You’ve probably heard the word teacherpreneur before, and you’ve probably heard a wide variety of definitions as well. My personal definition is “an educator who has a passion for finding opportunities to make a difference, share their knowledge and expertise, and innovate the world of education to increase student success.”
If you’re anything like me, you might have business ideas flying through your head most days. Maybe you’ve been landing on that one specific idea over and over again. Or maybe you’re a creative person who loves finding solutions to problems, and a friend or family member has, at some point, told you that you should start a business.
So, are you a teacherpreneur? Should you consider starting something with your idea?
Here are 5 signs to look for, that show that you might be a teacherpreneur.
1. You’re always looking for ways to innovate your classroom to reach more students.
Your students are the center of your focus. You are almost obsessed with reaching them all, and you see every day as an opportunity to try something new and increase your impact.
2. You have a passion for creating unique experiences for your students, that supercharge learning and increase engagement.
You don’t just flip the page in a textbook and have your students read. In your classroom, experiences drive engagement, because you know that engaging your students more will increase their success.
3. You lose sleep when you can’t reach that one student.
A teacherpreneur is a teacher first. No matter what ideas and solutions come into your head, your students (all students, really) and their success will always be the most important thing to you. So much so, that you find yourself awake at night thinking of ways to reach that one student that didn’t quite get there today.
4. Your administration, colleagues, and students are noticing the things you’re doing and the impact they are having.
You’re making an impact, and your admin team and colleagues are starting to notice that what you’re doing works, even if it’s a little different. More importantly, your students love how you teach, and they know you care about them.
5. You see a problem, and you know you have the solution.
You’ve always known that there are a lot of problems in the world, even outside of the current educational system. And anytime you come across a problem, your mind tends to brainstorm solutions. Maybe now you’ve noticed that your brain keeps coming back to that one specific problem, and the solution you know can help. You might be thinking to yourself, “I need to share this. People need to know about this. I can help people.”
So, what do you think? Are you a teacherpreneur?
Do you have an idea you think that positively impact others?
