057 - Pit Pony Emma Harper - Classroom to CEO / Marketing Mentor - Part 2
Emma Harper Part 2: Finding Freedom After the FallIn 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. We also explore how her business grew, leading to the launch of Make Your Marketing Count, her second venture supporting service-based business owners.This episode also includes a powerful epilogue, where we reflect on adult safeguarding in schools, systemic failure, and the push for meaningful change at a national level. Honest, heartfelt, and fuelled by purpose, Emma’s story is a must-listen for anyone who has ever questioned what teaching is costing them.Emmas links :http://www.facebook.com/makeyourmarketingcounthttps://www.coreplustuition.com/http://linkedin.com/emma-harper-coreplustuitionhttps://www.facebook.com/CorePlusTuition/Send us a message.Buy Us a Coffee ☕️ Loving the Pit Pony Podcast? We’d be so grateful for your support! We’ve set up a Buy Me a Coffee page where you can make a small donation to help keep the podcast running. https://buymeacoffee.com/thepitponyclub Voice Message Us: https://www.speakpipe.com/pitponypodcast Interested in coming to our conference? https://www.tutorsconference.co.uk If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in our podcast there are organisations who can help: Education Support The Samaritans Mind Andy's Man Club Join Us: Subscribe to the Pit Pony Podcast Sign up to our mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/i1L5ck Thanks for listening 🙏Edited with finesse by our Podcast Super Producer, Mike Roberts of Making Digital Real
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056 - Pit Pony Emma Harper - Classroom to CEO / Marketing Mentor - Part 1
Emma Harper Part 1: From Promise to Breaking PointEmma 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 breakdowns, the culture shifts that blindsided her, and how teaching ultimately became the background to deep emotional pain, including the loss of her mother during the COVID-19 pandemic.This is a raw and honest conversation about what happens when passion meets pressure, and what it takes to keep going when everything is falling apart.Emmas links :http://www.facebook.com/makeyourmarketingcounthttps://www.coreplustuition.com/http://linkedin.com/emma-harper-coreplustuitionhttps://www.facebook.com/CorePlusTuition/Send us a message.Buy Us a Coffee ☕️ Loving the Pit Pony Podcast? We’d be so grateful for your support! We’ve set up a Buy Me a Coffee page where you can make a small donation to help keep the podcast running. https://buymeacoffee.com/thepitponyclub Voice Message Us: https://www.speakpipe.com/pitponypodcast Interested in coming to our conference? https://www.tutorsconference.co.uk If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in our podcast there are organisations who can help: Education Support The Samaritans Mind Andy's Man Club Join Us: Subscribe to the Pit Pony Podcast Sign up to our mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/i1L5ck Thanks for listening 🙏Edited with finesse by our Podcast Super Producer, Mike Roberts of Making Digital Real
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055 - Pit Pony Jeanette Thompson-Wessen - Classroom to ADHD Nutritionist - Part 2
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. Jeannette opens up about rebuilding her life, her family’s support, and the power of leaving a toxic environment. She’s now a health and safety ISO consultant and ADHD nutritionist, helping others live healthier lives - because she refused to stay somewhere that made her unwell.Trigger Warning: Mental health, suicidal thoughts, pregnancy discrimination.Send us a message.Buy Us a Coffee ☕️ Loving the Pit Pony Podcast? We’d be so grateful for your support! We’ve set up a Buy Me a Coffee page where you can make a small donation to help keep the podcast running. https://buymeacoffee.com/thepitponyclub Voice Message Us: https://www.speakpipe.com/pitponypodcast Interested in coming to our conference? https://www.tutorsconference.co.uk If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in our podcast there are organisations who can help: Education Support The Samaritans Mind Andy's Man Club Join Us: Subscribe to the Pit Pony Podcast Sign up to our mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/i1L5ck Thanks for listening 🙏Edited with finesse by our Podcast Super Producer, Mike Roberts of Making Digital Real
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054 - Pit Pony Jeanette Thompson-Wessen - Classroom to ADHD Nutritionist - Part 1
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 sudden hostility to being shouted at while heavily pregnant. This episode is a raw and unfiltered look at what happens when good teachers are treated appallingly by the very systems that should protect them.Trigger Warning: Mental health, bullying, pregnancy discrimination.Send us a message.Buy Us a Coffee ☕️ Loving the Pit Pony Podcast? We’d be so grateful for your support! We’ve set up a Buy Me a Coffee page where you can make a small donation to help keep the podcast running. https://buymeacoffee.com/thepitponyclub Voice Message Us: https://www.speakpipe.com/pitponypodcast Interested in coming to our conference? https://www.tutorsconference.co.uk If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in our podcast there are organisations who can help: Education Support The Samaritans Mind Andy's Man Club Join Us: Subscribe to the Pit Pony Podcast Sign up to our mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/i1L5ck Thanks for listening 🙏Edited with finesse by our Podcast Super Producer, Mike Roberts of Making Digital Real
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053 - Pit Pony David Myers - Classroom to Student Support Officer at Durham University - Part 2
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.We also get that Sliding Doors moment – a beautiful story involving a formal dinner, Dumbledore vibes, and an Instagram post that stopped him in his tracks.This is an episode about healing, reclaiming your spark, and what it looks like when someone finally feels seen, safe and valued at work.💛 It’s also about hope - and what’s possible on the other side of teaching.Send us a message.Buy Us a Coffee ☕️ Loving the Pit Pony Podcast? We’d be so grateful for your support! We’ve set up a Buy Me a Coffee page where you can make a small donation to help keep the podcast running. https://buymeacoffee.com/thepitponyclub Voice Message Us: https://www.speakpipe.com/pitponypodcast Interested in coming to our conference? https://www.tutorsconference.co.uk If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in our podcast there are organisations who can help: Education Support The Samaritans Mind Andy's Man Club Join Us: Subscribe to the Pit Pony Podcast Sign up to our mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/i1L5ck Thanks for listening 🙏Edited with finesse by our Podcast Super Producer, Mike Roberts of Making Digital Real
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
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