5 Reasons Educators Love Working in Curriculum Development

Teachers regularly tell me, “I love teaching, but I’m ready for something new.” They don’t want to leave education, but they want a different way to use the passion and skills they’ve spent years developing. They want meaningful work that supports students but also supports their own growth, creativity, and well-being. It’s no surprise, then, that many educators are applying their experience as a teacher to jobs in curriculum development.

Curriculum development is a career pathway that allows you to use the skills you already have. You can continue making an impact without sacrificing your well-being. 

Curriculum developers or designers create materials to improve student learning and support teachers. This can include anything from designing textbooks and worksheets to creating lesson plans and comprehensive learning units.

And this career path is in demand. According to LinkedIn’s “Skills on the Rise 2025” report, instructional design and training-delivery skills are among the fastest-growing within the education sector. 

In this blog post, we’ll explore 5 of the top reasons educators love working in curriculum development and how you can join the growing group of former teachers in curriculum development.

Why Educators Are Finding Joy and Balance as Former Teachers in Curriculum Development

Going from teacher to curriculum developer is a natural shift. As teachers, we’re already practiced at sharing knowledge in ways that different kinds of learners can understand. We’ve spent years writing lesson plans and adapting curriculum to our students’ needs.

But going beyond a teacher’s role in curriculum development and pursuing that career path full-time can have so many benefits for educators. Here are just a few of them:

1. A healthier, more flexible career path

Curriculum development, whether part-time or full-time, allows you to work remotely with more flexibility. This kind of environment naturally gives you more energy and freedom for creativity, autonomy, and room to be human.

You can take breaks when you need them, sip coffee while it’s hot, and work in ways that respect your energy rather than drain it. It’s a slower, less frenetic pace in many ways, giving you more energy, balance, and sustainability. (Imagine being able to show up as your best self.)

As a curriculum developer, you can take on freelance/contract, part-time, or full-time roles with textbook companies, EdTech product developers, nonprofit organizations, school districts, museums, cultural institutions, children’s media outlets, or even statewide educational agencies. 

There are various roles you can enjoy as a former teacher in curriculum development, including:

  • Curriculum Writer / Designer / Developer

  • Instructional Designer

  • Learning Experience Designer 

  • Assessment Writer / Designer

  • Education Content Specialist

  • Education Program Designer

  • Educational Editor

  • Subject Matter Expert

  • Professional Development (PD) Designer

2. More creativity and more of what brings you joy

Have you ever found yourself geeking out over an exciting, well-designed lesson plan? Do you get a spark of joy when you discover a new way to help students make meaning or when you try out something new in your classroom?

As a curriculum developer, you get to dream up engaging ways to help students learn. It’s about imagining new possibilities for learning. In many ways, teaching can feel constraining and limiting, but jobs in curriculum development let you do more of what likely brings you joy, such as making learning meaningful, encouraging curiosity, and designing interactive lessons. 

3. Make a wider impact beyond the classroom and improve education

One of the biggest hesitations for teachers about changing careers or stepping beyond the classroom is missing out on making a difference for students. 

As a curriculum developer, you can reach hundreds, thousands, or even millions of learners. Your impact expands exponentially as countless students and educators benefit from your work. 

When you think about the education resources, textbooks, learning plans, etc. that you use in the classroom, chances are you’ve had some ideas about how you’d improve it or make it better.  

Your expertise is needed. Education is always changing and expanding, and you can help improve education on an even wider scale as a former teacher in curriculum development.

4. Increase your income

It’s no secret that teachers deserve to be paid more. You’ve gained invaluable classroom experience and insight. 

As a curriculum developer, you can use this expertise to grow your income, whether you want a side hustle or you’d like to work full-time in curriculum development. Your deep knowledge and expertise are highly valued in curriculum development. Many education companies and organizations pay more than you make as a teacher.

5. A new way to use your strengths… in education

One of the best things about curriculum development is that you don’t have to leave education. 

There’s a reason we often think of teachers as curriculum developers. As a teacher, you have so many valuable skills and strengths that are perfect for this career, including:

  • Understanding learners’ needs

  • Communicating clearly

  • Collaborating with others

  • Designing student-centered, accessible experiences

  • Leading with empathy and equity

Curriculum development honors these strengths and lets you put them to work, with exciting new challenges and room for growth in your career. 

Educators are great innovators, always imagining better ways to help students learn and thinking of ways to make learning fun, engaging, and meaningful. Curriculum development gives you another pathway to do this, with greater sustainability, creativity, and impact.

Ready to join other teachers in curriculum development?

You don’t have to leave education to find balance, creativity, and fulfillment.

The Curriculum Development Foundations Program helps you make the leap, with expert coaching, a standout portfolio (which is key to landing opportunities!), and a supportive community cheering you on as you step into this exciting career path.

At Educator Forever, our curriculum agency specializes in training PreK-12 educators to become successful curriculum developers. In just 5 weeks, you'll gain everything you need to find and land opportunities (part-time or full-time) with confidence. 

Sign up now to step confidently into this rewarding career path.

Danielle Gagnoncurriculum development, jobs for teachers