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A growing community of educators, mentors, and lifelong learners who believe in the power of connection, shared stories, and showing up for one another - again and again
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Welcome, my
dear friend Sarah Thomas to the bridge.
Sarah: Thank you.
Thank you, Cate.
It's so great to be here.
Thank you so much for having me.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I have,
I mentioned this, uh, as we were
getting ready to record here,
but you were a huge inspiration.
You and the work you've done over the
years have just a huge inspiration to me.
I have long admired the way you are
so, um, authentically committed to
connecting people, um, and beyond a
brand, beyond a job, you are just.
You, you created the EduMatch
community and you were early.
You were early on all of that.
So I wanna start just by
telling that backstory.
Um, like how did EduMatch even come to be?
I don't even know if I
know the birth story.
This is so cool.
Sarah: Oh yeah, absolutely.
So EduMatch, started back in 2014.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Sarah: The story is that I was chatting
with a friend of mine on Voxer.
Because I mean, that was my
Friday night to be social.
I would just like
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Always.
Sarah: Yep, absolutely.
And just have conversations with my
educator friends all around the country.
And at one point she, uh, started
talking about gamification math and
I was just like, my cousin used to
do that, so I should connect you all.
And we know this other gamification
guys, so let's bring into a conversation.
And I was just like, wait a minute.
Is there something that will connect
person A to person B, to person
C, and just, you know, they're
connecting and vibing and just
seeing what they'll create together.
And so I looked and there wasn't
anything that directly did that.
There were the Twitter chats, there were
Voxer groups and stuff like that where
people were kind of doing it organically.
But I did, I couldn't find anything
that would like be like a matchmaker.
So it was that moment that I
was just like, okay, let me
just go ahead and try it out.
So I put on Twitter what I wanted
to do, just, you know, tell
me about you, tell me about.
Your interests.
And I matched them up to hashtags and
started tweeting about people every,
I wanna say every two or three hours,
and just kind of got them more and more
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Oh
Sarah: and established a database.
And
Cate Tolnai (she/her): yeah.
Sarah: the database was being
established and people were just like,
okay, well do you have a Voxer group?
And I was just like, well, we're about to.
So we started up the
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yep.
Sarah: And then.
Everything, pretty much that came
out from that moment on was through
conversations with folks in the community.
So that's, that's kind
of how we got started.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): So what are,
what are some like highlights when
you think back to that chapter?
Because I mean, a dream
match still exists, right?
Like it it, okay.
And so I'm curious to know like highlights
over the years and then what is it now?
Sarah: Yeah, for sure.
So the highlights, I would say
we made a few different pivots
over our 11 years so far.
11 years and counting.
So the first pivot was moving from
Twitter as it was known at the
time, to just kind of all social
media and just connecting folks.
And then we had, as you match tweet
and talk, which was a Twitter chat
based with a video panel that we
did on Google Hangouts, on air.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): That's right.
Sarah: I would say that our
next pivot was publishing.
We
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Uhhuh?
Sarah: books, uh, around 2016
we started doing crowdsource
anthologies, EduMatch, Snapshots
in Education is what it was called.
And we've still been doing what,
we actually just had our deadline
for the 2025 edition two days
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yes.
Sarah: Yeah.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yes.
Sarah: so that's been
kind of going since 2016
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Wow.
Sarah: started publishing solo books.
We've taken a little bit of a hiatus
from that we're hoping to come back
in a, in a few years, but we're,
um, I'll tell you about our next
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Hmm.
Sarah: Uh, so we pivoted to
professional learning back in 2020,
uh, just when the pandemic hit
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Sarah: just seeing that
people needed so much help.
So that was our next main pivot,
and that's pretty much where
we've been for the most part.
Tried to bring back a few of the things
that we did in the past to definitely
keep the community going, keep the organic
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Sarah: Um, but right now we are mostly
living in professional learning land and
Cate Tolnai (she/her): So
what does that look like?
Sarah: Oh yeah.
Yeah.
So we've been doing professional
learning on behalf of our partners.
Um, we have a few different organizations
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Sarah: had the pleasure to
partner with, such as Google,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Adobe.
Sarah: Tech, uh, Mobile
Mind, Book Creator..
So we are connecting with
these, these dynamic educational
partners as well as, uh.
IDEA in Illinois
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Uhhuh,
Sarah: um, just doing
professional learning.
