Incorporating Our True Selves

Amanda Doran Eby is a 15-year educator and now, consultant, who has served as a founding teacher in a brand new school, program director, curriculum writer, conference presenter, mentor, high school choice liaison, and much more. Amanda, a lifelong resident of Baltimore City, lives in Hampden with her 5 year old Arlo, twin 2 year olds, Kendall and Lincoln, and 40-year-old husband, Chas. She is also the featured writer in our January 2026 issue of En Root. Check out her full article here, and learn more about the amazing Amanda in our Q+A below!

This month's theme is all about being true to oneself. Tell us how this theme has played a role in your personal or professional life.

When I started my career as a middle school teacher at a fresh 22, I did everything I could to act confidently, look older, and be taken seriously. It's hard to stand in front of groups of preteens, talk about metaphors, and feign authority. What I wish I'd known then was that my vulnerability was a superpower that I could have used with those classes of kids and that my youth was actually a plus for making connections. After that first year--which included me being poisoned with hand sanitizer by two girls in my homeroom--I learned how to incorporate my true self into my classes. By being real with them, showing them small parts of my real life, they trusted me more. And by relating to them, as someone who wasn't even a decade older than they were, they truly let me in. Once that trust and familiarity was there, we could learn in new ways, and take down the very typical middle school barrier of being too cool to try anything and really thrive together.

We learned English Language Arts through music and art, movement and crafts, presentations and drama. I figured out how to be me--a person who is interested in so many things and wants to do all of them all of the time. I learned how to teach outside of the vacuum of a 45-minute-one-subject-block and bring in history and science, humanities and personal experiences. I was the best teacher and the kids were the best students when we were learning through multimodal experiences.

At OutGrowth, we believe in designing the space and time to reimagine the path forward. How do you think that staying true to ourselves can help us to navigate our lives and careers?

When we remain true to who we really are, what we truly desire, and where our strengths lie, we have the power to design our own paths forward. Having a sense of purpose in my home life and my work comes from being passionate about my home life and my work. I know I love, love being a mom to my three kids and being a partner with my husband--that love gives the "work" of those roles meaning, more ease (even though it's hardly ever easy), and makes this my most important purpose as a human.

In my work, as an educator and consultant, I am driven by a desire to create meaningful experiences for kids that allow them to learn about themselves, speak to others and shine their light, and to plan their own paths forward. This incredible opportunity, to help kids plan their own next steps, is what gives me a sense of purpose and truly helps me stay true to what I want to be doing, what my strengths are, and to who I am as a person.

What is one hard lesson you learned in this past year that contributed to your growth?

The hardest lesson that I am still learning this year is that rejection, however packaged, is part of the process of starting a business. And that just because I am not the right fit for some person, school, or organization doesn't mean I am bad at what I do. I have learned to accept a rejection--more commonly in the form of completely ignoring me--and put my focus on the next idea or opportunity.

What is one competency or skill you hope to develop in 2026?

In 2026, I hope to develop the skill of grant writing! I just signed up for an online course in grant writing. I want to be able to find grants that fit my work, approach a school or organization and say: "Hi, here's the work I do. I know you need it. Here's a grant I found that will pay me to do that work for you. I will even complete the grant application. When can we start?"

What inspires you?

I am inspired by the limitless potential inside every single child. How amazing is it that we are surrounded by these tiny people who shed boogies, have Gatorade mustaches, and still need help tying their shoes? But one day they will be the folks operating on brains, discovering new planets, winning gold medals and so much more. And it is our job, as adults and as a society, to help all of that potential come out of them.

At OutGrowth, we believe in preparing the next generation of leaders. What is one resource you'd recommend to those looking to carve out the time for growth in the next year?

Just one?! I recommend The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad for creative ruts or just a boost in getting in touch with your true self. Go for God of the Woods by Liz Moore to be really, really sad and pensive.

I'm also in a big nonfiction, gilded age kick. Start with The Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard to learn about James Garfield, who would have been an incredibly impactful president had he lived longer. Then, read Vanderbilt and Astor by Anderson Cooper. All three if these give such an interesting window into the earlier days of our country, how the powerful gained power and held onto it, and may be motivational to change systemic and historical wrongs.

I recommend the Handsome Pod for comic relief and feeling like you're surrounded by friends. I also never miss the Heavyweight podcast or This American Life for true human interest.

What's next? What are you excited about in the coming year?

I am excited to work with more schools and organizations to grow "future education" and strong student led conferences with more students. I love working with a school, hearing its story, and seeing where I can fit in to help amplify the beautiful work educators are already doing.