From Classroom to Career Change

From Classroom to Career Change

September 09, 2024 // Franchising.com // Embarking on a career change is a big step, and for teachers, it can be both exhilarating and daunting. After dedicating years to shaping young minds and nurturing children, the decision to pivot to a new profession often comes with mixed emotions. Whether you are a seasoned teacher or fairly new to the profession, sometimes a primary or senior school environment is just not right for your lifestyle.

James Pennell-Tutill has successfully transitioned from the education sector to the performing arts industry. Together with his wife Esme, the couple are expanding their business to multiple locations. James and Esme have been part of the successful Dragons’ Den backed network since December 2020, becoming Principals of Razzamataz Newcastle. They are just about to launch their second territory in Northumberland, which James will combine with working at Head Office and managing Razzamataz’s co-curriculum educational products. We speak to James about making this career change.

Unique teacher skills

The skills that you develop as a school teacher are immeasurably useful in being a Principal of a Razzamataz Theatre School. Whether that’s curriculum design, understanding the pedagogy behind why we do what we do, and being able to empower our teams and our staff to have confidence in what they are doing also, your experience in understanding the educational underpinning behind each session is very important to lead a team and inspire students.

Performing arts education impact

I also work at Head Office where I’m currently focussed on creating all the co-curricular programmes that we are designing and implementing. That’s everything from staff development and teacher training through to co-curricular programmes that we are hoping to roll out to schools across the UK. I’m able to use all my teacher skills and learning in a way that is really important to me and keeps me passionate and excited about what I’m doing.

Improving your work/life balance

One of the biggest benefits of what I do now compared to being a teacher in a school is that my time is mine and mine to manage. I’m not given a time table from someone else that I have to stick to and I’m not restricted to certain hours of work and where I work. There’s plenty to do but it’s up to me when I do it and where I do it from and I can make that fit around me and my life and get that work life balance that’s so important.

Financial benefits

On taking over Razzamataz Newcastle, one of the things that I was most worried about was finances. But as the business grew, I was able to go part time at school and eventually I was able to leave school altogether. The Principal role allows you to be able to see the impact of the work that you put in more explicitly in terms of the financial rewards that come with it. The more time and effort you dedicate into your business, the more financial rewards you will reap.

Creative freedom and joy

An unexpected benefit of joining the Razzamataz network as a Principal is that friends and family say to me that I look so much happier than I did compared to when I was teaching at school. That’s not to say that school was a terrible place to work, but the truth is that I now love what I do. I can put all of my training and education research into practice in the class and apply that in a way that is really creative and really free and I have total control over that which is something that I personally find invaluable.

Supportive environment

One of the huge benefits of being part of the Razzamataz franchise network are the resources that are available. As part of that, at our school, we have recently trained one of our wonderful dance teachers as a manager, which has given us capacity to further expand the business. She is also a primary school teacher and this promotion has also allowed her to transition into part time hours at school, giving her more freedom in her life also. I’m not the only teacher in the network and I’m sure if you spoke to any of them they would say very similar things to me.

SOURCE Razzamataz

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