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

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

De : Vanessa Jackson
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Burned out in the classroom? You’re not alone—and you’re not stuck.

Teachers in Transition: Career Change and Real Talk for Burned-Out Teachers is the podcast for educators who’ve given everything to their students—and now need to give something back to themselves.

Hosted by Vanessa Jackson, a former teacher who transitioned into the staffing and hiring industry, this show blends honest conversations, practical strategy, and deep emotional support. Vanessa knows exactly how burned-out educators can reposition themselves and stand out to recruiters because she’s been on both sides of the hiring table.

Each episode offers real talk and real tools to help you explore what’s next—whether that’s a new job, a new identity, or a new sense of peace.


💼 Career advice for teachers leaving education
💡 Practical job search tips, resume help, and mindset shifts
🧠 Real talk about burnout, grief, and rebuilding

You’ve given enough. It’s time to build a life that gives back.

👉 Learn more at https://teachersintransition.com

© 2026 Teachers in Transition: Career Change and Real Talk for Burned-Out Teachers Economie Hygiène et vie saine Psychologie Psychologie et psychiatrie Réussite personnelle Spiritualité
Épisodes
  • ENCORE: The Cost of Leaving Teaching

    ENCORE: The Cost of Leaving Teaching
    Jun 24 2026
    Send us Fan MailThis week’s encore episode covers three very different—but deeply connected—parts of surviving and transitioning out of teaching: finding laughter where you can, helping people understand invisible learning differences, and getting honest about the financial realities of leaving the classroom.First, Vanessa makes the case for laughter as more than a pleasant distraction. A real laugh can ease stress, improve mood, strengthen relationships, relax the body, and help us regain enough perspective to keep going. She shares a few favorite comedians, books, movies, and comic-strip memories—and invites listeners to share what reliably makes them laugh.Then, in this week’s Teacher Hack, Vanessa introduces Hot Words, a fast-paced clue-giving game with increasingly ridiculous communication restrictions. It is fun for game night, but it could also make an excellent professional-development activity. Trying to communicate without certain words, word lengths, or verbal habits offers a small but meaningful window into what it can feel like to navigate dyslexia, dyspraxia, processing differences, or other communication barriers.Finally, Vanessa digs into a question many burned-out teachers wrestle with: What will it really cost to leave teaching? The answer is not as simple as losing a paycheck. Depending on your state, district, contract, benefits, pension, leave balance, and timing in the school year, there may be penalties, payout issues, insurance gaps, or money you are owed. But there are also expenses teachers may finally get to stop carrying: classroom supplies, fundraiser guilt, endless spirit shirts, emergency takeout after a 12-hour day, gas, tires, and the invisible cost of constantly propping up an underfunded system.In This EpisodeWhy laughter can support stress relief, resilience, connection, and physical relaxation Favorite comedy recommendations, including Robin Williams, Iliza Shlesinger, Karen Morgan, Ben Brainerd, Wanda Sykes, Lewis Black, and more The Snoopy Waterbed Fiasco and The Alto Wore Tweed How the game Hot Words can build empathy and enliven teacher in-service The often-overlooked financial details of leaving a teaching contract Why timing, earned leave, summer pay, benefits, and pension rules matter The value of union or professional-organization legal support What teachers may spend less on after leaving the classroom A reminder that “the best time to start working on your transition plan was about six months ago. The next best time is now.” This episode includes general discussion based on personal experience. Employment contracts, leave, benefits, pension rules, and labor laws vary by state and employer. Check your own contract and consult an appropriate professional before making a decision.LINKS FROM THE SHOW!· National Institute of Health Article: Humor and Laughter May Influence Health · The Snoopy Waterbed Fiasco: Start on January 14, 1975 and go to January 29, 1975.· IMDB.com links – learn about where you can stream these, check out the trivia, the quotes, and more!· Legally BlondeThe Court Jester (1955!) · Free Guy · The Alto Wore Tweed by Mark Schweizer ( the Kindle Edition is $2.99!)If this podcast supports you, encourages you, or helps you feel a little less alone in the transition process, please follow or subscribe, leave a review, or share the episode with a teacher friend who needs perspective, hope, and laughterLearn more about Vanessa’s programs, workshops, and coaching options at https://TeachersinTransition.com Support the PodcastIf you enjoy this scrappy little indie podcast, please consider:sharing the episode with a teacher friendleaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotifysupporting the show financially starting at just $3/month Support Teachers in Transition Connect with Vanessa Jackson💌 Email: Vanessa@teachersintransition.com📱 Call or Text: 512-640-9099📅 Book a Free Discovery Call: teachersintransition.com/calendar🧭 LinkedIn: 🔗 Bluesky: @beyondteaching.bsky.social📸 Instagram & Threads: @teachers.in.transition👍 Facebook: Teachers in Transition🐦 X (Twitter): @EduExitStrategyBottom of FormTop of FormBottom of FormThe transcript to this podcast is found on the episode’s homepage at Buzzsprout Support the show
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    25 min
  • The Myth of the Teacher Summer: Recovery, Furloughs, and AI in Career Transition