We do it mostly, right now
we're doing it mostly on ed tech
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Uhhuh.
Sarah: our partners are ed tech,
but we also have facilitators
in our network, over 200
facilitators in our network coming
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Got it.
Sarah: And so we do.
do all of it.
We do the spectrum of education.
So
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Got it.
Sarah: kind of where we are right now.
And we still have a few of the
pillars of our community that we
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Uhhuh.
Sarah: hold onto.
Like EduMatch Connect
is a new tweet and talk.
So we've been doing that
monthly instead of weekly.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Okay.
Sarah: and we
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I feel
like that's more sustainable.
Yeah.
Monthly.
Yeah.
Sarah: Yeah.
Because when the pandemic came and it just
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Whoa.
Sarah: us all, I was just like, oh
wow, something's gotta give at this
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yep.
Sarah: so we had to do away with Tweet and
talk for a while, but it just came back
as EduMatch Connect and monthly is now the
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Oh, that's fun.
Sarah: you know, and EDU snap.
We are keeping that in play as well.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Tell me about that.
Sarah: Yeah, for sure.
So EDU SNAP is basically a time capsule.
If you think about it, then people
are submitting a chapter on what
they're learning about or what they're
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Sarah: year.
So we have educators from.
We've had educators from
around the world and different
number of educators every year.
But you know, we usually get a good mix
of folks and a good mix of stories, and
we just compiled them in this anthology.
And we have recently pivoted
to include podcasts, um,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Oh
Sarah: of AI transcription.
I know that right now
we're using descrip, so
Cate Tolnai (she/her): yeah.
Sarah: so when you, when you use it,
then you can like transcribe it and
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yep.
Sarah: of clean it up.
And so we've had a few chapters submitted
that way, and that's been a really
Cate Tolnai (she/her):
That's really smart.
Sarah: thank you.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): You're,
Sarah: really great episodes.
Cate Tolnai (she/her):
you know, Sarah, how.
Like, your brain is amazing, and I'm
not just like blowing sunshine, right?
Like I, it's literally like I've, I've had
the pleasure of being in your orbit for so
many years and like I, I feel like you're
just like, you just know where to go next.
How do you stay connected?
How do you do that?
Sarah: Oh, thank you so much.
And that is, that is super,
super sweet of you to say.
I would say that just, I, I
honestly dunno, just, um, just
listening to folks and, and the
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Sarah: they have and, you
know, being like, I'm so.
Still on, on Voxer and, uh, pretty
active in some, some social media groups
and just drawing inspiration from what
folks are doing, um, whether inside
of education or outside of education,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Sarah: I'm definitely consuming
a lot of podcasts myself
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Got it.
Sarah: of seeing, seeing what folks are
doing that, that might be applicable
to the educational community, I guess.
So.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I mean,
yeah, I, I, I think that's maybe so,
so one of my earlier guests said,
your network is your net worth.
Sarah: Ooh,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): And I know.
And, um, and I'm like, yeah,
that's, that's a good call.
I, in fact, let me look really quick.
That was, I wanna say it's Jornea.
Sarah: Oh
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Um, yeah, yeah.
That was Jornea.
Um, and I was like, oh, oh, yes.
Um, and I feel like you embody that
really, like even in what you just said,
like, I, listen, I ask, I create like,
I think you also create spaces that make
people feel safe enough to open up and
like that's a, I think that's a real gift.
And I,
Sarah: Appreciate that.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): yeah.
I wonder like.
From your perspective, um, especially
like being dialed into so many different
communities at like the the solution
level, what do you think, what do you
think communities need most right now?
Sarah: Ooh, that's a good question.
I would say.
I would say that we need that connection.
We need the grace.
Uh, A A A good friend of
mine, Barbara Bray, she always
Cate Tolnai (she/her): She
was just on her and Erica.
Yes,
Sarah: Oh, I love 'em both.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I know.
Sarah: Yeah.
But she said something
once that stuck with me.
She said that we're not human doings.
We're human beings And that has
always stuck with me because we have
to have this empathy, this grace,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Sarah: for, one another.
And I think that that's something
that we need now more than
ever, just with the state of the
world
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Sarah: just to, give each other
that, grace and, seeing one
another as people as human beings.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah,
Sarah: yeah.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): and, and,
and I think the challenge, so the
challenge that I've seen too is as these
community programs start to develop at.
