Miss.Educate.Ed

Every May:

“This summer is going to be different.”

I’m going to wake up early.
Work out every day.
Read 12 books.
Launch a business.
Organize my entire life.
Meal prep.
Build multiple income streams.
Become emotionally regulated.
And somehow still rest. 😂

Also me: scrolling reels and processing the fact that August is basically tomorrow.

In all seriousness, this summer has reminded me that growth doesn’t always look productive.

Sometimes growth looks like rest.

Sometimes it looks like healing.

Sometimes it looks like asking better questions.

✨ Life Is the Classroom

What was ONE thing you swore you’d accomplish this summer? 👇

The guilt of finding an identity outside of teaching is something nobody prepared me for.

For 16 years, teaching wasn’t just my job.

It was my purpose.

My passion.

My identity.

So when I started exploring content creation, speaking, writing, and other opportunities, I felt guilty.

Not because I wanted to leave teaching.

But because a part of me felt like wanting more meant I wasn’t grateful for what I already had.

What I’m learning is that growth and gratitude can exist at the same time.

I can love teaching and still be curious about what else I’m capable of.

I can be proud of the educator I’ve become while exploring who I am outside of the classroom.

Maybe the goal isn’t to stop being a teacher.

Maybe the goal is to stop believing that’s the only thing we can be.

✨ Life Is the Classroom

Has anyone else struggled with separating who they are from what they do?

July is basically tomorrow.

And August will be here in the blink of an eye.

As a teacher, summer always feels endless in May and somehow gone by July.

😂

But if I’m being honest, this summer has taught me something.

I’ve spent so much of my life waiting for the next thing:

The next job.
The next opportunity.
The next paycheck.
The next chapter.

And lately I’ve realized that the life I’m hoping for isn’t going to magically arrive one day.

I have to build it.

One decision.
One lesson.
One step at a time.

So while I’m still processing the fact that August is around the corner… I’m also reminding myself that progress doesn’t have to be perfect to count.

✨ Life Is the Classroom

And this summer has been teaching me that the best time to start building what’s next is before you feel ready.

If you’re figuring it out in real time too, follow the journey.

Every summer I become a financial advisor, entrepreneur, content creator, real estate investor, curriculum developer, tutor, and business owner… all before lunch. 😂
Teacher summer break is a unique experience.
One minute you’re resting.
The next minute you’re calculating how many side hustles it would take to never hear an alarm clock at 5:30 AM again.
Teachers deserve to be paid more.
Until then, we’ll be over here researching passive income, tutoring, digital products, and every other way to create a little more breathing room.
Tell me I’m not the only one. 👇

Maybe it’s a millennial thing.

Or maybe it’s what happens after years of chasing achievement.

There was a time when success meant doing more.

Working harder.

Checking every box.

Being everything to everyone.

Now?

Success looks a little different.

A regulated nervous system.

Peace.

Time with my son.

A slower morning.

The freedom to move at my own pace.

This summer, I’m learning that not every season is meant for striving.

Some seasons are meant for healing.

✨ Life is the classroom.

And lately, it’s teaching me that rest isn’t something you earn. It’s something you need.

But in all seriousness, this season has taught me something:

A lot of us aren’t chasing luxury.

We’re chasing breathing room.

The ability to make memories with our kids.
The ability to save.
The ability to rest without stressing.

That’s part of why I’ve been talking more about rebuilding, budgeting, and creating multiple streams of income.

Summer break used to feel different.

Now every outing feels like a financial decision.

Water park?
💳

Weekend trip?
💳

Target run?
💳💳💳

No wonder so many teachers are looking for extra income streams.

We’re not trying to get rich.

We’re trying to afford summer
Because life is the classroom too.