When not over scheduled with CCM&A work, I’m filling up open hours on my schedule by being a substitute teacher. I’ve always wondered what I would be like as a teacher. I’m generally good with kids, super patient, and do like to share what I’ve learned. Should be easy, right? Sorta. I’m still nervous every moment that class fills up and I have all those faces looking at me – even when all I have to do is take attendance and press play on a movie!

Now that I’ve been doing this for several months, I’ve learned that 1) real teachers are absolutely amazing because teaching a roomful of kids in hard work, and 2) the classroom setting is an easy reminder of several key marketing fundamentals:

1. Flexibility is key: Substitute teaching requires a great deal of flexibility, as you never know what grade level or subject you’ll be teaching from day to day. This ability to adapt and be flexible is a critical skill in marketing, where strategies and tactics can change rapidly depending on the market and consumer behavior.
2. Preparation is essential: Just like in teaching, preparation is crucial in marketing. As a substitute teacher, you need to prepare yourself to teach different subjects and grade levels, and in marketing, you need to prepare yourself with research and data to create effective campaigns and messages.
3. Clear communication is critical: In teaching, clear communication is essential to ensure that students understand the material. In marketing, clear communication is critical to ensure that customers understand your products or services and the value they provide.
4. Empathy helps you connect with your audience: Substitute teachers need to show empathy to connect with their students, and marketers can use empathy to connect with their customers. Understanding your audience’s needs, desires, and pain points will help you create marketing messages that resonate with them.
5. Improvisation can be helpful: Substitute teachers often need to improvise when unexpected situations arise. In marketing, being able to improvise and think creatively can be helpful when unexpected challenges or opportunities arise.

Overall, substitute teaching can teach valuable lessons about being flexible, prepared, communicative, empathetic, and creative, which are all essential skills in marketing.

Oh – one last thing: teaching middle school is WAY easier than teaching elementary. Why no opinion on high school? My freshman daughter would dread the day I walk into “her” school – even though my senior daughter desperately wants me to before she graduates!