Leaving the Classroom: A Transitioning Teacher Podcast

Leaving the Classroom 39: Former Teacher Turned Senior Learning and Development Specialist with Kristen Bahls

In this episode, Kristi Oliva interviews Kristen Bahls, a former teacher turned Senior Learning and Development Specialist. 

Tune in to hear:

- Kristen's story of transitioning from teaching to instructional design, including how she discovered IDOL Courses and landed her current role in just 6 weeks.

- The top 3 skills Kristen feels she brought from teaching to her new career in instructional design - adaptability, time management, and communication.

- Kristen's advice on how to successfully make the transition out of the classroom, including the importance of updating your LinkedIn and using resources like IDOL Courses to build your portfolio and interview skills.

Listen to the episode here:

Connect with Kristi on LinkedIn

Connect with Kristen on LinkedIn

Follow Kristen's on Instagram

This podcast is sponsored by IDOL Courses and is the only authorized vocational school and implementation program of its kind that not only shows you exactly how to create your job application assets and build a portfolio from scratch, but also includes credentials, mentorship, expert coaching, and paid experience opportunities in corporate instructional design and online learning for life! Learn more about the program here.

Enjoy the podcast transcription:

Kristi Oliva
Welcome to Leaving the Classroom. This is a podcast for teachers who are ready to transition out of the classroom and into a new career. Each week, I'll share stories about what I've learned moving from education to the corporate world. I'll answer the most common questions and share my best tips to help you get started. If you are considering leaving the classroom, this show is for you.

Kristi Oliva
Hello, everyone. Welcome to Leaving the Classroom. I'm Kristi Oliva. I'm so glad you're here. Today, I have with me Kristen Bahls, Senior Learning and Development Specialist. Hi, Kristen. Welcome!

Kristen Bahls
Hi. Thanks for having me.

Kristi Oliva
Yeah, I'm so glad you're here. So we met through IDOL courses and I'm so excited for you to share your story. So why don't you just start off by telling us what your background is and how you got to know IDOL courses Academy.

Kristen Bahls
Yeah, sure. So I'll go way back. My undergrad degree is actually in broadcast journalism. So it's a little bit more of a news focus on journalism. So of course, we did a lot of writing, but we did a lot of like live television, video production type things. So I, technically I could run a newscast, if I wanted to. Live TV is kind of my thing. I decided that I didn't want to pursue that and I actually went right into teaching almost immediately after college. And I did get my alt cert. And through the process of doing that, and subbing I thought, oh my gosh, teaching is going to be my forever career. I just absolutely love this. I subbed in middle school, and I ended up teaching at a high school. When I taught it was audio video production and I actually taught all levels. So I had freshmen to seniors, so about like, you know, 14 to 18 year olds all day. And we would really just like switch through the Adobe software's. I taught it all. We produced a student news cast constantly and the cool thing about doing video at a high school is that you get to have the kids for all four years. So, I was doing that, I was absolutely loving it and of course, this is like 2019, 2018. Everything's going along great and then of course, COVID hits in 2020 and it changes everything. And I was already getting my Master's in Curriculum and Instruction and I thought, oh, you know, maybe I'll use that one day. And I feel like I need to get my Master's. So I was just kind of going through the steps with that and I thought, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll use it maybe five or six years down the road and then of course, with COVID, everything's changing. My class sizes started getting bigger. We support all of the videos for the entire high school and so video projects were just coming. I mean, we were... it was everything from like live streaming announcements to sports, the jumbotron at sports games, to really... I mean, we would just have random requests, like, hey, we want to do a podcast, can you help us do a podcast? Or hey, we have this great video idea, can you do this? Hey, we want to do a commercial. So anyway, it was just a lot of stuff happening at once and it really just got to be so much. And I felt like teaching just wasn't as fun anymore. It didn't have... I didn't have the same passion for it and I really think I just got burnt out from everything. And of course, the kids kind of changed after COVID and it just wasn't the same. So I decided that I was going to leave the classroom. I started looking and I really just kind of like threw everything at the wall. And I was trying for some instructional design jobs. And then I was also trying for like some curriculum, admin jobs, and just kind of seeing what stuck. And I ended up not getting any bites back at all on the instructional design, of course, but I did hear back for an admin position as a curriculum and instruction coordinator at a high school. So I ended up switching over to that for a little bit. And then over the course of that it kind of helped me... helped me grow and learn how to work with other adults and oversee adults and do a lot of like adult presentations and then also help other teachers with curriculum and it was all in the CT area, CTE area. So I learned everything from welding to automotive and cosmetology and got to help them with that. But I realized that again, I still just wasn't finding my thing, but at least let me not have kids and constant grading and planning to do. So I was able to start building and take graphic design classes at night and I was really doing a lot of research on what it would take to transition into being an ID. Like I said, thankfully I have all that video experience. So that kind of helped me get a leg up, but I just started upskilling and upskilling and upskilling. And I knew that I wanted to change and I actually left education and started my own media production business. So I was editing videos and still trying to upskill and something just wasn't working. I wasn't getting the bites back that I needed. And I actually knew Rebecca Pollard from just being in the school system because she was a yearbook teacher. And so I had actually been to a couple of her sessions in her classes. And we had a mutual teacher friend, and I saw that she just kept posting about IDOL on her LinkedIn. And I kept finding IDOL in all the search engine results. And so I thought, okay, if I'm going to try something, it's gonna be IDOL. So then I signed up, and the rest is history and that helped me find my position. So it really connected everything for me.

