Is it Time to Leave the Classroom and Pursue Making Income as a Teacher in a Nontraditional Way?

Hello, CEO teachers. Welcome back to the show. Thank you so much for spending your Wednesday with me. I am a re-recording this podcast because somehow, some way, when I recorded it, it all did not go to where it was supposed to go. Apparently, Mercury is in retrograde, retrograde. And that's a thing. I laugh every time I hear that because in the south, they say Mercury is in Gatorade because nobody really knows what that means. So I did a quick Google search and technology issues are normal when Mercury is in retrograde. Great. See, I can't even say it. But thanks so much for joining us. Today, we're going to talk about a topic that we have normally stayed away from on this show. And it's not because we don't want to talk about it, but I kind of want to give you a little background of why. Today's topic is, is it time to leave the classroom and pursue making income as a teacher in a non-traditional way? And in the beginning, I used to assume that everyone wanted to leave education. And as our business has grown, I've realized that that's not really the case. So I don't know where you fall in the spectrum and I don't want to be so polarizing where I say you either have to be this way or that way. I see people that are like, education is horrible. It is so dumb. You need to leave. You're not getting paid your worth. And while I agree with those statements and there are moments when it is like that, I also believe in teachers and I believe that we are the future of our children. And so I don't want to discredit anyone that is in love with their job, in love with a stability who believes in education, even though it's not what they think it needs to be. I want to support you in whatever decision that you make. But you may be asking yourself, is it time to leave the classroom? And are there opportunities out there where you can make income without having to go get a separate job in some new field because you still love education and you're looking to make income in a non-traditional way? I hope that I can help you answer those questions today. And I want to share a little bit about what's going on in my life that a lot of you have had questions about on Instagram in today's show. So I'll see you in just a few moments. Hey teachers, welcome to your home away from the classroom. Whether you are a full-time educator, just getting started and thinking about the possibilities to advance past your current pay scale or you're a seasoned CEO teacher looking for extra strategies to make money online, you're in the right place. No impressive tech skills or marketing experience necessary. Just the passion and desire to transform your life by doing what you love, leaning into your unique teaching magic. I'm Casey Morris, a former eighth grade ELA teacher myself, mom at a five teacher, marketing expert. And while I am the visionary behind the CEO teacher movement, this amazing community is continually being built by you, one beautiful dream at a time. Coming your way every Wednesday as an extra credit bonus, exclusively for teachers, welcome to the CEO teacher podcast. The most successful teachers looking to make extra money online all have a few things in common, a solid foundation, a community that supports them and a proven plan to follow. The teacher income challenge was made just for you, an educational rock star who is looking to turn their passion into profit online. If you're ready to finally make your worth and go from teacher on a state pay scale to creator of your own future, the teacher income challenge is for you and it starts right now. The world's only proven pathway for success made for teachers by a teacher. The Tardy Bell is ringing, so grab your seat and head on to the front of the class by going to caseymoras.com slash challenge. That's K-A-Y-S-E-M-O-R-R-I-S dot com slash challenge. Be bold enough to use your voice, brave enough to listen to your heart and strong enough to live the life you have always imagined. That's unknown. Jennifer Peyett said, your career is like a garden. It can hold an assortment of life's energy that yields a bounty for you. You do not need to grow just one thing in your garden. You do not need to do just one thing in your career. And before we get into today's topic of figuring out, is it time to leave the classroom and pursue making income as a teacher in a non-traditional way? I wanted to share a little bit about what's going on in my life as it relates to this story and the opportunities that have come our way because there's just been a lot of questions. When I left the classroom, my husband and I purchased our dream home. It's a 1908 farmhouse. And a lot of you have been part of the renovations on Instagram. You've seen it go from what it was to what it is now. And I've often referred to it as the home that I will raise my grandkids in and bury my dogs at. And we live on 10 acres and it is and has always been a dream home. I couldn't talk about it until now, but the last two weeks, my life has been turned upside down. And I can only find that gratitude and that happiness from remembering that I get to choose now this life of where we're going and what's next for us because of the freedom that all of you have given to me about two weeks ago. I got a phone call that will forever