Language is a Woman Episode 2 Stronger Together: Abigail Fulbrook on Breaking Free from Platforms & Rethinking How Teachers Work

In this episode, Ola sits down with Abigail Fulbrook, English teacher, founder of We Are English Teachers, and summit organiser based in Japan, for an honest conversation about what's really going on behind the scenes of popular teaching platforms, why teachers deserve better, and what a matriarchal model of business might actually look like in practice.

What we talk about:

• How Abbie went from working in charity PR to teaching English in London, then moving to Japan for "a year" 13 years ago
• Being made redundant in 2020 and discovering that independent teaching platforms take high commission while giving very little back
• The dark side of marketplace platforms: restrictive terms and conditions, self-censoring teachers, and scam situations that get teachers banned
• Why platforms pour billions into AI and tech but almost nothing into curriculum or teacher wellbeing
• The We Are English Teachers membership model: fixed monthly cost, no commission, real training, and freedom to teach your way
• The matriarchal model of business: not putting women on top, but removing the need for domination and control altogether
• Why "infinite scalability" makes Abbie roll her eyes and why filling your calendar and being happy is a perfectly valid definition of success
• The summits: bringing teachers and learners together in short, focused events that showcase the variety of what teaching can be
• Why teachers are smart people who can absolutely do the business thing, they just need support and faith in themselves

Connect with Abby:

• Website: https://weareenglishteachers.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigail-fulbrook-3b2420132/

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