L&D Article Review #22

I've heard of the bias out there against K-12 teachers transitioning into Instructional Design 🚫 But you know what? Screw that! It shouldn't matter where you come from, but instead what you can bring to the table. The author hits the nail on the head with this quote: "The reality is that your teaching experience can be an obstacle only if you refuse to upskill." This is my 30 L&D articles in 30 days challenge! (Link to article down below)

Article #22: Transitioning From Teaching To Instructional Design: How To Overcome Common Challenges - By Eugene Bloom

How long it took to read? - 6 minutes

Who is it for? - A transitioning teacher who would like some advice on how to be a stronger candidate.

What I took from this article - Teachers have a lot of incredible qualities. Perseverance, a caring nature, and a thirst for new knowledge. All of these are important when transitioning into a new field. But it's important to understand how that field differs from your current position and what you need to learn to be successful in it.

Bloom provides strategies for becoming a stronger candidate such as understanding E-Learning authoring tools and volunteering at the beginning to acquire much-needed experience and feedback. Bloom also encourages a different mindset from the academic knowledge model. Companies are interested in KPIs and ROIs and that's how businesses are run. I appreciate that the author offers other career alternatives such as higher ed IDs and LMS administrators for those that might not be interested in a corporate mindset.

There are ways to make yourself a competitive candidate and shrug off the imposter syndrome that many feel when entering the field. Just as a teacher is more confident teaching something they understand, understanding more about the field you're breaking into will make you a more competent instructional designer.

https://elearningindustry.com/transitioning-from-teaching-to-instructional-design-how-overcome-common-challenges