Welcome to my Career Journey!

Published on 28 June 2024 at 21:47

A Bit More About Me and My Journey from the Classroom to the Corporate Boardroom 

As a former classroom educator, I have happily (and shockingly) stepped into the unassigned role of supporting teachers wanting to leave the classroom. I say shockingly because it was two years ago (2022) that I was seeking support in the unknown. The unknown of giving a career my very best and wondering what transferable skills could I align with a brand new career venture, the unknown of securing a job before the end of the school year, and the list goes on.

 

What was known was that the lack of support, pressures from various angles, post-COVID challenges, low-pay, and student behaviors coupled with no work-life balance, and health issues were no longer keeping me in the profession. If my experience resonates with you, follow along with me on my career journey and determine if leaving the classroom is the best choice for you.

 

Here is a little back story on my experience and here I also provide a few tips I hope you find helpful if you are considering leaving the classroom or have already made that step!

 

HI! My name is Ebony Batson and I knew I wanted to be a teacher at a young age. As a child, I would play “pretend school” giving out spelling tests and reading to my stuffed animals. I have always had a love for reading and writing. I may have been a teacher’s pet once or twice in elementary school and I have had my share of favorite teachers who have further inspired my desire to become a teacher. In addition to those educators, I am primarily grateful that both my parents taught me reading and writing skills at a young age.

When I became a classroom teacher I quickly learned that my “fluffy” and “cutesy” dreams of being a classroom teacher were far from reality. Yes, having a colorful and Lakeshore-worthy classroom with ALL the things YOU think you and your students will need is great - fantastic even. However, during the day-to-day ins and outs of teaching and molding young minds who bring with them various home-life experiences and challenges proved to be one of the most challenging aspects of the role when I first started teaching. 

 

As I wrapped up my undergraduate studies I subbed in two districts and at the time was taking Education courses which included hundreds of observation hours in classrooms from elementary to high school.

 

I began my "official" teaching career less than a month after receiving my Bachelor's degree in a Title 1 school. Most people would assume this would be the less desirable route to begin teaching for the various challenges certain aspects working at such a school may bring. I beg to differ that during my time teaching at this Title 1 school I developed the internal fortitude needed to ultimately survive amidst numerous situations and of course challenges. I initially began in a long-term sub fifth grade reading teacher role and after a few months was offered a full time role under a provisional license. I  was excited as a 20 something to begin my career and also begin earning a more substantial amount of money from a job than what I was used to as a college student. 

 

My main take away from my time at that school (2019 -2021) was building relationships with the students in order to become an effective teacher, taking on new things (changing grade levels AND subjects), and taking risks (leaving my then current school district for a new school district). I left the school I began teaching in to teach in northern Virginia (Fairfax County). I noticed the distinct differences in many aspects of my time (1 year) as a teacher there. The 2021 - 2022 school year was for the school I was teaching at, the first time students would be back in-person since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. I wasn't nervous but I learned quickly how much teaching basic interactions and behaviors (among students who would be reunited with their peers for the first time in at least one school year) would need to take place. 

 

I'll likely write a few additional posts around more takeaways and experiences from my time in the classroom as there is truly so much to share. In June of 2022 I had ZERO job prospects in sight in spite of my efforts to revamp my resume, cover letter, become an actual LinkedIn user and aggressively apply to every job I felt as though I could be good at. Thank God I was able to land a job just a few weeks after leaving teaching in July 2022. I assumed the role of a Manager of Digital Learning and Marketing at a non-profit. I learned so much about work outside of the education system and I absolutely loved the freedom of it all. I quickly learned about the "politics" of corporate work and for now, I'll leave it at that. Needless to say, I left that job after almost one year, although successful in mastering my role, my value was not recognized overall.

 

During this time I had begun my Master's program in early 2022 in Organizational Leadership so I decided to dedicate time to my studies and remain active in my job search. Well, that search ended up taking 6 months and then I landed my most recent role with a consulting firm. I've been with this firm a year and I call it my bounce back after leaving my role at the non-profit. I completed my Master's program earlier this year and I have had a former teacher from the same county I taught in previously reach out to me to provide her with guidance on finding a new position outside of the classroom. 

 

I'll sum all this up to say - take a risk! Life is so much more fulfilling when we bet on ourselves, take a risk and trust God in the process. I have had the opportunity to work on federal contracted projects and work with those in the Department of Education. If someone would have told me that I'd be in meetings and sitting next to individuals who worked for the Department of Education when I was a teacher, I would have not believed them! 

 

If you'd like to know more about my teaching journey, the steps I took before, during , and after leaving the classroom to working in a second role since my teacher days, feel free to leave a comment below! I'd LOVE to hear from you, connect with you, and help guide you if you or someone you know can relate to any part of my journey. 

 

Best!

Ms. Batson

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