    The Myth of the Teacher Summer: Recovery, Furloughs, and AI in Career Transition
    Jun 17 2026
    Send us Fan MailWhy do so many teachers get sick the minute summer break starts? In this episode of Teachers in Transition, Vanessa Jackson explores the “teacher flu,” summer burnout recovery, the reality of unpaid summer labor, and practical ways educators can use AI in a job search without expecting it to do the whole transition for them.*** Raise your hand if you have ever made it to summer break, winter break, spring break, or any long weekend and then immediately gotten sick.In this episode of Teachers in Transition, Vanessa Jackson introduces The Department of Consequences — the moment when your body, mind, or life finally says, “We need to discuss the last nine months.”This episode looks at why teachers often crash when the pressure drops, why summer is not always the relaxing “perk” people imagine, and how to give summer enough structure without turning it into another unpaid job. Vanessa also talks about how AI can help teachers in career transition when it is used as a practical tool instead of a magical job-search wizard.If you are a burned-out teacher, an educator considering leaving the classroom, or someone using summer to ask, “Can I keep doing this?” this episode will help you name what is happening and take one small step toward something more sustainable.In This EpisodeVanessa talks about:Why teachers often get sick or crash at the beginning of summer breakThe difference between rest and recoveryWhy teacher stress can build up like an unpaid billHow summer can function like a furlough, recovery window, second-job season, or medical catch-up seasonWhy “summers off” is not always the gift people think it isA simple summer planning hack using themed daysWhy daily rest or a nap may be maintenance, not lazinessHow teachers can use AI for job description analysis, resume bullets, LinkedIn updates, and interview prepWhy AI can help with pieces of the job search but should not drive the whole career transition AI Career Transition Tips from This EpisodeAI can help teachers in transition when you give it context, a task, and a constraint.Instead of asking, “Help me with my job search,” ask AI to do one specific job at a time:AI can help you analyze, compare, translate, tighten, brainstorm, and practice. It cannot and should never replace your judgment, your strategy, or your follow-through.Key TakeawaySurvival mode can get you through a school year, but it is not supposed to become your permanent address.This summer, tell the truth about what kind of season you are actually in: rest, recovery, financial pressure, medical catch-up, career exploration, or some messy combination platter with a side of laundry.Name it accurately, because clarity is kinder than self-judgment.Resources and Links MentionedSchedule a free Discovery Session with Vanessa: https://teachersintransition.com/calendarFind more resources and podcast episodes: https://teachersintransition.comSupport the podcast directly: https://www.buzzsprout.com/277608/supportListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teachers-in-transition-career-change-and-real-talk/id1460021639Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3PF02FAZ1zzexvHBqqS6B8Overboard “Annie is Catatonic” clip mentioned in the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpzigSg-YkISEO Keywordsteacher burnout, teacher flu, teacher stress, teacher summer break, summer burnout recovery, teacher career transition, leaving teaching, teachers leaving the classroom, career change for teachers, job search for teachers, AI job search, AI resume help, teacher resume tips, teacher LinkedIn tips, transferable skills for teachers, educator burnout, teacher recovery, teacher summer planning, burnout recovery for educators, Teachers in Transition, Vanessa Jackson Support the PodcastIf you enjoy this indie podcast and want to help with the behind-the-curtain work, please consider:sharing the episode with a teacher friendleaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotifysupporting the show financially starting at just $3/month Support Teachers in Transition Connect with Vanessa Jackson💌 Email: Vanessa@teachersintransition.com📱 Call or Text: 512-640-9099📅 Book a Free Discovery Call: teachersintransition.com/calendar🧭 LinkedIn: 🔗 Bluesky: @beyondteaching.bsky.social📸 Instagram & Threads: @teachers.in.transition👍 Facebook: Teachers in Transition🐦 X (Twitter): @EduExitStrategyBottom of FormTop of FormBottom of FormThe transcript to this podcast is found on the episode’s homepage at BuzzsproutSupport the show
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    23 min
  • Teacher Burnout, Childhood Books, and the Stories that Build Stronger Resumes

