The Adventures After Teaching Podcast

Making a Difference in a Different Way: Life as a Learner Success Coach

Joanne Howard Season 7 Episode 11

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0:00 | 26:16

"I can't continue like this where my entire identity is wrapped up in being a teacher." 

After nearly 18 years in primary education, Rhonda had known for a while that something needed to change. She still loved teaching - it was never about that - but she'd reached a point where she felt like she couldn't sustain the way she was working in school while also being present for her own two children. It wasn't a decision that came overnight, and it took some of the Academy’s early resources to show her just how much her sense of self had become tied to being a teacher.

Now a Learner Success Coach at a remote-first company upskilling workforces in AI and data, Rhonda supports apprentices through their courses. She's getting to do the school run as she’d always wanted to, working somewhere with a genuinely friendly culture, and giving herself the grace to learn without expecting to know everything on day one. 

In this episode, we also talk about:

  • Sensing for years that teaching wasn't sustainable long-term
  • Seeing the bigger picture - even when there are still bits of teaching you love
  • A squiggly journey out 
  • Handing in her notice before securing a new role
  • Rejoining the Academy and what that shifted
  • Using Gold membership for tailored support
  • Being unsuccessful first time round - and reapplying after learning from feedback
  • Showcasing experience that you might not expect 
  • Adjusting to remote work (plus all the perks that it brings!)
  • Hoping to be somebody else’s workplace ‘buddy’ someday


Wondering what might be next for you? Take the Teacher Career Change Quiz to match your amazing transferable skills with a new job pathway ✨