Hi Vanessa

Fun fact: I loved the movie, A Knight's Tale so much when it came out that I named my son William after the main character a couple of years later. Yes, I really did!  This movie has always been more than entertainment for me - it’s a reminder of the resilience it takes to rewrite your story, and how nobility is more than a title. And that’s what we’re talking about this week.

It’s funny how we stumble on the things that took root in our subconscious.  When I was rebuilding my life after leaving the classroom and moving into this work, I decided on a Phoenix (and a blue one!) as the symbol of renewal and transformation after burnout. 
When I was going back through this movie to work on this week’s podcast, I saw that their shield has three phoenixes on it, and I realized that the reasoning behind that phoenix has simmered in my unconscious for over two decades.  There's a deleted scene from the movie, they’re arguing over what symbol to use, and they decide on three phoenixes because there are three of them changing their stars and their futures.  

Reclaiming Your Stars: Career Lessons from A Knight's Tale

What if your burnout isn’t the end of your story, but the start of your transformation?

In A Knight’s Tale, William Thatcher reinvents himself.  He  moves from thatcher’s son to squire to jousting champion - not through deception, but through grit, growth, and a fierce belief in something better and also in himself. I hope you see a little of yourself in that too.

Teachers know how to show up with heart. You’ve built reputations, supported communities, and adapted at lightning speed. That’s not 'just teaching', that’s strategic leadership in action.

Maybe your next move is a new role. Maybe it’s a new place. But if you’ve been white-knuckling your way through the nights on hope alone, let this land:

It’s OK to want to change your stars.

A Riot of Color in a Gray World

In A Knight’s Tale, Lady Jocelyn says she visits cathedrals to see the stained glass windows: “a riot of color in a dreary, gray world.”

That line has always stuck with me because *I* used to feel like a riot of color.  Before the burnout. Before the exhaustion. Before the constant demand to do more with less.  More and more, I felt like the industrial putty-colored walls were closing in and muting, well, ME.  It's like those florescent lights took more than just my summer tan. 

But that color and verve isn’t gone. It’s just hiding behind the fatigue. It’s in you - still brilliant, still bold, still alive. 

Sometimes, reclaiming it starts small. Like picking up a coloring pencil or a flair pen.

Coloring is more than child’s play. It’s a proven tool for calming the nervous system and reawakening creativity. So, this week, I’m inviting you to reclaim a little color for yourself. 

Try a little coloring – just five minutes. A little joy. A reminder that you’re still here and still vibrant.

COOL RESOURCE

Feeling inspired to bring back your own “riot of color”? Check out these free printable mandala coloring pages:
Click here to access them

Coloring is a science-backed way to soothe anxiety, bring focus, and rekindle creativity. (And you don’t need to stay in the lines unless you want to!)

PODCAST

This week on the Teachers in Transition podcast, I unpack career pivots through the lens of A Knight’s Tale. 

🎧 Click here to listen on Buzzsprout

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