    Teacher Burnout, Childhood Books, and the Stories that Build Stronger Resumes
    Jun 10 2026
    Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Teachers in Transition, Vanessa explores how the books we loved when we were young helped shape what we notice, value, question, and carry into adulthood AND how our own stories can help us write a better resume.From Erma Bombeck and Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple to Nancy Drew, The Boxcar Children, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games, Divergent, and more, this episode looks at the “childhood bookshelf” as more than nostalgia. Those early stories may have taught us how to solve problems, recognize patterns, seek belonging, survive broken systems, resist being reduced to one role, and remember who we were before burnout took over.Vanessa also talks about reading with children and teens, the difference between censorship and conversation, and why the books young people choose can give us clues about what they are trying to understand.In the Career Transition and Job Search segment, Vanessa moves into resume basics for teachers leaving the classroom. She explains why a modern resume is not your whole life story, why skills should be shown through evidence-rich bullet points instead of a disconnected skills section, and how teachers can begin turning real classroom stories into quantifiable resume accomplishments.You’ll also hear about the “Everything Resume” — a master resume template that holds your stories, accomplishments, projects, leadership roles, certifications, data stories, communication wins, and more — so you have raw material ready when it is time to tailor a resume for a specific job posting.Episode highlights:Why childhood books may still hold clues about who we areHow Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z reading experiences shaped different kinds of courageWhy “stories matter” does not mean censorship is the answerHow rereading old favorites can help reconnect us with ourselvesWhy teachers need targeted resumes, not one perfect resume for every jobHow to turn teaching stories into resume bullet pointsWhy quantifiable resume metrics matterWhat an Everything Resume is and why teachers should build oneHow SCOUT helps Vanessa’s clients explore career direction and translate teaching experienceMentioned in this episode:Erma Bombeck — Aunt Erma’s Cope Book and other humor collections Carolyn Keene — Nancy Drew series Franklin W. Dixon — The Hardy Boys series Agatha Christie — Miss Marple mysteries Robert B. Parker — Spenser novels Gertrude Chandler Warner — The Boxcar Children series Ann M. Martin — The Baby-Sitters Club series Francine Pascal — Sweet Valley High series O. T. Nelson — The Girl Who Owned a City Roald Dahl — Matilda J. K. Rowling — Harry Potter series Rick Riordan — Percy Jackson and the Olympians series; Tres Navarre mysteries, including Big Red Tequila Stephenie Meyer — Twilight series Suzanne Collins — The Hunger Games series Veronica Roth — Divergent series James Dashner — The Maze Runner series Pittacus Lore — I Am Number Four / Lorien Legacies series Diana Gabaldon — Outlander series Kurt Vonnegut — Mother NightIf this episode made you think of a book Vanessa forgot, come join the conversation and tell her. If this podcast supports you, encourages you, or helps you feel a little less alone in the transition process, please follow or subscribe, leave a review, or share the episode with a teacher friend who needs perspective, hope, and maybe a few more books.Learn more about Vanessa’s programs, workshops, and coaching options at https://TeachersinTransition.com Support the PodcastIf you enjoy this scrappy little indie podcast, please consider:sharing the episode with a teacher friendleaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotifysupporting the show financially starting at just $3/month Support Teachers in Transition Connect with Vanessa Jackson💌 Email: Vanessa@teachersintransition.com📱 Call or Text: 512-640-9099📅 Book a Free Discovery Call: teachersintransition.com/calendar🧭 LinkedIn: 🔗 Bluesky: @beyondteaching.bsky.social📸 Instagram & Threads: @teachers.in.transition👍 Facebook: Teachers in Transition🐦 X (Twitter): @EduExitStrategyBottom of FormTop of FormBottom of FormThe transcript to this podcast is found on the episode’s homepage at BuzzsproutSupport the show
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    30 min
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