My Story

Hi!

I'm Carrie.

Maximus is the boy dog. Isis (not pictured) is the girl dog.

I've been a classroom teacher for 14 years. I have taught PreK and 1st through 5th grades, and now I also teach English as a Second Language online. Over the last few years, I've come to believe I've lost my fire for teaching. I was still giving it my all, but I found less motivation to work late at night or go to my classroom on weekends. Maybe it's all the stuff funneling down from the Dept. of Education. Maybe it's the lack of appreciation. Maybe it's the idea that the job seems to get more and more challenging every year despite the compounding experience. Or maybe it's just the fact that I've been at this for a decade and a half... I don't know. But I lost my fire. So I left the classroom in 2020.

An aside:

A few years ago, I decided to make myself a priority and really take charge of my self care. I was involved in a car accident that put me in doctor's appointments 4 times a week. That didn't leave much time for unpaid overtime. Around that same time, I saw a quote being passed around the Internet:

That was a huge gut punch... mostly because it's true! As teachers, we need to be taking care of ourselves! We can't pour from an empty cup, although we try all the time! 

When I decided to take charge of my health, I decided to go all-in. I wanted to be a part of this amazing community of like-minded people who can help me share my passion for wellness and self care with the world! Or at least with my fellow teachers...  So I became a Health & Wellness Coach!

Meet... My Team!

And now, when we left off, I was leaving the classroom...

A new position within the district opened up, and one of my teammates (who also happens to work at my school) told my principal I would be perfect for it. It helps that I had experience because I already held the position in my previous school district for 3 years, but my friend told the principal that I was already coaching a lot of people in wellness, so I would be a good fit for... the Instructional Coach position for my school! So I interviewed, and now that's what I do.

Over the last few years, my story has continued to evolve. I am definitely not the same person I was. Time has passed, things have happened, and I have continued to learn more about mindset, fitness, and nutrition. 

Each part of my story, no matter how difficult it is to tell, has shaped me into the person I am today. Everything from toxic relationships, rape, stories of self-doubt, and beyond... But also new friends, a fabulous community, and plenty of opportunities to continue to grow and develop as a person and as a leader.

My story isn't over. Not by a long shot. I have so many more lessons to learn, and I hope to fail many more times so I can learn them. I have a lot of growth left to make and several more chapters left in this tale.