From Classroom to Keyboard: My Journey Towards Becoming a Published Author

Life often takes us on unexpected journeys, and sometimes, we have to make difficult decisions to follow our dreams and passions. For me, that journey began when I decided to leave my career in teaching to pursue another opportunity in the education field.

Leaving the classroom was not an easy decision to make. I had dedicated years of my life to teaching, and it was a career I was passionate about. The idea of inspiring and educating young minds had always been a driving force in my life. But education in general has changed drastically since the Covid pandemic and I knew that personally, I needed a change.

It actually started when I was on maternity leave with my daughter. Parents with young children who work full-time jobs know what I’m talking about when I say that working full time and parenting is a whole other level of exhaustion. I knew how drained I was coming home after a day teaching with only one child. What would it be like now with two? The uneasiness had me dreading returning back to the classroom.

So, what did I do? I enrolled in a doctoral program to get my Ed.D in Curriculum and Instruction. Yes, you read that correctly. My solution to having a better work-life balance was to create more work for myself. 😅

To be fair, my initial thinking with getting my doctoral degree was to become a college professor teaching preparatory classes for future educators. And I’m still pursuing my degree (I graduate in May😊). However, due to the climate of teaching right now there are fewer people entering teaching programs. I then started looking outside of college classes and into the realm of curriculum writing and development.

It took me seven months of applying to dozens of jobs (leaving teaching is NOT easy right now), but I finally landed a job as a curriculum writer for an educational company that provides curriculum to schools nationwide.

As a remote position, I have more control over my schedule. I can work from anywhere and at any time, which has given me the freedom to balance work and personal life. I can spend more quality time with my family or do things that fill my bucket (ex: go to the gym, read a book). I also found little bits of time each day that could be put toward writing stories.

In curriculum writing, I am able to use my writing skills to create educational materials that will impact the lives of students. However, a deeper passion for writing and storytelling was simmering within me, and it was a dream I couldn't ignore any longer. I could create worlds, characters, and stories that were previously confined to my imagination. My yearning to explore the world of fiction (specifically romance) was something that tugged at my heartstrings day and night. I knew that if I didn't take the leap, I would always wonder "what if?"

This transition from “classroom to keyboard” has been exciting and brought out new growth within me. I have definitely never written so much in my life. Between my novel (which is at 23,000 words), my doctoral manuscript (too many pages to count), and my regular job with writing lesson plans I am sampling all aspects of the writing realm.

I have also learned so much about the publishing world that I can’t wait to share with anyone who might also dream of becoming a published author. More to come on that soon! Follow along as I go through the process in the hopes of self-publishing my first novel by the end of 2024. 😍