Top 10 Things I Learned in my First Year of Being an Instructional Designer
10. A teaching the background really DOES transfer to other occupations: It was my number one
fear that I would try to conquer this big scary beast outside of the classroom,
only to have to return a few months later with my tail between my legs. Not
only is my tail wagging at full speed
due to happiness and newfound skills, but I’m realizing I’m actually OK at
this whole ID thing and folks on my management team told me I don’t have to go
look for a new job.
9. Higher Ed is just
as messed up as K-12 Education: Working with SMEs, Deans, and those on my team, I can see that they have their own struggles in their institutions
and universities. My mentor and I committed to listening to a variety of podcasts
for part of the mentoring process and it was intriguing to me to see how
“behind” they were in some aspects of education, where we think higher education
should be leaps and bounds ahead of K-12…isn’t K-12 preparing students FOR
higher ed? Being able to share new ways of presenting information was fun, and
I appreciated having the opportunity to bring creativity back into a collegiate
setting.
8. A team is vitally
important to the success of instructional design: In a classroom, you are
the curriculum designer, remediation specialist, presentation creator, and
performance guru all wrapped up into one body. As I have worked with our ADA
Compliance team, our ELD team, my ELPA, and other IDs, the feeling of
collaboration was strong and the experience of success stronger. It reminded me
of when I first entered into education and the motto of all teachers is “Beg,
borrow, and steal” for your own classroom needs. That feeling has been missing
from my school the last few years – it is nice to be part of a collaborative
environment again.
7. Corporate offices
aren’t quite so bad: The warnings were strong and frequent with my dad and
husband – “It’s not a social place, Kelly.” “You won’t each lunch together and
take a break at the same time.” “You’ll be in your own little cubicle and there
is a lot more solitude.” Long story short, they were wrong. The environment at
my office is just the opposite. And I don’t have to deal with any parents or
administrators popping into my cubicle. Another highlight - my "bonus" this year was more than a
jeans coupon!
6. It’s nice not to
have homework every night: Not just as a classroom teacher, but in all work
experiences I have had, I am typically one who “brings it home with me.” I
continue to brainstorm about things well into the night and will sometimes wake
up at 3am going over things still. With this position, whether it be the
interactions I have had with the office staff, my partner school staff, or just the
environment cultivated between the two, I am learning the importance of taking
a break from work. My mentor and I always answered the question “What is bringing
you joy right now?” on our calls and in messages. I’m learning to put the phone
down, turn the computer off, and pack my notebooks in my bag for the evening.
There will always be “busy times” prior to a semester starting, but the growth
process is appreciated not only professionally, but also personally.
5. Being part of an
organization like mine has growing pains, which means procedures need to help
ease the pain: Watching an elementary school grow from 300 to 800+ students
is a feat in and of itself. We knew, as teachers, that there would need to be
adjustments for safety and discipline and all those categories that make a
school function. Coming into my company, and learning not only a new position, but a
new company was difficult at first. I’m glad to see that there are procedures
being put into place that we can all follow, but also, we were a part of
discussing and creating. As I watch other mentors work through the processes
with their partners, it is a source of pride to know that the suggestions I made or
my mentor made have affected those processes. It’s also nice to see that as we
communicate changes in the company and clean up needs and expectations, we have
a mode of communication I am a part of now. These opportunities
are helpful and I’m glad to see that even though there are pains, there are
methods to the healing, too.
4. No matter how many
procedures you put into place, the key phrase around the office is “Well, it really
varies by partner”: And yet…sometimes it’s our partner that causes the
growing pain. J My comfort zone was definitely stretched with my new
endeavor, but I found that working with my partner school, their comfort zone was
stretched and they were growing as well. To be able to help them understand how
an online curriculum operated or what it looks like to teach an online student,
was very new to them. As they grow, they may be more likely to adopt ideas and
concepts that are accepted by our veteran partners, but for now, I’m happy to
grow and stretch with them.
3. There are nice
“administrators” (aka: supervisors) out there who want to see you succeed: Coming
from my school, I felt an element of PTSD that made me question and think –
Will I get in trouble if I’m not “doing the right thing” or “following
directions” or following through on a task a certain way (although it may
never have been communicated to me that it was supposed to be completed that
certain way!)? Within the first month here, I was berated via email by a
SME – it included untruths and I was thankful to have a witness in the room
with me to acknowledge what was communicated. At my old school, the situation
would have been my fault no matter what, and after being yelled at by the SME
(or a parent), my principal would follow up with her own reprimand. Not only
was I told I didn’t have to work with that SME anymore, I was supported by my
direct supervisors and a vice president of partners, taking the time to check
on me in the evening, to make sure I was ok! It was unreal to me, that people
cared and although we want what is best for our customers (the partners), we
also support and care for our staff. I have been told that relationships
are one of my strengths – to see supervisors and those in charge that allows for
that skill to flourish and communication to be open is a blessing!
2. Switching to a
life where you don’t get “summers off” was a lot harder than I thought it would
be this time, but I think it will get easier the next time around: I’m a
teacher’s kid. I have literally had a summer every year of my life until this
past year. It wasn’t easy…for me or for my daughter. But we made it through.
And it will get better. And we will enjoy sleeping in so much more on those
vacation days!
1. I really like this
Instructional Designer thing! Do I miss teaching? Some days. I really miss
talking about books with students and having light bulb moments during science
experiments. BUT…that’s why I have a kid at home. J I love being able to make an
impact in students’ education by helping to create great experiences. I love
having the opportunity to learn again. I love the collaborative efforts of my
team. I love being an Instructional Designer and explaining to people my new
role in education!
If I can encourage anyone in this post, I want to reiterate, it's ok to try new things. It's ok to make attempts. It's ok to fail. It's ok to look for other options. As a teacher who never thought I'd be anywhere but IN the classroom with kids day after day, I want to encourage those of you who think it's not possible. It is...
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