that you think might like what it has to say – many teachers are aching to find a way to a new career. You can help them. People find new podcasts mostly because they’ve been recommended by someone they know.

The transcript to this podcast is found on the episode’s homepage at Buzzspout

Send us a text

To Live Would Be an Awfully Big Adventure (Especially After Teaching)

In this heartfelt episode, we head to Neverland, but this isn’t just a nostalgia trip. It’s a wake-up call for teachers who feel like they’ve become someone they don’t recognize.

We unpack the 1991 film Hook and its surprising resonance for burned-out educators, creative souls, and those contemplating a career transition.

From the chilling moment Peter is asked, “Have you become a pirate?” to the empowering final message: “Take care of everything smaller than you,” this episode will inspire you to reclaim your spark - and build a life that gives back.

💡 In This Episode:

• 🎯 What Hook reveals about adulthood, burnout, and systemic betrayal
• 🌟 Why creativity is a form of self-care (and how to start reclaiming it)
• 🤝 How to build a “Battle Buddy” support system
• 🧠 Why standardized testing broke more than classrooms—and how we rebuild
• 🔍 A tip to find clarity with a CLARIFY sort of acrostic
• ✍️ This week’s challenge: The 5-Minute Joy Practice & Daily Haiku
• 🎵 And a little sprinkle of Robin Williams magic

🔍 Keywords: teacher burnout recovery | how to leave teaching | career change for educators | jobs for ex teachers | teacher career transition

🛠️ Resources Mentioned:

• 🎨 Try this creativity booster: Write a daily haiku (5-7-5 syllables)
• 💼 Career Clarity Tool: MyNextMove.org
• 🎶 When You’re Alone scene from Hook: Watch on YouTube (skip ad)

👋Connect with and Follow Vanessa
📧 Email: Vanessa@teachersintransition.com
📞 Text or Leave a Voicemail: 512-640-9099
📅 Book a Free Discovery Session: teachersintransition.com/calendar
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vanessajackson78132
📷 Instagram & Threads: @teachers.in.transition
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565671792885
🌤️ Bluesky: @beyondteaching.bsky.social
X (Twitter): @EduExitStrategy

I need your help!

Please share this podcast with someone that you think might like what it has to say – many teachers are aching to find a way to a new career. You can help them. People find new podcasts mostly because they’ve been recommended by someone they know.

The transcript to this podcast is found on the episode’s homepage at Buzzspout

Send us a text

What can a sci-fi comedy teach us about burnout, imposter syndrome, and teacher career transitions? A lot, actually. In this episode, Vanessa Jackson—former educator turned career transition coach—dives into Galaxy Quest to explore how pretending can lead to reality, why martyrdom in teaching needs to end, and how your “teacher skills” translate far beyond the classroom.

This episode is for every educator who’s ever felt like the “plucky comic relief,” every burned-out teacher who wonders if it’s too late to start over, and everyone who needs a reminder that belief—especially borrowed belief—can be a lifeline.

Takeaways

• A new lens on impostor syndrome (and how it might be your launchpad)
• Reflections on teacher martyrdom and how to break the cycle
• Concrete ways your teaching experience translates into other careers
• A sci-fi-inspired call to reclaim your identity and write your next chapter

💻 Helpful Links & Resources:

• 💬 Book a free Discovery Call with Vanessa: teachersintransition.com/calendar
• 📺 Watch Galaxy Quest: Available on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and YouTube Movies
• 🎧 Missed Episode #261 on Rejection Resilience? Click here to listen

📌 Keywords
teacher burnout, teacher transition, Galaxy Quest, imposter syndrome, career change for teachers, transferable skills for educators, leave teaching, second career, job search for teachers, inspirational podcast for teachers, sci-fi self-help, never give up never surrender, educational career coaching

👋Connect with and Follow Vanessa
📧 Email: Vanessa@teachersintransition.com
📞 Text or Leave a Voicemail: 512-640-9099
📅 Book a Free Discovery Session: teachersintransition.com/calendar
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vanessajackson78132
📷 Instagram & Threads: @teachers.in.transition
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565671792885
🌤️ Bluesky: @beyondteaching.bsky.social
X (Twitter): @EduExitStrategy

I need your help!

Please share this podcast with someone that you think might like what it has to say – many teachers are aching to find a way to a new career. You can help them. People find new podcasts mostly because they’ve been recommended by someone they know.

