Career Opportunities in Education

Many people graduate from college with an education degree such as elementary education, secondary education, special education, or bilingual education and find out that teaching and education aren't necessarily the same thing. Many teachers who love education find they are not strong in classroom management or find that they are so involved in lesson planning and moderating extracurricular activities that pedagogy and actual teaching becomes difficult. In fact, many teachers who leave the classroom feel that there just isn't enough time in the day to promote learning.

Granted, I left the classroom because I needed to be able to take my eldest daughter to many doctor's appointments and, frankly, because I needed to obtain more flexibility for my family. But what I found since then is that most teachers do not know about the wonderful opportunities in education that are available.

Whether you are an active classroom teacher looking for some extra money, a stay-at-home parent who left teaching to raise his or her children, or someone looking to be an educator without necessarily being a teacher, you can have a future in education! The following are a few ideas that can point educators in new directions.

Tutor. Contact the local high school and offer your hourly rate and availability. Many educators have lucrative side jobs in tutoring because the department places them on a select list of tutors. Some schools even let you tutor on-site for money.
Work as a freelance writer or editor in educational publishing. This is a great way to be part of education from the ground up. Educational development companies such as Shakespeare Squared, Words and Numbers, and Quarasan frequently hire teachers to work from home. Teachers may be asked to review websites, create lesson plans, or write assessment questions for many educational companies. Smaller, startup companies are a great way to get your feet wet. Look for freelance work on any career website under education and/or writing and editing.
Teach students how to take important tests such as the SAT. Teaching at Kaplan or Princeton Review can be rewarding and does not require a ton of grading. The College Board is also always looking for graders for the writing portion of their tests.
Review content. If you have a master's degree or a Ph.D., you can review teaching-related products for a profit. Identify teachers in your field from textbooks or on websites. Ask them how they got started.

All of these opportunities allow people who are passionate about education to make a huge difference outside of the conventional classroom — no matter the path taken.

About the Author

Kim Kleeman is co-founder and president of Shakespeare Squared, the full-service Pre-K through 12 educational development company that specializes in state customization, standards-based materials, and assessment. Her company creates products for both textbook and trade book publishers. A former elementary and secondary school educator with a background in operating small businesses, Kleeman gives the Shakespeare Squared team its solid foundation. She recently founded The Shakespeare Squared Foundation for student teachers and UpGrade Education, a multimedia company that creates quality creative and practical products for students, educators, parents, and the educational publishing community. She earned her bachelor's degree from Loyola University in Chicago.

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Career Opportunities in Education