Episode description

Carrie Conover is familiar with the education landscape. She understands educators' daily struggles after spending ten years in a classroom. Today, Conover is the CEO and Founder of Educators 2 Educators (E2E). E2E hosts live virtual training, connecting educators with each other and harnessing lessons from real-life experiences. Educators are wrapping up three years of pandemic-impacted teaching, and the summer is a perfect opportunity to survey their classrooms and teaching style.

Conover recommends, after “residual trauma from the survival mode of covid years into the last year, [its time to] take a mental health survey.” This summer's vital for teachers to get into the inner workings of their classroom and teaching setup. Evaluate everything from the people you interact with, your lessons, and the tools. “Look back at the data, how students tested, what actually got the teaching done,” suggested Conover.

To determine where the optimum teaching happened, look at the people who interacted positively versus those who impacted you negatively or brought you down. What teachers made you a better teacher? Conover says it is a vital inquiry. Recapping all aspects of the last year with a T-chart, find out what’s working and what isn’t working.

Conover admits that she desired to spend her summer’s prepping for the next year, but that didn’t always go to plan. “Give yourself the gift of prepping the activities, the things your kids will do first. Keep it simple in terms of your classroom decor,” recommends Conover. Most importantly, Conover urges teachers to use the summer to connect with other teachers and take time for their education. E2E offers Teacher Summer Reboot. This session connects teachers across the country, offering fresh perspectives and new ideas. That connection is often missed in the downtime of summer.

E2E can also help when a teacher has decided they are no longer suited to work in the classroom. Through Classroom to Boardroom, E2E’s course allows teachers to transition into edtech and connect to hiring managers through Conover’s network. Unfortunately, an article from We Are Teachers reported that 55% of teachers are ready to leave the profession earlier than planned. This increase is due to the everyday teaching struggles and increased pandemic-related stressors. The courses guide teachers on using LinkedIn, building a brand, and connecting with others. Listen to the episode for great insights from our hosts, JW Marshall and Leena M. Sale, as they discuss in detail the great resources available with E2E.