Leaving the Classroom: A Transitioning Teacher Podcast

Leaving the Classroom Podcast: $100 from Welfare | 56

In this episode of the Leaving the Classroom podcast, host Kristi Oliva shares a personal story about the financial struggles and emotional toll she experienced as a single mother and teacher.

Tune in to find out:

• Kristi's experience of being just $100 away from qualifying for welfare while working as a full-time teacher
  
  
• The impact of financial stress on her mental and physical health, and how it affected her ability to be her best self in the classroom
  
  
• Kristi's call to action for listeners to advocate for better pay and working conditions for teachers, and to support those transitioning out of the classroom

 Listen to the episode here:

Connect with Kristi on LinkedIn

This podcast is sponsored by IDOL Courses and is the only authorized vocational school and implementation program of its kind that not only shows you exactly how to create your job application assets and build a portfolio from scratch but also includes credentials, mentorship, expert coaching, and paid experience opportunities in corporate instructional design and online learning for life! Learn more about the program here. 

Enjoy the podcast transcription:

Kristi Oliva  

Welcome to Leaving the Classroom. This is a podcast for teachers who are ready to transition out of the classroom and into a new career. Each week, I'll share stories about what I've learned moving from education to the corporate world. I'll answer the most common questions and share my best tips to help you get started.  If you are considering leaving the classroom, this show is for you. 

Kristi Oliva  

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Leaving the Classroom. I'm Kristi Oliva, and today I want to share a personal story that is very close to me, and it honestly just resonates- It might resonate with you, especially if you are a teacher. So let's go back about seven years ago. I was a dedicated teacher. I was passionate about my students, and I still liked being in the classroom, although I was getting to be the other side. But, life threw me a curve ball. I became a single mom. Suddenly, I was juggling not only my responsibilities as a teacher but also as the sole provider for my kids. I remember looking at my paycheck and feeling panic. Honestly, you know, teachers don't go into the profession for the money. We do it because we love it. You know that saying we don't do it for the income, but for the outcome, ba dum bum. But loving your job doesn't pay the bills, and I found myself $100 away from qualifying for welfare. $100 is all that stood between me, a college-educated professional, and the need for government assistance to survive. Now, I want you to let that sink in for a minute. As a full-time teacher, working every day. I was on the brink of needing welfare to support my two small children and myself. It was honestly really sobering and helped me realize what needed to happen next. I was putting in all these hours, dedicating myself to my students, and yet I could barely make ends meet. I was having to ask for help to buy groceries. And this isn't just my story. This is the reality for so many teachers out there. We go into the classroom with dreams and aspirations of changing the world and making a difference, but the financial strain can become overwhelming. It affects every aspect of our lives. It ends up affecting our mental health, our physical health, and our overall well-being. And I am a testament to that. I remember the stress of worrying about money. It was constantly over my head. I'd go to bed thinking about how I was going to pay for groceries, how I was going to provide for my child's needs, for the basic necessities, and that kind of stress is debilitating. It takes a toll.

Kristi Oliva  

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Kristi Oliva  

And it's not just the financial stress, it's the emotional toll of feeling undervalued. As teachers, we give so much of ourselves to our students we spend countless hours planning lessons, grading papers, and providing emotional support. I saw a reel on Instagram this week of a teacher who made larger-than-life-size markers. It must have taken her forever, and she probably had a blast doing it. But that's the type of stuff teachers do, and they're not getting paid for that. And to be honest, we often feel like that's not appreciated or that we're being compensated fairly for our hard work. And this financial strain can and does lead to burnout. It's hard to bring your best self to the classroom when you're constantly worried about money. It's hard to inspire your students when you're struggling to keep your own head above water, and that's not fair to anyone, not to us as teachers. It's not fair to our students, and it's not fair to the community. And so I'm sharing this story not to get pity, but to shed light on a systemic issue. Teachers deserve better, period. We deserve to be paid a living wage. We deserve to be able to support our families without constant financial worry and having to take on second jobs on the weekend or in the summer. Did you know that I worked at Home Depot almost every evening and full-time over the summer in order to make ends meet? And then, I also had a tutoring job. So I had three jobs. Teaching, Home Depot, tutoring. Still was not the best. You know, and we also deserve to be recognized and valued for the incredible work we do. I honestly think if we could have at least one of those, I think that teacher retention would change. So, if you're listening to this and you're a teacher struggling with these same issues, just know that you are not alone. Your feelings are valid, your struggles are real, but also know that there are options and opportunities out there. It's okay for you to seek out new paths outside the classroom. To explore different careers that can offer you the financial suitability and the peace of mind that you deserve as a professional. And, if you're not a teacher but you know one, please take a moment to appreciate them. Send them a message, understand the challenges they face, and advocate for better-paying conditions for our educators. And that's I know people say this all the time, pay teachers better, but nothing's happening. Nothing is happening. But, when teachers are supported and valued, everyone benefits. Our students, our communities, our future as a nation, and as the world honestly. So, thanks for listening to my rant, my story, and I hope it strikes a chord with you honestly and inspires you to think about the changes we need in our education system. If you have a story to share, or if you're looking for support in your career transition, please reach out. Just know you are not alone in this journey. That's it for this time, until next time, take care of yourselves, support one another, and let's keep pushing for the change in education that we need. See you next time. That's all for this episode, but you can find more at idolcourses.com or subscribe to the podcast. And if you are ready to leave the classroom, use my code, classroom100, and get $100 off enrollment to IDOL courses Academy.

Send your stories or questions to [email protected] or share them with me on Instagram @leavingtheclassroom.