How to Start a Career in Curriculum Development
Do you love creating engaging lessons? Looking for ways to share your creations with a wider audience? A career in curriculum development could be a great move for you.
When you’re looking to move into the field of curriculum design, it can feel overwhelming as you figure out how to start. There are so many possible curriculum development jobs online and so many different ways to work in the field. But all of these options can make getting started difficult.
Follow the steps below to assess whether you’d like to work in curriculum development and — if so— to create a blueprint for getting started.
5 Things to Consider Before Starting a Career in Curriculum Development
A curriculum development career could help you use your teaching expertise and find more flexible work as a teacher. Before jumping in, take some time to consider these five things:
Different Ways to Work in Curriculum Development
First, get a sense of what curriculum jobs are out there. Curriculum developers are needed at ed tech companies, kids media organizations, nonprofits, school districts, textbook companies, and beyond.
Start by looking at the materials you might already use with students. Are there certain websites you always visit? Favorite books that you always take down off the shelf? Start seeing these materials through the perspective of a curriculum developer. Realize that a team of people created these materials, then assess whether you would like to be part of a similar team.
In addition to learning about all of the different places you can work, think about what your particular niche could be for your career in curriculum development. Is there a certain subject, grade level, or topic that you feel passionate about? Consider leaning into that. As you embark on your curriculum development career, it’s better to go deeply into a more narrow niche than to try to do it all.
A Sense of Your Teaching Philosophy
Next, get centered on the impact you hope to make with a career in curriculum development. Consider what you believe about teaching and learning, then spend time thinking about how you can use your beliefs 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.
Spend time thinking about what you know about how students learn. Reflect on approaches that you’ve used and what has worked best for students you have worked with. Consider writing down your teaching philosophy and think about how your philosophy will inform the curriculum that you create.
Where to Find Jobs
It’s one thing to explore careers in curriculum design and a whole other thing to actually search for careers in curriculum design. But finding flexible work doesn’t have to be hard!
One simple place to start is to think about your favorite educational resources. Consider whether you’d like to work on these materials and— if so— go differently to the organization’s website to see if they might be hiring. Even if they don’t have any job postings that explicitly match your skills, reach out and express your interest.
Start to create a list of potential companies and organizations where you might like to work during a career in curriculum development, then check their websites frequently. Think about other ways you can begin to build relationships with people who work at these places, like connecting with employees on LinkedIn. As you explore different organizations, continue to develop connections and follow up online.
Writing Skills
When you’re a curriculum developer, you’re a writer. And the way that you get better at writing is by writing! To develop your writing skills, regularly devote time to practice creating curriculum.
Create a portfolio of curriculum samples to highlight your skills and expertise. Spend time developing your craft, editing your writing, and sharing your writing with others. Getting feedback and making revisions will set you up for success in a curriculum development career.
Growth Mindset
When we try something new, our own limiting beliefs will often appear. Adopt a growth mindset at the beginning of your journey. As you learn new skills and try new things, stay curious and committed to learning about different areas of curriculum development.
When you create curriculum, you likely will get feedback from many different stakeholders. Instead of prickling when you get constructive criticism, try to use it as an opportunity to further develop your skills.
Get Help to Start a Career in Curriculum Development
Ready to take your skills to the next level and start working as a curriculum developer? Join our Curriculum Development Foundations program, which was designed to teach you everything you need to know about PreK-12 curriculum development. You’ll walk away from the program with a portfolio of polished lessons ready to submit for job opportunities.
We can’t wait to support you to create engaging and impactful learning materials and start your career in curriculum development.