Episode 115: From Science Teacher to Curriculum Developer with Khiana Wheeler
Khiana Wheeler leveraged her 15-year career in banking to seamlessly transition into education, bringing strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills to her role as a middle school science teacher. Passionate about creating meaningful learning experiences, she pivoted to curriculum writing and instructional design, where she applies her unique blend of industry and teaching expertise to develop engaging, standards-aligned content.
In this episode Khiana and I discuss how she found joy in curriculum development, how her teaching experience has helped her career and the importance of freelancing. (Excuse us for some of the technical difficulties, we had Internet issues.)
Topics Discussed:
How Khiana went from working in banking to teaching middle school science
Khiana’s transition from classroom teacher to science curriculum developer
Advice for teachers looking to work in curriculum development
Resources mentioned:
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Read the transcript for this episode:
Welcome to Educator Forever, where we empower teachers to innovate education. Join us each week to hear stories of teachers expanding their impacts beyond the classroom and explore ways to reimagine teaching and learning.
Khiana Wheeler leveraged her 15 year career in banking to seamlessly transition into education, bringing her strong, analytical, organizational and problem solving skills to her role as a middle school science teacher, passionate about creating meaningful learning experiences, Khiana pivoted to curriculum writing and instructional design, where she now applies her unique blend of industry and teaching expertise to develop engaging, standards aligned content. Khiana is dedicated to crafting educational materials that resonate with both educators and students, making complex topics accessible and enjoyable. Welcome, Khiana, so glad to have you here.
Khiana Wheeler
Thank you. I'm happy to be here.
Lily Jones
So if you can take us through your journey as an educator in whatever direction you'd like to go, that would be a great place to start.
Khiana Wheeler
Okay, sure. So pretty much my journey as an educator probably began about seven years ago, where I basically I worked as a classroom science teacher, pretty much specializing in creating, you know, real, engaging science activities, labs, things like that, for my middle school students here in Dallas, Texas. So I actually pivoted, because, actually, I initially started in a in in the banking industry. So I worked in banking for about 15 years, and decided, after I had my daughter, I wanted to kind of make a change and do something different. And so teaching was just something that really spoke to me, and which is what kind of pushed me, I guess I should say, into just a overall career pivot, yeah,
Lily Jones
so talk to me about that. How did you decide to become a teacher, and was it what you expected?
Khiana Wheeler
Um, I think the ultimate decision it, it kind of started off being a little bit more superficial, like I said, after I had my daughter, I kind of wanted time, more time to spend with her, especially as she started, started to develop in her developmental years, and just, you know, having the breaks and the time off and all that to just really spend with her and and just kind of, you know, be able to be there while she grew up. So that was really what ultimately got me into teaching. But once I actually got into teaching, I kind of I just fell in love with it. It just, it just became something that I really enjoyed doing, the interactions with my students, the parents administration, all that just became something I really enjoyed doing, um, definitely putting together the lessons and developing the curriculum and things like that. I found out early on that was that was probably my, my, my sweet spot.
Lily Jones
Yeah, me too. And so thinking about, are there is, was there anything with teaching that was surprising to you after transitioning into being a teacher.
Khiana Wheeler
Definitely think the amount of administrative tasks, more the you know, the the behind the scenes type things, not necessarily in The classroom. I didn't realize, you know, a lot of classroom instruction gets kind of dwindled down because of all the other things, yeah. So I think that, yeah, yeah, if it could just be right. So that was real shocking to me once I once I started.
Lily Jones
Yeah, me too. I mean, I think if it could just be classroom teaching and curriculum all the other thing that things that teachers are asked to do, that's where it can just be exhausting and so different, I think, than we could expect it to be. And so talk to us. I know you have transitioned for me, a teacher and working in curriculum design. Can you talk to us about that? I know you said you love curriculum development. How did you actually start working as a curriculum developer?
