S2 Ep 12. Confessions of a Remote Worker & Former Teacher

Three years into my career as a UX researcher after leaving the classroom, I'm reflecting on the realities of remote work and what I miss about in-person connection. While I don't regret my career change and appreciate the freedom of working remotely, I'm experiencing unexpected challenges that have me considering a hybrid approach.

• Communication has transformed from reading a room to deciphering slack messages and emojis
• Brainstorming has lost its spontaneity, becoming scheduled rather than organic
• The isolation of remote work creates a void after years in the socially rich teaching environment
• Professional visibility requires intentional effort rather than natural presence
• The sense of belonging and community is harder to maintain in virtual environments
• Experimenting with hybrid work may provide the perfect balance of structure without suffocation
• In-person UX research sessions have reignited creative energy that was missing

I'd love to hear from fellow teachers who've transitioned to tech roles - is remote still working for you? Are you thriving in the quiet or craving connection? Would you consider hybrid work? Text me through the link under the podcast, DM me on Instagram, or send me an email with your thoughts.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello teacher friends , welcome back to the UX Teacher
Prep Podcast.
I'm your host, zee, and I'm sohappy you tuned in today.
So quick personal milestone Ijust hit my three-year
anniversary as a UX researcher.
Three years outside of theclassroom, it feels great,
especially when I had folkstelling me I wouldn't even make
it and I'd go running back tothe classroom.

(00:22):
Today's episode is going to bea little different from what
you're used to.
Normally I keep things prettyserious and professional around
here and we dive deep and westay focused, but today I want
to switch it up a little bit.
I'm experimenting with somemore personal and more real and
maybe a little bit more juicycontent.
I've got some confessions Iwant to share with you, things
I've been reflecting on since mytransition, things that I

(00:45):
actually haven't said out loudbefore.
So it's vulnerable, it'sunfiltered and I think it's time
.
So if you're here for somethinga little bit more behind the
scenes, this one's for you.
Stay tuned.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Welcome to the UX Teacher Prep Podcast, the
ultimate destination foreducators who aspire to break
into the field of userexperience and product design.
Your host, z Arnold, a 15-yearteacher turned UX researcher, is
here to guide, coach and mentoryou through every twist and
turn as you make your careertransition into tech.
If you're ready for a moresatisfying career and lifestyle

(01:21):
and you want the balance tounleash your creativity, this
podcast is for you.
Now for the show.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
So I've been doing a lot of reflecting Because, let's
be real, going from teaching ajob where your entire day is
basically a live performance toremote work has been a journey.
Honestly, when I left theclassroom, remote work felt like
the prize.
I felt like I earned my peace,I earned the quiet, I earned the
right to work in leggings andhouse slippers without a single

(02:02):
fire drill and for a long time.
I really honestly had a greattwo years out of the classroom
and I loved it.
And I think that's because Ineeded that break, something new
, and I needed to fully rechargeafter all the burnout and
reimagine what my career couldlook like.
But lately something has beencreeping in.
At first I blamed it on needinga new project, or maybe just my

(02:25):
switch from caffeine to decaf,but now that the sun's out
longer and I'm walking outside,I'm really thinking a lot and I
think I'm ready to say it I kindof miss being around people,
not the chaos, not the politics,but the presence, the passing
conversations, the energy, thehumanity.
So today's episode is calledConfessions of a Remote Worker

(02:49):
and it's exactly that Somehonest reflections on the real
highs and lows I've experiencedworking from home full time.
So I have five confessions Iwant to share with you today.
Confession number oneCommunication is not the same
anymore.
I used to be really good atreading a room.
Now I have to kind of read aZoom screen with boxes of
people's faces.

(03:09):
When you're a teacher, youlearn to spot a mood shift from
across the hall and across theclassroom.
You know if someone's having abad day, you pick up on energy
like it's your superpower.
Now I have to read Slackmessages and think about are
they mad or are they just typingfast?
Communication has become thisweird, slightly
passive-aggressive puzzle Likedid that period mean they're

(03:31):
annoyed or did it mean somethingelse?
Why'd they use that emoji?
Are we good?
There's no hallway to chat toclear the air.
There's no facial expressionsto soften a comment, just words,
punctuated cold, delivered vianotification.

(03:52):
And it makes me wonder am Iactually losing my people skills
or am I just communicatingdifferently?
Now?
Maybe it's both.
Confession number two nothing isspontaneous anymore.
Let's talk brainstorming.
I miss the days when someonewould shout what if we just?
And the ideas would startflying in a real-time
conversation at a teacher'smeeting with actual faces in the

(04:15):
room.
Now brainstorms happen in ashared document or a mural board
, and it's slow.
Maybe possibly with a circleback next week on the calendar.
Nothing kills creativity fasterthan let's follow up on next
Tuesday's sync.
The magic used to feel aliveand now it feels scheduled.

(04:35):
I feel like when you're inperson and you're brainstorming,
everything just seems to flowand people's ideas are jumping
off each other.
But something about thiscomputer screen, something about
this monitor and this laptopjust feels like everything is so
distant.
Confession number threeisolation is real, guys.

