Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nicole Todd. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Nicole, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My name is Nicole Todd and I am entering my fifth year as an educator. I have taught 2 years in third grade, a year in second grade, and now I am entering my 2nd year as a Kindergarten teacher. Teaching has always been a passion of mine, I knew from a very young age that I was meant to become an educator.

I have always loved the fact that I could help shape the future essentially because of my students. When I joined social media, it was during a very trying time already (COVID). Not only was the world going through a pandemic, I was going through my own personal struggles as well. When I went to college, I of course majored in Education with a minor in Biology (I wanted to be the modern day Ms. Frizzle). Unfortunately my dreams would have to be put on hold, and I would soon come to realize that my path/journey would not be the simple idea that I had in my mind. I unfortunately was not able to pass one of my certification tests within the allotted time. My hopes and dreams were crushed and I felt that becoming a teacher was slipping through my hands. By the time I graduated, I had no plan of what my next step was. In fact, I was hired on at a job that I dreaded to go to each morning. One morning, I woke up and had this overwhelming need to look at paraprofessional jobs at a school district near me. So I applied and was hired on as a paraprofessional for a self-contained special education classroom. During this time, I was seeking my alternative education certification to finally achieve my dream of becoming an educator. I kept pushing myself that year to learn everything I possibly could and to never give up on my dreams. Finally the day came where I was hired on as a teacher and I could finally feel my dreams back into my grasp.

As educators, we all have different paths that have led us to where we are now. My path wasn’t a typical path but I am forever grateful for the struggles I went through. Yes, you heard me, I am grateful that I almost had my dreams slip away. Because now that I am a teacher I am so blessed to be able to make an impact in my student’s lives. If I didn’t go through my struggles, I wouldn’t have learned so much from being a paraprofessional.

Now that I am further along in my career, I have been able to not only bring positivity to a community that is constantly under scrutiny and hatred. But I can show what teachers actually do behind the scenes to prepare for their lessons. Some are quick to jump to the conclusion that teaching is not that complicated and anyone can do it. However, my advice is you walk a day in someone else’s shoes and you will learn firsthand that that is not the case.

I will continue to fight to bring the positivity to our teaching community, that is my mission in life. I want to be able to benefit my students by being the best teacher, role model, and mentor I can be. But I also want to bring awareness to others that teaching isn’t just about making copies and teaching our students it is much more impactful than that.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Nicole Todd and I am a Kindergarten teacher in the state of Texas. This is now my fifth year of being an educator; I have taught 2 years in third grade, a year in second, and now entering my 2nd year in Kindergarten. HeartofaTeacher is meant to boost morale in other educators by showing awareness of what educators actually do in their classrooms. Right now there is a lot of expectations put on to educators that are not necessarily within our control. I want to show awareness of what actually happens before we teach and how we can make teaching fun and inviting for our students.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I believe that we all go through something that defines us as a person. But the story that defines me as a strong educator is when I thought my dream of becoming one was slipping through my fingers. I knew I always wanted to be a teacher, so when the thought of me not being one came true I was petrified. I had a job that was not what I imagined spending the rest of my life doing. So I quit that job and found a job as a paraprofessional in a self-contained special education classroom. Now I had no prior experience, so this was a new journey that I was going down. Not only are paraprofessionals so vital to running a successful classroom, but the strength and support of the special education teachers are what continued to renew my love and spirit of teaching. Seeing how to handle certain situations, I felt like I was better equipped to go into a regular classroom more than ever. Sometimes in life, we have to be knocked down. Because in those moments, we find out how strong we are, and that we are willing to do and learn anything we can to make it out better.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think having a positive personality and being true to myself is what helped me build up my reputation. I have always been a very bubbly and positive person, my coworkers like to joke that I have caffeine running through my veins because of how energized and happy that I am. But I believe that it is important to be genuine to who you are and never forget your ‘why’.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/heart-of-a-teacher-creations
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartofateacher2/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@heartofateacher2?si=7FCN5sg8kSypIy_m
• Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heartofateacher2?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

  Pinterest: https://pin.it/5FLRvxP4t