Should I Go Into Curriculum Development?

Did you know you can leverage your expertise, creativity, and passion as a teacher to become a curriculum developer? If you love creating engaging student learning experiences, a curriculum development career could be a great flexible option.

Whether you want to take on contract jobs, freelance on your own, or work full-time, curriculum development is a wonderful way to still work in education beyond the classroom (and usually from the comfort of your home!).

As a classroom teacher, you’ve likely designed countless lessons and activities for your students or school. You can make an even wider impact in education by creating lessons that students use around the U.S. and even the world. 

What Is Curriculum Development?

Curriculum developers or designers create materials to improve student learning and support teachers. This includes everything from designing textbooks or worksheets to creating lesson plans or even full learning units.

As a remote curriculum designer, you can do various curriculum development jobs, whether working with textbook companies, EdTech product developers, nonprofit organizations, school districts, or even statewide educational agencies. 

Curriculum developers may also advise organizations on developing learning plans that support their product, mission, or service. A wide variety of opportunities are available within a curriculum development career because so many types of organizations need this kind of support. When it comes to curriculum developer jobs, the opportunities are endless! 

How to Know If a Curriculum Development Career Is Right for You

If you’re thinking about going into curriculum development, this simple checklist can support you in figuring out if it’s a good fit: 

✔️ YOU ENJOY WRITING AND BEING CREATIVE. 

Writing is at the heart of curriculum development. Curriculum developers are writers. Successful curriculum developers write with clarity, use their imagination, and are detail-oriented. Want to feel more confident about your writing skills? Remember, the way that you get better at writing is by writing! 

To develop your writing skills and prepare for education curriculum development jobs, regularly devote time to practice creating curriculum. Try writing lessons for the classroom you wish you had, with more freedom and support. Spend time developing your craft, editing, and sharing your writing with others. Getting feedback and making revisions will set you up for success in a curriculum development career. 

And you can use these curriculum samples as part of a portfolio to highlight your skills and expertise when applying for curriculum development opportunities.

✔️ CREATING LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS EXCITES YOU. 

If designing engaging, meaningful learning experiences for students energizes you, that’s a great sign you’ll enjoy a curriculum development career.

When designing curriculum, you get to develop the learning experiences you want in classrooms. If you currently work in an environment where you don’t have total control over what or how you teach, working in curriculum development is a chance to break beyond those boundaries. 

Try to get clear on your “why” and the impact you hope to make on curriculum development. Spend time reflecting on how students learn, the approaches you’ve used, and what works best for students. Think about how you can use your beliefs, your expertise, 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.

✔️ YOU’RE EMPATHETIC.

Great curriculum designers create effective curriculum that is inclusive, helpful, and engaging. Empathy is essential so you can understand both the students’ and teachers’ perspectives and help ensure resources are relatable, clear, and understandable. 

It’s important to be able to put yourself in the learner’s and the instructor’s shoes, so the curriculum effectively meets and supports a variety of learners’ needs and interests. The good news is this comes naturally to classroom teachers. Channeling your classroom teaching experience will be invaluable in a curriculum development career.

✔️ YOU HAVE A GROWTH MINDSET. 

Welcoming feedback and being open-minded to it is essential. When you create curriculum, you will likely get feedback from many different stakeholders. Instead of getting disheartened or taking it personally when you get constructive criticism, try to use it to develop your skills further and make you a better curriculum developer. 

As you learn new skills and try new things, stay curious and committed to being a lifelong learner. When we try something new, our own limiting beliefs can appear. Remember the power of collaboration and adopt a growth mindset throughout your journey toward a curriculum development career.

✔️YOU’RE READY FOR AN OPPORTUNITY not DIRECTLY WORKING WITH STUDENTS. 

If you’re pursuing curriculum development full-time, you’ll be trading out a classroom for an office (whether at home or in person). Spend some time reflecting, and decide if this sounds like a new rhythm you’d like to try. Of course, there are tradeoffs with any job. As a curriculum developer, you’ll be helping to create the best possible learning experiences for kids, which can be rewarding and fulfilling in a whole new way.

Developing a niche can ensure you find work you truly love and can help you stand out from the crowd of curriculum designers. Tune in to what types of curriculum you enjoy creating. Is there a certain grade level, subject, or topic that you love teaching? For example, maybe you love teaching social and emotional lessons. Perhaps you could use that passion to create curriculum around social and emotional learning. 

Or you might be the type of person who loves many different subjects and topics. Choosing one area— whether it’s a grade range or a specific topic— is a great starting point, and you can always add in others later as you expand your freelance curriculum development work.

Ready to Get Started With a Curriculum Development Career?

If you want to start a career in curriculum development (full or part-time), Educator Forever can help. 

Our Curriculum Development Foundations Program is a 5-week flexible and empowering program designed to give you everything you need to develop engaging curriculum, stand out in the job market, and take your career to the next level.

You'll also be assigned a curriculum coach, an experienced curriculum developer, who will give you support and personalized feedback on your work. You'll walk away from the program with a polished portfolio of curriculum samples and with an amazing community supporting you as you step into working as a curriculum developer.

At Educator Forever, we don't only teach about curriculum development, but we're actively working in the field through our Educator Forever Agency. If you choose to become a certified curriculum developer during Curriculum Development Foundations, you'll get even more access to job opportunities from our agency, as well as from other educational organizations looking for experienced curriculum developers.

Have questions? Contact Educator Forever any time!