Khiana Wheeler
So I actually started working in curriculum development, I would say, right around when the pandemic first started, and we were told you're going to have to go home, and you won't be coming into a classroom every day, and you're going to have to figure out how to get all these 120 so students to your class online each day and make sure that the learning doesn't stop, that they continue to get you know what it Is that they need to be successful. And so, of course, during that time, it was really down to me and and, you know, all the educators to kind of just come up with our lessons. At that time, the school that I was working at was. It was a one to one school, so all my students were real familiar with using their devices, electronic devices being online. They did a lot of you know their assignments and things like that through digital submissions and things like that, but actually logging into zoom each day and teaching six periods, six classes a day, you know, to to multiple students, it was quite an adjustment. But just taking what it is that we already had, the instruction that we were kind of already doing, and kind of leveling it up in a sense, and tailoring it and making it accessible to students. That's kind of where the curriculum part kind of came in. It's like, how can I make sure that these kids really get these concepts? Because, as you know, science is a whole thing in itself, and so there's a lot of concepts that they have to understand and grasp and learn, and so during the pandemic is where I really kind of started honing in on that. I during that time as well. I also started picking up kind of some side contracts and things like that. So working with a lot of publishing and educational companies and things like that, helping them to develop their curriculum. Because we were all in the same boat around that time. Everybody's like, where do we get material? Where does it come from? And so at that time, it was, you know, massive, you know, this mass companies trying to find material to give to schools or give to, you know, individuals and things like that, to keep the learning going. And so I started really heavily getting into more of the contract, free, freelancing and doing a lot of that. And so I got pulled in on quite a few projects and things like that. And so from there, I'm like, I could probably do this full time. Like, I kind of like this.
Lily Jones
Yeah, that's great. And so I love how you thought about doing the curriculum into your class first, right? Like the year. That's an understatement, and really thinking about what you had to adapt for your own classroom, while also kind of having this parallel track of exploring creating resources for other companies or organizations. I think it's interesting that hearing you talk about how, like it started in your classroom, though, and so for many classroom teachers who want to transition to being a curriculum developer, it's like you can create, even if you're not in the classroom, you can create these opportunities to learn or to develop this curriculum or to try new things for yourself like you don't have to exactly till you get your first job to dive in. I think it's interesting hearing you reflect on like you were doing this kind of in your as you started working in curriculum design. So can you talk to us about like, the transition from working in a school to working with, like an educational publisher or a place where you might be doing curriculum development, what was good, what was bad, what was hard? I'd love to hear about that.
Khiana Wheeler
So actually, the story behind that is my current employer is actually a company that I did contract work for for about a year. I was on a contract project with them for about a year, um, they had brought me on to basically create their entire science curriculum for their kindergarten courses. And so I did that for about 10 months to about a year. And at that time, I was still kind of saying, Oh, do I want to be in the classroom? Do I not want to be in the classroom? I was still kind of, you know, at that point. And I think what kind of struck for me is that the company that I was working with at the time, or actually, I had just finished up a contract with, they were looking to hire someone full time to come in office and work and develop all of their science curriculum. And so I was like, Okay, maybe that's my sign. Maybe that's my decision to, you know, change, to pivot a little bit. And so it actually, really just started from a conversation. Of course, they had already saw what I was knowledgeable at and what I was capable of doing. So they were very well versed. As far as I was concerned, but it was more of just coming in for a conversation, kind of, you know, understanding like you This is, you'll be writing all day. That'll be your cast all day. You don't have to worry about the kids. You don't have to worry about sitting at, you know, sitting in your classroom, waiting for a bathroom break, when the bell? When is the bell going to ring? How many papers to grade, and all those things. And so from that conversation, I just kind of it was a no brainer for me, in a sense that this is definitely something I want to pursue and I want to try.
Lily Jones
That's great, and that's great for. Wanted to hear too, because often people wonder like, oh, When should I start applying for a full time role if I want to leave the classroom? You know, we're all on this school schedule, but oftentimes it does start with a contract or a freelance role, and connection those relationships, and you also get to try working with this organization and see if you like it. And so I think that it's possible for people to start with, like a contract role or freelance role, that often can really open up the door and help you build opportunities there. I agree. I agree with that. And so transitioning to working as a curriculum developer, can you talk to us a little bit about your approach and how you make sure that curriculum stays engaging and effective for diverse learners.
