Teachers in Transition

Teachers in Transition – Episode 244: Job Search Strategy - Think Like a Gardener

• Vanessa Jackson

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In this episode of Teachers in Transition, Vanessa Jackson dives into the challenges of gaslighting in the classroom, how unchecked behavior can escalate, and why teachers should trust their instincts. She also shares a powerful mindset shift: scheduling fun to avoid burnout and maintain well-being. Finally, Vanessa uses a gardening analogy to explore the patience required in a job search, emphasizing preparation, persistence, and strategic networking. Plus, don’t miss her invitation to the Midlife Mastery Summit—a free, virtual event for women seeking confidence, balance, and joy.

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

Are you a teacher who is feeling stressed out and overwhelmed? Do you worry that you're feeling symptoms of burnout - or are you sure you've already gotten there? Have you started to dream of doing something different or a new job or perhaps pursuing an entirely different career - but you don't know what else you're qualified to do? You don't know how to start a job search, and you just feel stuck. If that sounds like you, I promise you are not alone. My name is Vanessa Jackson; and I am a career transition and job search coach, and I specialize in helping burnt out teachers just like you deal with the overwhelmingly stressful nature of your day-to-day job and to consider what other careers might be out there waiting for you. You might ask yourself, What tools do I need to find a new career?  Are my skills valuable outside the classroom?  How and where do I even get started?  These are all questions you deserve answers to, and I can help you find them.  I’m Vanessa Jackson. Come and join me for Teachers in Transition.  

***Hi!  And Welcome back to another episode of Teachers in Transition. I am your host, Vanessa Jackson – I’m a career transition and job search coach who specializes in helping educators just like you.  I taught middle school for 25 years, left to go work in contingent staffing for a Fortune 500 company, and now I devote myself to helping other teachers leave teaching.  Today on the podcast we are going to talk about the prevalence of gaslighting, a great hack to make sure you are having fun, and we’ll talk a little about why it takes so long to get a job right now.

One of the most frustrating challenges teachers face in the classroom today is maintaining order and discipline in an environment where discipline is often discouraged. It’s incredibly difficult to manage a classroom when children gaslight you - when you witness a child do something wrong, call them out on it, and they respond with, “I didn’t do that.”   

I’ve even seen this behavior in my own home with my children. Every child has tried it at one time or another.  I did, you probably did.  Parents are the ones who need to teach that behavior is not accepted.  When my own children tried to lie to me, I immediately called them out and said, “Do not lie to me. We are NOT having that.” And in fact, in my house, the lie was considered worse than the infraction.  However, I don’t think every child is held accountable at home anymore. Many parents seem to confuse support with enablement, and this dynamic plays out in troubling ways in our classrooms resulting in some pretty wild gaslighting.  Let me interject here, you aren’t crazy.  You did not imagine things. 

The public at large recently got to witness what teachers deal with repeatedly every week (every day?). During a baton relay race at the Virginia state track meet, one girl, while being passed, swung her arm back and then struck another runner in the head. The blow was so forceful that it caused a concussion and at the time, there were worries of a possible skull fracture. Despite the incident being captured on camera from multiple angles (because you KNOW all the parents are recording their kids here!)  clearly showing it was not an accident the girl who stuck the other one  with her baton denied any wrongdoing. She concocted this elaborate story to explain away her actions.  I did not think her explanation made any sense, but even at that, I went back to watch carefully and ask myself – did I misunderstand what I saw?  The alleged assailant here doubled down by claiming, “The other girl may have had physical pain, but what about my mental pain?”  To make matters worse, her parents stuck by her and supported her claims. 

As teachers, how many times have we heard similar excuses? How often have we been gaslit into doubting what we clearly saw or pressured to show excessive compassion and let things slide? We all know that allowing small misbehaviors to go unchecked only leads to bigger problems down the line. If we don’t have a consequence, we don’t have a rule. Unfortunately, for the track runner who struck her competitor, this lack of accountability has resulted in serious consequences: she has been charged with assault and battery.

This whole situation serves as a stark reminder of what happens when discipline is neglected. If we don’t address small issues in the classroom, they can escalate into much larger problems. So today, I want to remind you: you’re not crazy. What you saw probably happened exactly as you remember it. And yes, you’re right to wonder what happens when we fail to take control of a situation. This won’t be the last instance that we see of such behavior, but it’s a powerful example of why discipline and accountability matter.  And interestingly, the general public seemed surprised by the attempt to explain it away all while those of us in education simply nodded our heads and said ‘yup, we’ve heard that tune before. 

And some good news here, the young track runner who was struck, Kaelin, has been cleared to run for a national title by her doctors and I wish her the best of luck.  

And moving on to a Try This segment – (think of it like a hack, but perhaps not exactly what we think of as a hack.  

Consider scheduling your fun. 

I was reminded of the importance of having something fun to look forward to—it helps us get through hard times. Many of us have just finished spring break, while others are eagerly anticipating it. These big school holidays often become the major events we look forward to, but by the time they arrive, we’re often too exhausted to truly enjoy them. We are cramming them full of doctor’s appointments, sleep, and housekeeping. 

I used to spend the entire month of June just trying to recover from the school year so I could finally have fun in July. But the truth is, I wasn’t really having much fun in June. I wonder if anyone else has experienced something similar if you’ve ever felt this way or thought about it in the same terms.

