The Instructional Design Den

Hey there! It’s been a while so I thought I’d re-introduce myself.

I’m Charity!

I’m a busy mom of 3 young kids running two businesses and keeping the spark alive in my marriage of almost 15 years.

I’m a former teacher turned badass instructional designer turned learning content director turned entrepreneur.

My goal in life is to help tired, burnt out teachers that feel stuck make a career change to instructional design so that they can feel free and live their best lives.

When I’m not mommin’ or bossin’ you can find me curled up under a blanket on the couch reading or crocheting.

I am here to help YOU feel empowered, confident, and fearless as you take this leap into the next chapter of your story.

My goal is to build a community here where we can all support each other no matter where we are on our transition journey.

I’d love to “meet” you all! Tell me more about yourself and how I can help YOU in the comments. 💜

Wondering if the breaks off are worth staying in teaching?

Swipe through for some math to help you make that decision.

You may be surprised to see the numbers in action.

Save this post if you’re wrestling with this topic (or share it with someone who is).

Looking for a good way to start getting any idea of whether or not instructional design would be a good fit for you?

Read all about it in our Ultimate Guide to Instructional Design!

Comment “ULTIMATE” to grab your copy.

We’ve talked about your invaluable assets of adaptability and problem-solving so far, but let’s add another to the list: collaboration.

Teachers are INCREDIBLY skilled at collaborating. Collaborating with administration, fellow teachers, parents, and students. Not to mention you TEACH collaboration!

Scroll through these pages to see why this is an important skill in instructional design and how you can showcase it during the job hunt.

How many times do we put off something until it’s the “right” time?

I know I have a lot of times.

I’ll start exercising more after this weekend.

I’ll make that doctor appointment next month when work is slower.

I’ll start waking up early tomorrow. I am too tired today. (As my husband giggles because this has been an ongoing struggle for me for… well… our ENTIRE marriage (going on 13 years).

You see, a lot of times we will wait until the next time [insert whatever it is you say here].

When I have enough time.

When I have enough energy.

When I have enough money.

When I…

But in the words of Jessica Day: “Why put off tomorrow-day, what you could *do* today-day?”

We aren’t guaranteed tomorrow-day. We aren’t guaranteed after the weekend. We aren’t guaranteed after this school year.

Live you life how you WANT to live your life today, because your life is NOW.

We all know how important assessment is in education.

Want to make sure that you have everything you need to deliver high quality assessments to your learners?

Comment “Assessment” to grab your copy of my Assessment Design Checklist.

Know a teacher that is thinking about leaving the classroom and think instructional design might be the right path for them? Share this post!

What’s the number one thing teachers do all day?

Teach? WRONG.

Problem-solve. Teachers are in constant problem-solving mode. All. Day. Every. Day.

See how you can take this PRICELESS skill and use it to your advantage to land that instructional design job.

Have you ever held on to something for too long? I think about my 8-year-old’s blankie. Yep. That one. The one she has had since infancy. The beautiful deep pink Aden + Anais Bamboo soft blanket. Now, it is a very light, dull pink. It is tattered and torn. It has paint on it. It is near falling apart BUT if she does not have the damn thing every night at bed we must search for it or else NO ONE will sleep in our house.

Sometimes we hold on to things for far too long - we hold on to them even when they are no longer serving us.

Sometimes we hold on to them out of fear. Sometimes we hold on to them for nostalgia. Sometimes we don’t even realize we are holding on to something we should let go! Let go of that dead body, Rose…

I get it. I’ve been there. I held on to teaching for about two years after it was no longer serving me. Why?

“I spent ALL that money and that fancy private college tuition - to leave would be throwing all of that away!”

“I don’t know what I would even do now! I have wanted to be a teacher my WHOLE life. Now what?”

“If I start doing something that makes more money people will think I am just being greedy.”

“Teaching is a noble profession. Teaching is a noble profession. Teaching is not something you go into for money. Teaching is a noble profession.”

Any of those sound familiar? I remember going through all of that. Then… I found instructional design. It was close enough to what I had been doing as a teacher - besides don’t ALL teachers have to create a ton of their own curriculum even when the district spends thousands, sometimes millions of dollars on a fancy one that is a piece of s**t? I was able to utilize a lot of the skills I had gained as a teacher and transfer them into this new career.

I was no longer so stressed that my hair was falling out. I had energy for my kids. I had energy for my HUSBAND! Poor guy was only getting a few scraps when I had a decent day and didn’t need to pound a bottle of wine. I lost weight from the poor eating habits and lack of self-care. I had money to start living the life that I dreamed of living and making those memories I hadn’t been able to afford making when I was a teacher.

[Cont in comments]

Do you know that you need to make a change with your career but aren’t sure where to start?

I can help! Comment “Checklist” to grab our Career Transition Checklist.

Know another teacher who could benefit from this? Tag them below!