Freelance Education Writer: Using Our Background To Carve New Careers

Being a freelance education writer, I can marry my two skills together. Many of us would love a career change. Can you do this to carve out a new career?

Whereas I left a permanent post in education, I still tutor children locally. This is a testimonial from a recent parent, Sarah.

Freelance Education Writer: A Sensible Choice?

By marrying my two greatest skills, should I become a freelance education writer? Lately, one has stumbled upon what could be considered ‘a pickle’. As my freelance SEO copywriting business grows, I have been contacted by education providers to write freelance SEO blog articles for their websites. I know it is paid work and all paid work is good work. However, should I close that door for good or use my years of experience within the grounds, classroom, and offices of the education system to share my insights and expertise?

It is something that I have had to consider carefully because I want to move entirely away from my previous career. On the other hand, as someone who worked ‘on the front lines’ for years and can also write appropriately for websites and companies, I know I have a lot to offer.

Recently, I have had young people who I used to teach, message me on my social media accounts. They have shared opinions of my book, Inside Iris, but they have also said how they remembered be as their teacher. These teenagers remember me as a guy who never sat at his desk, always played games to make learning fun, and also told the worst jokes imaginable.

It is only now that these ex-pupils have grown up that they see there was a method to my pedagogy and approach to teaching and learning within my classroom. The young people who messaged me have grown up into young adults and are ready to take on their GCSEs. However, their kind comments sparked a question in my mind. Should I look at freelance education writing as a way to help teachers and learners in the coming years?

Like I said, ’tis a pickle!

One area that I am passionate about is the issue of mental health in schools. Even when teachers are forced from their professions due to stress and anxiety, there is an all-round need for assistance in this area.

Education & The Polls

A General Election is being run at the moment within the UK and Northern Ireland. Don’t worry. I won’t be blabbing on about that for too long.

The issue about general elections is that there are a multitude of promises made by would-be Prime Ministers and political parties to get a vote at the ballot box. Unfortunately, many of the promises that are made by these people are rarely met.

The TV channels are filled with news reports of how the NHS, Police, Brexit (yawn), and Education are all going to receive an overhaul if X, Y, or Z are elected. News reports like this are always highlighted and held up as a beacon of hope for education, but are they going to bear fruit?

In my experience, especially within Northern Ireland, politicians promise many things and rarely deliver. Our local politicians can’t turn up for work at our parliament but can still claim a salary. I wonder how much of a difference their combined salaries could have made to the education funding crisis within Northern Ireland education.

There’s a point to think about.

When working with children, I always did my utmost to ensure that gender stereotypes were addressed. I tried to make sure pupils were aware that they could all follow any career or path they were passionate about.

My Background

As a teacher for over ten years, I was:

• Involved in management
• A Literacy specialist
• An ICT specialist
• A qualified coach of multiple sports
• And, Digital Learning specialist

I know that I have decided to change my career into Digital Marketing and Freelance SEO Copywriting. However, the skills that I have can still be applied by marrying education with blog writing. The insight that can be provided by people like myself, current and former teachers who have seen the realities of the job, can be a valuable resource to inform the parents and learners differently.

When I started my career, I didn’t think the schools would be in the state they are in now. Over my career, I saw:

• A steady decline in the funds available for resources
• Parents have to subsidise their child’s resources
• Relationships deteriorate between unions and employers
• Relationships become almost toxic between staff and management
• And, the workload of teachers increase without an increase in pay

It is clear to see that the career I got into turned into something far removed from the one I hoped it would be when I enrolled at Warwick University to do my PGCE. The career I had was an enriching one and has given me transferable skills that I can use within my new career. However, I would not wish to go back to teaching in a school setting.

The reasons I laid out above were what I witnessed, and colleagues observed too. So many teachers are overworked and underpaid, like many of the public sector workers, but I know I have moved on from everyday classroom teaching.

On Monday, I was called by a school to go in to work for a short-term contract. When I found myself instantly telling the lady that I had left teaching and was a Digital Trainer and Freelance SEO Copywriter, I felt relief wash over me. I said goodbye, hung up the phone, and drove the rest of the journey home with a smile on my face, knowing I had made the right decision.

My new venture working with Big Rock Digital as a Digital Trainer and SEO copywriter allows me to host my own educational training events for parents and learners.

Best Of Both Worlds

As a freelance education writer, I know I would be able to have the best of both worlds in my professional life as a whole. I know I would be able to share what I am passionate about:

1. Teaching – Working with children, teenagers, business professionals, and older generations
2. Learning – Helping others to learn as well as continually develop my professional development in the continually evolving world of Digital Marketing training
3. Training – Helping people of all ages and abilities train to realise their potential as a student, parent, employee, or manager
4. And, nurturing a sense of lifelong learning in all those who attend my training classes

As I look now at the teaching and training career that lies before me, I see one that is hugely diverse and exciting. It is one that has the chance to be more lucrative that the teaching career I was in before. I see what I do now as the best of both worlds.

Some of the free advice I share on my tuition Facebook page includes advice for parents on how best to use their iPad as an educational tool to boost their child’s learning at home.

There is no doubt that the future I have as an author, writer, blogger, copywriter, and digital trainer is a bright one that I am looking forward to. I look forward to it every day and know that every day will be different from the one before.

I also know that I have a lot to offer as a freelance education writer. When opportunities arise to write SEO copy for education providers, I know I will be able to share experience and advice. It will be advice that can benefit parents, teachers, and, most importantly, learners of all ages.

Should I work as a freelance education writer? Absolutely.