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Educator Forever

Lily Jones, Teacher Advocate

There’s a lot that needs to change in education. But there are inspiring movements going on too! At Educator Forever, we believe teachers need to be at the forefront of education reform and be empowered to create career pathways that work for them.

Do you ever think about leaving the classroom but have absolutely no idea what else you could do? You may not realize it yet, but you have acquired highly valuable skills throughout your teaching journey, and there is unlimited potential for you to use them. Tune in each week to hear about career opportunities that will help you achieve the income, impact, and freedom you’ve always dreamed of. The best part? You can do all of this without having to leave the world of education entirely.

In addition to showing you the many ways you can expand your impact beyond the classroom, we’ll introduce you to inspiring leaders in education. Want to learn about new research? Looking to get familiar with innovative approaches to teaching and learning? We’ve got you covered.

Your host, Lily Jones, is a former kindergarten and first-grade teacher who transitioned out of the classroom to work in curriculum design, writing content for ed tech companies and even launching her own educational product-based business. After quadrupling her teaching income, she realized she could help other teachers do the same. Now Lily runs Educator Forever, where she empowers teachers to expand their impact beyond the classroom, and Educator Forever Agency, where she works with a team of educators to create inspiring curricula.

For more helpful resources, head to www.educatorforever.com.

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Wednesday · 29 min
201. Creating Resources for Teachers with Paul McKee of FreeWorksheets.com
Paul McKee is a former K-12 teacher turned education entrepreneur who has spent more than 20 years building and growing online education businesses. He is the founder of FreeWorksheets.com, a free resource platform created to help teachers, parents, and homeschoolers access classroom materials without memberships or paywalls. Along the way, Paul has worked extensively in SEO, digital publishing, and ad tech, while remaining closely connected to education. In this episode, Paul and I discuss how his history in the tech world led to him starting his Free Worksheets business and what’s he’s learned about entrepreneurship over the years. He’s got some great advice about running a business so tune in! For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode201.
October 8 · 22 min
200. What 200 Conversations Taught Me About Learning
Hi everyone, welcome back to Educator Forever. Episode 200. Wow! 200 episodes. It’s been such a pleasure hosting this show over the past four years. Today I'm doing something different — no guests . Instead, I want to talk about a framework I've been developing for a long time, one I built out of my own experience as a teacher, a curriculum designer, and now someone getting a doctorate in learning design. It's eight ideas about how learning actually happens: finding your truth, envisioning possibilities, imperfect action, confronting perfectionism and shame, developing agency, co-creating learning, being fully you, and reflecting and repeating. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode200.
September 9 · 10 min
199. What Actually Makes Teachers Successful Beyond the Classroom?
If I asked you to name the skills that make teachers successful outside of the classroom, you might say something like communication, or curriculum design, or organization, and those are real. We learn so many transferable skills as classroom teachers, but after working with tens of thousands of teachers who have successfully transitioned to expand their impact beyond the classroom. I've been thinking about what actually made the difference for them, and it's almost always not just a skill on the resume. It's really a behavior, a way of being, a way of moving through uncertainty. And so today we're not doing another teacher skills employers one episode. We're doing the one that nobody really explicitly asked for, but I think we all want, which is what do the people who actually make this transition successfully do differently? For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode199.
August 26 · 28 min
198. Building a Business Around How People Learn with Alex Mozes of Gravity Learning
Alex Mozes is the CEO of Gravity Learning, a workforce development company using cognitive science to help managers actually change how they lead. Before Gravity, Alex founded Sheprd.io, a fractional operations consultancy helping companies solve scaling challenges from early‑stage through IPO. Nowadays he brings that same obsession with real‑world impact to Gravity Learning—building programs HR and L&D leaders can finally measure. Alex and I talk about his journey from tech to the world of education and his mission to democratize it. We also talk about the importance of interactive learning and issues created by corporate environments. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode198.
August 19 · 23 min
197. From Teacher to Web Designer with Jenelle Rawlins
Jenelle Rawlins is the founder of Janelle Marie Web Design and Branding. She helps service businesses who have outgrown their current website and want to work with more premium clients. She specializes in custom logo design and website makeovers so that her clients have the confidence, authority and messaging. In our discussion, we talk about how Janelle taught for 16 years before getting into web design. Then she gets deep into her work, from how she learned to do it to the aspects of website design that folks might not know. If you need a website for your new business, you’ll want to tune in. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode197.
