How to Recognize Teacher Skills Beyond Education

Transitioning teachers: In case no one has said this to you already, edtech is not the only industry where your skills matter. I’ve worked for three edtech companies and one tech company in the moving industry, so I’ve seen how this works from different angles. Edtech might feel like an obvious choice, but it’s not the end-all-be-all for teachers leaving the classroom. Here’s why: ✅ Edtech is part of the corporate world. If you are leaving the classroom because of burnout, long hours, or lack of autonomy, you may face similar challenges in edtech. There are tight deadlines, constant metrics, and business targets that take priority. ✅ Old habits can follow you in edtech. Without support to unlearn the "yes" culture of teaching, like volunteering for everything and taking on too much, it’s easy to find yourself in the same cycle of overwork, especially in edtech. ✅ Edtech salaries may not match your expectations. In my experience, many former teachers I've known hired by edtech companies are woefully underpaid. The jump from classroom salary to corporate salary in that industry isn’t always as big as you think, and some teachers find themselves earning much less, the same, or only slightly more than they did in education. ✅ It’s competitive. A lot of teachers have their sights set on edtech, which means the market is flooded and the bar is high. You will need to align your skills and learn how the business side works. ✅ Your skills transfer beyond education. You are not “just a teacher.” You are a communicator, facilitator, problem solver, project manager, coach, and relationship builder. Those talents and your perspective as a former educator are needed everywhere. If you are willing to look beyond edtech, here are career paths that exist in most industries and absolutely leverage a teacher’s skill set: 🍎 Customer Success 🍏 Learning and Development 🍎 Instructional Design 🍏 Customer Education 🍎 Corporate Training 🍏 Marketing and Content Creation 🍎 Project Management 🍏 Operations 🍎 Sales Enablement 🍏 Program Coordination 🍎 Community Engagement 🍏 Human Resources Edtech is one industry out of thousands where you could thrive. Don't limit yourself. Your skills have value far beyond the classroom and far beyond edtech. 👇🏾👇🏻👇🏼👇🏽👇🏿👇🏾👇🏻👇🏼👇🏽👇🏿 Hi, I’m Lauren and I’m a #formerteacher turned Creative Marketing Manager. Follow me for more content related to #education, #mentalhealth, #careerpivots, and #transitioningteachers!

Are you a teacher considering a career change but unsure how your skills translate to other industries? 𝑌𝑜𝑢'𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒! Let’s break down how your skills can open doors to new opportunities. 𝟏. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 As a teacher, your ability to explain complex concepts in an understandable way is incredibly valuable in corporate training, customer service, and sales, where clear communication and addressing client needs are essential. 𝟐. 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Managing a classroom requires top-notch organizational skills, which translate well into project management and administrative roles, where organizing tasks, resources, and timelines, as well as handling multiple responsibilities, are essential. 𝟑. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦-𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 Teachers constantly solve problems by engaging students, addressing behavioral issues, and adapting lesson plans to diverse needs. This problem-solving ability is ideal for consulting roles, where you help businesses overcome challenges, and tech roles like user experience design, where creating solutions to meet user needs is essential. 𝟒. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 In the classroom, teachers lead by example, inspire students, and take on additional responsibilities such as mentoring new teachers or leading school committees, making their leadership experience highly transferable to management positions in various industries and nonprofit organizations where motivating and guiding a team, as well as community-building, are crucial. 𝟓. 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 Education is a dynamic field that requires teachers to adapt to new curricula, technologies, and diverse student needs, making their adaptability highly valued in fast-paced industries like tech and start-up environments where flexibility and quick thinking are key to success. - - - - - - - Let’s take my friend Gretchen Johanson, Learning Experience Designer , for example, a former school teacher who successfully transitioned into an instructional designer role. She used her creativity from years of explaining complex topics to design engaging training programs for corporate organizations. Her organizational skills helped her manage multiple projects and meet tight deadlines. Today, Gretchen thrives in her new role, where her teaching experience enables her to create effective learning solutions and drive measurable change. 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑺𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝑽𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 Transitioning to a new career can feel daunting, but remember that your experience as a teacher has equipped you with a unique and powerful skill set. If you’re feeling uncertain about your next steps, 𝒍𝒆𝒕’𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕and explore how you can leverage your skills for a successful transition. Your journey from the classroom to a new career starts with recognizing the value you already bring to the table. #CareerChange #TransferableSkills #TeachersWhoLead #TeacherTransition #NewCareerOpportunities #SkillsForSuccess #LeavingtheClassroom

