The Show Notes
Have you been interested in the idea of instructional design, but you are still in need of more freedom and flexibility? Then you need to hear from today’s guest, Lindsey Barlow.
Lindsey is a former high school technology teacher who became an online course creator consultant. She does a lot of the same work that our other guests do on a daily basis.
The difference is that her subject matter experts are business owners and not professors. She also works from the comfort of her own home. As an entrepreneur, Lindsey can take on as little or as much work as she likes!
Start From Where You Are
Lindsey spent ten years teaching at the high school level as a computer teacher. She loved working with students in this role because the students often ended up becoming her teachers too.
In addition to working with students, she was also responsible for helping teachers learn to use technology more effectively in the classroom. Because of this, she had the opportunity to develop some very robust courses to train teachers.
From there, presenting at conferences was a natural next step. This was a terrific opportunity to network and learn about the fantastic opportunities that existed beyond the classroom. Lindsey was excited, but had no idea how much potential she had or what her future could hold!
Learning to Expect the Unexpected
Even if you had plans to teach until you retire, life can throw some serious curveballs. Lindsey caught one of those when she had to take a leave of absence from her job due to health reasons.
Though she couldn’t work full time, she did use this time to continue building her network of people she had connected with at conferences. She even took a unique position teaching tech skills to adults who had previously been on unemployment.
This opportunity showed Lindsey how much she enjoyed using her teaching skills in a very different capacity. She had no idea how close she was to becoming an online course creator consultant!
Making the Jump to Becoming an Online Course Creator Consultant
It was clear that whatever Lindsey was going to do, it would be within the context of education. She loved the process of learning. And while she did struggle with the guilt of leaving the classroom, working with adults one on one was really refreshing!
Lindsey was using the same skill set in both teaching settings, now she simply uses a different language.
Key Takeaways from an Online Course Creator Consultant
If you’re ready to explore being an online course creator as an entrepreneur, Lindsey has a couple of words of advice!
- Pay attention to your cravings. Every time Lindsey learned more about the world of education beyond her traditional career, she got even more curious, which prompted her to take action. If your curiosity isn’t going away, don’t dismiss it-lean into it!
- Learn to value your strengths and skills as a teacher. There are things that you do as a teacher that are so ingrained in your thinking that you don’t recognize how valuable that skill is. Teaching is a job that demands that you continue learning and adapting.
Does listening to Lindsey’s story make you curious about being an online course creator consultant? Do you like the sound of the work she does on a daily basis? If you’re ready to explore the possibility of pursuing a career as an instructional designer, I want to hear from you! What questions do you have? And how can I support you?
Ready to Become an Instructional Designer Too?
If you enjoyed this episode I invite you to take a screenshot and tag me on your Instagram stories @teachertransition and tell me your biggest takeaway!
Want to know what other work opportunities you might love beyond the classroom? Click here to get the FREE Top Jobs for Teachers download.
A Breakdown of This Episode:
- [2:02] Hear about Lindsey's classroom experience as a high school teacher
- [05:02] Discover how presenting at conferences was a great networking opportunity for Lindsey
- [08:00] This was the unexpected push Lindsey got to leave the classroom
- [12:12] Hear Lindsey talk about how her business unfolded in step
- [17:19] Want to know if you'd be a good fit for Lindsey's job? Listen to this!
Did someone say GIVEAWAY?
Are you loving the podcast? Leave a review on iTunes and tell us what you’re learning! Already left a review? Review a resource you’ve used and share how it’s helped you in YOUR teacher transition.
Anyone who enters will be eligible to win support like coaching calls with Ali or course access! Stay tuned for details!
Resources Mentioned in the Show
Ready to dive into YOUR career in instructional design? Click HERE to enroll in the course- From Teacher to Instructional Designer today!
Connect with Lindsey
Lindsey is an Online Learning Designer & Marketing Specialist. She helps business owners bring their expertise online with courses and membership sites. This can be a long messy process when tackled alone but she has an eight-point in-depth process that she works through to get to publication.
Lindsey has worked as a teacher, a software trainer, a marketing executive, and an event planner. She has an M.Ed plus fifteen years of experience developing curriculum at the graduate level.
She is originally from England but currently lives in Arizona after stints in California and Massachusetts. She has a range of services from Thinkific setup, Course Production Coaching, and full Done For You production and platform management packages.
