Stories That Keep Us Going | S1E11

What if the fastest way to clarity was to start at the end? This powerful episode of The Ripple Effect of a Teacher opens with that question — imagine your funeral — and uses it to uncover purpose, passion, and the true calling behind why we teach. Kari, a former English teacher turned principal with over two decades of experience, shares how an unexpected journey through parenting, substitute teaching, and leadership helped her see that even when passion fades, purpose stays steady. Her reflections remind every educator that their work is sacred, meaningful, and part of a much bigger story.

We go deep into what resilience really looks like in education — the kind that goes beyond self-care checklists and into lasting purpose. Learn how to handle the “different tired” that comes with teaching, protect your energy from negativity, and stay grounded in the legacy you’re building. If you’ve ever wondered whether your work truly matters, this conversation will remind you: every small interaction counts. Start with your legacy. Remember the student who needed you yesterday. And choose purpose over urgency every single day.

Step into growth and purpose! Discover my books and resources designed to help you lead, learn, and live with impact.

✨ Click here: https://t-sml.mtrbio.com/public/smartlink/toolsforsuccess

//About

Cathy Tooley is the Founder & CEO of Tools for Success and a seasoned educator with over 40 years in K–12 classrooms and school leadership. From high school teacher to principal, Cathy has dedicated her life to supporting educators. In 2014, she launched Tools for Success to provide real, in-person instructional coaching—not just “PD in a box.” She’s the author of The Education System Is Broken, a national speaker, and a fierce advocate for teachers. Through this podcast, she’s spotlighting the ripple effect of great teaching.
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Transcript

Start With Your Funeral

Kari Jost 0:00

Start with your funeral. What do you want to be remembered as? What do you want people to say about you? And so when you start there, what is it if I go and I work a nine to five job and there's no purpose in it? If we're talking about purpose, right? We know that already. I think it as teachers, you already know your purpose. Most teachers know that this that's what they're supposed to do. It's really hard for sure. But they know that they have a calling to

Purpose Over Passion For Teachers

Kari Jost 0:24

do it.

Cathy Tooley 0:24

What is your why?

Kari Jost 0:25

What is it that you and why is it so important? My why is always the kids. I find the most joy from going out in the hallways and standing in the mornings as kids come in. So the why is always the kids. You need to recognize that it's okay to feel tired. It's okay. You're not alone. Find some people, find positive people. There it is. Avoid the people who are gonna bring negativity to your life. Find the people who know their purposes for the kids. We have to know that we are impacting kids. And so recognizing that that power is within us and we can change, we can change lives with that. We all could say there's a teacher that had a positive impact on us. And knowing that that could be you, you could be that person for that kid.

Meet Carrie: From Teacher To Principal

Cathy Tooley 1:22

Hi, everybody, thanks for joining. It's Cathy Tooley. I'm so thrilled to have you on our podcast. It has been such an honor to continue this series called The Ripple Effect of a Teacher. And today I'm joined by an incredible educator and friend, um, Kari, who has been uh an educator for over 20 years. I know she started too when she was two, right, Kari. I started when I was three, but Kari started when she was two. So um spent time in the classroom as a fellow English teacher. So I have ultimate respects for that. And now, of course, as an administrator at her school. So I'm thrilled and honored to have her today. What we're gonna touch on today is remembering, or really stories that keep us going. The kind of things that keep us going. The I if you've if you've watched this podcast for more than 10 minutes, you know that I've said this more than once. Doing what we do is not easy. No. No. And I know everybody out there in every job that they are would say, well, my job's not easy either. We didn't say it was. We didn't. I I've never been a doctor and done surgery. I can't imagine that's easy. But this podcast is about educators, so therefore, we're gonna talk about our world. So um, thank you for joining me today. So, Kari, I've not asked anyone this guest yet, and I'm ready to hear it. Ready? Okay, tell me your story that puts you here.