Kristi Oliva
Very cool. That's so awesome. I love that. What a great story. So when did you join IDOL courses? What year or what cohort was that? Do you know?

Kristen Bahls
I joined cohort 13. So not too long.

Kristi Oliva
Okay. Yeah, not too long ago and how quickly were you able to... So tell me about that, because you already had some really good experiences, especially in that video side. So with that in mind, how long did it take you from start to finish when you started IDOL and when you were able to land the position you're in now?

Kristen Bahls
It took about six weeks, from when I started IDOL to land my position. The upskilling and all the experience before helped a lot but IDOL really helped me... The game changer was LinkedIn for sure. It helped me get my LinkedIn figured out. It helped me kind of realize all the things I needed to do. I sat in a lot of the mentor sessions and then I also sat in a lot of the guest speakers and got on the chats and started talking to people. And just that and all the interview questions and the interview prep, really is kind of what did it for me and helped connect everything together.

Kristi Oliva
Yeah, that's a big deal. That's a big deal. Well, that's super cool. So do you want to talk to us about the company you work for? Are you allowed to talk about it? Tell us...

Kristen Bahls
Yeah, I could talk a little bit about it. Yeah. So I have a contract role. I started in May and it's actually at LPL Financial. So I didn't really know what industry I wanted to go into. I was pretty open. I was trying not to have a preference. So that way I could find really anything that was available. So, I found myself in finance. Which is not where I maybe would of thought I would go but I really enjoy LPL. I mean they are so incredibly kind and my team is so supportive and they'll always say something like if you have a question, just chat with us. Don't, you know, drive yourself crazy thinking about it, just chat. And so we will just talk about problems all day long on the chat and figure things out together. And so they're very team oriented. And I mean, even just from the top down like it's life changing, especially from being a teacher, whenever you get on a Zoom meeting, and your boss's boss tells you, thank you for being here. We appreciate you so much. You guys are so awesome and they really recognize all of the work that you do. So, just that alone is incredible and they give you so much autonomy, it's just night and day difference. So LPL has been awesome. But basically what I do, as a Senior Learning and Development Specialist, is I'm more of a developer. So I do a little bit of ID, but I'm definitely very development heavy, specifically videos. I tend to get a lot of videos but I have started building some online courses. Sometimes I'm editing courses that are already there. Sometimes I'm building net new things and then I also do a lot of like graphic design and Vyond videos too. And then some work in Camtasia kind of like with screenshots and a lot... like we have a lot of different groups within LPL. So sometimes the trading group might ask for something, or another group might ask for something, or we'll do a lot of resources for their resource center. They have their own proprietary software that they create. And so we make a lot of the like help videos and help resources that financial advisors use to kind of understand how to use their specific software is kind of really what everything goes around.

Kristi Oliva
Yeah, well, it sounds like fun. And you honestly, I can just tell in your voice that it's something you enjoy doing. And it's really nice to hear that you have a job at a company that clearly values you. I think, for teachers... I know for me, you know, I've been out for four years out of the classroom, and I still will come across something that would happen to me all the time in teaching and then when I find out it doesn't happen in corporate, I'm like surprised. And I'm like, wait a second that's not normal. Like still to this day, I can't come up with a specific example, I wish I could. But there are just certain things where I'm like, Oh my gosh, that's not normal. That we weren't supposed to be having that happen to us or whatever it is. Oh, I have an example. When we had to prove that we were sick to take a sick day.