At a, you know, at a corporate
level, uh, there becomes this
need to quantify community, right?
And, and measure community.
And I've talked to a couple people about
that, Manny and Andy, and people that are
doing that work at, at a corporate level.
Sarah: Mm-hmm.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Um, you would
never, I mean, you, you launched your
own, like you were just like, I'm cool.
I'm gonna do this over here.
Do you ever feel a pressure
to quantify or to like, to, to
capture that story in other ways?
Sarah: So that's a great question and
I feel like I always wanna grow, you
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Sarah: want to.
Make as much of an impact as possible.
Um, and not it, not even through me,
but through the members impacting one
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Sarah: you know?
Um, and for that reason then I'm
always kind of, I, I am keeping
an eye on like, you know, what's
our reach, what's our growth?
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Sarah: things of that nature.
But at the same time, then one
story that really sticks with
me is that starfish metaphor.
Uh, so.
There was a story, uh, you,
you've probably heard it, but,
uh, I'll just say it just in
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Sarah: not familiar with it.
Um, there was a story of a man who was on
the beach picking up starfish, throwing
them in the ocean, and somebody came
along and said, what are you doing?
There's millions of starfish here,
so you're not gonna save them all.
And the man said, I know, but for
that one, that made a difference.
So I feel like.
As people, not to use the word
save, because you know we can all
save ourselves, but impact like
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Hmm.
Sarah: We as individuals cannot.
Change the entire world and right
the wrongs of the entire world.
But what we can do is that we have
that sphere of influence and we're able
to
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Sarah: all of us reach out,
share our gifts and, help
make a difference in that way.
So that story always stuck with me.
Um,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Sarah: even if it's not like a hundred
million people or whatever, whoever I am
lucky enough to know and connect with,
and learn from, and learn with, and grow
with, then, then I consider that a win.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): That's incredible.
And I, I feel like that's a
perfect segue into your new
community that you've launched.
So tell us all about it.
Sarah: Absolutely.
So
Cate Tolnai (she/her): And,
you know, I already jumped in.
I was like early.
I'm like, oh, Sarah's doing something.
I gotta go.
Sarah: I am so happy
that you're part of it.
Like seriously, just, just the more I
get to connect with you, the happier I
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Sarah: so it's great to have you.
Um, but it's called The Softer Life for
Educators, and the reason it's called
the Softer Life is that I feel like I've
been defined for like the last maybe 15
years with the hustle and Grind culture.
Like that has been my life.
I don't want that anymore for myself.
Just being totally
honest, I don't want that.
My priorities have shifted.
I'm now married.
I have an amazing husband.
I have a beautiful baby girl.
She's no longer a baby, she's three.
But for me, that is my priority.
And I was reading or listening to a
podcast or something and somebody.
the statement that your worth
is not defined by how much you
do, that, that really hit me
and just reflecting on my own.
Journey and my own priorities now.
Then I, I thought, okay, you know, I
want a softer life, not necessarily the
soft life, because I know the soft life
is just like the life of luxury and
ease where you don't lift a finger and.
not knocking that, you know, and sometimes
I do want that, but I don't, I don't
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Truth.
Sarah: entire life to be that.
Right?
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Yeah.
Sarah: there to be like some challenge
and I want them, I want there to be some
opportunity for growth and connections
and things of that nature, and continuing
to get better and level up, but not.
Life being so hard all the
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Sarah: we have this softer life community.
I wanted to start it the inspiration
of it was like, okay, well how
am I going to keep accountable?
But the more I kept on talking
to people, the more I realized,
okay, I'm not alone with this.
You know, there's so many people
who are now feeling that just
burnout and they just need.
A place to, just rejuvenate
and rest in a softer place.
So,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Sarah: that's the idea
behind this community.
That's kind of how we got started.
And in it we talk about
professional things, but we also
talk about life outside of work.
So there's nine to five
and there's five to nine.
and in it we have challenges.
We just, wrapped up a wellness
challenge where we were looking at
nutrition steps, exercise, sleep.
something else.
I can't remember.
I think workouts, but now we're onto
an investment challenge and we have
members, teaching, and doing live streams.
I know that you have one coming up, so I'm
excited for that
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Sarah: just learning from each
other, learning with each other
just to level up our lives.
