Complex sentence: She later had more formal schooling and became a teacher before, in 1839, she began overseeing what she called "conversations": discussions among women meant to compensate for their lack of access to higher education.
Split into simpler sentences: She later had more formal schooling and became a teacher. Before, in 1839, she began overseeing what she called "conversations": discussions among women meant to compensate for their lack of access to higher education.