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In this episode of Teachers in Transition, Vanessa Jackson explores the power of perspective, resilience, and community in navigating the stress and overwhelm that comes with teaching—especially for those contemplating a career change.

She begins with a powerful story about how helping others can instantly boost our mood, sharing a real-life experience of lending a hand and seeing the positive impact firsthand. Then, she shifts focus to the concept of pointillism, using art as a metaphor for the teaching experience—sometimes, we’re too close to the dots to see the big picture.

In the second segment, Vanessa provides a practical hack to combat overwhelm: Drop Some Things. She discusses the importance of setting boundaries and reassessing priorities, especially when the weight of responsibilities feels unbearable.

Finally, she dives into decision-making in times of uncertainty, inspired by an experiment conducted by a Duke University professor. She challenges listeners to consider how they navigate ambiguity and whether their current decision-making strategies align with their long-term goals.

💡 Interesting Links & Resources:

• 5-Minute Guided Relaxation Meditation
• Turtles Helping Turtles
• Stanford Article on the fact that People want to help more than we realize.
• Book Recommendation: Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Aaron Dinin and the 11:45 class – Questions of Failure and Ambiguity

Connect with Vanessa

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Leave a voicemail or text at 512-640-9099
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Schedule a free Discovery Session with Vanessa here
Follow Vanessa on Bluesky @beyondteaching.bsky.social