The question I get asked all the time is: Should I go into curriculum development? My answer is always to try it out! When I was looking for a way to work beyond the classroom, curriculum development was the right fit for me, and it could be for you as well. There are many benefits to working in this field, but you’ll first need to make sure it’s the right fit for you. So in today’s episode, I’m sharing some qualities and skills you’ll need in order to pursue a career as a curriculum developer. 

Just like with any other new career endeavor, you’re going to need experience. Particularly when diving into curriculum development, creating different forms of writing that help resonate with different audiences is crucial in getting a job in this field. Additionally, having certain interests, skills, and qualities help you get there as well. If you’re thinking about transitioning to a career in curriculum development, follow this advice to see if it’s right for you!

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Often teachers ask me, should I go into curriculum development? And there's not an easy answer. And the best way to try anything is to try it, try it out, see, if you like it. See, if you feel like it's a good fit for you. You don't have to know everything about curriculum development to be able to start working in the field.

But you do need some experience and ways of writing curriculum that will resonate with different audiences. I always say the curriculum development is a whole different genre of writing. So give yourself time to explore and see what feels good to you.

If you love creating engaging student learning experiences, a curriculum development career could be a great flexible option for you. And whether you want to take on contract jobs, freelance on your own or work full time, curriculum development is a wonderful way to still work in education beyond the classroom, and usually from the comfort of your own home.

As a classroom teacher, you've likely designed so many lessons and activities for your students. You can make an even wider impact in education by creating lessons that students use all over the country and even the world. So you're really able to expand your impact by using what you've learned in the classroom and turning it into curriculum.

So before we get more into if you're a good fit for working in curriculum design, let's get started by just thinking about and clarifying what curriculum development is. Curriculum developers create materials to improve student learning and support teachers. This could be designing textbooks or worksheets, creating lesson plans, learning units, all sorts of things.

If you think about any edtech company that you might use in your classroom, any app, all the things that students are interacting with, or teachers are interacting with are curriculum. All the questions, they're asked all the games they played, curriculum developers wrote the text of those games wrote the text of those questions. There are, of course, so many textbook companies, there are also nonprofits who create curriculum, many, many different options.

As a curriculum developer, you can do all sorts of curriculum development jobs, whether creating lessons or units or assessment items, or online games like so many choices. Curriculum, developers might also advise organizations on that what they should do educationally.

So for example, if you're working with an edtech company, and the people there don't have much expertise in the field of education, you might find yourself creating curriculum, but also consulting with them.

When it comes to curriculum, development jobs, really, there are so many different opportunities, and it can be important to get clear on where you and your expertise could fit with those opportunities. So now let's think about how to know if a curriculum development career is right for you.

If you're thinking about going into curriculum development, thinking about these qualities, or interests or skills that I'm about to go over, can help support you to figure out if it's a good fit.

So first, you enjoy writing and being creative. This is a really fundamental for being a curriculum developer. Writing is at the heart of curriculum development. curriculum developers are writers. Successful curriculum developers write with clarity, use their imagination and are detail oriented.

If you want to get more confident in your writing skills, write practice writing, see how it feels. If you haven't written the lesson or an instructional activity and so long, try it out. To develop your writing skills regularly devote time to practice creating curriculum. Try writing lessons for the classroom you wish you had with more freedom and support.

Spend time developing your craft editing and sharing your writing with others. Getting feedback and making revisions will set you up for success in a curriculum development career.

Next thing to think about when evaluating if a curriculum development career is for you is that creating learning experiences excites you. Do you get excited about creating innovative creative learning experiences? That's a great sign you'll enjoy a curriculum development career.

When designing curriculum you get to develop the learning experiences you want in the classroom. And if you currently work in an environment where you don't have total control over what or how you teach, working in curriculum development is a chance to break beyond those boundaries.

Try to get clear on your why, and the impact you hope to make and curriculum development. Spend time reflecting on how students learn, the approaches you've used and what you think works best for students. Think about how you can use your beliefs, your expertise, and current research on learning to develop engaging learning materials.

When you apply for curriculum development jobs, you'll want to be able to talk about your particular approach to teaching and explain why it works. So some of this is just getting clear on what you believe about education, and being able to both create learning experiences that fit that philosophy, and also to really explain what you believe.

The next thing to think about is that if you're empathetic, that could be a great skill to use when doing curriculum design. Now, I know this one is maybe a little bit far out there, like what does empathy have to do with curriculum design? But great curriculum designers create effective curriculum that is inclusive, helpful and engaging.

Empathy is essential, so you can understand both the students and teachers perspectives, and help ensure resources are relatable, clear and understandable. It's important to be able to put yourself in the learners and the instructors shoes, so the curriculum effectively meets and supports a variety of learners needs and interests.

The good news is that this comes naturally to classroom teachers. Channeling your classroom teaching experience will be invaluable in a curriculum development career.

Another thing to consider when evaluating if curriculum development is right for you is whether you have a growth mindset or not. Welcoming feedback and being open minded is so essential when creating curriculum. You will likely get feedback from many different stakeholders. And instead of getting disheartened or taking it personally when you get constructive criticism, try to use it to develop your skills further, and make you a better curriculum developer.

As you learn new skills and try new things stay curious and committed to being a lifelong learner. When we try something new, our own limiting beliefs can appear. But remember that the power of collaboration is real, and adopt a growth mindset throughout your journey towards a curriculum development career.

And the last thing to consider is whether or not you're ready for an opportunity not directly working with students. So if you're pursuing curriculum development full time, you'll be trading in a classroom for an office, whether at home or in person. And so spend some time reflecting and decide if this sounds like a new thing you might want to try.

And of course, there are trade offs with any jobs. As a curriculum developer, you'll be helping to create the best possible learning experiences for kids, which can be rewarding and fulfilling in a whole new way. But you won't be around kids every day. So see how that feels to you. Is that something you're interested in?

Also, think about how developing a niche can ensure that you find work you truly love and help you stand out from the crowd of curriculum designers. So tune into what types of curriculum you enjoy creating. Is there a certain grade level or subject or topic that you love? Maybe you love teaching, social emotional learning, and you could turn that passion into creating curriculum around social and emotional learning?

Or maybe you're just love all sorts of different subjects and topics? Start by choosing one area, whether it's a great range or a specific topic, and you can always add in more.

So to recap, if you're considering working in curriculum development, think about these things. Do you enjoy writing and being creative? Are you excited about creating learning experiences for students? Are you empathetic? Do you have a growth mindset? And are you ready for an opportunity that doesn't directly involve working with students?

If you are ready to explore curriculum development, I would love to invite you to join Educator Forever's Curriculum Development Foundations Program, which is a five weeks flexible and empowering program designed to give you everything you need to develop engaging curriculum, standout in the job market and take your career to the next level while working in curriculum design. We'd love to see you there.