“If you had to write the job description of the “perfect career” for you, what would it include?”
Last week, I was asked that question by a new LinkedIn connection. She and I were talking about what I was looking to do after I retire at the end of this school year, and I had told her I wasn’t sure yet. Her advice? Write a job description of MY perfect career choice.
Ok. That should be easy.
Well, maybe not quite as easy as I first thought. Putting a job description together was a bit tougher than I thought it would be. As I began writing ideas down, I struggled with the fear that my perfect career was utterly impossible and ridiculous. However, here it goes:
Professional Learning Specialist
In this role you will:
- Design and develop high quality live and recorded professional development sessions to educators focused on best practices of integration of educational technology into K-12 classrooms. (Instructional Design)
- Design and develop educational content to use with onboarding educational technology applications in a school/district setting. (Instructional Design)
- Participate in the development and improvement of professional development materials.
- Facilitate trainings to schools and educators to support student learning and engagement with products such as Seesaw, NearPod and PearDeck. (Professional Development Trainer)
- Present educational technology platforms that support student creation, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking with products such as Classcraft, WeVideo, Google Education Apps, and Canva. (Professional Development Trainer)
- Facilitate trainings to educators in the effective usage of learning management systems such as Schoology or Google Classroom.
- Support educators and schools in the analysis of data and the implementation of instructional technology to support student achievement.
Requirements:
- Teaching experience in a K-12 setting
- Educational professional development experience with a variety of educational technology tools
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
- Excellent communication and presentation skills
- Familiarity with creation tools including Articulate Storyline 360, Camtasia, Google Apps, Microsoft Office, and Canva
- Ability to work remotely
- Organized, methodical and detail-oriented
- Self-starter and quick learner with a passion for improving education through the use of technology
- Willingness to travel up to 40% of the time
As I reflect on that job description, I think my “perfect career” might be somewhat allusive. I’m not sure this job is out there, and if it is, I’m less sure of I obtain it. I believe part of what I’ve described is that of a freelancer or educational consultant, but even those roles seem foreign to me. While I have identified two companies that are looking for contract trainers, and been hired by one of them, I don’t really know how to find out what other companies might offer those opportunities. Also, if I decided to go this route, how to I ensure that I can carve a living this way?
There are so many uncertainties and I am not sure about where I am headed. I have purposely reached out to individuals who might be able to shed some light on this road, but right now, I’m still not seeing the path very clearly. Is this “perfect career” even feasible?
If this “perfect” job is something that I can attain, what do I do to find this type of job? I think I’m on the right track as I:
- Build my skills as an instructional designer, learning the tools, language and theories.
- Apply newly learned skills with Articulate Storyline 360 and Camtasia to develop professional learning opportunities for current position as instructional technology specialist.
- Develop a portfolio and professional resume that focuses on my strength and experience in instructional design and professional development trainings
- Build my network on LinkedIn
- Explore job opportunities with educational technology companies that I have successfully used in my own classroom and/or trained fellow educators to use.
Transitioning from 30 years in the classroom is definitely a challenge. While I know that I am “More than a Teacher,” I still don’t have a clear idea of how that will be manifested in my next career. “If you had to write the job description of the “perfect career” for you, what would it include?” It is a great question, but it hasn’t provided the clarity desired.
So, dear readers (if anyone has gotten to this point!), any advice ?
More than a Teacher 