What is Education Writing? The Power of Telling Your Story
As educators, we have so many stories – stories about our challenges in the classroom, breakthrough moments with students, lessons learned, and lives touched. Education writing can help us tell those stories to a broader audience. But what is education writing?
Education writing is a broad field that can open up opportunities for educators at publications, websites and other organizations. Most importantly, it’s an industry that can help teachers share their stories.
When it comes to expanding our impact and influence beyond the classroom, we tend to underestimate the power of these stories to shape not only our careers but our broader impact on education.
How can you leverage writing and storytelling as a tool? It starts with recognizing and valuing your experiences as an educator.
This blog post dives into education writing and how this path can have an impact on both your career and the education world.
What Is Education Writing?
Education writing as a career path covers a broad spectrum, from education content writers to education copywriters. Whether you're interested in getting published, starting a blog, or writing for an education organization, there are numerous exciting pathways to explore within education writing.
At its core, education writing is writing that expands our understanding of education and/or inspires progress in education. As an education writer, you can share your insights, experiences, and perspectives on education.
What Do Education Writers Do?
As an education writer, you can write articles, blog posts, or opinion pieces for educational publications, websites, or blogs. Your content can cover a wide range of topics around teaching, learning, and educational policies.
You have the opportunity to share your story, as well as shape the conversation around important issues in education, share best practices, and advocate for change.
Education writing jobs provide unique opportunities to reach students and educators in new, different, and fulfilling ways. Career pathways in education writing generally offer autonomy, freedom, and flexibility.
Some examples of education writing career paths you could pursue include:
Freelance education writer
Education journalist
Independent content creator or blogger
Technical writer for education companies
The Power of Sharing Your Story Through Education Writing
Education writing can help you find alternative jobs for teachers, but it can do even more. What is education writing really good for? Making an impact.
Humans are wired for connection, and research shows our brains are wired for storytelling. This makes storytelling one of the best ways to make meaningful connections.
In the world of education writing, storytelling allows you to connect with your reader on a deeper level – turning your ideas into relatable experiences. While facts and data are of course helpful in illustrating points, stories add a layer of humanity that numbers and statistics can’t convey.
With education writing jobs and sharing your experience as an educator, you can:
Make Connections
When you share your experiences, you invite readers into your world. For instance, if you’re writing a blog post about 5 ways to help a struggling student, the strategies and methods are valuable, but it’s the personal accounts you share – such as when you saw a child’s eyes light up with understanding – that will resonate most with your reader.
Stories stay with people long after the information and facts are forgotten. By contributing your voice, you might be helping others feel less alone or inspiring others to share their stories, creating a ripple effect. You’re also inviting others to join the conversation and spark more ideas and momentum.
Inspire Action
Stories have the ability to inspire action. Our stories can highlight gaps in the education system, offer new ways of thinking about problems, and show the impact of specific strategies and ideas. Personal stories often move others to advocate for change as well. Sharing real-world experiences can drive improvement, innovation, and action.
Own Your Expertise
Writing your own story as an educator helps you reflect on your journey and own your expertise. Writing about our experiences forces us to pause, reflect, and grow. Reflection is where new ideas take root and where innovation and inspiration begin.
When you share your story, you also position yourself as a thought leader and establish yourself as a knowledgeable, experienced educator offering value beyond the classroom.
Tips to Become an Education Writer
If you want to get started as an education writer, here are some tips to help you:
Start Writing
Don’t wait around for some grand moment of inspiration – the key is to begin. Start by thinking about moments in your career that made you stop and reflect. Perhaps a moment that changed you, or a particular experience that shifted your perspective. Was it a student interaction that surprised you? A lesson that “failed” but taught you something new? These are stories worth telling.
You could also create a list of topics that you feel passionately about or that people come to you for advice on (e.g. elementary social-emotional learning ideas, high school classroom management strategies, etc.). Then decide on one topic you’ll start with, knowing you just need to start with a single topic for now.
You could start your own blog, seek freelance education writing opportunities or even just write on your own computer without sharing it more broadly. Getting started in any form can give you key writing practice and help you build up writing samples.
Be Authentic
Readers don’t need you to be perfect – they need you to be real. Your audience will connect with stories that feel honest and relatable. So don’t be afraid to share your challenges, as well as moments of success.
Keep in mind that moments when things didn’t go according to plan often teach us the most and provide us with the most reflection. Reflect on what you learned and how you grew. Sharing our stories can feel vulnerable but that’s what makes storytelling powerful. Your story has value and can make a difference.
Get Your Message Out There
Pitch your ideas and stories to blogs and education websites, or even by starting your blog. When thinking about where to get published, consider where you go for blogs and articles about teaching.
Consider places like Edutopia, WeAreTeachers, Learning for Justice, and other sites for educators. Find the part of the site that says “Write for Us” (often in the “Contact Us” section) to find out details about how to pitch your idea.
Remember that the goal of education writing isn’t to have everything figured out from the start – it’s to build momentum. The more you write, the more you’ll feel comfortable about sharing your voice and expertise.
Create an Education Writing Portfolio
As you write, create a portfolio to showcase your work. Your online portfolio is a powerful tool that can open doors and lead to more opportunities, whether it’s more writing opportunities, speaking engagements, consulting opportunities, or collaboration with others.
Need inspiration? Here’s a link to my portfolio, as well as a link to the portfolio of Educator Forever’s Director of Learning and Development, April. You’ll see that portfolios offer a way of showing your collection of work, as well as documenting your journey as an educator and writer.
Ready to Become an Education Writer?
If you’re considering education writing jobs (full or part-time, freelance, etc.), you don’t have to figure it all out on your own!
Our Education Writing Foundations Program is designed to help you hone your writing skills, effectively share your story and expertise, and fast-track your success.
Through the program, you will:
✅ Learn how to use writing to get the results you want.
✅ Find your voice as an education writer.
✅ Reflect on what you’ve learned as an educator.
✅ Create powerful vignettes that share your unique story.
✅ Use copywriting strategies to create impactful text.
✅ Build a sustainable and joyful writing practice.
✅ Receive personalized feedback on your work and become an Educator Forever certified education writer.
Your writing skills determine your opportunities and earning potential beyond the classroom, whether you become an education writer or pursue other career pathways.
In today's digital age, the ability to articulate your educational expertise is paramount. Your words have the power to open doors, whether you're applying for your dream job, launching an education business, or aiming for publication.
So if you're ready to improve your writing skills to unlock more opportunities and earnings, this program will benefit you! The program starts soon and includes six live writing circles, recorded sessions, resources, and personalized feedback.
Ready to improve your writing skills to increase your opportunities and earning potential? Sign up now!