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We’ve all been there. An educational consultant comes into your school for professional learning and all you get is a glorified PowerPoint Presentation full of strategies you’ve already used that don’t work. You leave the meeting angry that once again forty-five minutes of your time was wasted just to garble up a bunch of acronyms.
Sadly, this is the experience that most teachers have with people who come into their schools to be a “fixer”. These people come in without recent classroom experience and “cherry coat” any problem that teachers on the front lines are enduring. However, what if things were different?
- What if the consultants who come into our school were actual teachers?
- What if the consultants were laser-like in their expertise and could help you immediately?
- What if districts paid teachers as well as they paid their educational consultants?
These are all questions that teachers have all thought about but haven’t had the “authority” to answer- until now. Since the rise of teacherentreprunurs (including Teachers Pay Teachers gurus, bloggers, etc.) there are teachers who are not only getting recognized for being experts in their field but are able to really help other teachers by going into schools and consulting to actual solve problems.
Wait…… Am I saying that not all educational consultants are evil ? Can we relax a bit when we see them about to present to teachers?
Yes, if actual teachers take their expertise and transition into educational consulting. In 2016, there are estimated tens of thousands of educational consultants and there should be more of them that are actual teachers. Teaching is one of the professions that learn better when learning from other educators. If you don’t believe me, go into any school during any planning period and witness teachers collaborating to provide solutions for their issues.
For one, it’s no secret that teachers struggle to make what is comparable to our expertise. Consulting is a great way to supplement our income. Independent consultants can make upwards of $2,500 per day to come in and help teachers. <insert facepalm> That’s right. More than what many classroom teachers make in one pay period. Despite claims that we do “it” for our love of students, we also love to pay our bills and actually have a retirement. So, if I have the choice..I want a teacher to teach me.
As an Instructional Coach, my job was very similar to a consultant- helping teachers. I had to figure out what the “pain points” of teachers in my buildings and I developed professional learning that could help them immediately. I had teachers who welcomed my help and I had others who were “cold” until they found out that I knew my pedagogy.
As a consultant, you have to be ready to support (happy, angry, disillusioned) teachers in making their jobs happier. If you’re not ready to do that you’re not ready to be a consultant.
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