Episode 20: What We Did Before Teaching (And Why It Actually Matters) | The Edu20/20 Podcast
Courtney Dumas
May 19, 2026
In this After Hours episode, Courtney and Shannon revisit who they were before education — private-jet errands, Walmart snack bars, call centers, and first-year teaching chaos — and how those random jobs shaped how they show up in classrooms today.
Welcome to the Edu20/20 After Hours Podcast… where we’re nearing the end of the season by going all the way back to the beginning.
In this episode, we’re talking about who we were before education– the random jobs, weird experiences, and moments that somehow shaped how we show up in classrooms today.
From running errands for executives (yes, including private jets) to Walmart snack bars, call centers, and first-year teaching chaos, this one is a mix of “how did that happen?” and “okay wait, that actually tracks.”
It’s not deep or structured, but it does explain a lot.
Chapters:
0:00 Why we’re going back before teaching
1:24 Favorite teaching years (and why they mattered)
5:37 The jobs that came before the classroom
9:22 The most random job stories (private jets included)
12:46 First-year teaching chaos (and quick exits 😅)
16:44 Jobs we would never do again
