The Show Notes
Maybe you are like me, and you’ve always known that you’ve wanted to be a teacher because you wanted a truly fulfilling career. Both of my parents were teachers and it just came very naturally. And to be honest, I even enjoyed it a lot. I taught for 7 years, but those last two years, I knew I needed to be doing something different. I wanted growth and development and to be learning more. I just really felt like I had plateaued.
The beginning of the end
I remember being at the end of the year assembly on the last day of school, at the end of my fifth year teaching. They were giving the end of the year gifts to the teachers who were not going to be there the following year for different reasons. I remember having a very distinct impression of “you’re not going to be here either” sinking into my heart. It was so odd to me because I had no other plan to do anything else. This is what I had gone to school for. This is why I went to grad school. This was supposed to be a fulfilling career. So, I asked for advice. I went that afternoon and I talked with my administrator, and a handful of other colleagues I respected.
I said, “Hey, have you ever started to feel stagnant in your career? And if so, what did you do when you started to feel stuck? Every one of them related. They said, “Yeah, that’s when I went and got certifications.”
Well, I had already done that.
Another said, “Oh, that’s when I started presenting at conferences.”
I had already done that.
Another said, “Well, that’s when I signed up for my master’s program.”
Check, check, check.
So I went on summer break and when it was over, I’d love to tell you that I had this profound moment of clarity and went on to my latest adventure. But no-I went back to the classroom to start another school year. I tried a new grade level. I tried a new school, but I still always wondered if I could make it beyond the winter holiday break. It was painful to get up and do the same thing all over again.
Did you know that people who have low job satisfaction are twice as likely to experience depression?
Opportunities like stepping stones
My first real opportunity came when as a teacher I presented at an ed-tech conference where the creators of the tech I was presenting on attended my session. They listened and then wanted me to train more teachers in how to use their products. So I transitioned to working for an ed-tech company and became an educational consultant. Along the way, I became an adjunct faculty member at a university.
It was happening. And I had to pinch myself! I then advanced to work at an instructional design agency creating learning materials and resources for large companies like Deloitte, HP, healthcare companies, and many other big names. In every opportunity, I expanded my skill set and I was learning so much! There was never a day where I woke up and thought, “I can’t do this again.” I had been so thirsty for growth for so long and now it was like I was drinking from a fire-hydrant. I was so refreshed by the fact that I wasn’t stagnant and I didn’t feel “stuck” anymore. I also loved that my creative educator ideas and people skills were being so valued and utilized in a variety of ways!
Today I still do educational consulting. I still represent certain educational curriculum companies in my region and help schools get access to their resources and training on them. But I also have my own company where we advise, design, and create learning resources and materials for other companies. I direct a team of instructional designers, videographers, tech developers and more. As a team, we create what our clients need for their audience and who they serve, if it’s teachers, customers, or new hires that they need to train.
Not so easy-peasy lemon squeezy…
“Oh perfect,” you may be thinking, “But not everyone could be that lucky. Everything just fell into place for her.” But that’s not exactly true. I doubted. I hesitated. I was frustrated. There were tears. I was plagued by fear. Friend, to even take the first step, it took me years.
The difference came when I started pursuing not only the things I was qualified to do, but the things I was passionate about, the things that would quench that thirst to grow.
Someone asked me the other day, “how does your life look differently now than when you were a teacher?” I would say the biggest thing to describe the difference in my path between now and then, is peace.
Where my path and yours may intersect
My path to discovering a fulfilling career was full of difficult decisions and uncertainty about what options were even “out there” that I could actually do. And that is exactly why I’ve created Teacher Transition. Our whole goal is to help teachers who are going from the classroom to their next thing, to have a smooth, comfortable, and confident transition process.
Does your story sound anything like mine? While every teacher has a personal path, there is so much in common about the terrain teachers travel when they have the courage, personal initiative, and fortitude to go from the classroom to where they want to be next, and the journey is so much better when travelled together! What’s next for you? What’s your definition of a fulfilling career?
Let’s explore that idea together!
In this episode, we’ll explore
- What prompted me to start exploring a career beyond the classroom
- When and why I doubted that a transition was even possible
- Why it took me so long to take action when I was craving more growth
- How I was able to secure new work opportunities based on my strengths and passions
- How YOUR story of finding career fulfillment may be closer than you think
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.