be etched in my mind as a core memory. And it was from a friend who said, I'm not sure if you've heard, but the church next door has been sold. Now I live literally directly in front of a church. Sounds like a great gig, right? That was one of the reasons why you bought that house. And so what I'm going to tell you today is just what is all here, say, is just the facts of what's going on in my life. There's no judgment, no judgment at all. I just want you guys to be aware. And that church is about a rock throw away from my front porch where you all see me do jump ropes and have seen me raise my babies and rock on the rocking chairs out there. But we heard that the church was being turned into a men's recovery center and it could house anywhere from 10 to 20 to 30 men. And a lot of different emotions have been in my life and my heart. I have never had my life completely turned upside down quite like that. I did all the things right that I was supposed to do and checked on permits to see what was going to happen. And my husband and a matter of, and I, in a matter of 48 hours, made the decision to put our home up for sale, not because it's not still our dream home, not because we don't want these men to get the help that they so desperately deserve. But as a mom to five children, four of them that still live in our home, we had to make a decision. What type of recovery would these men be going through and what impact would that have on our family? Would we feel safe? And so we made a decision. 48 hours, our home went for sale and it sold immediately, which has been such a blessing in the family that's going to buy it. I've heard such wonderful things about them loving it just as much as we do. And that's the only thing that I prayed is God, if this is right, let it be easy. And it was easy. Now it's not certain that that's going to happen, that it's going to go through. There's a lot of different hoops that they have to go through and all of that. But all of that to say is that my husband and I have been faced with a lot of decisions that we had not intended on making. And so this is just your reminder that you may think that you know what's left for you in life. You got your education degree. You are supposed to be a teacher. Nothing else is out there for you. But you only live this life that God has written for you. You can help change the pathway. But there are times in life when you need to surrender and you need to say, I am going to let go and I'm going to allow what's supposed to happen to happen. So some people ask us, well, if this center doesn't go through, are you going to regret your decision? No, I believe that I would never have sold my home. I never would have felt so strongly or heard God say, let go as I did had it not been right. So no matter what the outcome is, I'm at peace with it now and I can chat with you guys about it. But for us, having the freedom to know that we're okay, we can fight this. My husband even questioned leaving his job as a principle because we have the ability to choose that. And so I just want to be your reminder today that sometimes you need to let go. And sometimes you need to remember that freedom is the secret to life. And if you're not feeling free in the classroom, if you don't feel like you control your day to day, if you're not happy, if you're not filled with great energy, then maybe it's time for you to think about leaving the classroom and pursue making an income as a teacher in a non-traditional way. Thanks for listening to our story about what's going on in my life. Thanks for caring enough. And I feel at peace and I'm very excited about the future for our family. And I hope that you and yours just remember that we are just here to play out the story that has been written for us and whatever it is, don't try to fight it. Okay. 30% of new teachers are leaving their jobs though within the first five years. 8% of US teachers are quitting their teaching careers altogether. It is estimated that most people will have 12 jobs during their lifetime since starting their first job after college, 29% of people have completely changed fields. And US employees who stay at the same company for two years or longer earn about 50% less than employees who job hop. Now, here are five signs that you might be ready for a change. First, your life outside of the school contracted hours is making you feel even more overwhelmed and exhausted with a never ending to do list, which leaves less time for your family and friends. And the end of the day has you wanting to just become a hermit, not talk to anybody sleep so you can wake up and have enough energy to get up and do it all again the next day. For me, that's where my depression really began to sink in is that I had no spark. And that's what teachers, pay teachers gave to me was this excitement again of, I can make extra money by sharing my lesson plans with the world and feel valued. I never really felt valued at my school until the state of Georgia got excited about me. And they came to my classroom, but I didn't have anyone patting me on the back saying, good job or I'm proud of you. Not that I needed that, but also it makes you feel good when people cheer you on. I am a hype girl. Like I live for going to the gym, hyping people up and telling them, I'm so proud of you. I don't always need that in return, but it is very