Childhood Clues And Love Of Reading

Kari Jost 2:46

My mom would say that I was born to be a teacher, and that was because when I was in elementary school, I would come home from school and I would go upstairs and I would play school. And if the friend was mean to me, if a friend was mean to me, they would be in trouble in my pretend school. And so she always said that. She always said that. But she always thought I would work with elementary. And, you know, I went in to high school, um, I had a great English teacher. And I always, since I could could start reading, I always had a passion for reading. Um, it was one thing that my mom spoiled me with. We would go to use bookstores, and I could always get a book. Um that was just always a treat. And I, so my passion for reading has always been there. I would say I fought it a little bit later in high school in high school. I thought I would go a different direction. I actually thought about political science. I would say a couple of things that drew me into education. I was very involved in student counsel in in high school. And so getting that opportunity to work with kids, besides being in the classroom, getting to do some of these other things, I thought that would be pretty neat. And so my I think I fought it because I think we all sometimes go through that phase where we fight or we think, oh, I want to make a lot of money. And that's it.

Cathy Tooley 4:00

Yeah. I was gonna say that's why we fight, isn't it? Yes. Somebody somewhere along the way, we start looking at the money and we think, right, right. Do I want to do this forever? Right.

Kari Jost 4:07

Yes. So I would say I fought it for a little while.

Choosing Education Amid Money Pressure

Kari Jost 4:10

Uh, but once I started, I knew. I knew, I knew God built me to be a teacher. And I would say that even when I was going to college, I worked at a daycare and I worked with the kids who came to the daycare after school. So I was, I've always worked with kids. I babysat, then I did that during college. So I've always worked with kids, all ages.

Cathy Tooley 4:28

Um younger ones.

Kari Jost 4:30

Yes, I've always worked with, I love kids. I mean, I'm the person who's playing with all the kids at church. I mean, I'm easily distracted by children. So so um, and so I started teaching. I love teaching, um, it was always a passion. And then I stayed home for 10 years. Uh, when I was pregnant with my second, I stayed home. And God works in very strange ways. So uh when my oldest was getting ready to go to junior high, I thought uh where he was gonna go to school, which is where I am now. I thought, well, I'll go in and sub a little bit to see how things run. It was really it was really a spy mission. It really was. It was a spy mission. To check out the school, to check out the school, to really see the inside of school to

Returning To School And A “Spy Mission”

Kari Jost 5:12

see if this is what we were gonna do with all three of our kids. So it was the oldest. Yes. Gotta get it. My poor oldest son. So I went in to the dean to say, hey, um, I'm a former English teacher. I'd be happy to send for you. And in that moment, now that school hasn't even started yet, in that moment he says, Well, we have a maternity leave this fall in the English department. And at this point, I'm thinking that I'm I'm getting ready to send my youngest to kindergarten. So I'm thinking I'm gonna have that life of I'm gonna learn how to play tennis finely in my life. I'm gonna go to lunch, you know, with friends. I'm gonna put a bunch of sandals. That's right. I'm gonna have a life. Right, exactly. Whatever that looks like. And so I was kind of hit with the wait a minute.

Cathy Tooley 5:52

Uh oh. No, I was thinking once or twice that's a good one.

Kari Jost 5:55

Yes, exactly. Um, so I covered the maternity leave and I loved the school and I loved being in the school. And on my very last day, uh I was going to go in the office to tell everyone

From Maternity Leave To Full-Time

Kari Jost 6:07

goodbye. And they pulled me in and they said, Well, the teacher just quit. She's staying home with her baby. And I and I had a kindergartner at the time. And so I said, I'll take, I'll take, I'll stay, but I want to be free for one class so that I can have a little extra time with my little one because it was a half-day kindergarten. So I stayed and I kept teaching there for the next five years. So I taught there for six years. And then um, and and the other thing I think is funny is that God's sense of humor is I said I would never be an administrator. I remember my first one or one of my first teaching jobs, I remember them saying to me too.

Cathy Tooley 6:46

Oh no, I remember that. Oh no, I said it to Cathy too. I know I said it to you. You said it to me too. I would never do that. Yep. Yes. So the Lord has such a way to do that. Oh, he does. He said He does.