August 12 · 11 min
196. Career Change Tips for Teachers
There comes a moment for many teachers in their careers when the classroom no longer feels like the right fit. It can show up as burnout or exhaustion. Or it might be a curiosity or feeling that there’s something else out there for you. If you’re a teacher considering a career change, you’re likely wondering what’s next. The great news is you don’t have to leave your passion for education behind. In this podcast, I break down how to make a successful career change for teachers (or former teachers), so you can navigate your next step with clarity and confidence. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode196.
July 29 · 35 min
195. Nervous System Literacy with Monica Rollins of Rooted: A Wellness Collective
Monica Rollins is the founder and CEO of Rooted, a wellness collective. She partners with preschool programs to give teachers what traditional SEL training misses: practical nervous system literacy, trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness practices, and the co-regulation skills needed to lead calm, connected classrooms. Her approach is grounded in brain science, honors cultural responsiveness and centers the belief that regulation, not behavior management, is the foundation of social emotional learning. In this episode, Monica tells me about how her work in early childhood education, emphasizing the importance of nervous system literacy. We dive deep into the importance of regulation and of course we get into starting a new business! For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode195.
July 22 · 24 min
194. Scaling a Business and Building a Personal Brand with Luba Patlakh of Kidology
Luba Patlakh is a speech and language pathologist, myofunctional therapist, and founder of Kidology. She's also an entrepreneur, podcast host, and children's book author. Luba has expanded her mission beyond one-on-one services through education, content creation, and community building. She is the host of the Growth Lab podcast, author of the children's book Bobo Wears a bow tie and creator of the Confident IEP Parent, an ebook to help parents navigate the IEP process with greater confidence and clarity. In our discussion, Luba and I talk about her busy life, going from broadcast journalism to entrepreneurship and founding Kidology. She gets into the importance of one’s communication skills when working with children and the difficulties of being an entrepreneur. If you’re thinking about starting your own brand, you need to tune into this episode. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode194.
July 15 · 25 min
193. Empowering Kids Through Art with Chinon Maria of Art World Explorer Kids
Chinon Maria is an artist, educator, and founder of Art World Explorer Kids. For the past 15 years, she has dedicated her work to empowering and teaching children across the globe about the power of art. In this episode, Chinon tells Lily how became such a major part of her life and educator journey. She also discusses how she balances her successful art career while being an educator. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode193.
July 8 · 23 min
192. Teaching Success Skills with Rob Heller of the Boost Program
Rob Heller is a successful entrepreneur, youth development innovator, and founder of the Boost Program, a comprehensive personal development curriculum designed to equip teens and young adults with the essential life, social, and mental health skills that traditional education overlooks. Drawing from a century of personal development wisdom—distilling the teachings of Dale Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, and other thought leaders into accessible, actionable lessons—Rob developed Boost as the "missing course" for today's youth. In this episode, Lily and Rob dive into the creation of the Boost Program and why he thought children needed it. We also get into what makes Boost work and his plans for expansion. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode192.
July 1 · 29 min
191. What Educators Need to Know About Childhood Trauma with Julianna Burmesch
Julianna Burmesch is a former principal, speech pathologist, brain development trainer, and parent educator. She is also the author of Life with Less of Me, a memoir about the connection between trauma and long-term physical and mental health. Julianna and I discuss her education journey and her studies in communication disorders. We also go through her book, talking about the long terms effects of childhood trauma and her work pushing for educators to address it in schools. Get ready to dive deep into social emotional learning! For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode191.
June 24 · 33 min
190. Building Collaborative Schools with Kurtis Hewson of Jigsaw Learning
Kurtis Hewson is an author and the co-founder of Jigsaw Learning, a consultancy that teaches educators its Collaborative Response frameworks. With over a decade of experience as an administrator, Kurtis has championed the call for collaborative structures in schools to ensure success for all students. In this episode, Kurtis and I discuss the creation of the Collaborative Response frameworks and how they’re used. We get deep into the four layers of team collaboration and the importance of letting teachers address the needs of their students. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode190.
June 17 · 31 min
189. From Antiracism to Abolition with Abby Emerson
