And Just Like That… I Left the Classroom
Life as an Instructional Designer: A 4-Part Series.
Part 1: And Just Like That… I Left the Classroom
Teaching in a K-12 setting can be incredibly rewarding, but it wasn’t for me. As much as I loved the idea of “summers off,” every educator knows it rarely feels like a reward when you spend the first half recovering from the school year and the second half bracing yourself for the next one.
I knew I wanted to leave the classroom, but I didn’t know how. Teachers’ College in Ontario (the two-year program you complete after your undergraduate degree) prepared me to be a classroom teacher in Ontario, and only a classroom teacher. There was little conversation about career paths outside of teaching that didn’t involve academia. So when I started considering other options, I felt dazed and confused, and unsure where to even begin.
As I explored what other career paths might be possible, instructional design kept coming up. The challenge was that I had no idea how to move from “teacher missing their preps” to “professional designing online courses.” So I started with small steps which included LinkedIn Learning courses, YouTube videos, and a steady stream of coffee chats with anyone in the field who would respond to my messages!
In my spare time, I experimented with authoring tools, explored the LMS platforms I had access to, and completed any free course I could find online. Were they all useful? Probably not, in hindsight. But together, they gave me a solid enough foundation in adult learning that complemented my training as a K-12 teacher.
Eventually, through one of the many coffee chats, I connected with a recruiter at D2L. Nothing happened right away, but about six months later, when a role opened up, I already had a line of communication in place. That connection became the door that led me into instructional design at D2L.
For anyone transitioning roles, it isn’t always easy, and even the “easy” steps can feel hard. Looking back, the transition out of the classroom wasn’t quick or straightforward, much to my past self’s disappointment. The skills from teaching are absolutely transferable, even if many sectors don’t always recognize them. Honestly, that could be a whole separate article on translating “school talk” into “corporate talk.” The jump can feel big, but it is possible.
So now, borrowing from the great philosopher Carrie Bradshaw:
I couldn’t help but wonder… what would be your go-to advice for a teacher wanting to transition out of the classroom?
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