2021 Education Business Year in Review
The past couple years have been challenging, to say the least. We’ve been living through a global pandemic and teachers have been stretched so thin. But even among challenging times, there are opportunities and reasons to celebrate. As we wrap up 2021, I want to spend time reflecting on how our education business has grown this year at Educator Forever and what I have learned along the way.
What Worked Well for Our Online Education Business?
We Became a Curriculum Development Agency!
As you may know, in addition to running Educator Forever, I’ve also been a curriculum developer for the past decade.
This year, I had companies coming to me with requests for projects that were way too big for one person to do. Instead of turning them down, I realized that I could collaborate with the many brilliant people in the Educator Forever network to form a dream team of educators. So I did!
This year we’ve worked on large scale projects for ed tech companies and curriculum development houses, creating products that inspire kids to love learning. It’s been a huge learning experience and a lot of fun!
If you’re interested in learning how to become a curriculum developer in 2022, then be sure to check out Educator Forever’s guide.
We Launched the Grow Your Education Business Accelerator
For the past five years, Educator Forever’s flagship product has been the Beyond the Classroom course, focusing on showing teachers how to find and land flexible jobs in education.
As my own education business has grown, I kept getting requests for support from educators who wanted to build their own businesses. This year, I created the Grow Your Education Business Accelerator to provide small-group business support specifically focused on what works in the field of education.
I’ve been part of many business programs over the past decades, but none that were entirely focused on how to start an education business. I’m thrilled to be able to share what I’ve learned to help educators launch and grow thriving businesses.
What Was Challenging for Education & Our Education Business?
Continuing to See Teachers Treated Poorly
Teachers come to Educator Forever when they’re ready for a change. This often means that we help teachers who are feeling defeated, struggling with teacher burnout, and dealing with a variety of physical and emotional health problems. This year, we supported teachers who were beyond tired.
Though we helped them build more sustainable lives through teacher side hustles and transitioning out of the classroom, it was— and is — so hard to see teachers give their all to a profession that treats them so poorly.
Our Education Business Growing Rapidly
We are truly blessed to have grown so much this year, but that rapid growth came with some growing pains. What used to be a two-woman education business– with myself and our amazing Community Manager April– turned into a full fledged team.
As we worked on large-scale curriculum projects on the agency side of Educator Forever, we had to quickly form grade and subject-level teams. As the Grow Your Education Business Accelerator launched, we brought on Business Mentor Allison to help me run the program.
While it is certainly amazing to have such a powerhouse team, it was a mindset and operations adjustment as we grew exponentially seemingly overnight.
What Did We Learn About Running An Education Business?
Do It Scared
I’ve always heard people say “launch before you’re ready.” This year I really put that into motion. When organizations came asking about big projects, I was tempted to say no. But I recognized that these were opportunities I had dreamt about. Instead of talking myself out of taking these projects on, I took a deep breath and dove in.
I’m so glad I did! It wasn’t always easy, but it was so worth it. I’ve realized that it rarely feels like 100% the perfect time to do something. We’ve often got to take a leap of faith, especially when it comes to starting an education business or leaving the classroom.
We Can Create an Ecosystem Where Teachers Thrive
As I mentioned before, teachers come to us burnt out and defeated. At Educator Forever, our biggest goal is to empower teachers to own their education expertise and use it to change the very system that puts them down.
This year, as more companies and organizations came to me looking for brilliant teachers, I realized that I could meld the two sides of my education business– my curriculum work and the Educator Forever courses.
Instead of thinking of them as separate, Educator Forever could become the go-to place for organizations to source teacher talent and the go-to place for teachers to expand their skills and impact. I’m so excited to have this clarity and look forward to the continued growth of our awesome community.
Looking Ahead to 2022
How has your year gone? Take a moment to reflect on what worked well, what was challenging, and what you learned. Build in time to celebrate your accomplishments and reflect on what could have gone differently. Then use that knowledge to fuel your progress in the new year.
If you’re committed to finding alternative careers for teachers or starting an education business in 2022, then be sure to explore all of Educator Forever’s courses and online resources to support you in the new year. I’m wishing you all the best in 2022!