I’m curious: what do you find fun? And do you have any of those activities planned in your calendar to look forward to? If you do, that’s excellent! I’m proud of you. If you don’t, can you make room for some fun on your calendar? This leads me to the next question in the this little algorithm that’s forming as I speak: if you can’t put something fun in the calendar, it might be an indication that you’re heading toward burnout, feeling overwhelmed, or definitely overscheduled.

Fun is a necessary part of our life. There’s big fun, like a vacation to a faraway place. There’s medium fun, like going to a movie or having a night out. And then there are the little moments of fun in your day—reading a book, having a meaningful conversation, or working on a craft. Maybe you crochet, enjoy yard art, or love sewing and creating little things. All of these are sources of joy that you should make time for in your life. Schedule them.

If your schedule doesn’t allow for these moments of joy, it’s time to examine your boundaries and find places where you can say no. Fun isn’t just a luxury - it’s necessary for balance and well-being.
 
 And moving on to our Career transition and Job search segment, today I want to talk about the hardest part of the job search – the slog of apply apply apply.  

If you’re listening when this drops, it’s March - and in Texas, March is the season when things start to grow. Although, this year, it feels a little late.  The leaves are beginning to emerge from the trees, things have been pruned, people are prepping their gardens for summer, and of course, planting flowers for spring flower beds. In Texas, our bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes are especially precious. People will drive for miles just to see them bloom and take pictures among the fields. The Bluebonnets are only out for a brief period of time in Texas – in a hot, dry year they might only be out for a few weeks. It’s a beautiful reminder of the transient nature of things, and you might even think of it as a reminder to schedule your fun!

This got me thinking: gardening is such an excellent analogy here – like it is for many things.  Today, I want to draw a gardening analogy for your job search. Just like in gardening, preparation is key. You have to prep the soil before you can expect anything to grow. In the context of your job search, prepping the soil means ensuring all the basics are in place.

These basics include having a polished LinkedIn profile optimized with appropriate keywords, a strong resume template ready to go, and a solid network. Networking becomes important as you progress in your job search, and it’s becoming increasingly vital to any job search. If you’re changing careers, you also need to make sure you’ve acquired the necessary skills. Let’s be honest—as a teacher, you already know how to do pretty much anything you set your mind to. However, you need proof of those skills, whether it’s a course you’ve taken on LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, or Coursera, or certifications that validate your expertise. All of this is part of prepping the soil.

Once the soil is ready, you plant your seeds - this is when you start applying for jobs. And here’s the part we all hate: it takes time.   A quick Google search yields the fact that it is taking an average of six months to land a white-collar job. I think that estimate is low.  Just like seeds don’t sprout overnight, the hiring and onboarding processes can also be slow. It can take well over a month, even if employers are interested, for them to complete interviews and decisions. Then, it might be another couple of weeks before onboarding begins. I’ve seen it take months and honestly, I don’t know why some people hang around waiting instead of exploring other opportunities, but it happens. Patience is crucial.

Part of prepping the soil also means ensuring your “war chest” is ready. By war chest, I mean having enough income or savings to cover basic living expenses while you search. This might mean taking on a bridge job - something that brings in a little money to pay the bills while you focus on finding the job you really want. Networking in your desired field is another critical piece of the puzzle.

Once you’ve planted your seeds, you have to be patient while they grow. The root system needs time to establish itself, and the little shoots need time to emerge. You can’t yank on them to make them grow faster - it’s going to take the time that it takes. And if we extend the analogy further, applying for jobs in a tough economy is like trying to grow in hostile soil.  Companies are hiring more slowly, due to industry shifts, layoffs, and job insecurity.  Right now, the job market can feel like barren ground, where resources are scarce, and competition is fierce. If you’re trying to take root in an oversaturated field, you’re competing for limited space and resources. This requires even more patience and individual nurturing of your job search strategy.

So, tend to your garden with care. Prep the soil, plant your seeds, and give them time to grow. And remember, even in the toughest conditions, with the right care and patience, something beautiful can still bloom.  And to quote my favorite band, “Like the flower in the desert that only blooms at night, I will quietly resist”  Resist the temptation to lose confidence in your dreams. 

If you’d like to work on your exit strategy from the classroom, but you don’ t know where to begin, I’d love to have a chat with you.  You can have a free discovery call with me at teachersintransition.com/calendar  You don’t have to live with the gaslighting; you are meant for more. 


 For my women listeners, I’ll remind you of the upcoming, free summit: Midlife Mastery: A Woman’s Guide to Lasting Confidence, Energy, & Joy covering everything from physical health and finances to relationships, career, mental well-being, and more - all through the lens of the Wellness Wheel -  the Wheel of Life.

If you have ever felt like life is pulling you in a dozen different directions know that you’re not alone. Many women reach midlife feeling drained, overwhelmed, and unsure how to create balance without sacrificing what matters most.

I’ll be speaking alongside an incredible lineup of eight expert speakers at a Summit for just for women just like you. 

So - Block some time on your calendar and Register today! The link will be in the show notes!

This summit is 100% virtual, and it’s FREE! No travel, no hassle - just a day of inspiration, learning, and real transformation from the comfort of your home.

That’s the podcast for today! If you liked this podcast, tell a friend, and don’t forget to rate and review wherever you listen to your podcasts. Tune in weekly to Teachers in Transition where we discuss Job Search strategies as well as stress management techniques.  And I want to hear from you!  Please reach out and leave me a message at Vanessa@Teachersintransition.com  You can also leave a voicemail or text at 512-640-9099. 

I’ll see you here again next week and remember – YOU are amazing!