Hey there, sweet teacher! I am terribly excited for today’s post way more than I should be. So if I sound a little crazy, just know that this is a long time dream of mine coming to fruition. As of earlier this week, Joyful Teacher Academy is LIVE! And I’m so excited to share it with you.
If you are a longtime blog reader, you know that this has been a dream of mine for probably around two years. But if you’re brand new, I want you to know about it in case this is a good fit for you. In the last few weeks, we have talked all about teacher overwhelm and burnout. And it is my deep hope that those posts have touched you, have motivated you, have given you hope in one of the hardest times that teachers have ever faced in the history of the world. The environment is just toxic right now.
So I hope that some things in that series have helped you. But maybe joyful Teacher Academy is the ultimate answer for you. So today, I’m going to tell you exactly what it is so that you can understand it and know for sure if this is something worth pursuing in your teacher life.
We talked about growth being the magic pill for overwhelm and burnout. Well, this is an opportunity to learn more and more and more.
You can still catch the Bye, Bye Burnout FREE webinar!
Before we get there, just in case you missed the free online virtual training Bye, Bye Burnout, I want you to know that there is one more available session coming up on February the second. And that has been an incredible experience for me being live with the teachers who come here, who need help, who are focused on leaving burnout behind. It was incredible.
So I definitely urge you to grab your spot in the very last virtual training. Even if you can’t make it during that time, I want you to know that there is a replay available for a limited time. So even if you can’t attend live, you can still see the replay if you sign up for this free online training.
And guess what? It also comes with a free one hour PD certificate. Professional development in your pajamas! Yeah, I think so. So definitely check that out if you’re interested.
Introducing… Joyful Teacher Academy!
At the very end of that training, I introduced teachers to Joyful Teacher Academy. Wow, what an incredible response I’ve received. Teachers are ready to learn, they’re ready to grow, they are ready to leave all of that burnout and negativity, perfectionism, all of those things behind.
So without further ado, let me tell you all about Joyful Teacher Academy. I’m going to begin this by first addressing the most obvious question, what is Joyful Teacher Academy? It sounds lovely, doesn’t it? But what is it? Well, it is an online training and community for teachers who are seeking to find more joy in their career. Teachers who feel that they can’t do this forever, and they need help. They need guidance and support.
That is the goal of Joyful Teacher Academy. It is to teach teachers strategies to increase their joy, their impact, and it also has built in support with a community of like minded teachers. The moment you enroll in Joyful Teacher Academy, you are part of a club with the kind of teachers who are not focused on just complaining. They’re focused on growing, they’re focused on improvement, they see the problems in their teacher lives, and they want to combat them. They want action.
Behind the Scenes of Joyful Teacher Academy
And this is how the training part works. When you enroll, you have immediate access to an orientation module that tells you exactly what the course looks like and how you’re going to go through it. And then each week I release a module. Module is just a fancy word for group of lessons.
So each module has a different focus, and you will get access to a new module every week. But that doesn’t mean you have to complete it in that week, it just means I’m releasing it slowly so that teachers can digest it, they can have time to focus on one area, which is really the key to this course. I want you to get hyper focused in one area so that you can make a lot of growth in that area before moving on to the next.
So there are five modules, one released every week. I created these modules around the five areas that I see teachers struggling the most in: mindset, relationships, management, need for support, and self care practices. I cover a lot of these topics here on the blog, but Joyful Teacher Academy is broken down step by step. It is a complete process. And of course, when we are focused in on these areas we’ll definitely see better outcomes than if we’re just jumping around from this to that.
When you focus on one area and really commit to improving it, that is where the magic happens.
So if I was going to summarize it in one sentence, I would say Joyful Teacher Academy is an online learning community filled with like-minded teachers who are focused on increasing their joy and their impact in the classroom.
How is Joyful Teacher Academy different?
So another obvious question is how is this different than regular professional development or other online trainings that you may have seen?
Well, first of all, you know the instructor. 😉 And the difference that I’ve seen between Joyful Teacher Academy and other trainings that I’ve taken, or that I’ve researched, is that I’m actually in the classroom. I’m actually a classroom teacher. I go to work every day. And I know what the overwhelm can do and how hard it is to be joyful in current times.
I do this every day. I have 18 amazing little first graders that look to me for joy, for learning, for knowledge, and it is my pleasure to have such a wonderful impact on their lives. So I know what it takes. So that is the major difference. And I’m confident that I know what you need because I’ve needed it along the journey as well.
Another major difference is that it’s completely relevant to you and you can do it on your own time. I’ve spent so much time doing professional development that had little impact on my classroom, but the strategies the content of Joyful Teacher Academy is specifically designed for you, and you have the freedom to choose when you do it.
