Show Notes

In this episode, I talk with Sarah McNeil, a former teacher with the Los Angeles Unified School District who is now the Director of Consulting at Thinking Maps. Sarah’s transition story is unique and provides a fantastic model for educators who love the classroom but are curious about other opportunities.

Sarah was "hand-picked" by Thinking Maps after she impressed the company’s founder at a professional development session. This led to a "moonlighting" gig where she worked as a trainer on her "off time" while still teaching full-time. She shares how this "test drive" allowed her to discover a new passion for teaching adults, what it was like to make the leap, and the "steep learning curve" of moving into a management role. We also get into her "table stakes" for hiring other teachers for her team—it's about more than just classroom experience.

• The "Accidental" Start: Sarah was sent to a Thinking Maps training, fell in love with the "visual language" for learning, and was "trained as a trainer" for her own school site.
• The "Moonlighting" Phase: A wildfire led to an emergency call from the company's GM, asking her to lead a training. This began a years-long period where she worked as both a full-time teacher and a part-time trainer.
• The Leap: This "test drive" was critical. It allowed her to discover that she "fell in love with teaching teachers." She admits she probably wouldn't have left the classroom without this experience.
• Hiring Teachers for PD: Sarah explains why not all great teachers make great presenters. She needs people who can "read a room of adults" who are often "exhausted, frustrated, and overwhelmed."
• Advice: Find Your Passion Route: Teachers have an "insane" skill set (flexibility, time management, creativity). She advises finding the part of education you love—like creating content or presenting—and finding a new "route to channel that passion."

Episode Article

Many teachers who love their students and their craft still feel a pull toward something new, but the idea of leaving the classroom for an unknown corporate world can be terrifying. My guest, Sarah McNeil, found the perfect solution: she "test-drove" her edtech career while she was still teaching.

Sarah was a "die-hard classroom teacher" who never planned on leaving. Her principal sent her to a 5-day professional development on Thinking Maps, where her enthusiasm caught the eye of the author. She was "trained as a trainer" and began implementing the visual learning strategies at her own school. Then, a California wildfire created an unexpected opportunity: the company's general manager called her "out of the blue" to see if she could take over a training they couldn't get a facilitator to. She said yes, and her "moonlighting" career began. For years, she taught full-time and worked as a trainer for Thinking Maps on her "off time."

This side-by-side experience was a "gift." It allowed her to discover a new passion she never knew she had: she "fell in love with teaching teachers." When she had her second child, she faced a "fork in the road" and had to choose. Because she had already proven her skills and passion in the new role, the choice was clear. She admits she would have never made the leap without the chance to do both jobs at once.

Now, as the Director of Consulting, Sarah hires other educators to join her team. But her criteria are very specific. It’s not enough to just be a good teacher. "There are fabulous teachers out there... who are not comfortable and not interested in standing up in front of a room and presenting," she explains. She needs people who can command a room of "exhausted, frustrated, and overwhelmed adults." Her new hires must have deep classroom credibility, but also the "intangible" skill of being able to engage, read a room, and pivot for an adult audience.

Her advice for teachers is built on this insight. "Figure out what part of education really lights your passion," she says, whether that's creating content, presenting, or analyzing data. She believes teachers often leave not because they've lost their passion, but because they are "looking for another route to channel that passion." She urges educators to "be aware of your skill set, leverage that skill set," and find that new route—because the "insane" ability of teachers to be flexible, creative, and manage stress is an asset any company would be lucky to have.