163 | Is Teaching Still Worth It in 2026?

Have you ever found yourself typing “I quit teaching” into Google late at night?

With the behavior challenges, burnout, increasing demands, and everything else teachers are carrying right now, it’s understandable to wonder: Is teaching still worth it?

In this episode, I’m taking a different look at that question. I’ll share a deeply personal story about my mom, a teacher who once tried to talk me out of becoming a teacher—and something I learned after she passed away that changed the way I think about the impact we have on our students.

I’ll also talk about why surviving the school day isn’t enough, how connection and creative learning can help us create something more meaningful in our classrooms, and why your impact may be much bigger than you can see right now.

If you’re exhausted, discouraged, or wondering whether all of this is still worth it, this episode is for you.

In this episode, I’ll help you:

Reframe the question of whether teaching is “worth it”

Recognize the impact you may be having even when you don’t see it

Think differently about connection, creativity, and student engagement

Start noticing the small moments that remind you why you became a teacher

~Elizabeth

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