I have officially decided to leave the classroom to pursue Instructional Design fully. While the decision itself was made in December 2017 I remained in the classroom for the remainder of this school year so it didn’t feel real until now. Finals have been administered, the classroom is packed and I’ve said my goodbyes. Teaching for the last six years was a wonderful experience and I grew as a professional more than I could have imagined. I also had great mentors who helped me along the way who I am grateful for.
Year one was the hardest, but that seems to be the norm for many. I taught students who were only three and four years younger than I was, I commuted just over an hour each way daily and it was a struggle to find my footing. By year two I transitioned to middle school and realized my love for teaching seventh grade. I had found a wonderful school in the same community I grew up in and it was a happy time. Years four through six were spent in the same school and with the same colleagues (though we merged with a high school and I started teaching both middle and high school). I found my confidence and stride in the classroom in my third year and was thrilled with my team, students and general day to day life.
I’ve never lost my love for teaching, I just uncovered an interest I didn’t know existed. I’ve always been a techie person and I always informally helped my colleagues with their ed tech needs and device management. In my fifth year I attended an Ed Tech conference and realized there were opportunities to work in the field and help adult learners with technology and training. After the conference I began to research these types of jobs and the path to getting one. I found the ILT Program and enrolled about a month after the conference.
I will miss my students the most. I will still be working with content creation, curriculum and learning but with different learners. It might be a hard transition at first but I am excited to see where things go and what the future holds.