Kari Jost 6:57

So six years, well, almost I remember almost seven years

The Unexpected Jump To Administration

Kari Jost 7:01

ago now. Um, our principal in the building quit in the middle of the summer. And my boss came to me and said, Would you step in as interim? And I love the school. Um, and so I said, Okay, I'll step in as interim as long as I can have my job back when I'm done. Absolutely no problem. And then pretty much she made it clear pretty early on that she really wanted me to step into the role full time. And almost, well, six years later, here I said that's right, that's right. Now, in my in my, I will say I have been able to go back into the classroom in these six years, covering maternity leaves or stepping into a class. So I've had the chance to get back into the teaching part too a little bit.

Cathy Tooley 7:44

What of that story keeps you going? What is it when you think about because I I think I say to people all the time, you know, people say all the time, well, I have to find my passion. I keep changing jobs because I don't find my passion, which I think is the most ridiculous thing. I think that's a pet cliche thing, we say. I do. I because I think passion is more about purpose. When you have a purpose in what you do, well, I think

Finding The Why: It’s Always The Kids

Cathy Tooley 8:06

your purpose is your passion. It is, yes. I think people think passion is this like grandiose, I'm gonna wake up each day and go, I love teaching. I did not do that. Right.

Kari Jost 8:16

I we love reading, right? So that's right. So we kind of tweaked it and turned it into a passion for reading.

Cathy Tooley 8:21

I have a passion for teaching. I have a passion for kids, I have a passion for being there. But there are days when that alarm went off at 545, I could have wielded it. Oh, absolutely. So, how did you find your why? What is your why? What is it that you and why is that so important?

Kari Jost 8:34

My why is always the kids. So there's a lot of paperwork at being a principal. And so people do not get that.

Cathy Tooley 8:43

No, they don't. They I would just like for to have them follow me one day.

Kari Jost 8:46

Yeah, just right now, I feel like there's so many things to do that I'm I'm in my office a lot more than I want to be. For sure. But I will say I find the most joy from going out in the hallways and standing in the mornings as kids come in. So the why is always the kids. Uh right, and also recognizing that for some kids, school is the only safe space. It's the only place where they feel supported and loved and uh and comfortable.

Cathy Tooley 9:17

And nurtured.

Kari Jost 9:17

And that we have to have that place. And so the why has always always been the kids. And they bring me, they do, even the kids, even when they're in trouble, getting to talk to kids one-on-one, finding out what's going on in their lives, that that's why I do what

For Burned-Out Teachers: Rest And Community

Kari Jost 9:33

I do.

Cathy Tooley 9:33

So, what would you tell a uh a teacher that's out there right now today thinking I don't know that I can keep going? I don't, I don't know. Because you know Oh, absolutely, used to say it's that happens at the end of the year. That's not true. They're teachers that want to quit in October. Oh, yeah. Or sometimes within two weeks of school starting. So what would you say to them?

Kari Jost 9:54

Well, you need to kids, your why, keep you going. You need to recognize that it's okay to feel tired. It's okay. You're not alone. Find some people, find positive people. There it is. Avoid the people who are gonna bring negativity to your life. Find the people who know their purposes for the kids. That's right. I would say that is they're in your buildings. They are, yes, of course they're in their in our buildings. And I would say that's probably one of the reasons I love my school, is that my faculty, their purpose is the kids. That doesn't mean they don't get tired. I see it. I know it. They're they're tired in October. They're really tired right now in May. Um, they're tired. And recognizing that, and I always I always tell teachers, okay, when you're having those struggles, when you are at that place, okay, take a break. Give yourself permission to do something for yourself. You know what? Those papers will wait another day. That's right. You have to give yourself breaks.

Cathy Tooley 10:53

That bulletin board can stay there for one more day.

Kari Jost 10:55

It can stay there. It's okay. It is all right. And to reconnect with that wife, think about the kids that you've impacted. Remember your purpose.

The Daily Power To Change A Life

Kari Jost 11:04

But you are tired and you just have to surround yourself with people who understand this that this tired is a different tired.

