Why I Chose Instructional Design
I’m not an accidental instructional designer; I chose instructional design very intentionally and actively tried to find a role in the field.
When I decided to leave the classroom, I knew from day one that I wanted to become an instructional designer. I didn’t spend a ton of time researching other roles. Why is that?
Because instructional design consisted of all of my favorite parts of teaching, and none of the downsides. I LOVED writing curriculum and developing lessons. Building unit plans, crafting assessment questions, designing lecture slideshows, creating activities; all of these tasks put me in a state of flow.
Delivering those lessons was not something I enjoyed as much, which is why I knew facilitator or trainer roles were not a good fit for me.
I also knew I didn’t want to learn an entirely new trade. With a Master’s Degree in education, I had already a decade of experience in this field and didn’t want to start over.
Being good at something is motivating, and I knew I was good at planning instruction and creating learning experiences. This was consistent feedback I had received throughout my career.
I did a lot of research to inform my decision, including YouTube tutorials, used textbooks, LinkedIn posts, and job descriptions.
Overall, I chose instructional design because it sounded exciting and matched my skillset. I’ve had no regrets since entering the field and I’ve been happy with my decision ever since.