helpful. It is something that helps me want to be better and do better. I want to do better at the gym because my friends are cheering me on, even when I suck. So as a teacher, I don't think we get a lot of that, not that you need a participation trophy, but also that it does feel good when you can be your own hype person and forget about overwhelm and exhaustion because you're excited about what's to come the next day. Another sign that you might be ready for change is that your passion is waning. The things that brought you into your current role are the same things that now make you irritable, cynical, frustrated and dampen your creativity. The honeymoon period is over and it's hard to stay passionate and disclaimer here. The honeymoon phase doesn't last in anything. It doesn't last in your marriage. It doesn't last in your friendships. It doesn't last in your job. And you can either say the honeymoon is over and quit or you can create new honeymoons. And I think that's the secret to marriage as well is that there will be the seven-year itch. There will be the 14-year slump or whatever they call it. I'm not sure. I've been married for 15 years now. And so you have to make things exciting. You have to try your best to find the passion again because there are moments when things are up and down. My best friend says, it's just a season and I love that. I love that saying. So your passion is waning in education, but it may not mean it's time to quit. It may just mean that it's just a season and things are going to get better. Same thing with your marriage. Same thing with your friendships is that we are all on this roller coaster of emotions. And sometimes it's great. And sometimes it's not. The sweet and the sweet without the sour and it's the yin and the yang of life. So your passion is waning. But if you know in your heart and your soul, for me, I knew that education was what I was put on this planet to do. I just didn't know how and I didn't know when, why, or where I was going to be able to pursue that passion. So dig down deep here and see is it that you're ready to change careers altogether. Education is not for you. Then I'm probably not the best person that you need to talk to about that. But if you know in your heart that you still love education, just not in the traditional setting, then listening to what we share on the show could probably be your best bet. Number three is that you're feeling that hardcore need for more. You're no longer learning. You're no longer growing and you're complacent, which I think is the worst thing that you could be in life. You might not be sure of what more looks like, but you have an itch to make a bigger impact on the world and you have reached the tiered limit in your current role. So maybe you're thinking about going back to school, getting extra degrees. You don't know what you need. Now, there's a big difference between content and complacentment. Contentment is when you're happy and you're excited and you're accepting life as what it is and you can breathe new life into every day. Complacency is when you are just living there because that's where people tell you you're supposed to stay and you're not reaching for new goals. You're not excited about life. You are so over it. So figure out which one you are and decide which one serves you and what you need to do to make sure you don't get stuck in complacency. Next is your finances. And this is a big one. It tends to sway people one of two ways. You could be saying, I don't make enough money. I need more income. I got to get out of teaching all together. Let me try something new or you could say on the flip side, I know I'm living paycheck to paycheck and I would love a backup plan. I want to take my family on dream vacations and pay cash for braces, but I need a backup plan, but being in education still brings me joy and knowing the difference between those two is really important. And then finally, things are no longer aligning in your life. Maybe they have switched your grades, your schools, your districts. You don't have that passion. Nothing is aligning with your values. And when you go to work, it's rinse and repeat. Nothing brings you joy again. So if any of these signs have you said, Hey, Casey, this is me, then you might be ready for a change and I want to lay out some action tips today to help you. Number one, research your potential paths and opportunities. We actually have some tried and true options for you. Did you know that there are 10 different ways that our CEO teachers make money online? They are either podcasters, bloggers, course creators, membership site, masters, digital or physical resource creators. They tutor, they coach or they do some sort of affiliate networking. The beauty in all of this is that it's a business you are creating. And you can share more than just one of these options. I share all of the knowledge and the how to. And then you supply the passion, the creativity and the experiences. And remember, we have a challenge going on right now to help you get started. If you go to Casey Morris dot com slash challenge, you can get started today. Some of our students have left the classroom before their businesses were totally off and running. Others are making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and still teaching in the classroom and others are supplementing