What happens when you leave the education system—but not your passion for teaching?
In this episode, Lisa sits down with Melissa Lefort, former educator, writer, and creator of Taught: The Podcast, for a deeply honest conversation about what it really means to walk away from the classroom and rebuild your identity from the ground up.
Now living in Portugal, Melissa spends her days writing novels, tutoring language learners, and teaching workshops on her own terms. But her journey hasn’t been a clean break or a straight line—it’s been one of burnout, imposter syndrome, and learning to embrace failure as part of the process.
Together, Lisa and Melissa talk about the emotional weight of leaving teaching, the stigma that still surrounds it, and the courage it takes to step into the unknown. They explore why burnout isn’t about broken teachers—it’s about broken systems—and why the world needs educators who are willing to take their talents elsewhere.
This episode is for anyone who’s asking:

“Who am I if I’m not a teacher anymore?”

“What if I take a leap and it doesn’t go perfectly?”

“What if that’s exactly what I needed?”

Links from Episode:≫ Taught: The Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/taught-the-podcast/id1737501218⁠

≫ Melissa’s Website: ⁠https://taughtspot.com/⁠

≫ Taught: The Very Private Journal of One Bad Teacher: ⁠https://www.amazon.com/Taught-Very-Private-Journal-Teacher/dp/B0DSSRF549⁠

≫ Luminary Education: ⁠https://www.luminary-education.com/luminary-education⁠

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