3 Sessons I've Learned Since I Quit Teaching


"I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down"

Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve

Hi Reader,

This week marks 2 years since I left teaching. It's very surreal to realize that, because I've changed so much since I decided to leave, and yet I still feel like the same person in so many (positive) ways.

❤️‍🩹 My first year out of the classroom was for healing

🪴 My second year was for growing

Here are a few ways I've grown this year:

  • I'm confident in myself. For a long time I felt unsure of my path. Now that I've made a zillion mistakes, I have a clear vision of Primary Focus now, and Primary Focus in 5 years.
  • I found my people. Most of my friends were teachers or affiliated with education. Leaving my career was scary, because I didn't have peers. I'm so happy to say that I have made friends and a network of creators like me.
  • I'm balanced. I consistently work out, I can balance a week of hard work with rest, I've become efficient and made systems for myself, I can make a predictable schedule for my work, I socialize a lot which feeds my extroverted heart. This takes constant maintenance, but knowing what balance feels like is a huge piece of this.

And to my delight, I've released the course I've been dreaming of the past 2 years! The last day to enroll in Prepare your Child for Kindergarten is this Friday 6/7. Click here and to enroll hit "continue as guest."

What's New?

🎓 They're growing up!: Congratulations to my baby kindergartners that are graduating 5th grade this week! I'm so very proud of each and every one. If you're the parent of one of these cuties, please send your baby lots of love from me. 💕

🎥 Parents of 3-5 year olds: I released 2 videos last week: 5 Mistakes Parents Make Before Their Child Goes to Kindergarten Part 1 (Social Emotional) and Part 2 (academic). These are packed with simple tips to help your 3, 4, or 5 year old prepare for school.

🖍️ Oh Boise!: I'm flying to Boise, Idaho for ConvertKit's conference Craft + Commerce. I went last year and had an incredible time. The conference is specifically for creators and business owners. I'm excited to host 2 meetups during the event, one for Youtubers and one for family based creators along with my friend DeeDee from MoreThanGrand.

Things I Love

👒 Statement Piece: When I network and go to conferences, I try to wear bold clothes and conversation pieces so I'm easy to remember and it gives an easy way to start conversation. I can't wait to wear this matching set in Idaho!

👟 my go to: I just replaced my go to shoes. I get a new pair every few years. They are the perfect dainty sneaker and a classic, especially in summer time.

📓 Hint hint: This is my nudge to parents of preschool-2nd graders. Buy your primary composition books now. They are notorious for selling out in August.

Have a fabulous week friends! Follow along on Instagram if you want to see more of beautiful Boise, Idaho.

Primary Focus Newsletter

Learn about the latest news in education and tips to help your kids thrive in elementary school. Delivered to your inbox every Tuesday. Primary Focus was founded by Natalie Parmenter, a former kindergarten teacher to guide parents through elementary school. We provide information that is often common knowledge to teachers but is not widely known among parents. Primary Focus is dedicated to enlightening parents on all things elementary school so their children can thrive.

Read more from Primary Focus Newsletter
A table covered in crafting supplies. Small santa hats and bells are being made out of cardboard egg cartons

"And with that the 2025 season comes to an end" This is the last newsletter of 2025. Thanks for being a part of the Primary Focus community 🩷 Happy New Year Reader! Primary Focus is dialed in to schools. All my videos, workshops, 1:1 calls, and content have to do with students Preschool - 5th grade talking directly with parents and caretakers. After watching closely the past year- here are my prediction for school trends in 2026...Let me know if you agree or disagree! WHAT'S IN FOR 2026 ㊗...

"There's always gonna be another mountainI'm always gonna wanna make it move" The Climb by Miley Cyrus Hi Reader, I am a real sucker for Christmas books during the holiday season. Ever since I was a kid, I gobbled up every book I could find that described a family warming up by the fire. I've put together a list for readers of all ages to enjoy. A Personal Fav: "The Night Before Christmas" is a poem that's pivotal to describing American Christmas traditions and beliefs around Santa Clause. If...

A picture of Natalie's desk with a hand drawn picture of a slice of pie, overhead camera, and cat napping on the couch in the background

"There's always gonna be another mountainI'm always gonna wanna make it move" The Climb by Miley Cyrus Hi Reader, Yesterday I was tutoring one of my fourth grade students, when she started to cry. To me it came out of nowhere, but to her it came from deep frustration. You see, we'd just had a HUGE win. Each week we start tutoring with 4 minutes of free writing time. She was really excited to write, so I quietly stopped the clock and she doubled her writing time to 8 minutes! She excitedly...