Why This Teacher Left Public School (But Still Believes in It)
Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based Strategies. Classrooms Where Every Child Thrives.
12/22/25
•38m
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In this S5E17 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies conversation, Sarah Tesar shares why being a public school kindergarten teacher for 12 years made her an excellent teacher for other people's children, but prevented her from being fully present with her own family, and how she's now created a hybrid homeschool model that honors both her expertise as an educator and her needs as a whole human being.
What You'll Learn:
✅ The emotional cost of teaching and recognizing when your cup is empty
✅ How to create mixed-age classrooms where kindergartners and fifth graders thrive together
✅ Theme-based curriculum built around science and social studies standards that naturally integrates literacy, math, student engagement, and active learning
✅ Scaffolding strategies across multiple skill levels for effective teaching and classroom behavior management
✅ Creating 3-hour learning sessions so engaging kids beg to attend
✅ Why social-emotional intervention deserves the same priority as academic intervention for student success and classroom belonging
✅ Practical strategies for integrated, joyful learning in any setting—public school, homeschool, or hybrid through innovative teaching and instructional strategies
Whether you teach in a traditional school or are exploring alternative models, Sarah shares research-backed strategies (including Vygotsky's zone of proximal development and attention in class techniques) you can use tomorrow to create more purposeful, engaging learning while honoring your own wellbeing and inspiring students through student participation.
Some resources mentioned:
➡️UFLI Phonics
➡️Elizabeth Sulzby's Emergent Storybook Reading Process
➡️Tara West's Writing Curriculum
CHAPTERS
0:00 - Introduction: The Cost of Being a Good Teacher
3:00 - Meet Sarah Tesar: From Public School to Homeschool
5:00 - Research Foundation: Vygotsky & Zone of Proximal Development
6:00 - The Breaking Point: When Teaching Depletes Your Cup
9:00 - The Empath's Dilemma: Giving Everything Away
11:00 - What Shifted: Finding Balance in Hybrid Homeschool
14:00 - Meeting Children's Needs: Systems & Social-Emotional Support
17:00 - A Day in the Life: Morning Homeschool Routine
20:00 - Scaffolding Phonics Across Ages
21:00 - The Apple Stand: Relevant, Purposeful Learning
23:00 - Hybrid Classroom: K-5 Students Learning Together
25:00 - Curriculum Design: Science & Social Studies as Foundation
27:00 - Scaffolding Writing: From Words to Paragraphs
29:00 - Integration: Shattering Educational Silos
31:00 - Parent Expectations in Hybrid Homeschool
33:00 - Lightning Round: Homeschool Myths & Best Practices
35:00 - Closing: The Gift of Having Something Left to Give
36:00 - Takeaways: What You Can Try Tomorrow
Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child.
📧 Connect: schoolutionspodcast@gmail.com
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
Don't forget to 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators!
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
Previous Episode
BONUS: Mindful Waiting: A Secret to Better Student Engagement
December 19, 2025
•12m
In this S5E16 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies BONUS, I break down MJ Murray Vachon, LCSW's powerful teaching strategies that seem almost too simple to work—but they do. Listen to learn how you can transform your classroom with 3 simple practices that unlock genuine curiosity and calm. In this bonus episode,
Discover why saying "I don't know you" every morning can revolutionize student engagement, how 4 minutes of silence reached a defiant teen, and the 60-second "notice" practice that students actually beg to use.
What You'll Learn:
✅ The "I Don't Know You" mindset shift for deeper student connections
✅ Why waiting 2-4 minutes transforms classroom behavior and student participation
✅ The 60-second "Notice" breathing technique for attention in class
✅ How to move from judgment to curiosity with every student
✅ Practical teaching tips you can implement tomorrow
Perfect for teachers, education coaches, school administrators, parents, homeschoolers, teacher mentors, instructional leaders, and school counselors looking for effective teaching strategies that create inclusive classrooms and support the whole child.