(04:58):
Listen, I consider myself anambivert.
I think I'm introverted attimes and extroverted at times
when I need to be.
I'm not trying to go back tostaff lounges, but even I have
days where I look around and Irealize this is the quietest job
I ever had.
I went from the chaos of30-plus students needing me

(05:18):
every single second, 30-plusmiddle school students, to
entire days where my onlyconversation is within a Word
document.
I really miss walking past mywork, bestie, and if you're
listening, you know who you are.
I miss the accidentalconversation that turned into
side jokes.
I miss the student versusteacher basketball games and,
yes, I've absolutely started aZoom meeting early just to have

(05:42):
a bit of small talk with myco-workers.
It's crazy.
It just feels like things arestarting to shift for me Now.
I just want to jump in here tosay that I'm not telling you all
these things to scare you ifyou're leaving the classroom and
trying to be fully remote, butI just want to be upfront and
honest with you all about howI'm feeling today, three years

(06:03):
after being out of the classroomin a fully remote position.
As things change, I'm sharingthem with you.
So confession number fourvisibility is so much harder now
.
You know how, in school, justbeing present in the room gave
you this kind of authority, avibe, a leadership presence.

(06:24):
That is completely gone.
Now I advocate for myselfthrough email or a carefully
crafted bullet point in a Slackupdate.
And, yeah, I miss being seenliterally being seen because I
feel like out of sight, out ofmind, and that's a real feeling.
If I'm not there in the roomwith you, I feel like I don't
have that presence.
I don't have that pizzazz thatI usually have when I'm in the
classroom or even walkingthrough a school building.
So on the computer screen andthrough email, it just feels a

(06:47):
lot different.
Confession number five I missthe belonging.
This one is deeper.
In-person was messy, it wasloud, sometimes it was
frustrating, but it was a sharedexperience.
Remote work is very tidy, it'sefficient, but it can feel a
little transactional the Zoommeetings, the Outlook emails,

(07:11):
the Slack messages and for thoseof us who came from teaching,
where connection was everything,this part hits hard.
There's just something about itwhere you just don't feel fully
connected to the community.
So those are my fiveconfessions, things that I've
been thinking about for the pastfew weeks, and I really feel
like the energy around my newcareer is shifting.
So I'm just wondering is this acareer crisis or is this just

(07:34):
like a vitamin D deficiency?
Here's the thing I don't thinkI'm having some.
Is this a career crisis or isthis just like a vitamin D
deficiency?
Here's the thing.
I don't think I'm having somegiant philosophical reckoning.
I think I'm just a New Yorkeremerging from winter, maybe.
But this feeling it didn't startwith spring.
It started a few months ago,actually, when I started going
into the office once a month forthese fun days that we have
team events and just randomconnections with people in the

(07:56):
office.
And then I took it a stepfurther.
I agreed to do a few in-personsessions, actual real-life
research studies, withparticipants and with my
co-workers live, not on Zoom andy'all.
They have been bringing me backto life, doing UXR in person,
with real participants,brainstorming with my colleagues
in the same room, bouncingideas off each other without

(08:24):
worrying about lag or mutebuttons.
It reminded me of howenergizing that kind of
creativity and that kind of flowcan be.
I feel like it's oxygen to partof my brain that I forgot
existed.
So here's what I think Remotework isn't the problem.
Isolation is, and that's thenuance I'm starting to realize.
Remote work has been amazingfor my health, my peace and my

(08:45):
creativity.
I've been able to rest in a wayI could never when I was
commuting over an hour each way,lesson planning and grading all
those English essays.
I've been able to make moretime for my family, my hobbies
and my personal health andwell-being.
But even peace and quiet canget too quiet, especially for
those of us who are wired forcommunity.
So here's where I'm at rightnow.

(09:06):
I might play around with hybridwork-ish.
I'm thinking about going intothe office once or twice a week,
not because I have to, butbecause I want to, because
freedom doesn't always meanstaying home.
Sometimes freedom meanschoosing when to show up and
when to pull back.
So I'm thinking maybe hybrid isthe sweet spot Structure

(09:27):
without suffocation, presencewithout pressure.
So I may try this out and seehow I feel about it, but I'll
keep you guys posted.
So let's open this up.
I want to hear from you,especially my fellow teachers
who transitioned to tech or anyremote field Is remote still
working for you?
Are you thriving in the quietor are you craving connection

(09:49):
again?
Would you consider hybrid, oris that a hard no?
And for those who are stilllooking for a new position, are
you considering remote work oris that not even something you'd
entertain?
Talk to me.
You can text me by clicking thelink under the podcast.
You could send me a DM onInstagram, email me, whatever
works.
I'd love to hear your thoughtson this because I don't think

(10:09):
I'm alone.
I think a lot of us are quietlywhispering the same thing.
I love remote work, but I kindof miss being in a building with
other people.
Let me know, we'll talk soon.

Speaker 2 (10:26):
Hey, thanks so much for tuning in.
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(10:46):
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