Hi, Vanessa, 

My dog hates getting her nails trimmed. HATES it.

She has an extreme fear of that sort of thing. And because of that, her nails had gotten too long—I call them her dragon claws. She’s a big girl—a Rottweiler/Great Pyrenees mix—so forcing her isn’t just unsafe, it’s also unfair to her.

I read a few articles that said if you can get all four feet off the ground, the trimming gets easier. So I got creative: a kayak lift, chain rated for 500 pounds, and an old swing frame from a Texas-weathered porch setup. It’s… not beautiful. But it works. 

I felt like Data from the Goonies when I was testing it out.

And while my dog is suspended midair like a canine trapeze artist, it still takes two people: one to clip and one to love on her, soothe her, keep her distracted. She has more fun running and playing now. There’s joy in her gait.

And as I watched her run, I thought: this is what it feels like when we finally get the right kind of support.

Even the biggest dogs need help. Even the fiercest among us need a team.

Why Every Teacher Needs a Goonie Crew

The Goonies weren’t perfect. They were a delightful collection of hot messes. But they stayed together.  And that wasn’t a bug – that was a feature.

Mikey was chasing legends. Data was inventing gadgets. Mouth stirred the pot. Chunk cried and Sloth broke barriers. They were messy, loud, emotional—and exactly what each other needed.

In this week’s podcast, I talk about how these misfits modeled the kind of team every teacher in transition needs. Not a polished mastermind group. A real crew. The kind who won’t let you quit when the tunnels get dark.

And I realized something else: the Thunderbolts are the Goonies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Scrappy, suspicious, stitched together by necessity—not trust—but still showing up for each other when it counts. I can’t believe how bad my allergies acted up in the theater with all those tears. I SWEAR it was allergies!  Really, I do!

That’s the reminder. You don’t need a perfect crew. You just need one that shows up.

New Course Alert!

If you’re tired of bouncing between “maybe this?” and “what if that?” every time you look at your career options, the Decide course is your next step. This course is for the teacher that isn’t sure whether it’s time to leave the classroom or not and wants to investigate ALL the options.   At the end, you will know whether you want to Stay in the classroom, Shift to a different place in education, or Strategize that exit from education.

🧭 Explore the DECIDE course here

Teachers in Transition Podcast

🎧 Want the full breakdown on Goonies, Thunderbolts, and why your weirdness might be your superpower?

Hear the full episode now.  Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Episode 258: Goonies Never Say Die (Even in a Job Search)

I'D LOVE TO CONNECT! 

📧 Email me at Vanessa@teachersintransition.com
📱 Leave a voicemail or text at 512-640-9099
📅 Schedule a free Discovery Session with me here
🦋 Follow me on Bluesky: @beyondteaching.bsky.social
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📘 Join the community on Facebook

Who’s in your Goonie crew? I’d love to hear about them—or help you find yours. ❤️