The transcript to this podcast is found on the episode’s homepage at Buzzspout

Send us a text

What do stained glass, jousting, and Geoffrey Chaucer have to do with your next career move? More than you think.

In this episode, Vanessa uses A Knight’s Tale to explore what it means to reinvent yourself without erasing who you’ve been. From burnout to “changing your stars,” we break down how hope, identity, and real-world strategy (hello, skills gap analysis!) can guide you out of survival mode and into something that finally fits.

You’ve been weighed. You’ve been measured. And you have not been found wanting.

🎥 Stream the Movie: Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, or Tubi (free)
🎯 Explore our Self-Paced Courses
📞 Book a Free Clarity Call with Vanessa
🔗 Fun Fact: Kevin Bacon Connections: Oracle of Bacon

Keywords: teacher burnout, career pivot, A Knight’s Tale, podcast, job search strategy, Chaucer, skills gap, subject matter expert, networking tips, identity after teaching, stress

👋Connect with and Follow Vanessa
📧 Email: Vanessa@teachersintransition.com
📞 Text or Leave a Voicemail: 512-640-9099
📅 Book a Free Discovery Session: teachersintransition.com/calendar
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vanessajackson78132
📷 Instagram & Threads: @teachers.in.transition
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565671792885
🌤️ Bluesky: @beyondteaching.bsky.social
X (Twitter): @EduExitStrategy

Send us a text

In episode of Teachers in Transition, career coach and former middle school teacher Vanessa Jackson uses the cult classic Groundhog Day as a metaphor for the emotional and professional loop so many educators feel stuck in. Vanessa dissects the 5 stages of grief not only as they appear in Bill Murray’s iconic time-loop comedy, but as they show up in the lives of teachers contemplating an exit from education.

Listeners will discover:

• Why Groundhog Day is more than a comedy—it’s a career transition parable
• How teachers experience denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance in their own version of “the loop”
• The “Pink Sock Strategy” for standing out on job applications
• Tips for building resilience during a job hunt that feels repetitive and demoralizing
• How your quirkiest skills (like Vanessa’s concert pianist degree) may be your secret weapon

Vanessa also shares a deeply personal connection to the film and uses it as a jumping-off point to affirm one simple truth: change is possible, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.

If you’re a burned-out teacher wondering, “Is this all there is?”—this episode is a must-listen.

CONNECT WITH VANESSA:
📧 Email: Vanessa@TeachersinTransition.com
📞 Text/Voicemail: 512-640-9099
🗓 Schedule a Free Discovery Session: Book here
🔗 LinkedIn: Vanessa Jackson
📘 Facebook: Teachers in Transition
🌐 Website: TeachersinTransition.com
🧵 Instagram/Threads: @teachers.in.transition
🌌 Bluesky: @beyondteaching.bsky.social

Help Grow the Podcast!

Please share this podcast with someone that you think might like what it has to say – many teachers are aching to find a way to a new career. You can help them. People find new podcasts mostly because they’ve been recommended by someone they know.

The transcript to this podcast is found on the episode’s homepage at Buzzspout

Send us a text

Teachers in Transition – Episode 260: What School of Life Teaches Us About Time, Teaching, and Taking the Leap

What if the best career advice came from a forgotten 2005 TV movie starring Ryan Reynolds in red Chucks?

In this episode, we unpack the under-the-radar gem School of Life—a story that holds unexpected wisdom about purpose, time, and finding joy in teaching.

• Why Mr. D’s lessons hit harder than any PD you’ve sat through
• What this movie reveals about teacher grief, freedom, and burnout
• How to rewrite your job search story with power and purpose
• A real-world breakdown of what “teaching like you're free” might look like
• Practical steps for building confidence, clarity, and connection in your next chapter

Because let’s be honest: we don’t have that much time. And you deserve to live a story that gives back to you.

🎧 Listen now and take your shot.
🔗 Click here to listen on Buzzsprout

💌 Connect with Vanessa:
📧 Vanessa@TeachersinTransition.com
📅 Schedule a free Discovery Session
📱 Text or leave a voicemail: 512-640-9099
📘 Follow on Facebook
🧵 Instagram & Threads: @teachers.in.transition
🌀 Bluesky: @beyondteaching.bsky.social

Help Grow the Podcast!

Please share this podcast with someone that you think might like what it has to say – many teachers are aching to find a way to a new career. You can help them. People find new podcasts mostly because they’ve been recommended by someone they know.

The transcript to this podcast is found on the episode’s homepage at Buzzspout