their current income and making changes. Just one small step at a time, maybe going from full time teacher to part time teacher, the dream is yours alone and it's completely up to you. Number two is clarify your long term goals. There is a no judgment zone here, but in order to know where you're going, you have to know where you're going. So if money is the driving factor, write that down. If wanting to stay at home with your babies is your reason, write that down. Maybe you want to go on vacation guilt free. Write it down today. These goals are yours to live out loud. But Napoleon Hill says that we don't get to where we're going without a definiteness of purpose. So you tell me where you want to go and I can help you get there. Number three is that I want you to find your interests, your core values, your skills, your degrees and your experiences. Here is what makes a teacher making a couple of bucks every month to making thousands of dollars is that your unique interests, your core values, what skills and experience you have plus any degrees that you've had along the way are what's going to help you be successful. You are never too young. You are never too old, man. People in my hometown went on a rant one time. They didn't say my name. They just said that someone was teaching new teachers how to sell their lesson plans online and how it was so wrong because they have no experience and they have no idea what they're doing. And so I had a low moment and I decided I would jump in there. I usually don't. I usually don't get involved in Internet drama, but I was like, you know what? I feel the need to speak up. And I said, I feel like new teachers have something that older teachers don't have. And that is experience in a new realm of education. They've learned new tricks and new things that are working now and they aren't jaded. So they have exciting ideas that we may not have thought of as a veteran teacher. And on the flip side, older teachers have that experience that new teachers cannot have. And so they know the tried and true practices. Some of our students are retiring early and they're doing so well because they have those tried and true practices. They've come up with their own frameworks that are working really well. You're never too young or too old to make changes in your life and in education and what you share your experiences up to this point define who you are. And they are the reason why you will be successful. Write them down. Everything counts when you're thinking of leaving the classroom. This isn't a traditional resume. So just write out what you have to offer for me. Waiting tables was something that I had to offer because I had good people skills. Figure out what you're good at and then we can turn that into a business. Number four, my favorite, make an action plan. Set a foundation of your new ideas and your opportunities. Get clear on what actions you will take. Think about what step one and the next, what could be step 100. Give yourself a timeline if that helps you feel better and take a leave of absence for a couple of days if you're able to so that you can put your mind to it. We love smart goals around here. So setting a real date of when these goals will be accomplished is so important. But did you know, October 31st, 2023 is only six months away? So think about your life in six months to a year increments and where you want to be. And finally, I want you to make connections. A community of people that will help you network is such a beautiful thing. It helps you realize that what you bring to the table matters and it shows you what is possible when you take that leap of faith and do it scared, especially if you're in a school that's not hyping you up, not supporting you, not telling you that you're the best being in a gym that does that. I see how vital that has been to my success. And so when we created the CEO teacher, that was our mission is bring thousands of teachers together to only talk about the good. There are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of teachers that are doing amazing things. And yet all we hear about is the bad. So start surrounding yourself with good people. You are the sum of the people that you hang around and focus all your energy on figuring out the next thing, what's working and how you can be the next CEO teacher. Thanks so much for listening friends. I'd love to hear from you on Instagram. If you think it's time to leave the classroom and you're interested in making income online as well, check me out at Casey Morris. And as always remember, the best is yet to come. And I'll see you soon. The most successful teachers looking to make extra money online all have a few things in common, a solid foundation, a community that supports them and a proven plan to follow. The teacher income challenge was made just for you, an educational rock star who is looking to turn their passion into profit online. If you're ready to finally make your worth and go from teacher on a state pay scale to creator of your own future, the teacher income challenge is for you and it starts right now. The world's only proven pathway for success made for teachers by a teacher. The Tardee Bell is ringing, so grab your seat and head on to the front of the class by going to kacymorris.com slash challenge. That's K-A-Y-S-E-M-O-R-R-I-S dot com slash challenge. . ♪♪♪♪