Dr. Abby Emerson is a former fifth-grade teacher and now an assistant professor of childhood education at Hunter College at the City University of New York. She is the author of the book, From Anti-Racism to Abolition: Professional Learning for Liberating Schools, which is a book coming out this fall for educators who are curious about how to better use professional development to work towards racial justice in schools. Abby and I take this episode to discuss seeing structural racism in our education system, among many other deep topics. If you want to see racial justice in education, you’ll want to tune in. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode189.
June 10 · 33 min
188. Implementing Science Research in K-12 Classrooms with Matt Wilkins of Galactic Polymath
Matt Wilkins is a former middle school teacher, scientist, and founder of Galactic Polymath Education Studio. He has spent the last 10 years trying to translate cutting-edge research into engaging videos, and fun, standards-aligned lessons that a non-specialist can teach. In our discussion, Wilkins notes his work focuses on translating cutting-edge research into accessible lessons for K-12 classrooms. He highlights the disconnect between scientific knowledge and public understanding, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary education. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode188.
June 3 · 33 min
187. From Regulation to Liberation with Dr. Niki Elliott
Dr. Niki Elliott is a clinical professor and director of the Center for Embodied Equity and Neurodiversity at the University of San Diego. A leading voice in neurodiversity and trauma-informed education, she has trained thousands of teachers, school counselors, and helping professionals worldwide to better support children with learning differences, mental health diagnoses, trauma histories, and behavioral challenges. In this episode, Dr. Niki and I discuss the importance of embodied equity and the impact of the physical environment on neurodiverse children's nervous systems. We also get into her Center for Embodied Equity and Neurodiversity and how she prepares teachers for working with neurodiverse children. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode187.
May 27 · 27 min
186. Fostering Creativity with Josh Davidson of Night Zookeeper
Josh Davidson is the creator and co-founder of Night Zookeeper, an award-winning online learning program that helps children fall in love with reading, writing, and creativity through games and storytelling. Josh is passionate about giving kids the confidence to see themselves as writers and creators, and he speaks regularly about the power of play, stories, and co-created worlds in education. Josh and I have a great time talking about inspiring creativity and a love of learning in kids. We get into the challenges he faced creating his show and he provides a lot of great tips for budding content producers. You’ll want to tune in! For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode186.
May 20 · 13 min
185. The Three Things That Change How You Learn Anything
I have spent decades — decades — studying how people learn. I've read the research, I've built the frameworks, I'm literally getting a graduate degree in learning design from Johns Hopkins right now. And I still catch myself thinking: I need to know more before I'm ready to start. Ironic, right? Someone who studies learning... afraid to learn out loud. But here's what's wild: that fear? That "not ready yet" feeling? It turns out it's not a personal flaw. It's just... how learning actually works. And once I understood that, everything changed. So today I want to take you inside the framework we've built at Educator Forever — our approach to learning — and specifically, I want to talk about three ideas that I think will shift the way you think about learning anything. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode185.
May 6 · 13 min
184. The 5 Stages of Starting an Education Business
If you've been thinking about starting an education business, it can feel really overwhelming knowing how to start, and most people really only see businesses when they're polished and successful. And it can feel intimidating, because we see these really well put together businesses that feel streamlined, and we don't see the messiness that goes into creating them. And so today I want to normalize the messiness that's how we learn. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode184.
April 29 · 36 min
183. Centering Educator Wellbeing with Monika Robinson of Reparations Ed
Monika Robinson is an Educator Wellbeing Coach with 17 years of experience across school systems. Her career includes roles as an elementary teacher, instructional coach, nonprofit director, and consultant giving her a deep understanding of the challenges educators face and what it takes to thrive in demanding environments. In our conversation, Monika and I talk about educator wellness and how she started her consultancy Reparations Ed in 2020, which initially focused on educational equity for black students but later shifting to educator wellness. We get into so many important issues teachers face, including teacher retention and the need for teachers to prioritize their well-being. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode183.
April 22 · 29 min
182. From Classroom to Congress with Will Staton
Will Staton began his career as a high school history teacher, and has worked as a teacher, Dean and administrator in Memphis, New York City and Washington, DC. Most recently, Will worked as an independent nonprofit consultant. Now he is now running for Congress as an independent in central New York, where he lives in Syracuse with his wife and two daughters. In our talk, Will and I discuss his journey from education to politics, and how he wants to improve the public school system. If you care about our education system, you’ll want to tune in. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode182.

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