Dan Tricarico & Angela Watson – Finally Free

Dan Tricarico & Angela Watson – Finally Free

Does this kind of teacher anxiety sound familiar?

* When you stay late at school, you feel guilty for neglecting your family.

* When you go home to your family, you feel guilty for neglecting your students.

* There’s always something more to be done, and it all feels urgent and important.

If you can relate, here’s some good news–it doesn’t have to be that way.

You can experience freedom from sleepless Sunday nights and never being able to turn off your “teacher brain.” In fact, freedom from all types of teacher anxiety and overwhelm is possible.

Finally Free is a toolkit FOR teachers, BY teachers.

Angela Watson spent 11 years as an elementary teacher and the past 9 years as an instructional coach, and Dan Tricarico’s been a high school teacher for the last 25 years.

We know the unique demands teachers face, including that feeling that no amount of effort is ever enough. We constantly hear from exhausted educators who feel alone, and don’t have anyone who can help them think about the demands of teaching through a healthier lens.

So, we’ve partnered up to be your “virtual mentors” through the toolkit, guiding you along your teaching journey and offering encouragement and reassurance whenever you feel overwhelmed.

How is the toolkit designed to help?

We created this toolkit to teach you HOW to think about your work, not give you a list of more things to do.

Freedom from anxiety and overwhelm is essentially a mindset shift. It requires a new way of thinking. With several hours of audio messages included in the toolkit, each time you listen, you’ll be renewing your mind and establishing new mental habits.

We offer support for you to go through the materials in a structured way (like you would for a formal course) if that’s your preference. But you don’t need ONE MORE THING on your plate, so the toolkit is designed to be a flexible resource you can utilize whenever needed. That means it won’t be one more thing you feel guilty about not completing.

As you listen and practice these new ways of thinking over time, you will “retrain your brain” to think in ways that FINALLY create freedom from anxiety and overwhelm.

“I’ve bought other courses on mindset and anxiety, but Finally Free was so much more pertinent. There’s nothing else like it and it covers the EXACT issues I’m facing every day as a teacher. Thanks so much.”

-Jonathan, 11th/12th grade teacher, WA

What topics does the toolkit address?

You’ll get 10 audio modules that address the biggest mindset challenges most teachers face. You can listen (and re-listen) to any module, anytime you’d like.

Module 1: Freedom from comparison
Listen when you’re feeling not good enough and comparing yourself to others

Module 2: Freedom from pressure to do more
Listen when you feel like you’re drowning and can never do enough

Module 3: Freedom from worry over students
Listen when you’re worried about not being able to reach a student or prevent failure

Module 4: Freedom from regret
Listen when you’re replaying all the things you should have done differently

Module 5: Freedom from perfectionism
Listen when you’re overthinking things and making your work too complicated

Module 6: Freedom from busy-ness
Listen when you can’t shut your down mind and relax

Module 7: Freedom from guilt
Listen when you feel guilty about letting others (including your family) down

Module 8: Freedom from overwhelm
Listen when you’re feeling behind and have no energy to get back on track

Module 9: Freedom from urgency
Listen when you’re unable to focus because so many things are demanding your attention at once

Module 10: Freedom from self-neglect
Listen when you’re putting yourself last and need to make time for self-care

What’s included in the toolkit?

Each of the 10 modules listed above includes:

20-30 minutes of audio from Angela and Dan (3.5 hours of instruction in total)
A beautiful PDF transcript you can read/print if you choose
Optional reflection questions/exercises to help you self-reflect more deeply

As bonus, you’ll also receive:

3 audio guided meditation exercises to help you practice mindfulness and stay focused on the present moment (from Dan)
PDF and audio with 4 strategies to choosing your thoughts on purpose (from Angela)
A specially designed collection of motivational quote images you can use for computer/phone background images, share on social media, or print and hang as mini-posters to help you stay in the right mindset

The entire toolkit is delivered digitally (no physical products will be mailed to you.) Simply login to the site here and access all the resources at any time. You can also download them to read or listen offline.

How do I use the toolkit?

OPTION 1: Get support for whatever challenge you’re facing, right when you need it most. Explore the toolkit modules in any order you choose, at any pace you’d like, and skip what you don’t need.

OPTION 2: Transform your mindset over time by listening to one module per week for 10 weeks. Sign up for an email each week that will remind you of that week’s focus and keep you on track as you learn to think in a new, healthier way.

OPTION 3: Experience big changes quickly by listening to one module a day for 10 days. We can send you a daily email that will guide you through the entire toolkit and help you get relief from anxiety right away.

You can change your approach at any time. Unsubscribe from an email series if you want to quit mid-way through, and sign up for it again whenever you’d like.
Overview & Modules

HERE

How to use this toolkit

Download all audio to listen offline

Download the workbook (all transcripts/reflection questions)

Sign up for emails to guide you through the toolkit at a manageable pace

1: Freedom from comparison

Preview
Listen when you’re feeling not good enough and comparing yourself to others

2: Freedom from pressure to do more

Listen when you feel like you’re drowning and can never do enough to keep up

3: Freedom from worry over students

Listen when you’re worried about not being able to reach a student or prevent failure

4: Freedom from regret

Listen when you’re replaying all the things you should have done differently

5: Freedom from perfectionism

Listen when you’re overthinking things and making your work too complicated

6: Freedom from busy-ness

Listen when you can’t shut down your mind and relax

7: Freedom from guilt

Listen when you feel guilty about letting others down

8: Freedom from overwhelm

Listen when you’re feeling behind and have no energy to get back on track

9: Freedom from urgency

Listen when you’re unable to focus because so many things are demanding your attention at once

10: Freedom from neglect

Listen when you’re putting yourself last and need to make time for self-care

BONUSES

3 audio guided meditation exercises to help you practice mindfulness and stay focused on the present moment (from Dan)

PDF and audio with 4 strategies to choosing your thoughts on purpose (from Angela)

Motivational quote images you can use for computer/phone background images, share on social media, or print and hang as mini-poster to help you stay in the right mindset

Behind the scenes of Finally Free: An audio interview with Angela and Dan

Who’s the instructor?

