THE TCC LIFELINE
Since the pandemic, Instagram and Facebook have been full of advertisements for programs and coaches offering to help teachers transition out of the classroom. I browsed longingly, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t possible for me. I’m not sure what drew me to Teacher Career Coach at first, but I’m so glad I clicked on it.
TCC was created by Daphne Gomez, a former teacher, who had successfully escaped the classroom into the corporate world and wanted to help others navigate their way out. The first thing you’ll find on the TCC website is free resources to help you figure out if leaving the classroom is the right move for you. Ads for TCC refer to Daphne as a severely burned-out teacher who is now happily in the corporate domain with a 6-figure income. Somehow, after the toll teaching took on Daphne’s mental health, she remains objective and helps you figure out for yourself if you need to get out or if you should explore a change within the school setting.
If you decide that you want to get started transitioning out, Daphne offers a self-paced course that covers every aspect of the transition process, including all of the psychological and emotional aspects of the journey. The course starts by helping you consider your personal situation - what you want and need for this transition to work for you. I can assure you that Daphne is not exploiting the plight of other teachers to fund a luxury retirement plan. The cost for the course and a myriad of resources to help you along the way is only $179. Even then I thought, “What teacher has that kind of money to gamble with?” But I realized I was so desperate to get out that I’d have gladly handed over thousands (and maybe even one of my children) in exchange for an escape route. So I took my chances with Daphne and the TCC community.
Suddenly, I was immersed in a community of over 9,000 teachers with the same goal. I started by reading through posts from other teachers, who were in various stages of transition, from those who were just thinking about it to others who had successfully landed a wide variety of roles outside of the public education sector. There was always someone (often many), who responded with words of advice and encouragement.
Getting out still seemed like an impossible feat, but I dove into the course knowing that if I didn’t actually take any action steps then I was guaranteeing that I would never leave. The course isn’t long, but don’t expect to whip through it in a few weeks and come out with a new career. There is a lot of thought, planning, and action that goes into it, so just because you have rewritten your resume in one of the last modules it doesn’t mean you are ready to hand in your resignation. You will need to do your own research into potential career paths to choose one, and once you choose one you’ll need to begin upskilling to become competitive in the job market. The community of teachers is very supportive and happy to share resources that worked for them. Daphne isn’t going to make the transition happen for you. She is guiding you along your very own personal path. She walks you through the decision-making process as you figure out what you want or need your transition to look like.
Before you jump into the course, I would recommend listening to the Teacher Career Coach podcast. This is a free service that Daphne provides. I listened in the car during my commute each day, feeling more and more like this was something I could actually make happen. Daphne covers a variety of topics and interviews former teachers who have successfully transitioned to fulfilling careers in the corporate world. You’ll hear about a wide range of career options that former teachers have based on their teaching experiences. You’ll also hear what each person’s journey was like and any advice they have for others. My original career path was software engineering. After Daphne’s interview with Jessica Wolvington: From Teacher to Software Engineer, I looked Jessica up on Linkedin asked if she would mind if I asked her a couple of questions. She actually scheduled a 30-minute phone call with me, and her answers were extremely helpful and honest about the industry. I’ve made similar connections with other interviewees from a number of different podcasts and YouTube videos.
Remember, former teachers will always be teachers at heart, and I can’t think of another profession where everyone is willing to pitch in and help each other whenever they can.
If you are interested in enrolling in the Teacher Career Coach Course, click here and take your first concrete action step and take control of your future!
