Transition From Teaching to Training and Development: The Journey of Rick Presley

Rick Presley

Science Teacher to Education Program Manager at the Supreme Court of Ohio

Rick was a high school science teacher who used his networking skills and love of science to leave teaching and double his salary within one year in a chemical industry. After gaining a variety of other learning experiences, Rick is now an Education Program Manager for the Supreme Court of Ohio.

Rick’s Science Teaching Background

Rick entered the classroom as a high school science teacher and science fair coach. One of the requirements for his course was for the students to work with a community expert for the science fair. Rick was able to network with many people in the community through these community connections and ended up working in the chemical industry during school breaks in order to supplement his teaching income.

Leaving the Classroom

When Rick’s family grew to welcoming their third child, he knew they would start to experience financial pressure. He also knew that he did not really have any option other than leaving the classroom to improve his income.

His connections with the community and finding his students mentors for his class requirement helped him see other opportunities.Rick quit teaching in June and was hired in October to work in a research and development lab for in the chemical industry.

Doing Science Was Easier Than Teaching Science

Shortly after he started his new job, he realized that doing science is easier than teaching science. His job made him feel like he was doing science fair everyday. Within one year of leaving the classroom Rick doubled his salary as a teacher. Rick worked as a research and development lab technician for seven years.

His responsibilities took him into technical service, helping clients and production staff resolve problems. He would take what he learned in the lab to the plant to teach them how to scale up batches. “I went from teaching kids who did not want to learn, to not teaching at all, to then teaching people who wanted to learn.”

Transitioning from Doing Science to Instructional Design

Missing the classroom experience, he took a job as Education Coordinator for the Red Cross Biomedical Services. While at the Red Cross, his experience with lab staff made it clear that the training material didn’t always match real world practice. Rick decided to do something about it and reported his thoughts and concerns to Headquarters. In response, the Curriculum Manager appointed him as a SME (subject matter expert) for that course. Later, when her Instructional Designer retired, she hired Rick to take her place where he designed training for the next eight years.

“Getting out of the classroom allowed me to be a better Instructional Designer, because of the real world practice I had working face to face with students in a classroom.”

Rick was eventually promoted to curriculum manager but left the Red Cross in 2012. He worked as a freelance e-Learning instructional designer in the financial, retail, and manufacturing sectors before transitioning into state government work. Now Rick is an Education Program Manager for the Supreme Court of Ohio. He is dedicated to managing online education programs for them full-time.

Reminiscing the Classroom

Rick explains how it is fun to still see his students succeeding because of him. He loves running into his former students in the community and on social media.

Advice to Teachers

You are not trapped. Some teaching skills are transferable from teaching students to training adults.
Establish a large network of professionals in the world, both face to face and on social media.
Network. Find areas of interest to you and attend trade shows. Be present anywhere people congregate.
Although your immediate network and the first line of contacts may not know of any opportunities, always make sure to explore the networks of your networks to see if they can help. Ask your contacts if they know someone who would know someone else who might be hiring.
Think of your specialty area within your teaching job and get a second job part-time or freelance, and it may very well lead into a full-time opportunity.
Look at the stuff you never thought you would look at before.
Rick reminds us of a quote from Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of The Black Swan: “In academia, there is no difference between academia and real life and real life there is.”

Ideas for Teachers Based on Subjects Taught

Math teachers may find some Math Teaching skills transfer into accounting, AutoCAD, drafting, etc.
English teachers usually make good writers. There are lots of opportunities in online content development.
History teachers should look at careers in library science as well as archiving and retrieving of information.

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