Last updated on May 26th, 2025 at 07:52 pm
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Transitioning from a fulfilling teaching career to full-time motherhood is a journey many educators face, often accompanied by complex emotions and identity shifts. In our latest podcast episode, I spoke with a former math teacher who navigated this transition while finding creative ways to keep her teaching passion alive. Here’s the episode if you want to listen in on this insightful conversation:
A Teacher’s Diverse Career Experiences
Our guest’s teaching journey began with an elementary education degree, followed by diverse teaching experiences in kindergarten, fourth and fifth grade math, and even teaching abroad in South Korea. Her passion for mathematics education eventually led her to pursue a master’s degree in elementary math education and secure what she describes as her “dream job” as an elementary math curriculum specialist.
But just ten months into this role, she made the difficult decision to step away from her career to become a full-time mother to her newborn daughter. This decision, while challenging, reflects the reality many teaching professionals face when balancing career aspirations with family priorities.
Maintaining a Teacher Identity While Embracing Motherhood
Stay-at-home-mom? Check.
Teacher? Also check.
Ms. Beutl has found a way to fit both big jobs into her life.
Through tutoring, creating educational YouTube content, and even working part-time as a math intervention specialist, she’s found ways to continue making an impact in mathematics education while prioritizing her family. Her YouTube channel, which features clear, concise math instruction for various grade levels, has allowed her to reach students beyond the traditional classroom setting. The channel focuses primarily on fourth and fifth-grade mathematics but includes content for other grade levels as well, making it a valuable resource for both homeschooling families and students in traditional educational settings who need additional support.
Transitioning from the Classroom to the Home
Perhaps the most valuable insight from our conversation was Ms. Beutl’s approach to managing the transition: “Whatever you do, just make it black and white while you do it. Go all in.”
She emphasized the importance of being fully present in whatever role you’re in at the moment, whether that’s focusing on your children during designated family time or dedicating specific hours to professional pursuits.
This approach has helped her avoid the frustration of constantly feeling torn between roles, allowing her to find fulfillment in both motherhood and her continued contributions to education.
For teachers considering a similar transition, her experience offers several practical strategies: maintain professional connections that could lead to flexible opportunities, explore digital platforms like YouTube to share expertise, consider tutoring as a way to keep teaching skills sharp, and most importantly, be intentional about how you allocate your time and attention. The journey from classroom to home doesn’t have to mean abandoning your teaching identity entirely – it’s about finding creative ways to redefine it within your new reality as a parent.
As she poignantly reminded us, motherhood and career aspirations exist in seasons.
When facing challenges, it helps to remember that difficult phases are temporary: “If something is difficult or if something is even good, it’s just a season and it’ll change.”
This perspective allows for grace during demanding periods of parenting while maintaining hope that future seasons may allow for different professional expressions of your teaching passion. The key is patience with yourself and recognition that success looks different in different seasons of life.
Check out Ms. Beutl’s YouTube channel for great skills-based math instruction videos geared towards grades Kindergarten through 5!
Products We Recommend for Math Tutoring:
- A small group set of dry erase boards, markers and erasers
- Base ten blocks with place value chart (ideal for grades K-3)
- Dry erase pocket sleeves to make any worksheet reusable
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