Dan Tricarico & Angela Watson
Dan Tricarico & Angela Watson

Dan Tricarico has been a member of the West Hills High School English Department for over twenty years. He is the author of The Zen Teacher: Creating Focus, Simplicity, and Tranquility in the Classroom. Dan is also the creator of the Zen Teacher Facebook group, where he offers support and community for educators who are experiencing stress and who are interested in improved self-care. Click here to learn more about Dan.

Angela is a National Board Certified Teacher. As founder of Due Season Press and Educational Services, she has created printable curriculum resources, online courses, 4 books, the Truth for Teachers podcast, and the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club. She’s been supporting teachers through her website, The Cornerstone for Teachers, since 2003. Click here to learn more about Angela.

Angela came up with the toolkit idea through her work in the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club. She noticed that the way teachers THINK is more vital to their effectiveness, work/life balance, and job satisfaction than anything else. Many club members expressed a strong desire for support in grappling with anxiety and overwhelm beyond the scope of what’s covered in the club, so she set out to create a new resource that addressed that issue alone. Angela already had a strong connection to Dan’s work and mission, having reviewed his book and hosted him as a guest on her podcast. She asked Dan to partner with her on the toolkit to design a more comprehensive resource than what she could make alone. Angela and Dan have worked together for many months to create a solution for teacher anxiety, and are excited about offering it as a resource to help you become finally free.

“I listen in the car when I’m trying get myself in the right mind frame for the day, and do Dan’s meditations sometimes after school to help me unwind. This has been a real game changer in my day.”

-Jenny, K teacher, CA

Want a sample sent to your inbox?

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this different from the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club?
The 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club is centered on productivity and time management. The club operates as a full one year program which you join with a cohort and learn new mindsets/habits for grading, lesson planning, and more each month. A reduction in anxiety and overwhelm is a side benefit of learning how to streamline your teaching through the club. By contrast, “Finally Free” deals solely with anxiety and mindset: how to approach your work through a lens that will reduce stress. You can get the toolkit at any time, and go through the resources at your own pace, popping in and out of the audio lessons in the toolkit whenever you are feeling overwhelmed and discouraged. There is no overlap between the two resources: you can choose whichever speaks to you most, or try both.
How long do I have access to the toolkit?
You can utilize this toolkit for the rest of your teaching career. After enrolling, you’ll have unlimited access to the materials, across any and all devices you own. You can begin whenever you want, go at your own pace, and revisit things at any time.

Why is it an audio toolkit, and how do I make time to listen?
You’re already overwhelmed, so reading a book or watching a training might feel like another demand you can’t keep up with. Instead, you can listen to the audio messages during your commute, or while exercising, cooking, cleaning, and just going about your regular routines. We chose an audio format because we believe you’ll get the most benefit from repeatedly LISTENING to positive, encouraging words spoken into your mind and heart. There’s nothing better when you’re feeling anxious than hearing reassurance from someone who understands what you’re going through, validates your feelings, and helps you work through those feelings in a practical, uplifting way. If you’d like to have a printable version of the materials to read and highlight, the full transcript is included for each module in a beautiful PDF format.
Can I earn professional development credits for completing this course?
We provide a certificate of completion, but you will most likely NOT be able to earn PD credits, as we are not partnered with any district or state in this capacity. We recommend signing up for the toolkit only if you truly want to learn how to overcome anxiety associated with teaching, and use another course to satisfy continuing education hour requirements.
Is this resource designed to treat clinical anxiety?
No, we’re not trained in psychology or psychiatry. Though the toolkit should certainly be helpful for those who are dealing with clinical anxiety, we recognize that those needs are beyond the scope of what we are qualified and prepared to address, and support from a mental health professional is essential in those instances. This toolkit is designed to help ALL teachers cope with general anxious thoughts, worry, overwhelm, and stress related to teaching by changing the way they think about their life and work.

Is this resource associated with a specific religion or spiritual belief system?
No, this toolkit is designed to be useful for ALL teachers. The recommendations are influenced by principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness practices which are useful for any teacher wanting to work through issues of anxiety. Both Dan and Angela’s personal beliefs are rooted in Christianity, but there are no references to any religion or spiritual disciplines in the toolkit. You can skip the bonus guided meditations in the toolkit if you are not comfortable with meditation practices. If for any reason you find that the toolkit is incompatible with your worldview, feel free to make use of our 30 day refund policy.
Is the toolkit only for teachers in a specific grade level or American educators?
No, this toolkit is designed to be useful for ALL teachers. It is not tied to to any curriculum, standards, or even country. If you work with any group of kids anywhere in the world (from Pre-K-12th grade), you will find the toolkit useful. We would even recommend the toolkit to instructional coaches, paraprofessionals, and administrators. As long as you work in the education field and you struggle with most of the issues addressed in the 10 modules, this toolkit will make a difference for you. If it doesn’t, contact us within the first 30 days and we’ll give you a refund.
How do I know the toolkit is going to help ME?
We have a moneyback guarantee. Try it out for 30 days, and if you don’t feel a reduction in your anxiety and sense of overwhelm, send us an email and we’ll refund your money.

“Wow, this is better (and cheaper) than a therapy session. Hah! And I can go back and listen to anything you’ve said whenever I want. Love it!”

-Maria, 5th grade teacher, TX

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