Joyousroad’s Weblog

Then do you have the right skills for the “real world”?

Note & disclaimer: These are my opinions and observations, based on anecdotal research, but please give them some consideration. I am a teacher approaching retirement from education, looking to transition to other employment.

With teachers leaving education in droves (due to unsustainable work loads, low pay, student behaviors, etc.), they obviously are seeking employment elsewhere. 

Though many are older, they are not necessarily ready for full retirement. They must transition into other career paths. While willing to take a pay cut temporarily, they need jobs with opportunities to advance on the pay scale. 

If the many posts on groups for transitioning teachers provide any indication, former educators face a particular kind of bias in the corporate world. 

They are told to revamp their resumes to downplay language related to education: don’t say “students”, say “clients”; don’t say “teacher”, say “manager”; don’t say “lesson plans”, say “project plans”, and so on.

This advice sounds disingenuous to me. If we have been teachers, how can we represent ourselves otherwise? That’s dishonest. 

However, some say that teachers have to, or corporate America (and the bots they use to screen applicants) will eliminate an application before a human even looks at it.

Then if the application and resume even makes it past that hurdle, those hiring still have a patronizing and inaccurate impression of educators and their skill sets. 

Interestingly, those employers who have given previous teachers positions as project managers, trainers, and so on, seem quite pleased with their performance. 

So where is the disconnect? 

Perhaps many recruiters simply do not realize what educators bring with them.

In the mid-sized high school where I teach, these are examples of skills implemented by educators on a routine basis:

1.The teacher of higher-level math classes also acts as the liaison between the local community college and students in dual-credit classes, organizes academic meets involving dozens of staff members and hundreds of students, and plans and submits budgets for those programs.

2.The coach teaches history and geography classes and handles his athletic coaching responsibilities while also coaching extemporaneous speakers, and still maintains a high teaching standard in his classroom.

3. The theater teacher raises money for, directs, and brings to fruition two large productions (one for competition) every academic year, while also teaching theater classes and mentoring the junior high program.

4. The special-ed teacher plans (and finds funds for) hands-on activities that help students learn life skills and interact with regular-ed students and the public, all while following detailed educational plans to satisfy the requirements of state and federal law.

5. The regular-ed classroom teacher leads her science department, mentors other teachers in her field, and wins student respect and trust through her excellent and consistent teaching style, preparing her students for success in post-secondary education and careers. 

I could go on and on, just thinking of individual educators in my small circle. Keep in mind all these folks have bachelor’s degrees, and many advanced degrees as well, and years of experience communicating, prioritizing, managing, and implementing their assigned responsibilities. 

Yet, these same educators would likely encounter bias and skepticism in the “real world”. I would challenge corporate employers to step into our “real world” and see how they do! 

Believe me, nothing is more realistic than teaching in the current cultural and political climate!

Give us a chance, y’all!

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© 2024 Joyce Martin. All rights reserved

Note: None of my content is AI generated. Ever.

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