Khiana Wheeler
Yeah. So definitely, one thing is that we are, I guess, the organization that I work for, we are heavily aligned to a lot of the state standards. So often, a lot of the curriculum that we're developing are directly for Texas. So it's good, in a sense, because these are all things that I've taught. I taught the I know these things. I know what I've done in a classroom. I kind of, I know what worked for, you know, my students, things like that. So I kind of approach it from that landscape, like, what did I do in the classroom? What what helped my what really helped my students? And one good thing about when I first started teaching, I taught in Dallas public schools, which is like the second largest public school system in adherent in Texas. And the school that I actually taught at, there were more than 31 different languages spoken. So my classroom was filled with all kinds of students with different backgrounds and things like that, and trying to get this melting pot of kids to understand these things, you know, was really a challenge. But it was through those times that I was kind of, you know, you're able to figure out what works and what doesn't work. How can you, you know, how can you differentiate this instruction so that it fits with, you know, these groups of students, and so, like I said, that that the the classroom background was really helpful. In honor, okay, what? What's the flow? What's the things that I don't need? How's this? How's what I'm writing not going to help? You know, ultimately, give get me to the goal. So having that knowledge was very helpful. Um, having those experiences, like I said, was such a diverse population of student, students was also very helpful.
Lily Jones
It's so key for people writing curriculum to have that classroom experience. Because I have worked on projects with people who have it and they're creating all sorts of things that are like the work in my situation.
Khiana Wheeler
Yeah. I mean, it all boils down to, you know, different activities coming, you know, yeah, I know this isn't going to work in groups. Or this probably be better individual setting. Or, you know, you know, maybe a small group, you kind of know what? Okay, nah, yeah, that'll work. Or so, yeah, it does give you a better understanding.
Lily Jones
Absolutely, and being able to go back to those things like, Oh, wait, I did that before, and that didn't work. Or when I did that, oh, I made that modification. And so being able to, I see curriculum development often as like, a next level of like, you figured these things out in your classroom, and now you get to share it in a different way. And so I think that the first step, though, is figuring it out in your classroom and developing that understanding and then being able to go forward Exactly, exactly. So what would you say we are the most challenging and rewarding things about working as a curriculum developer?
Khiana Wheeler
Um, most rewarding thing is, is knowing that I am creating resources and things for both educators and students to use now and in the future, knowing that I'm putting something out there that is going to be a benefit, you know, to those who come across it, I think the most challenging thing is, probably trying to not do everything in the kitchen sink, kind of balancing out the creativity aspect. Oh, this will be great, and they could do this, and this would be wonderful, and this will be awesome. But then, knowing that too, a lot of the curriculum, there are standards, there are guidelines, there are things that you know you kind of have to follow, and sometimes you have to pull back. You can't do all the things all the time. So I think that was that would probably be the biggest challenge. It reminds so much I want them. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, exactly so much you want to do. We we're going to do this activity and this activity and all these things. But, you know, don't necessarily always have the, you know, the container sure that to be able to do that.
Lily Jones
yeah, and not. I mean, I think both with teaching and with writing like you can always make it better. And that's a blessing and a curse.
Khiana Wheeler
Yeah. Because then you get to that point after you've done something, and then you're like, you know, I should have did this.
Lily Jones
Yeah, right. So thinking about people who maybe want to make that transition from being a teacher to a curriculum developer, I'd love to hear if you have advice for them, particularly maybe around curriculum portfolios and what they should include.
Khiana Wheeler
Um, I definitely say, Keep a keep good record of your assets. If you're creating, if you're making things, you know, Google Drive, if you can dedicate one folder or one thing to that and throw all the things, everything that you come up with, everything you do how I don't care how minute it is, a simple lesson plan, you know, an assessment, some questions, whatever it is that you do, just keep your assets because they you often times, especially if you do contract freelance, you know, you know, a lot of times they're going to ask for samples. They're going to ask for things like that. So you have some of those things readily available that'll make the process a lot easier. Um, and taking on those freelance and contracting projects, I think, are also helpful, because they they give you help, give you the materials that you might need for your portfolio. So I definitely think you know, if you can take on some of those opportunities, those can be a big benefit as well.
Lily Jones
And the samples and uh, although, really, because it's the closest that you'll come to, like, the actual work that you're doing. And so I love that advice of, like, yeah, if you can take out some contract roles, or even if you're just getting started, you can create samples, you know, and you can think about and put it in Google Drive. Like, it doesn't have to be fancy, right? It's just, it's the approach.
