Teacher Shift

Intent to (Not) Return

January 04, 2023 Ali Simon & JoDee Scissors Episode 40
Teacher Shift
Intent to (Not) Return
Show Notes Transcript

Happy New Year! We’re excited to be back for season 2 of the podcast. We’ve got a lot of great topics and guests this season. To get the season started, Ali and JoDee are talking about why now is the best time to start thinking about your letter of intent! They discuss what their letters not to return looked like, how they let those around them know of their decision and making the decision that’s right for you.

For episode transcriptions visit: https://thegreatteacherresignation.buzzsprout.com

Connect with Ali and JoDee:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachershift
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teachershift
Teacher Shift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teacher-shift
Ali’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisimon/
JoDee’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodeescissors/

Website
https://www.teachershiftpodcast.com/

Episode Transcriptions
https://www.teachershiftpodcast.com/blog

Ali  0:00  
All teachers are natural innovators, entertainers and problem solvers. They dream of growing old into the profession, teaching their kids kids. But sometimes career goals shift or change, and that makes opportunities outside of the classroom seem intangible questioning who am I, if I'm not a teacher? I'm your host, Alexandra Simon.

JoDee  0:30  
And I'm your co host, JoDee Scissors.

Ali  0:34  
This is The Great Teacher Resignation.

Happy New Year, JoDee,

JoDee  0:45  
Happy New Year Ali. 

Ali  0:47  
Excited to be back for season 2, 2023. So I'm wondering, before we got to this point, did you and your family have any New Year's resolutions that you set? Or do you have any traditions that you normally do?

JoDee  0:59  
Well, New Year's usually depends on what city we're in. So it kind of varies. But the goal is usually just to spend time with family and friends. But when I was a teacher, I always did New Year's resolution or goal setting activity with my students. And I think my last year of teaching, we did a little photo booth, where we got like little New Year's themes and costumes, and people brought other items to take pictures with and we did a photo booth. And that was a lot of fun. So I just pretty much want to keep doing what I've been doing in 2022. Pushing forward my passion projects, talking to more teachers, getting to know them more, former teachers, teachers that champion for teachers, and sleeping well. That's the number one goal to continue and 2023. So how about you Ali?

Ali  1:49  
Well, all of that sounds awesome. And I too love doing those types of activities with my students in the classroom, like something for the new year. And I'll tell you about one tradition that I started in class and ended up adopting with my own family a couple of years ago, and it's eating 12 grapes at midnight on New Year's Eve or for us it ends up being like noon on New Year's Day, because I really struggle with staying up till New Year's Eve, like for midnight. But the tradition comes from Spain, and now like Latin America and other countries where you're supposed to bring good luck for the new year if you eat 12 grapes at midnight on New Year's Eve.

JoDee  2:28  
Is it like all at the same time.

Ali  2:30  
You know how like an old fashioned clocks like the strike of midnight, it would be like 12 dings like ding ding. You're supposed to eat one grape each time. So it's a fun tradition. And we've had some really cute videos that we've made, like in our family doing it. But I know like, different people have different traditions. And I agree with you like I don't have a specific resolution that I'm setting this year. But I'm excited to be back on the podcast and to talk to more teachers, and just really keep moving forward what we're trying to do here. So teachers and students we know are back to school this week with their own goals for the new year. Even though it's January, this is when teachers start to think about their letter of intent, which is usually their letter of intent to return or not to return for the next school year. And it's in the spring when teachers have to decide if they're going to return to their school, or maybe their grade level, content area, and they have to officially put in that formal notice. And if you're not a teacher, you might not even know that this happens. But it's a pretty big staple, definitely in public education. And even when I taught at a private school, every year around like February, March timeline, we would get those letters in our mailboxes, and we'd have to fill them out and officially say, you know whether we're coming back or not. So it was that similar process for you? And do you remember submitting your letter of intent to return or not?