Kristen Bahls
Oh yep, yep.

Kristi Oliva
I thought that was normal because honestly, you know, we as teachers, a lot of times, we went from being in the school as a student, to then being in the school as a teacher. So that school atmosphere, you don't know anything different and as a student, you have to turn in a sick note, right? And so it didn't feel out of line to be able to... to have to turn in a sick note but now seeing the other side, I now see how that is just not okay.

Kristen Bahls
Yeah, very... so much micromanaging.

Kristi Oliva
Yeah and we just thought that that was...that was everybody has to do that. Right? Okay, fine. I guess I have to give you a... you know, a sick note, I guess. And I don't think until we get married or like, talk to our friends more, I just feel like we think that that is the norm for everybody across the board and it's just not. And so I'm sure you're seeing that with certain things, too as you work day to day.

Kristen Bahls
Definitely it is really night and day and I know everyone says that, but until you experience it, you're just like, wow, I wish I would have made the change sooner or I'm so glad that I didn't stick in it. Because unfortunately, I have a lot of friends that they passed away from stress related diseases before they could ever get out. And I know how much they wanted to. So I feel lucky that I was able to get out and find something that I do enjoy doing, for sure.

Kristi Oliva
Definitely. So tell me more about how you found this job where you said that LinkedIn was a big key for you. So is that how this job got connected with you? What did that part look like, your job search?

Kristen Bahls
Yeah. So I had... I decided that I was going to start within Robin's original course before 3.0, that 10 Day Challenge. That's when I went into the LinkedIn section, I updated all of that. And then that helped me get noticed by a recruiter and I was actually contacted by a recruiter. And then that led to a phone call. And on my phone call with the recruiter, I was actually able to troubleshoot a problem that she was having with her email. So that kind of helped set me apart. I had just, what was it? It was her email signature. So it was sending it to spam and I had just been animating email signatures a couple days earlier. So I knew that it was too large. So anyway, we talked through that and I helped her fix the problem. And she was like, Oh my gosh, IT couldn't even fix my problem, they didn't know. And so that really helped set me apart and got me an interview. And then whenever I got in the actual interview, I was really nervous because it was my first video interview. And I had rehearsed all of the different theories. And I was ready to go. And I had so many examples. And then they were so calm and so nice. And they just asked me about video. And so that helped put me at ease a lot. I was able to talk through my process, and they were asking me things and they had actually looked at my portfolio. Like you were saying similar to teachers, you know, you come in with the binders during a teaching interview. And you have all these examples. And they don't look at any of it. But they had actually looked at my portfolio before. So they asked me a lot of questions about my portfolio in the interview. So I got to talk about projects that I had already worked on. And that alone just really put me at ease and helped me know that, that was the company for me. And then they contacted me back right away, and I got the job. So that's how it happened.

Kristi Oliva
That's so awesome. So how long have you been there?

Kristen Bahls
Since May. So not that long.

Kristi Oliva
That's so awesome. Okay, so as a transitioned, successfully transitioned teacher, former teacher, can you tell me what the top three skills are, that you think you pulled from teaching, like teacher specific skills that you use every day?

Kristi Oliva
Oh you said that.

Kristen Bahls
Yeah.

Kristen Bahls
I would definitely say adaptability is number one. I mean, especially as a teacher, there were so many times where you would get Google Classroom or Google Meets or I mean, especially during COVID, you know, having to switch everything. And you are the frontline trying to figure out everything, you don't necessarily have a specific guide to know exactly what to do. And you have to troubleshoot yourself and figure it all out. And I would say that that is probably the skill that I use the most because we will have a variety of different requests, whether it's something that they want in a Storyline course or Rise course or it's a video, or it's trying to figure out a modality or software or really any kind of problem. We are constantly trying to figure things out and adapt to the technology and honestly what the client is looking for. Because even though it's all within LPL, there are so many different teams that have their own ways of doing things and they kind of have their own vision in their head that we're always trying to adapt and create. So that would be the biggest thing for sure. I think teachers underestimate their ability to Google and troubleshoot themselves and figure out things...

Kristi Oliva
Oh for sure.

Kristen Bahls
...pretty quickly and I've even had other coworkers that are like, Oh my gosh, you always Google things. I never even think to Google it. So that is definitely a teacher trait for sure.

Kristi Oliva
Yeah. I mean, we have to figure it out as teachers, nobody else is going to help us. So what were you gonna do, call the office?

Kristen Bahls
Exactly and they expect it done. So...