Khiana Wheeler
Yeah, I know when I first got it got started, oftentimes I would go to, you know, some of the companies that I knew that hired for a contract or freelancing, and oftentimes they would have their own samples there. And so you can kind of use those as a mimic or a mirror to kind of say, Okay, this is what they produce for their clients. I can create something to say, you know, similar to to that as well.
Lily Jones
Smart, yeah, look at what's already out there, and then thinking about your own journey of working as a curriculum developer, what do you think you've learned, either professionally or about yourself through the process?
Khiana Wheeler
I would say, definitely working beyond the classroom has kind of taught me more so how to be more adaptable, oftentimes working in curriculum, especially even though, even though I, you know, you I work in a office four times a week. It, you know, there, there are always there are forever changes. And I don't necessarily work like what I do for science is what I do for science there. It's just me. You know, you might have a math writer, you might have a, you know, language arts writer, but sciences, that's just what I do. And so you don't necessarily always have someone there to bounce science ideas around at your job. So oftentimes it's just about, okay, okay, I can still talk to my, you know, my math counterpart, and say, okay, when you do your lessons, how do you do, you know, do such and such. How does it work for you? So just, you know, understanding that, no, I'm not, I'm not going to be in a classroom with, you know, 3440 students, you know, every other hour, and that I'm not necessarily going to have a big group of educators that we're meeting with and having PLC and, you know, able to talk through what's working, and you have data right in front of you to kind of see how students are doing with, you know, the lessons you delivered and things like that. So you you definitely have to be very adaptable in that sense, and just pivot when need be, when things aren't working, or, you know, just be willing to just say, hey, this isn't working, and kind of change the flow of things.
Lily Jones
And I like how you're seeking out this collaboration opportunities. So, like, even though you might not have. This professional learning community at a school that's right there and like, ready to collaborate with. You could think about, all right, are there people on my team like you were saying the math the curriculum driver, or, you know, creating those opportunities for collaboration and bringing that forward, like creating your own PLC there exactly. So do you have any last advice for people who might want to leave the classroom and try something new or work in curriculum development?
Khiana Wheeler
Um, I definitely one piece of advice would be definitely to leverage your teaching experience, because it is valuable. And so whether that's taking inventory of things that you currently do, or maybe there's some things that you can work on while you're, you know, if you're still in the classroom, maybe some things you can work on to kind of get a, you know, hone your skill set, then definitely do that, but definitely take advantage of your teaching experience. Like you say, a lot of the companies are looking for, you know, individuals with a teaching background. So knowing what it is that you do, what you're capable of doing, what your strengths are, and things like that, it's definitely helpful. Building up that strong portfolio with your you know, your different materials, like you said, whether or not that's things that you've created in the classroom or things that you've created doing freelance contracting, or just things that you've come up with, just building out your portfolio, it'll probably be most helpful. And yeah. Definitely don't be afraid to put yourself out there, because you will be surprised of what the needs are, of some of you know, some of these organizations before, some of these companies, something that you might think is minute or small it's like, okay, you're just the person that we were looking for. This is just the skill that we needed. You're able to see it from this perspective, or do it in this way. And it's really, you know, that could be really refreshing.
Lily Jones
I see that a lot too, you know, teachers thinking, oh, you know, I'm around teachers all the time. I don't think that my experience is unique, because I'm around all these science teachers, or whatever it might be. But then going to organizations where it's, like, you know, a whole bunch of programmers, or, like, you know, people who have a different that are experts, yeah, also valuable, but they're looking for science educators or whatever it might be. And so just seeing that, even though you're around teachers all the time, and you might not feel like your experience is unique to some people. It's unique and it's exactly what they're looking for. And no matter what, it's valuable
Khiana Wheeler
Exactly, exactly.
Lily Jones
Well, it's wonderful talking with you, Khiana Can you tell folks how they can connect with you?
Khiana Wheeler
I am mostly on LinkedIn. You can find me on LinkedIn under Khiana Wheeler, I am happy to connect with fellow educators curriculum developments, the gamut, whoever, but you can find me there. I've in the past, I've definitely, I've posted resources on kind of helping people transition and pivot into career and curriculum development, so I'm always available for questions and things like that. So I definitely look me up on LinkedIn.
Lily Jones
Wonderful. We put the link in the show notes again. Alright, thanks so much Khiana.
Khiana Wheeler
Thank you Lily.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai