Teachers in Transition

Teachers in Transition – Episode 248: Of Dragon Hoards and Danger Signs: Clearing Space & Spotting Toxic Workplaces

• Vanessa Jackson

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Feeling buried in classroom chaos? In this episode, Vanessa tackles the teacher hoard, shares a clever space-creating hack, and breaks down how to spot toxic job red flags before saying yes to your next gig. It’s part spring cleaning, part soul-saving truth-telling. Take a breath, clear some space, and tune in.


 Episode Highlights:
Vanessa’s back (pollen and all!) with a three-part episode to help teachers feel lighter—physically and emotionally. This week, we’re digging into:

🧹 Your Teacher Hoard:

  • Learn how to declutter with compassion and intention.
  • Key questions to ask yourself before keeping one more coffee cup.
  • Why ditching duplicates, scanning files, and sharing supplies can lighten your load and your heart.

✨ Teacher Hack: Use the “Useless” Space

  • How one awkward corner turned into a quilting haven—and what your forgotten classroom corners might hold.
  • Real talk on repurposing spaces to spark new joy, hobbies, and peace.

🚩 Career Transition Segment: Red Flags at Work

  • A heartbreaking real-life story of systemic failure in education—and what we can learn from it.
  • How to reflect on past toxicity to avoid stepping into more.
  • What red flags to look for in interviews, job descriptions, and office culture.

Mentioned in This Episode:

 

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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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.  

***Hello all my Teacher friends!  And Welcome back to another episode of Teachers in Transition. I’m going to start with a quick note in case you notice that I sound a little raspy.  It is Oak pollen season, and I am LOSING that battle.  I appreciate your understanding!   Today on the podcast, we are going to address our Teacher Hoards, I have a quick hack about assessing your space, and in our segment on career transition, we’re going hunting for Red Flags so we can avoid toxic job environments. 

We’re diving into something that impacts both our mental and physical health - our space. Specifically, the space inside the classrooms. Not just our homes this time—though let’s be honest, both can feel like war zones by April.

This time of year, your classroom probably looks very different than it did back in August or September when students first came bouncing through the door. I’d bet it’s starting to resemble that poor tree at the end of The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein - just a stump of its former self, with pieces slowly disappearing one by one.

And all of this ties back to a powerful idea: that outer order can bring inner calm.

Yes, the kids are wild right now - spring fever is real- but some of that chaos might be reflecting the environment. I know that in my own home, when things get too cluttered or I’ve lost sight of every horizontal surface, I cannot focus. I hit a point where I have to stop, clear off the piles, vacuum, dust - reset. Because without that reset? I feel like I’m drowning in stuff.

And now, some people are totally fine surrounded by clutter. I used to think I was one of them… until I realized I couldn’t function. So clearly, some part of me does care.

Which brings me to the  topic: your teacher hoard.

And when I say “hoard,” I want you to picture yourself as a dragon, because every item you’ve collected over your teaching career is precious and had precious function. These things have served a purpose. They've been useful. But now? The issue might be the sheer volume of it all.

So, as you start tackling your end-of-year clean-up (or your “I might not be coming back next year” clean-out), I want you to keep a few qualifying questions in mind:

1. Is this item outdated?

If you’ve still got filmstrips hiding in a file drawer—go ahead and release them. Trust me, no one’s watching filmstrips anymore.
If you have scientific worksheets based on theories we’ve long since updated… it’s time to let those go too.

2. Can I reduce the bulk?

If you’re hanging on to tons of paper files, consider keeping just one of each—or even better, scanning them into PDFs and storing them on a thumb drive. (Pro tip: make a backup of the thumb drive and keep it at home.)

3. Can I declutter the little things?

As an example - Let’s talk about pens and markers. At one point, I had an epic collection. The pencils? I understood—band director life. But the pens? Where did they even come from?
Find a kid who’s finished their work early, give them two bins and a trash can. If the pen writes, it goes in one bin. If it doesn’t, into the circular file it goes. Instant productivity win.

4. Who wins parts of your hoard?

If you’re leaving the classroom, start thinking about which colleagues might benefit from parts of your treasure trove. Not everything has to go with you.  I have a teacher friend who actually set up a booth at the beginning of the year training and just gave things away to new teachers coming in. 

And let’s talk about the sentimental stuff for a second. Some items? Deeply meaningful. Others? Less so.
 One idea: take photos of all the things you’ve been given.  You don’t want ot forget them, but maybe you don’t need to physically keep all of them. You’re creating a memory archive without the bulk.

I once heard a teacher say she never threw out a single thing that a student gave her. I had to wonder: how much space does she have?!  How many coffee cups does she have??
I also remember a trainer telling us that she lived in one half of a duplex—and stored her teaching stuff in the other. Can you imagine what she was costing her own retirement?  How much rental income she missed out on? That storage hoard was costing her way more than just space.
 