Kristi Oliva
Okay, what else?

Kristen Bahls
I would definitely also say time management, for sure. That's a really big one. I mean, my deadlines are really, really tight. But I'm used to it because of course, as a teacher, you know, you're always squeezing in little last minute things and emails anytime you get when you're not with the kids, or if you take five seconds to sit down at your desk. So that has been really helpful, just kind of understanding, like how long things take and what I can do in a day and being able to manage these big projects. Because I mean, it is kind of like, with lesson planning. Lesson planning is somewhat a creative process where you are having to create these things and have it ready by a certain time point. And so that really helped me whenever I have these big video projects to know like how long it would take to create them and get them done by the deadline.

Kristi Oliva
Yeah, those project management skills are... teachers have them, and I don't think they realize it, and I don't think anybody realizes it, until you hire a teacher. Okay, what else? One more.

Kristen Bahls
I would definitely say communication just in general, especially with elementary... I mean, from really elementary, middle or high school students, you have to build a relationship with someone who may or may not want to be there. And so that is a really good skill that you can bring into the office, because sometimes you will have reluctant clients that, you know, they just got thrown in as a SME and they don't actually want to work with you, and they know what they're talking about. And so you really have to communicate with them and try to understand and clarify different things just to get a project back and make sure that it meets their needs. Much like with students for sure. And or, in huge meetings where you're trying to talk to a bunch of different SMEs at once, so they're just coming at you. It's actually not that different from just being in a classroom and getting a bunch of questions all the time.

Kristi Oliva
Yep, that's so true. Okay, this is not a trick question but I'm just wondering, do you miss anything about teaching?

Kristen Bahls
Yes, I mean, I do. I miss teaching. I miss getting to go through the software with the kids. It was really fun. I mean, we were in a computer lab, so we were very computer heavy. And so we got to learn an editing software, it's Adobe Premiere Pro. So we get to learn a professional software and just seeing the spark on their faces when they'd come in and show me something that they saw from their favorite director, or a Netflix film that was edited on Premiere, and we just get to talk and laugh. And they would just love it whenever they figured out that they could do something cool that they've seen in like a Marvel movie. Or just really, I mean, all the fun that we had, together, creating and getting to see them year after year. The in person interaction is what I miss the most for sure and all the fun activities we got to do together.

Kristi Oliva
It's such a shame, because I think we all miss something about teaching and it almost feels like it got ruined for me. Like it got taken from me. Like, even though I chose to leave, the things I left were not the good parts, right? The good parts were there, and they were the ones that keep you there for so long. It's what kept me there for 15 years instead of just 10 or instead of just seven. Right? That's tough. Yeah, I agree, though. All right. Well, Kristen, everybody's gonna be so excited to talk to you, I'm sure. So what's the best way to get in touch with you? How can people contact you to find out more about what you do? Or IDOL courses Academy?

Kristen Bahls
Sure. So they can always contact me on LinkedIn. I will always answer and it's Kristin Bahls. It's B-A-H-L-S. And then if they want to follow me on Instagram, I'm at The Overdressed Teacher. I do have a podcast as well and I just like to talk about different things. Yeah, so I'm always interested on my Instagram. You can follow me and DM me and I will always respond back. But yeah, ask me any video questions, camera recommendations, any... anything like that. I love talking about video stuff.

Kristi Oliva
I love how you're showing that like you can have a niche in the teaching world, that it almost makes it easier to transfer out.

Kristen Bahls
It does. Yeah.

Kristi Oliva
Like that niche in video really served you well. So that's really cool. Thanks.

Kristen Bahls
I did get really lucky on that.

Kristi Oliva
Well, thanks for coming today. I really appreciate you taking the time to chat with me.

Kristen Bahls
Thank you so much for having me. It was so fun.

Kristi Oliva
Yeah, no problem.

Kristi Oliva
Do you want to leave the classroom and become an ID like Kristen? At IDOL courses Academy we help you build your professional portfolio, revise your resume, prepare for interviews and give you valuable feedback on what you design. Sign up for IDOL courses Academy using my code classroom100 and get $100 off enrollment. It's time to take control and make the career change that will change your life. It changed mine. See you next time.

Kristi Oliva
That's all for this episode, but you can find more at idolcourses.com or subscribe to the podcast. And if you are ready to leave the classroom, use my code classroom100 and get $100 off enrollment to IDOL courses Academy.

Send your stories or questions to [email protected] or share them with me on Instagram @leavingtheclassroom.