The Exit Stage Teach Journey with Triple Thread Learning

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In the Exit Stage Teach community, where educators love to share their stories about their Exit Stage Teach Journey and how they transitioned out of teaching, the experiences of Claire and Sonja from Triple Thread Learning (TTL) stand out as an inspiring testament to resilience, adaptability, and a deep commitment to making a lasting impact on students’ lives. In this blog, we delve into their remarkable journey, exploring their challenges, the transferable skills gained from teaching, and the positive changes in their lives post-transition. Leaving the familiarity of the classroom to explore a new path is a transformative yet challenging journey for many teachers. We can learn from other teachers who made the Exit Stage Teach Journey through our blog!

The Beginning of the Exit Stage Teach Journey

Claire and Sonja have worked in many educational settings, including NSW public schools, Catholic and Independent Catholic, and Anglican schools. Their roles ranged from classroom teachers to pastoral and learning support positions over several years. They have also juggled the complexities of home life and school over their careers, “We have three kids each and husbands who are teachers! ” Sonja explained.

While working as Learning Support Coordinators, Claire and Sonja discovered the IMSLE course through the Australian Dyslexia Association, a pedagogy focused on teaching structured literacy to all students to ensure they could reach all students. This was the moment that changed both of their worlds. The transformative impact on their students fuelled their desire to explore options beyond traditional school environments.

Claire emphasised, “The positive impact on our students was amazing. It wasn’t long before we were looking for options outside of school that gave us flexibility and time to focus on individual student needs and the ability to reach as many people with dyslexic learning profiles and literacy difficulties as we could.”

In 2017, the pair founded Triple Thread Learning (TTL), a venture dedicated to providing structured literacy intervention, professional learning, and enrichment. The pair agreed, “It was important to us that when leaving school, we could still teach, as that is at the heart of what we do. We also wanted to have the time and space to work with families, schools and professionals to focus on individuals and have a greater impact on expanding their life choices.”

The Journey and a Pandemic

The inception of Triple Thread Learning (TTL) coincided with the surge in remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The demand for their services soared, resulting in an extensive waiting list.

Sonja recalled, “Education and ways to reach people exploded during the initial COVID-19 pandemic. We ended up with an extensive waiting list of people wishing to access our services.” A problem every small business desires.

With this surge, Claire and Sonja decided to franchise TTL rather than hire educators. Inspired by their passion for empowering other teachers like themselves to have the flexibility of running their own TTL business. The energy and genuine support of working with Claire and Sonja were evident in this interview. They have an unwavering dedication to helping others and use TTL as the platform to help their clients and other teachers find autonomy in running their businesses.

The pair described, “Our business platform and educational resources are a labour of love and are structured to allow us to learn and grow as we continue to develop and encourage our franchisees to learn and grow in their directions as well as with us.” The team at Exit Stage Teach resonates with this, as we have the same goal.

TTL Connect – Triple Threads Educator Platform

Transitioning from Teaching to Entrepreneurship

Transitioning from teaching to entrepreneurship presented Claire and Sonja with unique challenges. They candidly shared their learning curve in understanding the business side, setting up structures, and valuing their time and expertise.

They both agreed, “We’ve made plenty of mistakes and being teachers who just give, give, give all the time, it has been an adjustment to see how the rest of the world functions in business!

The pair learned that the time it takes for some key elements to fall into place can be challenging. They have learned to challenge, push back, and advocate for themselves to stay true to their values and vision. They both described how the overall experience has made them more confident in what they are building.

Sonja reflected, “Learning to work with industry professionals who don’t necessarily have the same urgency, love, and care that we do for our clients has also been interesting.”

Claire added, “Putting a price on your time and expertise and making sure you are paid for the hours of work you do has been a mind shift and something we have had to work hard at accepting.”

Teacher’s Toolkit for Entrepreneurship

Despite the challenges, Claire and Sonja discovered many transferable skills gained from their teaching careers that proved instrumental in their entrepreneurial journey.

Sonja explains, “Being Learning Support Coordinators meant we were juggling many things simultaneously. The organisational skills, resource management, and the development of systems we had to ensure we met student/parent/teacher needs were a good training ground for what we do now.”

They described how their roles in learning support had supported them in their endeavour, as you have to be creative to find solutions, adapt on the go, and be well-considered about your communication to get the best results.

Advocacy within the education system also became a valuable skill. Claire noted, “Advocating for others in education systems has given us so much knowledge and experience when now we support parents in advocating for their children.”

Investing in Growth

Recognising the need for additional skills and knowledge, Claire and Sonja undertook a strategic approach to learning about entrepreneurship. They sought professional guidance, engaged with the business.gov.au resources, and leveraged their teaching network for valuable insights.

Sonja elaborates, “We eventually joined forces with a business consultant who helped us to take our business procedures and resources to the next level.”

How to Stay Motivated and Resilient

Leaving teaching and venturing into entrepreneurship is undoubtedly challenging, requiring resilience and motivation. Sonja emphasised the importance of family and flexibility, stating, “Family is really important and has to come first – we are supportive and flexible around this as our jobs allow us to be.”

