x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching

Sharon Cawley and Sarah Dunwood

Sharon Cawley and Sarah Dunwood talk to former teachers about exiting from the classroom and thriving.Don"t forget to leave us a VOICEMAIL, quickly and easily at https://www.speakpipe.com/pitponypodcastSupport the podcast by buying us a coffee here:https://buymeacoffee.com/thepitponyclub

education personal journals

All Episodes

73:45

058 - Pit Pony Giselle Wild - Classroom to...

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching ·

2025/06/10

After 17 years in the classroom, Giselle Wild left teaching at Christmas 2024. In this episode, she reflects on a career built on creativity, care and connection - and the unraveling that began after the traumatic birth of her son. From art rooms to leadership roles, Giselle gave everything to her students. But delayed PTSD, sleepless years, and a system that demanded more than she could give eventually led to a complete breakdown. Now working for the Breck Foundation, Giselle supports young ...

en-gb

46:16

057 - Pit Pony Emma Harper - Classroom to CEO /...

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching ·

2025/06/03

Emma Harper Part 2: Finding Freedom After the Fall In the second half of Emma Harper’s story, we follow her journey out of the classroom for good. After a final crisis point left her broken and exhausted, Emma made the decision to leave teaching in December 2023. What followed was not just survival, but transformation. Emma shares how tutoring became a vital part of her healing, how she built Core Plus Tuition, and why creating a safe space for both students and tutors has become her mission....

en-gb

42:40

056 - Pit Pony Emma Harper - Classroom to CEO /...

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching ·

2025/06/03

Emma Harper Part 1: From Promise to Breaking Point Emma Harper was a dedicated secondary maths teacher from 2011 to 2023. In this episode, she shares the first half of her powerful story, covering three very different schools, early career promise, and a series of personal and professional challenges that pushed her to the edge. We talk about international teaching experiences, burnout, student behaviour, toxic leadership, and the silent, slow build-up of trauma. Emma opens up about multiple ...

en-gb

59:17

055 - Pit Pony Jeanette Thompson-Wessen - Classroom...

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching ·

2025/05/27

In Part 2 of our conversation with Jeannette Thompson-Wessen, the story turns even darker. After being shouted at while pregnant, ignored during risk assessments, and breaking down in front of students, Jeannette was left utterly broken. She describes a period of severe depression, suicidal thoughts, and the moment a school chose to send a parental complaint - on the very day she’d shared her mental health crisis. But this episode is also about survival and the long road to recovery. Je...

en-gb

45:44

054 - Pit Pony Jeanette Thompson-Wessen - Classroom...

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching ·

2025/05/27

In this powerful first part of our conversation with Jeannette Thompson-Wessen, we hear how a passionate, dedicated food technology teacher went from being earmarked for leadership to being bullied, ignored and broken. After returning from maternity leave, the praise disappeared, the support vanished, and the treatment became so toxic it pushed her to the brink. Jeannette shares her early love of teaching, her impact on students in a deprived area, and how it all began to unravel – from sudde...

en-gb

56:01

053 - Pit Pony David Myers - Classroom to Student...

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching ·

2025/05/20

In Part 2 of our conversation with David Myers, we pick up at the point he finally walks away from teaching - and follow what happens next. From exploring tutoring, supply work and student support roles, to landing a new job at Durham University (in the castle, no less), David reflects on rebuilding his confidence, recovering from burnout, and rediscovering joy in his work. He shares what true leadership and professionalism really look like, and how one compassionate team changed everything. ...

en-gb

68:10

052 - Pit Pony David Myers - Classroom to Student...

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching ·

2025/05/20

Former maths teacher David Myers joins us for a gripping two-part conversation about his journey in and out of the classroom - and everything in between. In this first episode, we follow David from the early days of creative teaching and academic passion, through a toxic shift in school culture, the loss of professional autonomy, and the impact of long COVID on his well-being. From being told that “90% of teaching is marking” to experiencing mandated scripts, meaningless targets, and metacogn...

en-gb

7:54

051 - Sliding Doors Stories - Part 8

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching ·

2025/05/16

In todays bonus episode of The Pit Pony Podcast, we bring you another trio of powerful Sliding Doors moments – those life-defining experiences shared by our guests since leaving the classroom. 🎙️ Rachael Daniel reflects on an event, that reminded her not all schools are toxic, and some can still feel like home. 🎙️ Kitty White shares how the simple act of walking through the woods in the morning – free from a timetable – helped her reconnect with nature, memory, and peace after personal loss.

en-gb

50:40

050 - What do I do if I think I'm being bullied

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching ·

2025/05/13

In this vital episode of The Pit Pony Podcast, Sharon and Sarah discuss one of the most common - and distressing - questions that surfaces in the Life After Teaching community: What do I do if I think I’m being bullied? Drawing on hundreds of real teacher experiences, they unpack the early warning signs, the subtle shifts in communication and behaviour, and the emotional toll that workplace bullying can take. You’ll learn: How to spot the red flags (even the ‘low-level’ ones)The difference be...

en-gb

9:52

049 - Sliding Doors Stories - Part 7

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching ·

2025/05/09

In this special Sliding Doors bonus episode, we bring you three more powerful and deeply personal reflections from teachers who’ve exited the classroom and discovered unexpected joy, freedom, and purpose on the other side. 🎙 Hollie Jones shares the life-saving impact of leaving teaching - how being able to drop everything for her son’s emergency surgery reminded her what true flexibility looks like. 🎙 Paul Lennon reflects on how time - the real kind, not just school holidays - allowed ...

