TeachBoost’s newest recruit, Ben Stern, is a former teacher and technology integrator, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring him on board—who better than an educator can help us understand what schools really need? In a recent EdSurge article, “Five Tips for Making the Leap from Teaching to Edtech,” Ben shares lessons learned during his transition from the classroom to the edtech space:
Once you’ve put a toe in the startup waters, you’ll know how ready you are to dive in. It’s not easy. Teaching is a relatively secure job. Startup work, by its very nature, isn’t. Moreover, working for a startup is fulfilling and rewarding, but in a much different way than teaching.
At TeachBoost, I hope to help thousands of administrators improve their teacher effectiveness, which will ultimately benefit students. But at the same time, I’m also giving up the joys unique to teaching: inspiring a love for reading and writing, for engineering, for leadership; helping kids become better people; and more. Are you sure you’re ready to do the same?
One way to know is to move into a professional development role first. When I became a technology integrator, I worked primarily with teachers. I missed my kids and my classroom, but I enjoyed helping other teachers find ways to inspire students using technology. This experience made the transition into edtech—one more step away from the kids—less jarring.
We know how hard it can be to make any career transition, especially when it involves leaving students that you love. Fortunately, at TeachBoost, we know we’re supporting educators in the best way we know how, and that, in turn, benefits those students we hold dearly.
Shoot Ben an email to say hello and congrats at ben@teachboost.com!
