Best & Worst Things About This Career
As reported by people currently doing the job
"The best part of my job is that it's creative and fun. I get to invent games and write silly things that little kids will enjoy. I also get to read tons and tons of children's books. It's a very playful job. The hardest part of my job is that sometimes it's hard to be creative on a regular workaday schedule. Sometimes I get an idea in the middle of the night; other times I struggle to be creative when I'm supposed to be."
School : BA, English, Connecticut College
Career: Curriculum Developer, currently based in Massachusetts.;
"The best part of my job is seeing my students "get it." At the end of each session these teachers return to their classrooms and try the new techniques they have learned. When they attend the next session of my program, it is really great to see their excitement over the skills they've been able to deploy. Much of their excitement is created by their students being successful and wanting to do more. These techniques make students enjoy learning and as a result they come into the classroom wanting to learn more "fun" things. The skills make learning "fun" and push students to stretch their abilities. The worst part of my job is the occasional teacher who is just in the class to gain professional development points or credits and who really is not interested in employing these skills in the classroom."
School : AB, English Literature, Boston University M.Ed., Rhode Island College certification, Teacher Consultant, National Writing Project UMass-Dartmouth
Career: Educational Consultant, currently based in Massachusetts.;
Tips for Succeeding in This Career
Helpful Info From Insiders
"In order to be successful at a job like this, you have to have a balance of silliness and seriousness. You have to be able to think like a kid, but also be smart and focused enough to write and create things that aren't just fun, they're productive too. Also, you need to be able to take risks with your ideas. Sometimes a wacky idea that seems all wrong will wind up turning into something wonderful; you need to be brave enough to say those ideas out loud to your bosses or co-workers."
School : BA, English, Connecticut College
Career: Curriculum Developer, currently based in Massachusetts.;
"It is essential to take as many courses as possible in your core field -- in my case English literature and writing -- because in education it is the underlying knowledge you will use and not the "administrivia" that you are sometimes overloaded with in schools. Additionally, it is important to find a good mentor, a person who has been in the trenches and has insight into the way the school system works. No two systems are the same and it is important to learn what the system really expects of you. The school's mission statement is rarely an accurate depiction of the reality of life inside the school."
School : AB, English Literature, Boston University M.Ed., Rhode Island College certification, Teacher Consultant, National Writing Project UMass-Dartmouth
Career: Educational Consultant, currently based in Massachusetts.;
