We’re excited to introduce these three special women. Each one is an ex school teacher who now does their own thing and they’re sharing their stories and tips for us here.

Introducing Heather Dooley…

What did you teach?

I taught middle school (12-14 year olds) Spanish for 10 years and occasionally taught French as well.

Why did you choose to leave?

For several years, I had been feeling like my career was not aligned with my value system. I spent the past few years changing my own teaching as well as the department curriculum to fit my values. I realized this past June, however, that I was an educator, but not an evaluator. I despised giving tests and quizzes, assigning the students a numerical value. When they received their papers back they would either be elated or crushed- they were letting this grade affect their self-worth and I knew deep down that there was something so wrong about this. I knew I wanted to be in a position where I was teaching teens to create their own sense of self-worth from within and not looking for validation from some external source.

What do you do now?

I’ve recently moved from Boston to Denver [USA] and am still in the process of figuring out exactly what my new career is going to look like. I know it has to do with bringing groups of girls together in sisterhood to empower themselves and each other. Belonging to a group has such healing potential and adolescence can be a time of intense suffering without this feeling of inclusion. I’m also interested in going into schools, places that tend to wound and isolate students, and helping restructure them into places that are inclusive and healing. Right now I’m helping co-facilitate a weekly pre-teen girl leadership workshop in Denver and hoping to start teaching some teen yoga classes. I’m finding myself drawn to co-facilitation as opposed to leading groups on my own. It has been a fascinating journey to discover my own unique interests and strengths and start to weave them together to create a career that fits into my life and values. It’s all coming together bit by bit.

Heather has just graduated from our Youth Mentor Training.

Introducing Diana Braybrooke

What did you teach?

High school English and History (Grades 7-12)

Why did you choose to leave?

I was feeling burnt out and getting sick all the time. I loved teaching and my students (and in particular making a difference in their lives), but not all the other stuff that can come with it: politics, loads of preparations and marking, extra-curricular and a jam packed curriculum. I also was passionate about mental health and started to continue my love of learning by studying Life Coaching and Mind Detox Method. This passion for working with women who experienced anxiety was getting stronger so I needed to honour it. Being home to invest in the life of my own children was also an important part of going down to part-time teaching load.

What do you do now?

I currently work 2 days a week teaching high school English and History and I also run my Life Coaching business for women who experience anxiety. I did further study to enrich my life coaching practice by training as a mind detox practitioner (case studies, logged supervision hours, and an examination to be able to work with those with mental health challenges). I guide women to where they wired in anxiety  (from the root cause), so they can reprogram a new way of thinking to help alleviate anxiety, elevate health, and nurture their soul.

What do you wish you knew about running your business before you left?

I wish I had worked on areas of my business that will actually help grow my business rather than sabotaging my business. You know, by doing stuff like starting projects and not finishing them, playing around in Canva designing quote cards, making my  website ‘pretty’, and making new opt-ins when the ones I have are already perfectly fine! As I am still teaching 2 days a week and have not officially left to solely run my business,  I currently want to know more about the financial side of the biz (better record keeping, superannuation, tax, xero) and to get advice from a financial planner to put everything into proper order. I do lodge everything legitimately but I need to do away with the shoe box full of receipts or random documents all over the place (which has led to stress when trying to explain it to my tax consultant). Just a more streamlined system. To not just bury my head in the sand with this tough business side of things but to ask for help and outsource more (in particular to outsource more of my tech work). This is a priority for me as we move into 2020.

Where can we find you?

Website: www.dianabraybrooke.com 

Instagram: @diana.braybrooke 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DianaBraybrookeAnxietyLifeCoach

Di is a guest teacher in our Youth Mentor Training, where she shares her wisdom about supporting anxiety in adolescents, shares stories of her social justice group and overseas adventures with teens to Cambodia and her behaviour management tips! 

You can also listen in to an episode with Di on The Youth Mentor Podcast if you’d love to hear her guide you through some simple activities anyone can do when feeling anxious. 

Introducing Libby Schuring

What did you teach?

I began my teaching journey as a Senior and Junior Science teacher. This evolved over the years to be Junior Secondary Math and Science. In my last few years of teaching I had a strong focus on the social and emotional learning of students and held the role of Head of Year 8 for 3 years.

Why did you choose to leave?

This is such a loaded question and I feel like I could answer this in a whole essay but essentially I left as I felt in a large proportion of schools the value of wellbeing of both students and staff was not enough. While the tide is turning, and schools are starting to see value in the mountains of research out there. It is still too much of a fight to see that SEL is as important as Academia! I felt the change I could action was outside of the school environment and chose to leave to pursue growth in area’s I had begun to study in 2016. Leaving wasn’t easy for me and I felt very fearful of working by myself and not having the ability to collaborate with others as I did in education. For me collaboration is one of the areas of my career I thrive in.

What do you do now?

I currently work as the Teacher and Liaison Manager for a One on One education business (commonly referred to as Tutoring) Full Spectrum Education.  I am also extremely lucky to teach for this company as well. This is perfect for me as I am able to marry my goal of being a mentor and coach to teachers with my dream to mentor youth. I also have a side business that isn’t overly active currently as a private Coach for educators and a Youth Mentor and am lucky enough to work with the always wonderful Amanda Rootsey @ Shine from Within [as the co-creator and contact person for our school-based curriculum]. You could say I am a wearer of many hats but I honestly love the diversification I am so blessed to be able to have.

What do you wish you knew about running your business before you left?

That going out of the “norm” is equally terrifying as it is rewarding and that nothing is linear. Take each twist and turn as a lesson in this ever-evolving journey we call life.

Where can we find you?

As a teacher and Teacher and Client Liaison Manager at https://www.fsedu.com.au/

Private Coach and Youth Mentor at https://www.libbyschuring.com 

As the School’s Manager here at Shine from Within at https://shinefromwithin.com.au/school-curriculum/

Ever thought about becoming a youth mentor? Get a glimpse of what it’s like, learn more about putting together your own workshops in the community and how to market your programs in our free video series – open now for a limited time! 

Save this article for later on Pinterest!