#Transitioningteachers, looking for a real outside-the-box move? Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is hiring folks like you! Why would the FBI look for those with teaching backgrounds as recruits for the role of Special Agent? 🔺Diverse Skill Set: Individuals with teaching backgrounds often possess strong communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills. These skills are valuable in roles that involve interaction with diverse communities and require effective communication. 🔺Adaptability: Teachers are often adept at adapting to various situations and handling unexpected challenges. This adaptability is crucial in law enforcement, where agents may face unpredictable scenarios. 🔺Community Engagement: Teachers typically have experience engaging with communities and building relationships. Special agents with teaching backgrounds may be better equipped to connect with and understand the communities they serve, fostering positive relationships. 🔺Training and Education: Educators are skilled in developing and delivering training materials. In law enforcement, ongoing training is essential, and individuals with teaching experience can contribute to effective training programs for fellow agents. 🔺Analytical Skills: Teachers often possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills. These skills can be beneficial in investigative work, where attention to detail and critical thinking are crucial. 🔺Cultural Sensitivity: Teachers frequently work with diverse student populations, promoting cultural sensitivity. Special agents with teaching backgrounds may bring a heightened awareness of cultural nuances, aiding in investigations and community relations. 🔺Youth Outreach: Individuals with teaching experience may excel in outreach programs aimed at educating and engaging youth in crime prevention efforts. This proactive approach aligns with community-oriented policing strategies. What specific teacher skill do you think would be a great asset as a Special Agent?

Can #teachers really cut it outside the classroom? Do #educators really have skills that extend beyond working with kids? The worst part about questions like these is that they most often come from the teacher's own mind. It is hard for you to see yourself as anything else because teaching and school are what you know. Maybe this will help you: Here are 3 anecdotes from teachers I have worked with who now have other jobs, and they are crushing it BTW. "Planning graduation felt like climbing a mountain...late deliveries, last-minute changes, the usual chaos. But guess what? That's project management with a side of high-stakes problem-solving!" "Remember that time the entire baseball tournament nearly got rained out? We scrambled, found a new field, and adjusted the whole schedule. Turns out, that's called crisis adaptability!" "As a principal, I remember that year we revamped our whole PD program. Stakeholder feedback, needs assessments, scheduling nightmares... it was like strategic planning on steroids!" You see, these quotes came from teachers who, at first, didn't see how they had anything to really offer. They didn't even list Planning Graduation, Organizing a Baseball Tournament, or Building a PD Program on their resume. You have skills. You have experiences that prove them. Teachers (and principals!), imposter syndrome wants you to forget these moments of brilliance. Don't let it! Your skills are in demand. Dig for those wins: Translate your experiences into the language of your target industry. Remember your impact: The moments you're proud of reflect skills that go far beyond the classroom. Find your cheerleaders: Connect with educators (or leaders!) who've transitioned – they'll believe in you! Oh, and connect with me. I want to know your story. I transitioned out of the classroom in January 2020. I now help educators on the path to career transformation, and I help coaches who are trying to find their audience. Wondering what to do next: 1. Leave a comment with your "transferable skill" and example of putting it to work. 2. DM me for a free career chat. #teachertransition #principalleadership #careerdevelopment #educators #transferableskills

