Education: Jobs Landed

As a sales rep for Pearson Education, I represent the largest educational publishing company in the world.  I am in charge of a sales territory that consists of 10 colleges and universities in Metro Detroit and Lansing, Michigan.  I visit college professors, deans, and department chairs at each of these schools to not only service my current customers, but also expand my products in other courses and departments.  I started with Pearson in Columbus, OH and was promoted to my current position in January 2011.  I chose this area because I really liked my hiring manager and the sales growth opportunity thay my terriory displayed.  My favorite part of my job is working with all the amazing professors.  I have learned so much from them and have gained an even greater respect for Michigan Higher Education!

I chose Art Education because of my passion for both teaching and Art. Teaching Art allows me to be flexible in the content I teach, constantly making connections to anything from cultural traditions around the world to the food web in the ocean. I am able to be a designer, leader, manager, caregiver, innovator, and often a counselor.  It is a very rewarding job and there is never a dull moment. I taught for 3 years in Stockton, California after I graduated college. The experience I gained helped propel me into my current position. I am more grateful now for my job in my home state and wouldn't have it any other way.

I do a little bit of everything at my job! Mainly, I do user research, which means interviewing people, usability testing our products with them, conducting focus groups, analyzing website stats, accessibility testing and compliance and more. I also do interaction and interface design work, where I take what I know about how users use our products and use it to make better, intuitive, and delightful website interfaces.

I am responsible for implementing the permanent classroom teacher’s daily lesson plans. Each of my days begins in a new classroom, with new students, and new first impressions. The most important part of my job is effective classroom management I believe that my success as a substitute is directly linked to the respect that I give my students. Each time that I set foot in a new classroom I check my ego at the door and endeavor to act as a coach rather than a dictator. I anticipate excellence rather than expect failure. Managing a class with this attitude I earn the respect of the students.