Cathy Tooley 11:11

So there are people, Kari, that are watching this podcast today. Um, and they accidentally turn it on now. You and I both know that's not accidental. Right. That's not accidental. But today was the day that for them they don't have one more story that they can keep it up. Today is that day that for them that they think, especially for what I'm being paid, for the amount of work that I'm doing, for the stresses that I'm putting under, for the demands that it feels like the state and my administration is continuing to push upon it. What would you say that we now know, having done it for a long time? We've had those moments, you know we have that made us turn our head around and go, thank God I didn't.

Kari Jost 11:56

Oh, Cathy, that's a hard one. I think you have to find the story. You have to remember why you did this, and you also have to think about you well, and I don't know that everybody knows this. I we have to know that we are impacting kids and that we have that power. Say that again. We have to know impacting kids. And whether that's whether that's positively or negatively, we are impacting kids. And realizing how much power is in that, and definitely not in a you know, power-hungry way, but when we realize that we have the ability by telling telling a kid good

Legacy Thinking And Lasting Impact

Kari Jost 12:36

morning, hey, did you have a good weekend? Hey, good luck at your at your band concert tonight. Uh good luck in your how'd it go last night? When we do that, we may be the only person that's talked to that kid that day. We may be the only time they feel connected to someone. And so recognizing that that power is within us and we can change, we can change lives with that. We all could say there's a teacher that had a positive impact on us. And knowing that that could be you, you could be that person for that kid, just recognizing that that you have that influence. And and also, I like to, I think it was um Covey who talks about, or maybe I'm wrong. I'm thinking about seven, seven habits of highly expected people. When he talks about, imagine your funeral. I was reading his book and it talks about start with your funeral. What do you want to be remembered as? What do you want people to say about you?

Cathy Tooley 13:36

Josh Kari, that's so cool.

Kari Jost 13:37

And so when you start there, what is it if I go and I I work a nine to five job and there's no purpose in it? At least in education, there is such a strong purpose. I could go, I could go, I could work a remote job that has no connection or meaning to it. And make lots and lots of money. And make lots and lots and lots of money. And spend it. And spend it. Right. Right. But at the end of the day, what are people? What yeah, what difference did I make? What are what's the impact I want to leave on other people?

Cathy Tooley 14:05

And I think we as educators are here because we know we were called to make a difference.

Kari Jost 14:09

Sure.

Cathy Tooley 14:10

We were called to make a difference. And no disrespect to anyone out there making a ridiculous amount of money and doing mindless work that they're able to do. But I oh wow, I never

Closing Reflections And Gratitude

Cathy Tooley 14:20

thought about think from your funeral backwards.

Kari Jost 14:22

Right. Well, I mean, I think too, if we're talking about, if we're talking about purpose, right? Right. Then we we know that already. I think it as teachers, you already know your purpose. Most teachers know that this that's what they're supposed to do. It's really hard. For sure. But they know that they have a calling to do it.

Cathy Tooley 14:40

I do not know that I could add a single thing to that.

Kari Jost 14:44

Thank you for being here.

Cathy Tooley 14:45

You're welcome.

Kari Jost 14:46

Thanks for having me here.

Cathy Tooley 14:47

Thanks for fun talking with you. So I I this series has, as we've talked about, been all about teachers. And so many of I think my podcast will be. I it was funny, Kari and I were talking a little off-camera, so I'm gonna put her on the spot a little bit, that I don't have any idea what the purpose of this podcast is or why the Lord wants it made. But I wonder, I I felt a profound impact of no matter what happens in my life, and I'm sure Kari would feel the same. The difference we've made in a kid's life is standing there at a funeral, something I could go home to my heavenly father knowing I've made that difference. Um, it's like that starfish story. Yeah, yeah. Made a difference for that one, made a difference for that one. We'll we'll talk about a starfish story. So thank you, Kari, for being with us. So thank you guys for joining us for another um great episode with another great administrator. It's been so good. So we'll see you on the next one. Have a good day.