The Marie Kondo method asks you to hold an item and see if it sparks joy for you to determine if you want to keep it. That might work great for a lot of people, but it didn’t work so well for me – I can find a use for almost anything. 

Here’s a better question for those of us who have a hard time prioritizing - (I wish I could credit it, but it was from a meme somewhere):
 If this item had poop on it, would I clean it up—or would I throw it away?
That question has seriously changed how I view my own clutter.

To recap:

  • Ditch duplicates
  • Let go of outdated materials
  • Scan what you can
  • Ask yourself if it’s worth keeping
  • Create a photo archive
  • Pack as lightly as possible—just in case next year looks different and you have to leave in a hurry.

Because honestly? You deserve to walk out of that room with fewer boxes, more space,  and more peace, and a lighter load.

 

And moving on to today’s Teacher Hack – our hacks are here to help you create space in some area of your life and today we’re talking about actually creating…well, space!

Explore those "useless" spaces.
 

 One of the fun little facts about military housing is that you have very little say in where you’re assigned to live. It’s chosen for you based on things like how many kids you have, their ages, and other logistical details.

When we moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, we accepted military housing and were assigned to a two-story house with three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. It was actually pretty nice. When you went upstairs, if you walked straight ahead, you’d end up in the laundry room. But if you veered off a bit to the LEFT, the hallway sort of switched back on itself to lead you to the bedrooms.

But if you veered to the right there was this utterly useless 3-foot by 3-foot space. I have no idea what it was supposed to be for. It was just... there. Completely useless.

The first thing I put there was a sewing machine I’d been toting around, even though I didn’t know how to use it. It just looked nice sitting there like a decorative little table. But then I took a class at a local craft store on how to make a quilt square—which eventually turned into a table runner. And much like a quilting version of that “If you Give a Mouse  A Cookie” book, that table runner turned into SO much more. 

That one little class sparked an intense love of sewing and quilting. I ended up making so many quilts I gave away for fundraisers, some were auctioned off, and a few even won ribbons at the fair. I made prom dresses for my daughter in that tiny 3x3 space. Sure, I’d sometimes hang the quilt across the stair rail to take pictures, but the bulk of my work happened right there in that “useless” spot.

So yes, it was completely useless—until I knew what to do with it. And once I did, it became one of my favorite places in the world. It became utterly priceless to me.

So, take a moment and think about how that might apply to you.
 Look at that corner behind your desk, that shelf above the coat hooks, that cabinet you haven’t opened in awhile. Those seemingly useless spots might hold huge potential and make it yours. 


 And moving on to our segment on Career Transition and Job Search, we’re going to talk about  How to Spot a Toxic Work Culture - Before You Accept the Job

On our success path, this ties to the idea of Clarify.  

If you’re leaving teaching - or any role - because it became toxic, it’s incredibly important to take time to understand why it became toxic for you. Not just because it helps you heal and process what happened, but because that reflection is the key to avoiding a repeat performance somewhere else.

I want to share a story about a teacher friend of mine. For the sake of anonymity, I’ll call them Jordan, and I’ll be avoiding any gender pronouns throughout to protect identity. What happened to Jordan was one of the most egregious examples of systemic failure I’ve ever seen in education—and I’ve seen a lot.

From day one, Jordan was set up to fail.

Jordan was assigned to teach at three different schools every single day. At each school, they taught two classes, with no real built-in time for travel, no time for lunch, and no dedicated time for planning. Unsurprisingly, this meant Jordan was often late—through no fault of their own. But instead of addressing the impossible logistics, the system penalized them for lateness.

Jordan didn’t have a classroom of their own, nor an office. In fact, the only desk space they had was thanks to another teacher who offered to share space in her room. Beyond that small gesture, Jordan was left to fend for themselves in every way without any actual time to do the fending.

In every one of their schools, Jordan had to teach in a temporary setup—requiring them to completely set up and tear down their classroom environment for every single class. One of their teaching spaces? A spot behind a curtain on the stage in the cafeteria, right during lunch. Imagine trying to teach while trays clatter, students shout, and the scent of mystery meat hangs in the air.  It often made Jordan fell ill. 

Despite these overwhelming obstacles, Jordan was expected to be just as effective as any other teacher. When they struggled—as anyone would in such conditions—the response wasn’t support or understanding. It was more work. More demands. More blame. And more meetings to try and help them do better.  Not one darn thing was every taken off of Jordan’s plate. And OH the gaslighting!

The message was clear: your circumstances don’t matter – even if you didn’t make them,  your wellbeing doesn’t matter, your effort doesn’t matter.

