What “That Teacher Next Door” Actually Does Differently
Feb 19, 2026I still remember the first “That Teacher” I ever ran into.
I share this story in Chapter 1 of my book.
She left at contract time.
Never brought work home.
Had amazing classroom management.
Stayed ahead on planning.
Was caught up on PD and emails.
She looked calm.
I was in awe.
Meanwhile, my coworker was jealous.
“She clearly doesn’t care about her kids like I do.”
I remember wondering:
HOW?
Years later, a teacher stopped me in the hallway and asked me:
“How do you do it?”
That’s when I realized…
I had embodied that teacher.
So today, let’s talk about what “That Teacher Next Door” actually does differently — so you can embody your own version of her.
Who Is “That Teacher Next Door”?
She knows who she is.
She knows the impact she makes.
And she doesn’t measure her success by how exhausted she is.
She defines what a “good teacher” means.
And then she unapologetically goes after that.
She lets go of what society says.
She lets go of what other teachers think.
She might be:
• The teacher who leaves at contract time
• The teacher who doesn’t take grading home
• The teacher who stays calm when behavior happens
• The teacher who works smarter, not longer
Because she understands something powerful:
Her worth is not defined by how much she works.
Action Step:
Imagine you walk into your classroom 5 years from now.
Who are you?
How do you move through your day?
What do you care about?
What do you no longer care about?
What is it like to be in your presence?
How Does She Do It?
It’s not luck.
It’s systems.
She experiments until she finds what works for her.
She doesn’t tie her worth to whether someone else’s strategy worked for her.
She knows:
The right systems for her are out there.
So she tries.
Tweaks.
Adjusts.
Refines.
She works smarter, not harder.
And she gives herself permission to let teaching be easier.
Action Step:
Where in your life are you making things harder than they need to be?
Where can you release and let it be easier?
Steps to Embody Her
- Choose Inspiration Over Jealousy
You have a choice.
Be jealous.
Or be inspired.
When my coworker judged her, it revealed something deeper:
She wanted what that teacher had.
You can either feel intimidated…
Or thank the world for showing you what’s possible.
Action Step:
As you move through your day, observe your thoughts.
Without judgment.
Ask yourself:
Am I choosing inspiration or intimidation?
- Detach Your Worth From Results
When we try a new system and it doesn’t work, we make it mean something about us.
Instead:
Move forward with certainty.
You are experimenting your way toward alignment.
Your worth is unattached to the results.
You are worthy of an easier life in teaching — simply because you are.
Homework:
Do I feel worthy of an easy life in teaching?
What comes up when I think about letting it be easier?
Where am I making things harder than they need to be?
- Take Aligned Action
Aligned action feels exciting.
It feels like, “Could it really be this easy?”
Misaligned action feels heavy.
Like you “should” be doing it.
Looking back, every aligned decision I made felt lighter.
Homework:
If no one could judge me, what would I try next?
If anything I tried was guaranteed to work, what would I do?
Wrap Up
Let’s recap.
Who is “That Teacher Next Door”?
A teacher who defines success for herself.
How does she do it?
Systems. Experimentation. Detachment from worth.
How do you embody her?
Choose inspiration.
Let go of results.
Take aligned action.
Next Steps
If you’re ready to step into your version of That Teacher Next Door:
📘 Read That New Teacher Next Door
Learn how to build systems and redefine what being a “good teacher” means.
📝 Download the FREE Teacher Prep Guide
Start planning ahead so you stop taking work home.
💛 Join The Present Teacher Circle
Monthly support and systems to help you work less and impact more.
Because the teacher next door isn’t lucky.
She just decided.
And so can you.