The Show Notes
Why You’ve Got to Listen to The Episode:
In this episode, I’m chatting with former teacher and educational consultant of over seven years, Reba Matthews. Reba has worked with companies you probably know like Houghton Mifflin and Scholastic.
If you love being connected to teachers and even working in schools, but just need a new kind of challenge, you need to consider educational consulting as a next step!
Practical Tips to Help You Dive into Educational Consulting
What does an educational consultant do? In most cases, schools or educational companies will hire you to train teachers on a product or curriculum that a school has purchased. Reba assured us that when you get hired as an educational consultant, you will receive all the training you need. You don’t need to be an expert in certain content or tools already.
But Reba also encourages you to take every opportunity you can to present in front of other adults. Teaching to students is one thing, but teaching adults requires a slightly different style of engagement.
Network, Network, Network!
Reba is a super valuable resource to connect with because she’s been in the world of educational consulting for almost a decade. But when she started, she found two keys to her success. One was that she stayed connected to her ideal clients by subbing.
She also mentioned networking on social media was a game-changer.
Reba started using new-to-her platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter and made connections with current instructional designers. They were so eager to support her and help guide her.
The lesson here? Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there! Educators are generous people!
Taking an Online Course Vs. Getting a Masters
Reba made the investment to get her master’s in instructional design before finding an online course. While she enjoyed the process of learning and got a strong foundation for diving into a new career, it was not as useful as the course she took.
Taking an online course can be less of a financial investment (especially if you compare the cost of From Teacher to Instructional Designer to the price of a master’s degree).
But more than that, a course gives you more practical, relevant, and easy to implement tools. It can also connect you more directly with people who are already in the field of instructional design or educational consulting.
Redeem All Those Hours Lost in Boring Professional Developments
If you’ve ever been in a boring teacher training, and you know exactly how you would improve it, you might enjoy being an educational consultant. Having already been a teacher, you know how teachers are motivated and what they worry about.
Educational consultants design trainings that engage teachers and help them see the value in the products or methods that you are coaching them in. Reba reminded us that not everyone is excited to attend mandatory trainings, so expect to receive push back here and there. Also, never be afraid of not knowing all the answers.
Want to learn more from Reba about the work opportunities there are for you in educational consulting, which one to choose, and how to land them? Click here to learn from her at the Next Jobs for Teachers: Teacher Transition Summit!
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Resources Mentioned in the Show
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- SimpleK12
Connect with Reba
Reba is currently an educational consultant and instructional designer. She is a native of San Diego, California, and recently relocated to Dallas, Texas, and loves both states dearly. She is a former elementary teacher, who taught for over 15 years, but transitioned out of the classroom early to pursue her current careers.
You can find some of Reba’s professional development webinars on the SimpleK12.com teacher community website. She holds a Masters in Educational Technology and Instructional Design. The one thing Reba wants you to know is that she enjoyed every day she was in the classroom but realized that teachers have a ton of skills that can lead them to additional rewarding career opportunities.