en-gb

49:36

048 - Know Your Rights

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching ·

2025/05/06

This week’s Pit Pony Podcast is a bit different - it’s just Sharon and Sarah, no guest, but lots of honesty, insight and real talk. We’re kicking off a three-part mini-series by tackling one of the biggest foundations of protecting yourself at work: knowing your rights. From understanding the Burgundy Book and STPCD (NB Sarah had a little moment and forgot that the ‘S’ stands for ‘School’!), to decoding part-time contracts, directed hours, capability procedures, and those "informal support pl...

en-gb

9:52

047 - Sliding Doors Stories - Part 6

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching ·

2025/05/02

In this sixth edition of our beloved Sliding Doors Stories, we bring you three powerful moments from guests who, after leaving the classroom, found clarity, connection and joy in unexpected places. ✨ Katie Stone shares how her relationship with her daughter transformed – and how a trip to New Zealand gave her children a once-in-a-lifetime experience (and a new dream for Archie!). 💖 Sarah Cowan reflects on how one spontaneous weekend with her niece became a treasured memory – something s...

en-gb

33:44

046 - Sliding Doors - Sharon’s Story

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching ·

2025/04/29

In this special episode of The Pit Pony Podcast, we’re turning the spotlight inward. For the first time, co-host Sharon Cawley shares her own powerful and deeply personal sliding doors story. More than just about leaving teaching, it’s about the moment Sharon reclaimed control of her life and showed what’s possible when we choose presence over pressure. Sharon reflects on how life outside of the classroom gave her the time, space and freedom to show up when it mattered most. Today, Sharon and...

en-gb

69:40

045 - Pit Pony Ilana King - Classroom to Educational...

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching ·

2025/04/22

In this episode, we’re joined by the unstoppable Ilana King - educational consultant, entrance exam specialist, home educator, and all-round powerhouse. Ilana’s journey is far from typical. After just two years in the classroom, she knew it wasn’t the right fit - and rather than settle, she built something new. Literally. She created her own nursery from the ground up (on land she negotiated with a secondary school), ran it successfully, then sold it and pivoted again. She home educated her t...

en-gb

43:57

044 - Pit Pony Pete Scholes - Classroom to Driving...

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching ·

2025/04/15

This week, we’re joined by the brilliant and unassuming Peter Scholes – a man who gave 21 years to the classroom before stepping away when shifting leadership turned a once-thriving school culture into something unrecognisable. In this heartfelt episode, Pete shares how the sudden departure of a beloved headteacher triggered a school-wide unraveling, leading to mass staff turnover, a loss of trust, and ultimately, his own departure. Now a successful driving instructor and published author, Pe...

en-gb

51:54

042 - Pit Pony Rob Newlands - Classroom to Financial...

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching ·

2025/04/08

In the first of this two-part special, we meet Rob Newlands, a former headteacher who climbed the leadership ladder quickly - only to face a stark and painful reality at the top. At just 30 years old, Rob stepped into a headship in Cornwall, full of energy, purpose, and a belief that he could make a difference. But what awaited him was far from the job he signed up for. From day one, Rob was met with missing policies, no induction, and the expectation to lead full-time while also teaching ful...

en-gb

89:35

043 - Pit Pony Rob Newlands - Classroom to Financial...

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching ·

2025/04/08

In Part 2 of this powerful conversation, Rob Newlands takes us through the devastating fallout of his time in headship - and the turning point that changed everything. After months of isolation, impossible expectations, and systemic failure, Rob faced a brutal mocksted that delivered the final blow. What followed was a silent breakdown behind closed doors, a desperate call to his GP, and the realisation that he had to leave the profession to survive. Rob shares the raw truth about what it fee...

en-gb

55:49

041 - Pit Pony Kitty White - Classroom to Holiday...

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching ·

2025/04/01

Loving the Pit Pony Podcast? Buy Us a Coffee ☕️ Kitty White never imagined she’d leave teaching - she was in it for life. But after years of battling anxiety, disillusionment, and a crushing sense of being lost, she made a brave leap out of the classroom and into something completely different. In this powerful episode, Kitty reflects on the emotional toll teaching took on her, how she slowly rebuilt herself, and how she found new purpose (and peace) as the Business Development Ma...

en-gb

70:51

040 - Pit Pony Rachael Daniel - Classroom to...

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching ·

2025/03/25

What happens when a dedicated teacher realises that the career she once loved is no longer the right fit? In this episode, we sit down with Rachael Daniel, who made the bold decision to step away from teaching and carve out a new path. Rachael takes us through the highs and lows of her transition - from the moment she knew she had to leave, to the doubts that nearly held her back, and the surprising opportunities that opened up once she took the leap. She shares how she navigated financial fe...

en-gb

70:40

039 - Pit Pony Grant Decker - Classroom to Record...

The Pit Pony Podcast - Life After Teaching ·

2025/03/18

This week on The Pit Pony Podcast, we sit down with the incredible Grant Decker – a former teacher whose love for music led him to open his own record shop. After years in the classroom, supporting students with complex needs, Grant realised it was time for a change. In this episode, he shares his inspiring journey from education to entrepreneurship, the challenges of balancing work and family, and how he built a thriving business from his passion for vinyl. Thinking about your own exit strat...

en-gb

78 results

Similar Podcasts

Science Talk

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

五分钟心理学

柠檬心理

Daily Facts

Amalia Dupray and Montgomery Jones.

Les dents et dodo

BFMTV

Veterinary Clinical Podcasts

The Royal Veterinary College