JoDee  3:57  
Yes, I definitely remember the process because I was super methodical about my intent letter. And in my last year, of course, it was an intent not to return. But I was strategic because I cared a lot about the people I worked with and the families that I had built relationships with. So it was not something I just like signed and was just like, see you later. So I started with my administrator, even before the letter of intent was was around. And so that's where I began was just by conversation.

Ali  4:31  
So what was that interaction like with your administrator?

JoDee  4:34  
It was emotional. I had a lot of respect for my administrator. She was really wonderful and let me be the kind of teacher I was which meant a lot to me. I was a little bit you know, that teacher that likes to think outside of the box and that was a little quirky and I integrated a lot of arts and stuff. So she let me kind of be who I am, in my natural element. And so going to her was very emotional. I remember sitting in her very well decorated, lovely office, and just kind of expressing my feelings. And I was probably beat red just from all of the emotion, but I just kind of let her know like, I'm a little bit lost. And I just know that this is not my place anymore in my career. And I don't know where I'm supposed to go. But I know that I can't continue where I am, because of the headspace I was in. And I just knew it wasn't a healthy move. And she was totally caught off guard. But she eventually just kind of offered me the opportunity to create my own position. And I just knew that what I wanted, I couldn't create within that framework. So emotional, but like she was optimistic, and like, we're gonna get you what you want. We don't want to lose you. But ultimately, it was my decision. And that was a really tough one to share.

Ali  6:02  
Yeah, that must have been really difficult, especially since you shared that you really love the school that you were at. And you, you had such a good relationship with your peers and your administration. So when did this conversation take place? Was this like, at the time that you were turning in your letter not to return? Or was it before or after?

JoDee  6:22  
Yeah, so I would say probably January, sometime. Like way before, I was supposed to be turning in my letter. And I had made that decision to inform people verbally before signing that letter, because I didn't want to catch anybody off guard. I told like the specialists that I worked closely with, the staff development teacher, my teammates. I told them at a team dinner that we were having. And each of those conversations went a little bit different. But there was a high level of emotion and shock and what... you know, what are you doing? How can we help you? So I did tell them early on. And then a few months later, was when I wrote my official letter of resignation and signed my intent to not return.

Ali  7:12  
Yeah, I think it is so unique in education that we give our notice not to return so much earlier than that actually happens. And like, even when you think about it, we finished teaching in May, June, but our contract usually is through August. Or you know, it goes throughout the summer. So I mean, like filling out job applications is like when were you at your last job, it's like really through August, but you're not really there anymore after June, and you put in your letter not to return in the spring. So I mean, it's great that you were able to have those conversations with your teammates, and that it went well. I think that probably made it a little bit easier, I'm guessing, when you actually had to check that box and turn in the letter.

JoDee  7:57  
Yeah, it was a huge amount of relief. The thing that kind of threw me off guard was that, once I told like my core people, I really didn't tell anybody else. I just told like my administrators, the core people that I worked with, and my students ended up hearing it from a para professional at recess one day. And when they came back from recess, and I'm, you know, ready to queue up a math lesson. They were like, are you leaving? And it was like, I had to have an impromptu class meeting about what they were hearing to address the rumor. And after that, I decided to write an email to the families. I know your situation was a little bit different than mine. So what was your plan? What happened? Because I know you didn't plan to resign. And so what did that letter of intent look like for you?