So I'm, I'm really excited about that.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I think,
I think it's so needed right now.
And when I saw the, it, I love hearing
this, like, explanation of it because
obviously like I, I jumped in, like
I said, 'cause I, I love the work you
do and I love to just be in the orbit.
Um, and, and I, I, I noticed
it was different, right?
Like I, I could feel it felt
different and it feels different.
Um, and it feels.
Necessary.
And it's, it's kind, it's an interesting
dichotomy because it's like, on the
one hand we're talking in that, in that
community, the conversations are about,
like you said, the five to nine, right?
Not so much the nine to five.
And, um, I love that, by the
way, and Uhhuh and, um, and yet
we're plugging in to have those
conversations about unplugging, right?
Like it's, it's, but, but I don't know
how else he would do it, you know, like.
So I like that you've created
a space that meets people where
they're at, but that, um, and it's
on a totally new platform for me.
How did you, what's, what's
the name of it again?
Sarah: school.
S-K-O-O-L.
Cate Tolnai (she/her):
How did you find that?
And what's, what's, what is that?
Sarah: Yeah, so there's a lot of,
um, business people I follow online
just, you know, for tips to how to
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Sure.
Sarah: you match things of that nature.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Sarah: one of them was doing a
live stream, um, and he, I think
he might be the co-founder of
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Uh huh.
Sarah: or an early investor in school.
And he had like a deal.
You know, you get.
trial, you know, all of this stuff.
And, and me, I didn't even see that
because I had already signed up
before he got to the free trial.
'cause I was just like,
this looks amazing.
$9 a month, you got me.
So, I just jumped in
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Sarah: Yeah.
But, um, but it's, it's really nice.
I like it.
I like.
The functionality of
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Sarah: of it, and that price
point, you can't beat it.
So if there's
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Sarah: community organizers on here
listening, then you know, I would
definitely recommend that one.
'cause it has a nice, nice, uh,
functionality for the price point.
And, um, it, like, it has leaderboards
like automatically, it has like a,
a classroom tab where you can put
courses, it has calendar tab, and you
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Oh, that's cool.
Sarah: straight in there.
Yeah.
As well as a community piece
where folks can like engage.
So it's like a Facebook group, but without
Facebook and with a lot more features.
So I really like it.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Which I think
is so smart because part of, part of my
hangup with some of, with joining in on
some of the bigger communities is like
it's pushing me onto Facebook because
that really is like a community space.
There are community pages on there.
But I, I don't wanna be on Facebook.
Like, like Thank you.
Thank you.
No, thank you.
Like, not right now.
Not right now.
Sarah: Yeah.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Um, no
offense to anybody who's there.
It's just not my jam.
Um, so I do appreciate that you have that
option and, and I kind of like, makes
me think too, like you've been really
smart about, um, creating spaces that
bring just rich, diverse groups together.
And I wondered if like.
With, through all of your global
collaborations and all of the connections
you've made, like how, how has equity
and inclusion and just belonging,
like, how has that, I, I feel like,
I ha I know the answer to this, but I
would love to know from you, like, how
have you been able to pri keep that
such a priority through all your work?
Sarah: Yeah, totally.
I just had the, the honor and privilege
of meeting so many dynamic individuals
and when I meet them then, you know,
introduced to their circle and the
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah,
Sarah: to grow.
You
Cate Tolnai (she/her): yeah.
Sarah: like, uh, oh, no, I can't
quote, I can't quote Diddy anymore.
I was going, to,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): No, don't do that.
Sarah: no, we
Cate Tolnai (she/her): okay.
Sarah: But
Cate Tolnai (she/her): We,
Sarah: in the notorious BIG song,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): there we go.
Sarah: is Tell your friends
to get with my friends.
And we could all be friends.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): There we go.
Sarah: yeah.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Nice pivot.
That's excellent.
Sarah: Yeah.
Absolutely.
So,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): That's so fun.
Sarah: yeah, thank you.
Thank you.
But also, um, you know, just, just.
Thinking about that and
thinking about getting to know
each other on deeper levels.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Sarah: always been, um, that's always
been part of EduMatch, like having
those deeper connections where we get
to know each other beyond the surface
and really establish those friendships.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Sarah: and on paper two people
couldn't look more different, but.
