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You have been passionate about education since you were young, but now that you are facing a decision about your career, you know that teaching is not the right path for you. Teaching is an undeniably rewarding job, but it is also unimaginably difficult, with long hours, low pay and an extreme amount of emotional work. Not everyone is cut out to be a teacher — but you can still contribute positively to education by pursuing any of the following degrees.
Instructional Design
Instructional design is a formal term that describes the work of creating learning experiences and materials. Most teachers gain experience in instructional design during their certification programs so that they can develop syllabi and lesson plans for their classrooms. However, because education depends on effective instructional design, most schools and school systems are eager to hire knowledgeable and skilled instructional designers. As the world of online learning grows and evolves, instructional design is in even higher demand. You might enroll in an instructional designing course to determine whether this field feels right for your career in education.
Education Administration
Teachers are responsible for their classrooms, but for more than one classroom to function effectively, the school relies on careful and committed school administrators. Administrators are education professionals who manage operations to include staffing, budgeting, programming and recordkeeping. Most administrators work at the school level, but some help supervise entire districts. Sometimes, teachers tired of the classroom migrate into administration, but more often, administrators train specifically for these roles. You can explore education administration programs online to learn more about the knowledge and skill required to flourish in this role.
Counseling
Many schools offer students access to counselors, who develop relationships with students to provide necessary support in academics as well as in personal struggles. School counselors might help students choose courses that suit their interests and strengths and develop plans for college or future careers. Counselors can also be critical in identifying students suffering from serious concerns like abuse, addiction, depression and more. All school counselors must undergo rigorous education and training to prepare for the strenuous emotional work of providing this kind of service to students.
Program Management
In addition to academics, many schools maintain a diverse array of additional programs to engage students in healthy and beneficial activities that build knowledge and skill. To manage these programs, schools and school systems tend to hire program directors, who function like school administrators for these specific extracurricular programs. For younger students, program managers might organize after-school care; for older students, program managers might supervise clubs, find funding for teams or direct marketing campaigns to attract students to available programs.
Policy Design
Government officials are not experts in education, but they are largely responsible for the funding and policies that affect how schools and school systems operate. Thus, government agencies, representatives and other policy-makers will often rely on policy and research teams that have more expertise in specific fields. You might study to become a policy designer for education, helping to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current system to ensure that government workers have what they need to give educators and students the best possible foundation for learning.
Early Childhood Development
Many early childhood development experts become educators in daycares, preschools and elementary schools, but teaching is not the only career option for graduates in this field. Early childhood development is a relatively young field of study, and research into early childhood development is yielding incredible discoveries about how humans grow and learn. By contributing to early childhood development as a researcher, you can contribute to greater understanding of the needs of young children, which can improve pedagogy in school systems around the world.
Museum and Library Studies
Schools are not the only institutions where education occurs. Students and teachers alike rely on museums and libraries to house additional resources for learning and growth. In pursuing a degree in museum and library studies, you will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to operate one of these essential centers of culture and science. Then, you might work as a curator in a beloved museum, become a lead librarian in your community or even open your own museum or library.
Recognizing that you would not be a good teacher is the first step to finding a more rewarding career for you within the education system. Fortunately, there are many ways you can contribute to improving education, including any of the degrees listed above.