Ali  8:49  
So mine was really different, because I did plan on returning the next year, and I had submitted my letter of intent to return. In fact, I'd even applied for a summer teachers Fulbright, and was still waiting on the results. And in the stipulations of that was that I would be a teacher the following year. And I was really excited about that opportunity. But we had a medical emergency in our family with my daughter, who was two at the time, in the spring, shortly after I turned in my letter of intent to return. And it was just evident by how stressful that was, like who was going to be with her at the hospital. Could we, my husband and I, take off enough time to like be with her because she couldn't go back to school right away. And she was even going to my school. So at the time I was teaching at like a nursery through 12th grade private school. And so, you know, my school was as understanding as they could be, but you still have to like, get lesson plans ready for your substitute teachers and it was just really stressful. So essentially, like before she went back to school, before I went back after that, you know, a few weeks. We realized we were just stretched too thin and that I could no longer balance my teaching career while being a military spouse and primary caregiver to our two kids. So, you know, once we both went to school, I made the appointment to talk with my head of school to tell her that I wasn't going to return the next year. And I was super nervous, because like you've said, I mean, everyone fills out this letter. And you all turn it in. And usually, you don't detour from whatever you've said, and so I felt terrible. I felt like oh, you know, I said, I was coming back. And now I'm not going to come back. But I did tell her my, you know, my reasoning. And she was so understanding. And honestly, that was a huge surprise to me, like, I thought there were going to be some hard feelings. You kind of feel like people would be mad at you, because you're not staying. But there wasn't. And my foot wasn't totally out the door, because I did decide to stay on and coach and extracurricular, which I was able to negotiate like a higher stipend because it was taking place outside of school hours. So I had to offset the necessary childcare costs. And so I still stayed involved in my school, but I wasn't teaching in a full time capacity anymore. And while I didn't initially leave teaching to pursue a different career at that time, I have not returned to teaching since. And ended up making a career transition about a year and a half later.

JoDee  11:17  
I can totally see how that would be very tough because you like make a commitment. You know, you sign your letter of intent. That's, that's a commitment that you feel like you're prepared to fulfill, but then you had to pivot for a very good reason. And that can be really tough, especially, you know, you have this vision of what, like the next few months are gonna play out for you. And how did your administrator react?

Ali  11:45  
Yeah, I mean, so I didn't know at the time, because I had been at the school for two years at that point. But the head of school actually was a stay at home mom and primary caregiver for her children, when they were young, and worked her way up in administration by starting off by volunteering at her kids school, and then getting more involved in like advancement, and then eventually administration. And so she understood, like the call that I felt to take a step back to make sure that I could be there for my family. And she was very sympathetic, more than I could have imagined, because I didn't know that about her. And I think a lot of times as women, we don't necessarily share that. You know, we get to a certain point in like our professional career that we've climbed. And there isn't maybe this knowledge that we have made different choices, and we've prioritize different things at different points in our career. But it was so nice to have, to have that understanding come from her. And also, that really helped me share with my colleagues and the people that I knew. And I had a similar situation where I knew once I told people, because you really can't keep things that quiet, especially at like a private school, like things just go around really quickly. So I pretty much knew after I told the Head of School, and after I told my principal, and they were also again, very understanding, that I wanted to tell my students. So I quickly told my students after. And I didn't get to tell all my classes, though. So you taught elementary school, so you had like, a class or maybe two classes. I had multiple classes. And so before I could tell all of my classes, one of the other classes had spoiled it. They were like senora, it's not really true. Like, like, yes. And then it's weird. It is kind of a weird thing. How do you explain to your students like, why you're leaving. It's difficult, I think, because they always want to know why. So that was really hard. I mean, I was able to tell them. They knew about my daughter, they knew that I'd been out. And I just, you know, I said that I needed to spend some time being at home with my kids. But even that was still like, it was hard. So I don't know it was that hard for you like explaining it to your students?

JoDee  14:09  
Yes. I can't remember what I told them. But it was different talking to a child, like explaining something as complex as a career. Like having revelations about your career and career fulfillment. Like I didn't spill all of those kind of like things that I would share in a counseling session, you know. But they knew things about me that made me the unique kind of teacher that I was, that separated me from perhaps their other teachers was that like, I loved media. I loved creating. I was like, fully immersed in how to integrate arts. I loved integrating STEM into learning. So like they knew that I had a lot of different skills. And so I just tried to kind of explain like, there are some things I love about education and I'm just going to try to hone in on that. And I'll keep in touch and keep you posted. That sometimes, as adults, we come to a point where we, we make a pivot or a change. And that's part of growing up, and I'm still growing up, and figuring out how to navigate my life, the best that I can. And also, how can I do it in a way that allows me to be more present as a mom. And so they, they knew that I wanted to be present in her life. I wanted to be able to go to the plays and the choir performances. And I wanted to be able to pick her up on time or take her to appointments. Like, those are just things that they knew that like, they knew how much I loved my daughter, and she would come and visit the class as well. So it wasn't just like a goodbye to me, but like my family, too.

