If you have experience as an educator or a degree in education, it’s likely that you first began your interest in the field because you enjoy seeing people reach their potential and grow. For some educators, part of being in the field of education also means seeing other opportunities to use their training. If you’re an educator looking to put your skills to use in less conventional ways, read on for ideas on how your degree and skills could make a big difference the same way it did or does in the classroom.
Teaching Businesses How to Protect People
Any educator who has experienced being part of a school tragedy, shooting or other threat understands just how important safety is. For educators coming from traumatic backgrounds that might make them passionate about safety, there are opportunities to work in fields that enhance school and business security.
Current and recent events have shown us the global impact of data management trends and just how important data can be in several ways. If you have an education background in math or the sciences, you might be someone who’d enjoy putting those skills to use at a place like LifeRaft. LifeRaft customers use their software to monitor and search the internet for specific issues relating to their business, school, or general security. A LifeRaft customer will be alerted when someone makes a threat on social media, blogs/forums, or the dark web to the physical security of their businesses, educators, students, buildings, or operations. That is, if someone were to post a threat against a school, community, or business on Facebook, it would notify the right business leaders, educators, or authorities.
Are educators interested in psychology, group dynamics, or sociology could be great in careers at a place like LifeRaft when answering questions like what is a common method used in social engineering? Analytical thinkers could use those skills to stay on top of program updates and trends, too. This would ultimately result in a safer world for teachers, students, and business professionals alike.
Becoming a Behavioral Consultant
If you’re less technically inclined but fascinated by psychology and human behavior, an online BCBA masters programs could be a great next step for you. As a behavioral analyst, you could work with people struggling with substance abuse, children with behavioral disorders or on the autism spectrum, or even in large businesses trying to bring cohesion to teams. A behavior analysis degree means you’ll be trained on human behavior, how to predict behavior, and ways to impact change. Much like your educational background taught you ways of helping people reach their potential, a BCBA degree could do the same.
Becoming a Child’s Advocate
If you’re an educator who can’t quite pull yourself away from children, a great position for you might be in working as a child’s advocate. In cooperation with state agencies, it’d be your job to work as a court-appointed special advocate to make recommendations to judges in at-risk family court cases. Like a guardian, you would meet with biological and foster parents and play a key role in giving a child a voice when it comes to their custodial placements and individualized education plans. In this capacity, you’d also be in the position to mentor a child too. If child advocacy could be something that interests you, start with a Google search for CASA in the United States.
In conclusion, there’s no doubt that a degree in education is something that you can use in various settings if teaching no longer feels right for you. Whether you use your training to become a behavior consultant, help people with substance abuse addictions, help protect private information or against threats, or work as an advocate, knowing your options is a great first step in making a valuable difference.
