Sara Toppe is a local fourth-grade educator on a mission. After discovering her Instagram account, @teachingwithToppe, where she raises awareness about teachers' mental health + learning about her new nonprofit, The Teacher Care Club, we were eager to learn more. Keep reading to check out our conversation.

How long have you been teaching in the area, and what inspired you to do so?

This will be my ninth year teaching and my fourth year in SC. I've always known I wanted to be a teacher — my mom was one, so I grew up helping her in her classroom and fell in love. I had several teachers throughout my childhood who loved me as a human, not just as a student, and they helped me grow through many life experiences. I wanted to be able to have this same impact on others. I'm very passionate about children and helping them grow socially, emotionally, and academically.

Can you talk to us about your Instagram page?

I started my Instagram page during the 2019-20 school year, right before COVID-19 hit. My principal at the time asked us all to create a social media page to share positive things happening in our school.

Why did you start it, and what is your content about?

With the pandemic, things changed a lot for teachers, and it really affected my work-life balance. I began sharing my mental health journey, how teaching has impacted it, and the strategies I've used to create a healthier work-life balance.

Since then, my account has significantly grown. I now have ~15,000 followers, and I primarily share mental health tips for teachers. I also use my platform to plan teacher meet-up events in the Charleston area.

Can you tell us about the upcoming Back to School Teacher Party event this weekend?

This will be the fifth and the biggest meet-up event I've hosted, and I'm so excited. We already have almost 200 RSVPs, and it's mind-blowing because I started doing meet-ups just for fun. Each one has grown larger than the last.

This meet-up will be at Firefly Distillery on Saturday, Aug. 10 from 1 to 6 p.m. It's an indoor/outdoor event, so it'll take place rain or shine.

I'm so grateful for the local businesses (Uptown Social, Recovery Room, Carmella's, Buck Lumber) that have donated and helped me put everything together. The event will feature over 25 local businesses with vendor tables. We also have over $1,000 in giveaways to local Charleston restaurants and businesses. There will be live music from Calhoun's Calling and DJ DollaMenu.

The event is open to the public, and every educator with a valid ID will receive drink discounts.

Can you give us a preview of The Teacher Care Club?

The Teacher Care Club is a nonprofit I created to provide free mental health and wellness support to Lowcountry educators. All events are 100% free for all educators and will begin in August, occurring monthly.

Each month, we'll offer free resources, including group therapy with Ashley Lauderdale, a Basecamp Fitness class with Amanda Oberhaus, and a yoga class with Rachel from Inner Connections Healing. Interested teachers can find more information on my Instagram page or the website I created. (I'm a teacher, small business owner, and nonprofit founder — definitely not a web developer.)

Do you have a favorite local spot where you like to do work other than at school?

I recently stopped taking work home as part of my new work-life balance routine. If I'm ever behind, I stay at my school later, and then when I leave, I make sure to leave my work at school so I can enjoy time with my family and friends. My favorite places to do that are The Peacock or Avondale Wine and Cheese for dinner and then Frontier Lounge for drinks and live music.

Do you have any advice for anyone interested in becoming a teacher in the area?

Make sure to find time for yourself and your mental health. Prioritize time with family and friends and leave work at work. It's difficult to do at the beginning of your career, and admittedly, it took me several years to master this. I firmly believe that belonging to a community of teachers is a great way to support yourself through this challenging and extremely rewarding career.