Leaving Academia? Challenges in Teaching Mindset and Lifestyle
Hey poet!
In this personal episode, Leo reflects on her decision to leave a tenured academic career after nearly two decades of teaching.
She explores the emotional and systemic challenges of academia, including burnout, institutional constraints, and questions of identity and creative freedom, while honoring the role poetry played in guiding her toward a more expansive, self-directed life.
mentioned in this episode
Blues by Elizabeth Alexander
Eagle Poem by Joy Harjo
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01:20 — How It All Began
From a conference in Mexico City to a PhD program and a long career in higher education.02:30 — The Promise vs. Reality of Academia
What tenure offers on paper versus the lived experience inside institutions.04:00 — Navigating Bureaucracy and Gatekeeping
The hidden pressures of academic culture, including politics, silence, and systemic constraints.05:30 — Burnout and Coping Mechanisms
How passion for teaching slowly turned into survival mode, and the strategies used to stay afloat.06:45 — Key Reasons for Leaving
A breakdown of the major factors: lack of growth, imbalance, toxic environments, and unrecognized emotional labor.08:15 — Identity, Risk, and Letting Go
What it means to step away from a lifelong title and redefine yourself outside institutional validation.09:10 — Poetry as a Lifeline
How returning to writing, community, and creative practice opened new possibilities.10:00— Life After Academia
Teaching on her own terms, reconnecting with joy, and building a more aligned creative life.
