Instructional Designer!

I have been a secondary school teacher for five years, and I’m getting restless.

Many teachers work for 3-6 years and then move on. When thinking about where to go next, I considered an overwhelming number of careers. What ultimately made sense was to try to do something that built on my teaching experience rather than starting something completely new. I considered HR or Community Liason for schools, EdTech, and Program Management. Finally, I learned about Instructional Design (ID).

ID is a field that welcomes teachers and their experiences. It requires being tech and data-savvy, which I am. It offers an array of new programs to learn and experiment with, like Articulate Storyline, Adobe programs, Canva, and more.

ID is creative, and I suffocate when I don’t have the chance to create. It also involves written and verbal communication, which is my bread and butter as a writer and English teacher. I’d consider it a fun and welcome challenge to interview Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and organizational leaders, and then analyze and diagnose learning gaps that my instruction can address.

One of the great things about Articulate Storyline is that you can create interactive videos that include quizzes and multiple instructional paths. It seems similar to PowerPoint/Google Slides but more sophisticated. They have a 30 day free trial, and I am waiting until I am ready to create my first lessons to sign up. Ultimately, I’d like to create an online portfolio supporting my job applications and interviews.

I am just at the very start of my journey as an Instructional Designer. I am feeling extremely optimistic about the road ahead! This career seems perfectly well-suited to my skills and interests.

Wish me luck!