✨ Learning Designer Inspiring “Aha” Moments for My Favorite People | Instructional Designer 🎯 | Curriculum Connoisseur 📚 | Educational Consultant 🍎
👩🏽🏫 My teacher portfolio was the key to landing my first role outside of the classroom in #EdTech. No, not my Instructional Design Portfolio… but my teaching portfolio. Portfolios aren’t just for Instructional Designers. K-12 #EdTech companies are looking for #teachers who know the school landscape and possess knowledge and experience regarding what students and teachers need. When interviewing in the K-12 EdTech space, knowing my accomplishments as a teacher, and reflecting deeply on my impact, put me in a position to sell myself as a Learning Designer in K-12. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t build an ID portfolio. I am saying that if you are looking to enter the K-12 education space in a different capacity (EdTech, Publishing, Curriculum Development), take the time to analyze and know your classroom impact. Here are some things that my teaching portfolio highlighted: 🍎 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: In K-12 #EdTech and curriculum development the mission is so important. Similar to the work you do in the classroom the work is mission-driven. Have a clear picture of your mission, what you've accomplished, and what you aim to accomplish in your next role. 🌀 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥-𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 Once you take a moment to analyze the work you’ve done, you begin to see all of the new ideas and systems that influenced learning outcomes and employee performance - keep those in mind. 💼 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭-𝐖𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Have you created professional development for your school, district, or team? I highlighted my impact at the district level through PBIS training for teachers. I highlighted this experience, to show that I had the skills to train and design training for learners outside of my students. 💻 𝐄𝐝𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 What EdTech tools or strategies did your school use to support students? Consider and reflect on what you used to support students and the impact it made on students and their learning needs. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘰𝘯𝘦… 📊 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬 I created nice charts and graphs with data summaries to articulate my impact and the work toward the mission. My teaching methods and ability to design learning that impacted student growth were clear. I created this portfolio on the way 𝐨𝐮𝐭 of the classroom years ago… WHY? Because I knew it would help to articulate the value I could bring within the EdTech and/or curriculum development space. I say all this to say… If you’re an #educator looking to #transition from the classroom into an education-adjacent role, think deeply about your impact as an educator and find creative ways to articulate your value. 🪄 You are so much more than “just a teacher”, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Chelsea King
4mo
THIS! This is exactly the route I needed to take to successfully transition out of education and into a learning and development role. Showing DATA on how you impacted your classroom, your department team, your building, and/or your district is how you make folks outside of education understand the value you can bring to their organization!
Instructional Designer | Specializing in Engaging Diverse Learners | Developing Inclusive, Learner-Centered Experiences for Maximum Impact
4moWould you say that I should create a completely separate portfolio from my id/l&development one or try to find ways to combine it