Hi Vanessa

It’s Back to School season!  Although, I am excited to share that I have officially graduated with my MBA!  That was a lot of work. And now that those projects are done, I am launching into new research and new ways to serve teachers who are stressed, overwhelmed and burned out.

I’m gathering insights for a white paper on teacher burnout and career transition—and I could really use your help. Your answers are anonymous, and they’ll help shine a light on what educators are really experiencing (and what kind of support is still missing).

➡️ Take the poll here
Thank you for being brave enough to share what others stay quiet about.

Impostor Syndrome, Starships, and Stepping Up

In Galaxy Quest, a crew of out-of-work actors is suddenly asked to become the heroes and perform tasks that they don’t think they can do. Sound familiar?

Teachers know how to lead on the fly. We’ve been building the plane while flying it for years. But when the system strips us of our impact—or when we try to shift careers—we often forget just how powerful those “pretend” skills are.

This episode is your reminder: if TV actors can command a starship, you can absolutely navigate a career pivot. You don’t have to wait to be chosen. You can choose yourself.

Plucky Comic Relief and the Cost of Survival Mode

There’s a moment in Galaxy Quest that sticks out: Guy - Sam Rockwell’s gloriously panicked, Crewman #6 character - has a full-on existential spiral. Faced with actual danger, he yells, “I’m just a glorified extra.”  A redshirt, doomed to die in the background while the real heroes save the day.

Another crew member tries to reassure him: “Maybe you’re the comic relief.”

Plucky. Lovable. Non-essential.  That line sticks, doesn’t it?  It didn’t land for me the way the movie intended it to.

Because how many teachers - burned out, overworked, and stretched thin - cope by becoming the comic relief? How many of us deflect the overwhelm with sarcasm, crack jokes about the chaos, and learn to laugh when we’re actually on the verge of crying?

It’s survival. And in a system that demands everything and gives back very little, humor often becomes our armor. But here’s the quiet danger: if we’re not careful, we start to believe that being “plucky” is all we are.

We start to internalize the lie that we’re extras in our own careers. That we’re replaceable. That our value is tied to how much we can absorb without breaking.

But what if you’re not the comic relief? What if you’re the main character, and you’ve just been reading from the wrong script?

The myth of the teacher-martyr runs deep: Sacrifice your time, your energy, your boundaries. For the kids. For the mission. For the greater good. And if you ask for support, or dare to want more? You must not be “in it for the right reasons.”

But burnout isn’t a badge of honor. It’s a check-spaceship-engine-warning light.

You are not just a teacher. You are not a glorified extra. You’re the lead, and you deserve a role that lets you thrive, not just survive.

So here’s your reminder: rewrite the story. Recast the role. And maybe—just maybe—drop the punchline in favor of a plot twist that leads to something better.

You’ve given enough. You’re allowed build a future that gives back.

PODCAST

If you’ve ever felt like an extra in your own life—or like you’re pretending to hold it together—this one’s for you. The latest episode of Teachers in Transition uses Galaxy Quest to explore burnout, impostor syndrome, and why your real-life skills are more transferable than you think.

🎧 Click here to listen on Buzzsprout

UPCOMING EVENTS

Wondering if it’s time to leave the classroom?  Or just this spot?  Or maybe if you just need some better boundaries?   I have two times to help accommodate you.

SEPTEMBER 1, 2025 at 2:00PM Central Time

SEPTEMBER 27 at 11:00 AM Central Time

 I am hosting a webinar called DECIDE which will help you to understand whether you really want to Stay, Shift, or Strategize your Exit from the Classroom.  Come and check out your options.

This workshop is based on our popular DECIDE course, and participants will receive not only opportunities to interact with Vanessa and ask questions in a live setting, but they’ll also get full access to DECIDE course at no additional COST! This Webinar is a $250 value that you can sign up for at a FRACTION of it’s value.  

Click to Learn More!

COOL RESOURCE

Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Richard Feynman

If you’ve ever wrestled with impostor syndrome—or wondered whether it’s okay to “learn as you go”—this one’s for you.

Richard Feynman wasn’t just a Nobel Prize-winning physicist. He was a safecracker, a bongo drummer, and an accidental expert in everything from biology to art restoration. But not because he started as an expert.

In his memoir Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!, we get a glimpse into how he thought—deeply, curiously, playfully. He wasn’t afraid to dive into new topics, ask “dumb” questions, or fake it till he figured it out. And because of that, people often assumed he was an expert long before he ever was.

He didn’t let the fear of “not knowing enough” stop him from trying. He trusted his ability to learn, and that made all the difference.

Let that be a lesson: you don’t have to know everything to start something new. You just have to be curious, bold, and willing to ask the next question.

Here is the Amazon Link.  I am *not* an affiliate.

CONNECT WITH ME

📧 Email me at: vanessa@teachersintransition.com
📱 Text or leave a voicemail: 512-640-9099
📅 Schedule a free Discovery Session: teachersintransition.com/calendar
📷 Instagram & Threads: @teachers.in.transition
🐦 X (Twitter): @EduExitStrategy
📘 Facebook: Follow here
🌐 Bluesky: @beyondteaching.bsky.social