If you want to spend time every morning before work, learning and growing, you can. If you like to sleep a little later, and you want to do it after work, you can. Maybe you want to do it in your pajamas, awesome. That’s when I like to do my best learning.
How much time will you need to invest in Joyful Teacher Academy?
Another question I get asked is how much time will it take? How much time do I need to dedicate to completing the course? Well, the great thing is, is that in the orientation module, you’ll find an outline that tells you exactly how long it will take. I have predicted that each module will take between one and two hours to complete with the videos and the extra things that you’ll have to do on your own. Yes, you will have homework, but this is like the best homework ever, because it’s completely focused on improving you.
You may be thinking, Toni, I don’t have one or two hours in my schedule. I’m completely booked with work, with family, all of these things. And my answer to that, teacher, would be if you can’t find time to devote to yourself, you have bigger problems than you believe.
You are the most valuable tool in your classroom. And you have to realize that you have to give yourself credit. You have to see your self worth, and one to two hours a week devoted to learning and growing and improving your life is very little in the grand scheme of things.
So find the time even if it’s not with this course. Find time to grow. We talked all about that last time. Hop back there if you need a reminder, but you are definitely worth it.
How do I know if Joyful Teacher Academy is right for me?
Another question about Joyful Teacher Academy I’ve received is, how do I know if it’s right for me? And here is my best answer to that. This course is right for you if you know down in your heart that you love teaching. Even if you feel completely overwhelmed and burned out, you still know down in your heart that you love the impact you’re leaving on children, and you know that there’s always room to grow. Joyful Teacher Academy could be your very best next step in your career. It can help you to learn the strategies that will help you go to your classroom with more joy each day, to have an even greater impact on your students and their families.
Not to mention, there’s a big focus on relationships with your coworkers. You can be the beaming light that those around you need.
Joyful Teacher Academy is Not for You If…
I want to follow that up with who this course is not for. This course is not for you if you’re not committed to change. It’s not for you if you believe that I can just tell you what the right thing to do is and suddenly it will appear in your life. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works.
You have to commit to finishing the course and completing the exercises that walk you through step by step how to get these results. So it’s for teachers searching for joy, impact, and ready to leave feelings of overwhelm, burnout, frustration behind.
How much does Joyful Teacher Academy cost?
The last question is a hard one for me to talk about, but it is how much does it cost? This is a tough area for me because I want to help teachers. But this has been an enormous amount of work and passion for me. I have put in hour after hour to create this content to make it available to you. There’s been many tears, there’s been a lot of frustration, but this is my dream.
So the cost of Joyful Teacher Academy is $147 and although I could offer this for free, the thing is, nothing that is free is seen as valuable. And besides that, when you pay, when you put your money on the line, you’re more likely to follow through.
I have these wagers that I do with Leon, my husband, that motivate us to stay on track with our diet and to exercise and take care of our health. And that is so motivating to me, because my money is hard earned.
I Know Your Paycheck is Valuable
And I know, teacher, that yours is too. I know that paycheck doesn’t reach very far. But when you put money on the line, you are committing to improvement. Nothing in your classroom is more worth it than you. Because when you grow, your students automatically see benefits. I think it’s funny how I’m really tight with money. I am very frugal. But, I spend an embarrassing amount of money each year on supplies like cardstock and Sharpie markers.
I’m betting you’re probably like me, you see it as noble to spend money on your classroom because your students need all of that. It almost seems like charity to us. Well, give yourself some charity, teacher. Give yourself the gift of improvement.
When you manifest more joy in your life, you’ll know that it was worth it. And if the price is something you are hung up on, let me offer you this. Joyful Teacher Academy comes with a 30 day money back guarantee. That means you will have access to almost the entire program. And if you decide that this is not helping, I’ll refund your money. Because at the end of the day, my goal is to help you.
No Matter What, Make Sure You Grow
I just want to leave you with this one thought. Whether this training is your answer or not, don’t forget to grow when you feel stuck. Your teacher heart is begging you to grow, to improve, to get refocused. Don’t forget to grow,
I hope that you’ll consider allowing me to be your guide in Joyful Teacher Academy, and to growing and increasing your joy and impact. It would be an honor. But if not, just grow, just grow.
This is my life’s work, y’all. I can’t tell you how good it feels to talk about the thing that I’ve dreamed of creating. Before we go today, I want to let you know that I will be absent next week. As I kick off Joyful Teacher Academy and make sure all my new learners are prepped and ready to go. But no matter what, I will always be back. I’ve got some big things planned for 2022. And I can’t wait to share all these new things with you.
As always, until we meet again, go make a difference, Teacher friend.
XOXOXO
Toni