There is no more disrespected, lied to, beaten down... yet talented, pure-hearted, and hard-working group than #TransitioningTeachers..... The amount of SKILLS educators have is insane. While you are trying to transition into your new roles, let me show you the number of skills educators have (and some people to follow): ✅ Content Creation (Benjamin Erwin & Giselle Moratin, MBA): The ability to make beautiful, simple, and engaging content is something educators flourish at. ✅ Analysis: Being able to track, collect, and gather data on courses or scenarios, and then make it digestible for others. ✅ Collaboration (Tyrina Lassiter): Educators work with dang near everyone on a daily basis; stakeholders, SMEs, administration, direct reports... not many roles have SO MUCH coordination. ✅ Mentorship / Behavior Management (Stephanie Yesil): The ability to translate your thoughts and feedback into tangible action and behavior changes is massive in a corporate setting. ✅ Customer Success / Community Outreach (Scott Hinson, NCDF, Michael Stinnett - The Unstuck Coach & Ed Herzog): Articulating what people WANT and how to get them what they NEED is huge. Teachers can identify these things like no one else. ✅ Storytelling (Erin Lewber): Showing how we got somewhere, where we are going, and how to make data, charts, and how to make COMPLEX ideas SIMPLE, is massive for educators. ✅ Innovative Approaches (Kevin Wheeler): Educators have the greatest ability to take nothing and make it into something. ✅ Project Management (Melissa (Chapman) Magee, PMP): Being able to own an entire project or lane is something educators do daily, and to do that for a company is so lucrative and appealing. If you can remove your own roadblocks and pivot, you're going to be very enticing to a company. 🚨 So maybe the issue is not YOUR SKILLS, but how you SHOW YOUR SKILLS.🚨 What I suggest is you focus 3 main steps to make these amazing soft skills come to life for a Recruiter or Hiring Manager: 1) Strong Resume: See yesterday's post for this, but focus on these soft skills in bunches, have 2 - 3 from each major skill you have, and learn how to write a simple yet strong X-Y-Z type of resume point. 2) Portfolio: Have a nice, clean, and effective portfolio to show your HARD SKILLS behind these amazing SOFT SKILLS. You want to focus on 5 main forms of showing content: Audio, Video, Job Aide, Presentation, and Authorized Course. If you can do those 5 things, you can then learn more industry-specific programs after. 3) Upskill Hard Skills: It is obvious you have the soft skills; just learn new programs now. Talk to professionals in your field to figure out what type of programs or certifications are best, and work towards those. As you learn, you now have a hashtag #Resume and hashtag #Portfolio to add to! _________________________________________ Make sure to: 👍 React, ✏️ Comment, and 📣 Share this post. ✎ FREE Resume Review Upload Form: https://lnkd.in/gREk7u9B

Here’s how my background in #education serves me outside of the industry: 1. Frameworks - I find myself going back to the basics quite a bit. ➡️ When managing my book of business or my daily workflow, I pull in an RTI-like structure to manage the day-to-day. ➡️ I use backwards design to plan e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. And those pesky 4 PLC questions we all rolled our eyes at sometime during our tenure? You’ll realize they can be applied to just about anything. 2. Learning & teaching new content - because learning a new role is hard. ➡️ When I’m faced with something new, I hear myself as a teacher questioning students through learning. Then I start asking myself the questions I’d ask them. ➡️ My role requires educating others, so I’m always drawing comparisons to things my prospects are familiar with that can help them relate and finding ways to make information digestible. 3. Reflective practitioning - a term I was brainwashed with during my masters program. ➡️ Everything can be better - always. Some would probably say that reflection makes me too critical of myself, but it also allows me to refine, refresh, and explore beyond the surface of my role. Your role outside the classroom isn’t going to be a 1:1 to what you did in the classroom. You won’t use data in the same way. You won’t be a team leader in the same way. You won’t use technology in the same way. But the skills that helped you use data. That helped you lead the team. That helped you use the technology… That’s what’ll carry over.