Today, I’m sharing my interview with Carolyn Mills, a high school teacher-turned blogger and writer. She has a beautiful website full of home decor and organization ideas. I’m inspired by her life-after-teaching story!
Hi there– why don’t you tell us about yourself?
Getting Creative With Carolyn is a blog that I created to share home inspiration, organization tips, event planning ideas, ELA curriculum resources, inspirational devotionals, and educational ideas. My friends and coworkers have described me as creative, talented, enthusiastic, an excellent communicator, a lifelong learner, innovative, organized, and dedicated. I am hoping to begin my doctorate in the future, teach at a university, or become a curriculum designer.
What was your teaching career like?
I taught English at the secondary level in public schools for eighteen years. I have taught English Language Arts, World Literature, American Literature, Advanced Composition, and Creative Writing. I have designed multiple curriculum booklets and online learning for literature and writing, and I have sold some of the curriculum I have written. I also started and then advised the Creative Writing Club and the EV Key Newspaper, worked as a cooperating teacher for college students, and mentored new teachers coming into the district. I have also served as the team lead and helped to grow an online learning program.
That sounds like a jam-packed teaching career! What were your reasons for leaving the classroom?
I knew in my heart that it was time to take a career break from teaching so that I could focus on other priorities that I have had on hold in my life. These priorities included focusing on my family more, publishing my writing, pursuing adoption, and possible starting my doctorate. I felt like I was hitting a wall in my career and not growing like I needed to. I also did not feel like the curriculum I was writing was being valued, and I knew I was not getting paid what I was worth after 18 years of giving it my all. Like many other educators, I didn’t feel safe in the classroom anymore with the changing climate. I had given so much of myself and my time to my students over the past 18 years that I knew it was time to give more to my own family. I knew it was time to move forward so that I could grow in this next season of my life.
That definitely resonates with me, and I’m sure there are others who can relate with those struggles. Do you have any regrets about leaving? Were there any logistics with leaving that you would have done differently?
I don’t have any regrets about taking a career break. I put in 18 years of teaching and designing curriculum, and I gave it my all each year. I put my heart into all that I did with my students, and I strived each year to do my best. I know I made a positive difference in so many student’s lives. We all go through changing seasons of our lives, and it is okay to take a career break. It can be scary moving forward, but know that there is an open door waiting for you ahead. As educators, we want our students to grow into all they can be, so we should also value ourselves enough to do the same for ourselves.
I totally understand! Can you tell us what are you up to now?
I am currently working on my blog Getting Creative With Carolyn, volunteering, and hosting events for friends and family. I am also enjoying hobbies I never had the chance to explore in my younger years and finishing writing two inspirational devotionals. I am hoping to provide educators with an inspirational devotional that will help them navigate this changing season in the field of education. I’m also enjoying more quality time with my son and family.
Thanks for sharing, Carolyn! It’s encouraging to know that wherever we are in our teaching journeys, it’s okay to take a break and pivot our energies into other things we hold dear. I love it! Go and check out her site, Getting Creative with Carolyn— it’s full of great ideas, especially seasonal decor and relaxed, coastal home inspiration.