Ali  15:49  
I can relate to that as well, because the last school that I taught at, it was my first time teaching private school. But it was just a really lovely culture, because I had my daughter in the early childhood program. And so they had seen her at school and my son had been at the summer camp, so they knew him. And it was kind of like they knew our whole family, really, my husband had come in, like spoken on Veterans Day. So I think that when you kind of get that, like send off where they know where you're going, and why, that it's maybe easier for the students, but also changes happen in life. And it is great. You always talk about how we should model for students that life is the way that it is and that sometimes we need to make tough decisions. And I think it's just a really good example of how people go through transitions in life. And I still keep in touch with some of my students like I'm sure you do.

JoDee  16:39  
Yeah, I think your example to shows that sometimes our intent is to stay, but things change. Or sometimes we are planning a transition that can't happen right there at that moment that we are signing that letter. And perhaps opportunity comes along in, you know, June, July, August. And we have to go back on that letter.

Ali  17:07  
There are some states and some districts that do have some leverage. So if you try to leave your contract in the middle, or you don't return, they can actually take away your license. So you do have to be careful. I think this is really good for our listeners to hear. Double check what your state or district does have in place, because as a military spouse, a part of an educator community, people that move all the time, they're faced with that. And in theory, if you're moving for military orders, like you should be exempted from that consequence. But people don't always know that.

JoDee  17:47  
I'm glad you brought that up, because I do remember... So that last year I was teaching, it was like very early in the school year, September, one of my professors had pushed an opportunity over to me, and I was seriously considering it. And then I spoke to a colleague about it. And she was just like, hey, just so you know, if you were to take that there was some sort of like, consequence. I think it was a financial consequence that I would have to endure, you know. And that was literally something I had never considered because I had previously moved from another state and had to leave in the middle of the year and there was no consequence. So it does vary district to district. 

Ali  18:30  
Yeah, I think what I've heard is what you stated. So like a financial, I guess we're saying consequence, but like financial ramification. Or it could be a licensure issue. So you do want to be careful as an educator to kind of know, what is happening in your state, in your district. But I think the reason why JoDee and I wanted to talk about this in the new year is that this is the time. So if you are considering putting in your intent to not return, this is the time to prepare yourself. To look into these different things. To consider if this is the right time in your life, the right season for you to have that intent to not return. And then we're going to be sharing as we progress through the season two, what are the next steps? Once you've decided that you're not going to return, what can you do to best prepare yourself? And we have a bunch of guests that will be coming on and sharing their stories and telling you, our listeners, what you can do to prepare.

JoDee  19:32  
And we'll also talk about if you do decide to return, what does return look like for you? Does it mean acquiring new responsibility so you build your resume like being a team leader or moving into a different grade level? Like let's say that you're you've been a fifth grade teacher for five years and you want to be a reading specialist, you should probably get some primary experience and teaching early literacy. So like your letter of intent can inform the way you build your resume and your skills to get to the point of where you want to be in a school district as well.

Ali  20:10  
Absolutely. And I think the last part of your intent to return is that you get to usually say, what you'd like to return to. So if you have any extra responsibilities, maybe this is your year, where you're resetting your boundaries, and you're gonna say, I want to return next year, but I want it to look different. So I'm no longer going to sponsor these clubs or do these extracurriculars because I need to take a step back and prioritize my mental health, my well being so that I can stay in the classroom. So there's a lot of different ways that your intent to return letter can end up looking like. So thank you so much for joining us for the first episode of season two, and stay tuned for a lot more.

If you liked The Great Teacher Resignation, give us a five star rating and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon, Music and Audible. Today's episode was written and recorded by me Alexandra Simon, and my co host JoDee Scissors. Executive produced by Teacher Brain. Produced and edited by Emily Porter. Original Music: Emoji by Tubebackr. Special thanks to our sponsor, Paper Planes Ed.