When they really get to know each other,
and see how much in common they have, then
that really builds that deep connection
and allows for conversations that,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Sarah: um,
allow for
change, to help transform people.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): You, um,
you walk the talk and I'm curious,
have you ever been, has any company
tried to like, pluck you out?
I imagine people want, want all of you.
Sarah: Oh, you are
Cate Tolnai (she/her): And
how do you balance that?
How do you, I mean, 'cause you've
stayed true and like, I, I know we
don't get to know all the details,
but like, I'm kind of curious like
Sarah: I mean, you know, there's, there's
definitely been some offers along the
way, but I mean, the, nothing, like,
I'm, I'm not gonna say like never ever,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): right.
Sarah: for.
Anything to happen where, you know,
edu match were to, you know, go with
someone else, then they, it would
have to be like a, A tight alignment.
Like a
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Sarah: Yeah.
'cause you know, we've, we've
all worked hard collectively.
Anybody
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Sarah: of EDU match at any point
has brought their own magic
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yep.
Sarah: want to honor that.
So, yeah.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): And you do.
You really do.
Okay, last question.
I would love to know if you could go back.
Well, we didn't even talk about this.
How long did you teach?
Sarah: Oh.
Uh, I've been in education for 21 years
Cate Tolnai (she/her): How long
were you in the classroom though?
Sarah: in the, in the classroom itself.
Um, 10 years and some change.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Okay.
Sarah: in central office, 10 years and
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Oh.
Sarah: change.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): My gosh.
Oh my gosh.
Hence the hustle of doing all
this while you've been working.
Okay, got it.
Um, so classroom teacher, Sarah, like
if you could go back and, and like, I
don't know, revisit yourself as like
a second or third year teacher, like
what advice would you give Sarah?
Sarah: Oh man, that was right when I
was in the thick of things and I had
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Hmm.
Sarah: one foot out, to be honest,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): you Oh, wow.
Why?
What was going on for you?
Sarah: Yeah.
Yeah.
I, I was originally TV and
then, you know, I, I came
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Sarah: certification
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Sarah: was low on teachers and I
did a lot of learning on the job.
You know, I was still
very, very young and.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Excuse me.
Sarah: find my, my own way,
um, as, as an educator.
So it was, it was really
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Wow.
Uh
Sarah: yeah, yeah.
But
Cate Tolnai (she/her): oh.
Sarah: could go back and talk to myself
back then, then I would say that, um.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): From an early
Sarah: Uh, I would
Cate Tolnai (she/her):
age, Sarah has always been,
Sarah: your people.
Uh, so, you know, back then we didn't
have social media as we know it.
Um, so now for any teacher who might
be in the same boat, definitely find
that professional learning network.
And I also.
Would tell myself that everything that
I was going through at that time, all
of those really hard lessons, they
would serve a purpose later in life.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Hmm.
Sarah: they would give
me empathy to understand the
situations that other people might
be dealing with and really want to
be there to, Give support to them.
so, nurturing the spark of, folks
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Hmm.
Sarah: who are passionate about
the work, even if they don't
have the experience behind them.
I would also tell her that
you'll get through this, you
Cate Tolnai (she/her): have
Sarah: a strong network, and support and
purpose, and there's light ahead of you.
So if you really want this as
she did, then stay the course
and, things will get better.
Maybe move around if you have
to, but, you'll find your people
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Oh my gosh.
I wish you could, I wish we
could all go back and like.
Hug our baby teacher selves.
You know, like young teachers need
so much support, and you're right,
like everything feels big, but
keeping perspective is, is huge.
Um, and join EduMatch or join a
softer, softer life for educators.
Get dialed in.
Sarah: Yeah.
Yes,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): gonna make
sure, we're gonna make sure to
have links for all the things you
shared in our show notes and your
bio and your contact and phone.
All the good stuff you gave me in that,
in that form that I had you fill out.
Um, but I just think the world of
you, Sarah, and I'm so grateful for
the time and to just, like I've said
a few times, be in your orbit and,
and you know, um, who knows what the
next 20 years will bring, you know?
Wow.
That's exciting.
Sarah: Thank you so much.
And I feel the same.
Like it is so great to, to know you
and to learn with you and just to,
to be your friend, like to be able
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah,
Sarah: I'm
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I, yeah.
Sarah: So
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Sarah: for everything.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): All
the loves, all the loves.
Sarah: Yeah.
I appreciate you.