What happened to Jordan wasn’t just unfair—it was cruel. I was horrified to watch a passionate, capable educator pushed to their limit, not because of a lack of skill or drive, but because the system made it impossible for them to succeed.  I mitigated what I could when I could, but there was only so much anyone could do. 

And sadly, stories like Jordan’s aren’t nearly as rare as they should be. 

Here’s the thing: if we don’t take time to unpack the dysfunction of where we were, we’re much more likely to walk right into another version of it—just wearing different clothes. This happens in relationships all the time. Someone escapes a harmful dynamic, swears they’ll never go back, but ends up with someone who has the same red flags… just a better smile and a slightly different love language.

The same goes for jobs.  It’s because we are attracted to patterns that we are accustomed too.  Change can be scary – even when we know it will be better. 

When you’re exhausted, desperate for a change, or just eager to prove you can succeed outside of the classroom, you might be tempted to accept the first offer that looks halfway decent. And sometimes, that’s a survival decision—and that’s okay. But if you have the space to be intentional, take it.

The Clarify step in the career transition path is all about this. It's where we pause to ask the deeper questions:

  • What went wrong in my last role?
  • What does healthy look like to me?
  • What values matter most to me in a workplace?
  • What are my deal-breakers now that I know better?

Because here’s the truth—red flags exist in every industry.  Toxic Bosses are everywhere. But when you’re clear about what matters, you’ll recognize them faster.

So what are some common signs of a toxic work culture before you take the job?

Let’s start with the interview process itself. Pay attention to:

  • Vague answers when you ask about turnover or work-life balance.
  • A heavy emphasis on “we’re like family here,” especially without real examples. That can be code for boundary issues.
  • A tightly controlled interview process that doesn’t leave space for you to ask your own questions.
  • No mention of growth, development, or how success is defined.
  • Leadership or team members speaking negatively about the person who left the role you’re applying for – odds are it may not have been the person who left!
  • Not being introduced to the actual team you’d be working with.

If your gut is uneasy after the interview—even if everything on paper looks good—pause and unpack that. You’re allowed to trust your instincts, even if you don’t have “proof.”

So how do you get that clarity? One way is to flip the script. Here are a few questions you can ask during interviews to get insight into the culture:

  • “How is feedback typically given and received here?”
  • “Can you describe a time your team faced a challenge and how you handled it?”
  • “What does success look like in this role six months from now?”
  • “How does your team support each other during high-stress times?”
  • “What professional development opportunities exist here?”

The way they answer—and whether they answer at all —matters. You’re not just being interviewed. You’re interviewing them, too.

And back to the most important part: self-reflection.

Ask yourself:

  • What made my last job toxic for me? (be specific.  Make a list.)
  • What crossed a boundary I didn’t realize I had?
  • What needs went unmet—emotionally, physically, professionally?

The answers may or may not surprise you. Write them down. Keep them close. This is your personal User Manual—for what to avoid and what to insist on moving forward.

You deserve a workplace that values your contributions, respects your boundaries, and supports your growth—not one that drains you dry and makes you question your worth. Not one that makes you cry in your car. 

Toxicity isn't always loud or obvious. Sometimes, it hides behind smiles, perks, and vague promises. But when you're clear on what you're looking for—and what you're absolutely not willing to tolerate again—you'll spot the red flags early.

And when you do, you’ll thank your past self for taking the time to clarify what truly matters.

 

Another reminder about our spring Resume Writing Workshop AND LinkedIn Writing Workshop – Both opportunities are completely free for you – and anyone you happen to forward it to.  These workshops are geared towards teachers, but the basic principles are sound in case you have a friend who isn’t a teacher but might benefit from it.  These workshops come right before Teacher Appreciation week.  Because you know, if they have to have a whole week to appreciate you – they aren’t paying you enough. Give yourself the gift of learning how to create these important pieces of a job search. 
 
 The Resume Workshop will be on May 3rd at 2:00pm Central Time. 
 The LinkedIn Optimization Workshop will be on May 4th at 2:00pm Central time.  
 
 If you happen to be busy when one or both of the workshops are going on (you’re probably busy – it’s MAY!) If you register for the event, you will be  given to watch the video afterwards. So even if you can’t make it, you can still get the resources I promise, and you can still see the video.  I expect it will last about an hour and a half, but that also allows room for questions at the end

And speaking of questions of at the end – I am collecting the wildest teacher appreciation gifts you give.  Send those to me in an email – I have a link to my email in the show notes. 


 I will have a link in the show notes or you can head over to TeachersinTransition.com and find the links to register on are on the home page in blue boxes.   In addition to learning how to build your resume, you’ll leave with a template for your resume and a checklist for your LinkedIn page to help you build those tools. 

 

 

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!