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In this episode of Teachers in Transition, Vanessa Jackson explores the power of perspective, resilience, and community in navigating the stress and overwhelm that comes with teaching—especially for those contemplating a career change.

She begins with a powerful story about how helping others can instantly boost our mood, sharing a real-life experience of lending a hand and seeing the positive impact firsthand. Then, she shifts focus to the concept of pointillism, using art as a metaphor for the teaching experience—sometimes, we’re too close to the dots to see the big picture.

In the second segment, Vanessa provides a practical hack to combat overwhelm: Drop Some Things. She discusses the importance of setting boundaries and reassessing priorities, especially when the weight of responsibilities feels unbearable.

Finally, she dives into decision-making in times of uncertainty, inspired by an experiment conducted by a Duke University professor. She challenges listeners to consider how they navigate ambiguity and whether their current decision-making strategies align with their long-term goals.

💡 Interesting Links & Resources:

• 5-Minute Guided Relaxation Meditation
• Turtles Helping Turtles
• Stanford Article on the fact that People want to help more than we realize.
• Book Recommendation: Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Aaron Dinin and the 11:45 class – Questions of Failure and Ambiguity

Connect with Vanessa

Vanessa@TeachersinTransition.com
Leave a voicemail or text at 512-640-9099
Connect with Vanessa on LinkedIn!
Schedule a free Discovery Session with Vanessa here
Follow Vanessa on Bluesky @beyondteaching.bsky.social

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In this episode, Vanessa talks with Donna King from 360BalanceLiving about her transformation and leap of faith in entrepreneurship. Donna helps women in middle-age and beyond to feel good about themselves again through good food choices, movement, and working towards mental health. Donna shares how she works with her clients to accomplish that and has a great check-up tool for our listeners to see how they are doing in their life.

The Wellness Wheel at 360Balanced Living

Connect with Donna King:
Donna.King@360BalancedLiving.Com

Or Book a conversation with Donna here:

Connect with Vanessa

Vanessa@TeachersinTransition.com

Leave a voicemail or text at 512-640-9099

Connect with Vanessa on LinkedIn!

Schedule a free Discovery Session with Vanessa here

Follow Vanessa on Bluesky @beyondteaching.bsky.social

Visit the homepage at TeachersinTransition.com to learn more!

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We are still working on the transcript to this episode. When it is available, it will be posted on the episode's homepage.

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In this episode of Teachers in Transition, Vanessa Jackson explores the mindset of optimism and pessimism, how these perspectives shape our decisions, and how they influence career transitions. With a mix of humor, self-reflection, and insightful analysis, she shares personal anecdotes about her own tendencies, from hoarding supplies and skills to embracing lifelong learning.

Vanessa begins by discussing the nature of optimism and pessimism, illustrating how they exist on a continuum rather than as absolute states. She introduces a quadrant system that categorizes different approaches to expectation and preparedness, helping listeners assess their own outlook. Through an amusing yet thought-provoking analogy of twin siblings—one an extreme optimist and the other a staunch pessimist—she highlights the importance of balance in mindset.

Connecting this discussion to the world of education, Vanessa reflects on how teachers naturally develop hoarding tendencies as a survival strategy, ensuring they have the resources necessary to support students. She examines the broader implications of these behaviors, questioning whether they stem from optimism, pessimism, or a mix of both. Additionally, she considers how personal perspectives evolve over time, using the film St. Elmo’s Fire as an example of how shifting experiences reshape perception.

In the career transition segment, Vanessa provides a valuable resource by identifying approximately 40 alternative careers that teachers can pursue without returning to school. She emphasizes that teachers already possess transferable skills that are highly valued in other industries.

Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of their own outlook on life and work, as well as practical strategies for approaching career change with a balanced perspective. Tune in to gain insights, motivation, and a fresh way of looking at the next step in your professional journey!