The Power of Community for Educators Transitioning Beyond the Classroom
The power of community for educators is clear. From teacher teams and teacher coaches to online teacher communities, educators have long helped each other learn and grow. If you’re exploring alternative careers for teachers, having a supportive community becomes even more important.
At Educator Forever, we are fortunate to support educators in embracing their expertise, stepping into their brilliance, and creating innovative learning experiences, businesses, and career pathways in education. We are advocates for teachers within and beyond the four walls of the classroom, and over the years, we have found the importance of educators finding the right community to thrive.
Without fellow educators cheering us on and reminding us to persevere through challenging times, it’s easier to throw in the towel or feel like landing flexible jobs in education is far from our reach.
If you’re ready to create a sustainable life in education, joining a community of like-minded educators can help make your dreams a reality.
5 Reasons to Find a Community of Teachers Leaving the Classroom
There are many reasons to find a community for educators leaving the classroom. These are some of our favorites:
Shared Vision and Passion
Whether you’re just beginning to explore flexible work in education, or you’ve been working remotely or flexibly for years, connecting with like-minded educators who share a common vision and passion for improving education is crucial.
When we surround ourselves with former or current teachers who share our goal to create a sustainable and soul-filling life, we become a powerful collective dedicated to making a positive impact in the field.
This shared vision in a community for educators fosters a sense of belonging and unity, making it easier for us to overcome obstacles and stay focused on our short-term and long-term goals.
Collaboration and Inspiration
As a teacher, you understand the power of community for educators. And you know that having a thought partner to inspire creativity is crucial. This is especially important when you transition to work in education beyond the classroom.
By surrounding ourselves with like-minded educators, we gain access to diverse perspectives and experiences. Collaborative efforts not only spark creativity but also lead to more refined and well-rounded ideas.
To support our members, our Educator Forever Network includes weekly mindset and skill-based sessions, co-working sessions, and guest spotlights/workshops featuring innovative and inspiring educators who are reimagining what it means to be an educator.
Being part of an online teacher community full of passionate educators can help us identify untapped opportunities beyond the classroom, refine business strategies, and enhance our offerings and services.
Emotional Resilience and Support
The journey to finding (and landing) work in education beyond the classroom can be challenging, filled with highs and lows. Having a support system of educators who are creating the lives they envisioned for themselves can help you recognize that your dreams are valid and possible, too.
Even more, being part of an innovative and creative community for educators who understand the struggles and triumphs provides you with the emotional support you need to keep going. These connections help us maintain our motivation and resilience, even when facing setbacks or rejection.
Continued Learning and Skill Sharing
Many educators have experienced the benefits of a teacher learning community while working in the classroom. This kind of support can be even more powerful when you’re moving into other careers.
Having access to a community of like-minded educators means you’ll be able to learn from folks with diverse skill sets and expertise. Teachers finding work in education beyond the classroom can leverage this collective knowledge to upskill through individualized professional development.
Whether it's familiarizing yourself with Canva, exploring Google Suite, or completing a certification to find and land jobs in curriculum development, teacher communities like the Educator Forever Network act as valuable resources for continuous growth and improvement.
Networking and Opportunities
Surrounding oneself with innovative educators opens doors to various networking opportunities. These connections can lead to partnerships, collaborations, and even new business ventures. Furthermore, a strong network can help you gain visibility within the education sector and access clients who will benefit from your products and/or services.
Ready to Find Your Own Community for Educators Leaving the Classroom?
If you want to find flexible careers in education (full or part-time) alongside a community of brilliant and creative educators, check out the Educator Forever Network. We’ve helped thousands of teachers identify their own skills and learn how to apply them to flexible new careers while staying in education.
These teachers have gone on to become curriculum developers, education consultants, instructional coaches, online teachers, education writers, education business owners, and more.
Through the Educator Forever Network, you’ll get instant access to our signature Beyond the Classroom course. In this course, you’ll learn all about your possibilities for education work beyond the classroom, discover exactly where to find flexible jobs in education, and you’ll get the support you need to help you land those jobs. You’ll also join an inspiring community of like-minded educators and enjoy weekly live group calls (and more!).
Let’s transform the field of education together!
Sign up for the Educator Forever Network so you can thrive and create the career (and life) you deserve.
Have questions? Contact Educator Forever any time!
About The Author
April Brown (M.Ed) is Educator Forever’s community facilitator and a curriculum coach for the Curriculum Development Foundations program. In 2015, April began designing curriculum and writing articles for an EdTech company as a side gig while she was teaching in Placencia, Belize. After having her daughter in 2016, April was eager to use her unique experience teaching and leading in mainstream and alternative settings in the United States and internationally to work remotely while still making a difference in education.
The Beyond the Classroom course empowered April to leverage her skills as a compassionate disruptor and out-of-the-box thinker to excel as an instructional/well-being coach, adjunct instructor of a Trauma Supportive Schools course, curriculum developer, and writer for publications such as PBS SoCal, Education.com, and Britannica for Parents. April is an advocate for teachers and students – inside and outside of the classroom. You can find April in rural Vermont spending time with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and charming rottweilers.