The pair undoubtedly have a strong bond and exude an attitude of being fortunate to have one another. They described how they tend to pick the other one up if feeling down. The sense of joy they receive from working with their clients and seeing the ongoing positive impacts is their happy place. They shared that taking time for themselves and managing the workload is essential for them, and knowing when to block out holidays and put the tools down is part of their business culture.

Claire added, “Separating your goals into achieved, working on, and future goals paints a pretty satisfying picture and allows you to be more excited and motivated about what is ahead instead of being overwhelmed.”

The Impact of the Exit Stage Teach Journey

Leaving the traditional teaching setting has brought about significant positive changes for Claire and Sonja. The autonomy to set their schedules, prioritise family commitments, and focus on individualised support for their clients has been liberating.

Claire shares, “Finding clients that are the best fit and having the time to support them 1:1 is like a dream, as that is what you can’t get to in the classroom.”

They are still connected to schools, but they described how they love that they can go in, work with their clients, chat with teachers and then walk away. “It’s like the best of both worlds!”

Reaching for the Triple Threads

“It’s a big step to leave school, we know!” The genuine care and concern for teachers struggling in our Australian Classrooms stood out when chatting with Sonja and Claire. Their passion for helping other teachers who love literacy but perhaps need another avenue out of the classroom is how their franchised structure of Triple Thread Learning came to fruition. Both women understand that running your business can be daunting, so they have set up a franchise system to support the transition from teaching to your own business. They offer a support network and the resources you need to run your own Triple Thread Learning franchise.

Claire and Sonja described, “We love speaking to people about what we do and hearing about your path that has led you to see if what we do will tick some of your boxes to help you reach your goals. We want to reignite the spark you get from making a difference and positively changing the futures of your clients.”

If you’ve been looking for something different and want the support of a team behind you, then a Triple Thread Learning business might be something to consider carefully.

Triple Thread Learning offers a unique blend of intervention, professional learning, and enrichment services. Claire invites teachers passionate about literacy support to consider joining TTL: “Anyone who has a passion for literacy support and is looking for a new career but still wants to do what they love, we may just have the solution for you!”

Not the end of their Exit Stage Teach journey

Claire and Sonja’s journey from teaching to entrepreneurship with Triple Thread Learning inspires educators contemplating a career transition. We thank them for sharing their story with us. Their story encapsulates the challenges faced, the transferable skills gained, and the positive transformations in personal well-being and professional fulfilment. As they continue to grow and empower others through their franchise model, Triple Thread Learning is a beacon for teachers seeking a meaningful alternative career outside the traditional classroom.

How to get in contact with Triple Thread:

franchise@triplethreadlearning.com.au
https://triplethreadlearning.com.au/
facebook.com/Triplethreadlearning.au

Sonja has over 20 years experience in the field. She has always had a passion for making a difference in the lives of those with learning difficulties. Having finished her Master in Special Education, Sonja soon realised that it did not really prepare her to support students who were struggling with reading and literacy skills. She then set about researching best practice for reading intervention. In 2014, Sonja completed her Multisensory Structured Language (MSL) training and qualified to be an Associate Member of the Australian Dyslexia Association (AMADA). She then went on to do further study with the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators of the United States. She is now an Associate member and has done the Certified Level training. Sonja continues to update her knowledge of the latest research by attending training with experts in the field. In 2018, she travelled to the United States to visit schools that were implementing teaching practices that were consistent with best practice and attended the renowned International Dyslexia Association conference. Sonja has worked as a consultant to schools in the public and private systems in Australia and overseas. She has offered professional development and consultancy in identification and strategies for learning difficulties, the teaching of reading/spelling and evidenced-based reading intervention. She has also liaised with schools to support them in setting up learning support policies and practices. Sonja is well qualified to not only provide therapy for those with a dyslexic profile but also to work with teachers in order to develop their skills in teaching reading, supporting students with a dyslexic profile and providing research-based intervention.

Claire has over 15 years experience across several KLAs in a range of high school settings from Western Sydney to the North Coast. She has always had a keen interest in literacy, making educational tasks accessible for all and the impacts that language difficulties have on wellbeing. Claire’s background is in languages and teaching English as a second language. She completed her Masters in TESOL but always wanted to know more about how to teach students to read, in particular those students who arrived in high school without being able to fluently read, spell and write. She has had the role of Learning Support Coordinator in several schools and has a clear understanding of the daily literacy demands placed on students. In 2015 she completed her Multisensory Structured Language (MSL) training and is qualified as an Associate Member of the Australian Dyslexia Association (AMADA). Since that time Claire has worked with students and delivered personalised and structured language therapy. Although an advocate of early intervention, she also believes it is never too late to learn about the English language. These experiences have laid the foundation to enable Claire to deliver professional learning to teachers to learn about Dyslexia and what strategies enable students with dyslexic learning profiles to access the curriculum and demonstrate what they know.

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