Teaching has always been a challenging profession, but the pressures of recent years—more testing, behavior challenges, limited resources, and the fallout from COVID—have left many educators wondering: Is this still right for me?

If you’ve caught yourself daydreaming about something different, you’re not alone.

It’s not about giving up—it’s about asking yourself, What’s next?

Listen to this episode:

This episode is sponsored by EVERFI.

April is Financial Literacy Month, and there’s no better time to equip your students with essential financial skills. Topics like taxes, investing, budgeting, banking, savings, credit, and debt are crucial for their future success. Pressed for time? EVERFI has you covered with their FREE, standards-aligned, turnkey financial literacy lessons. These lessons are aligned with Jump$tart National Standards in Personal Finance and boast the ISTE seal. Last year, over 1.5 million students benefited from EVERFI’s FinEd lessons! With more states now requiring a personal finance course for graduation, it’s vital to prepare your students NOW. Make a lasting impact in your classroom.

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Career Change for Teachers: Exploring Options Beyond the Classroom

In this post and podcast episode, we’re exploring the idea of career change for teachers: what it can look like, how to leverage your transferable skills, and why your teaching background is an incredible asset beyond the classroom.

Why Teachers Consider Career Changes

Educators today face intense demands. Between standardized testing, evolving technology, and changing student needs, it’s no wonder so many feel burned out or stuck. But here’s the truth: teachers are leaders, problem solvers, communicators, planners, and creators. These skills are highly transferable.

Changing careers doesn’t mean abandoning education—it can mean finding a new way to thrive using the skills you already have.

Career Paths to Explore

If you’re wondering, What else could I even do?, here are some real examples from teachers I’ve coached:

✅ Instructional Coach or Tech Coach: Stay within education and help lead technology integration or curriculum improvements.

✅ EdTech Roles: Companies that create educational tools often want former teachers to support training, customer success, and product development.

✅ Instructional Design: Create learning materials, courses, and programs for businesses, nonprofits, or education companies.

✅ Curriculum Development: Write curriculum guides, lesson plans, or assessments for schools or publishers.

✅ Corporate Training: Design and deliver training programs for adults in business environments.

✅ Tutoring and Micro Schools: Start your own tutoring business or offer support for homeschool families.

✅ Consulting and Professional Development: Support schools and organizations in implementing programs, tech, or new strategies.

✅ Entrepreneurship: Launch your own business selling digital products, training services, or educational content.

The possibilities are endless. It’s about aligning your strengths, passions, and personal goals.

You Already Have What It Takes: Transferable Skills

One of the biggest myths I hear is, “I’m just a teacher—I’m not qualified for anything else.”
That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Here’s how your everyday work translates:

Project Management: Juggling subjects, schedules, deadlines, behavior plans = expert multitasker.
Communication: Writing, speaking, presenting, simplifying complex ideas = professional communicator.
Instructional Design: Building lessons and assessments = curriculum and learning design expert.
Data Analysis: Analyzing scores, behavior data, student growth = decision-making based on evidence.
Technology Integration: Adapting to new platforms and tools under pressure = tech-savvy educator.
Leadership and Coaching: Mentoring peers, leading PD = leadership skills companies value.

You don’t need to start over—you just need to reframe your skills in the language of your next opportunity.

Why Coaching Matters (and Why It’s Different at Shake Up Learning)

If you’re thinking about a career shift but feel overwhelmed, you’re not alone.
That’s exactly why I created the EdTech Career Coaching and Mentorship Program—a personalized, asynchronous coaching experience that meets you where you are.

Instead of overwhelming group Zoom calls, we use simple video messaging and text-based support so you can work toward your career goals on your schedule. You’ll get tailored feedback, resume support, AI-powered job search prompts, and monthly private podcasts to guide your next steps.

Mikey, one of our first graduates, secured an amazing instructional design role in less than two months—and you could be next.

Ready to Explore Your Next Chapter?

If you’re dreaming bigger or just starting to wonder about life beyond the classroom, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to figure it out alone either.

🔗 Learn more and apply here: ShakeUpLearning.com/career

You have permission to explore, dream, and pursue a career path that brings you joy and fulfillment. Let’s do this together!

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