Chapters
0:00 - Introduction: 3 Practices That Transform Teaching
1:00 - The "I Don't Know You" Mindset Shift
3:04 - Small Shift #1: Practice Curiosity Over Knowing
4:00 - The Power of Waiting: The Bus Mooning Story
6:00 - Small Shift #2: Wait 2 Minutes Before Speaking
7:00 - The "Notice" Practice: 60 Seconds to Presence
9:00 - Small Shift #3: Start Class with Notice
10:00 - Taking It Into Your Classroom
11:00 - Closing: Curiosity Requires Discomfort
💫Check out linked episode mentions here:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1890886/episodes/18380877
Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child. When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
📧 Connect: schoolutionspodcast@gmail.com
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
Don't forget to 👍LIKE this video if it helped you, 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and
💬SHARE with fellow educators!
#TeachingTips #ClassroomManagement #StudentEngagement #EducationStrategies #TeacherCoaching #InstructionalCoaching #MindfulTeaching #InclusiveClassroom #StudentMotivation #TeacherSupport #ProfessionalDevelopment #WholeChild #EducationPodcast #TeacherLife #InspiredTeaching #schoolutionsteachingstrategies #Schoolutions
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
Next Episode
BONUS: Why This Teacher Left Public School After 12 Years
December 26, 2025
•13m
In this S5E17 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies BONUS, I unpack Sarah Tesar's honest story about leaving public school kindergarten—not because of bad admin or paperwork, but because the emotional cost became unsustainable.
This isn't just about teacher burnout. It's about the empathy paradox: the same qualities that make someone great at student engagement and classroom belonging can become impossible to sustain without systemic support.
In This Episode, You'll Discover:
✅ Why self-care advice fails when classroom behavior needs are overwhelming
✅ The difference between individual problems and system problems in education
✅ How to create active learning through integrated, theme-based teaching tips
✅ Practical lesson planning strategies that boost student motivation and student participation
✅ The power of mixed-skill grouping for inclusive teaching and student success
✅ Why authentic purposes transform low engagement into inspired teaching moments
✅ How to rethink the school day structure for thriving students
Sarah's experience offers effective teaching insights on instructional strategies, professional development, and teacher support that every educator needs to hear. Whether you're struggling with attention in class, looking for innovative teaching methods, or seeking coaching strategies for teacher impact—this conversation will validate your experience and equip you with practical solutions.
This is education beyond the classroom—practical, try-it-tomorrow approaches for empowered educators who believe in equity in education and student motivation that lasts.
Ready to transform your teaching or school culture? Watch now and discover why sustainable teaching isn't built in isolation—it's built in community.
🚀📚 Watch the full S5E17 @schoolutionspodcast interview here (https://youtu.be/LHxZLWh36Z0)
Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child.
📧 Connect: schoolutionspodcast@gmail.com
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
Don't forget to 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators!
Chapters
0:00 - Introduction: The Empathy Paradox
1:00 - Sarah's Story: 12 Years in Public School
2:00 - The Empathy Paradox Explained
3:00 - Individual vs. System Problems
4:00 - What Sarah Proposed to Her District
5:00 - Integrated, Theme-Based Learning
6:00 - Small Integration Strategies You Can Use
7:00 - Mixed-Skill Grouping in Action
8:00 - The 3-Hour School Day Question
9:00 - Rethinking School Day Structure
10:00 - Three Key Takeaways
11:00 - Your Invitation: Three Things to Write Down
12:00 - Building Sustainable Teaching in Community
#TeacherBurnout #StudentEngagement #EffectiveTeaching #InstructionalStrategies #TeacherSupport #ClassroomBelonging #ProfessionalDevelopment #EducationLeadership #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #WholeChild #InnovativeTeaching #TeacherCoaching #StudentSuccess #EquityInEducation #ProKidMindset #InclusiveTeaching #LessonPlanning #ActiveLearning #SchoolCulture #EmpoweredEducators
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
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