Teaching Strategies Employee Spotlight: Ellie, Content Development Associate

From the very start of her career, Ellie was drawn to the world of early childhood education. She spent a decade in the classroom, most of it as a pre-K teacher, where she discovered both the joy of teaching and the fulfillment of mentoring new educators. Along the way, she also gained firsthand experience with the impact that curriculum and assessment can have on children’s success.

When she decided it was time to take her career in a new direction, Ellie knew she wanted to continue supporting teachers and children—even if she wasn’t in the classroom every day. That path eventually led her to Teaching Strategies, where she found the opportunity to combine her passion for education with her love of collaboration, research, and content development.

Now, as an author on the content team, Ellie plays a key role in creating and updating resources that educators rely on, from brand-new products to refreshed classroom experiences.

Recently, we asked Ellie to share her thoughts on work and life at Teaching Strategies.

Can you share a little bit of your work history and what attracted you to Teaching Strategies?

I was a teacher for 10 years prior to joining Teaching Strategies, most of which was spent as a pre-K teacher using The Creative Curriculum and GOLD. Fresh out of college, the volumes were the first set of books I received on my first day! I truly believe that using The Creative Curriculum contributed to the successful years I had in education. Throughout my years in teaching, I enjoyed spending time mentoring new teachers and supporting staff with assessment and the classroom environment.

I knew I was ready for a career outside of the classroom, but I wasn’t ready to let go of the impact I had on early childhood education. During my job search, I found out Teaching Strategies was hiring, and it all just clicked at that point. My thought was “I get to collaborate and work for the very curriculum that I spent so many years using and aligns to my values?!” I was sold, and I had to apply immediately!

Tell us about your role at Teaching Strategies. What does your day-to-day look like?

A lot of our time as authors is spent collaborating, researching, and planning out our content. I am a big fan of the research and planning involved because it keeps everything fresh and meaningful, especially with being out of the classroom the past few years. In my two short years here, I have collaborated on three new products; it has all been fascinating to be a part of! It also doesn’t always look like writing a new product: we can sometimes be working on updating content as well, whether it’s writing new Intentional Teaching Experiences or Mighty Minutes!

How does the work/life balance provided by Teaching Strategies allow you to… spend time with your family/pursue outside passions/give back to your community?

Working at Teaching Strategies has allowed me to continue focusing on my career while also raising and being present for my little ones. A few short months into my role, we were diving into a new product while I was simultaneously caring for a newborn. And throughout the entire process, I was offered so much support, grace, patience, and flexibility. Even to this day, I really appreciate how my manager and leadership encourages us to take care of ourselves and our families so that we can perform our best.

More recently, I have looked for ways to become an advocate within my local community and have joined the advocacy chapter of FLAEYC. I’m excited to get started on learning how to advocate for early learners, educators, and childcare access statewide. I honestly could not imagine reigniting that passion for early childhood if I was working with another company that didn’t allow the work-life balance that we have.

What do you enjoy most about the company culture, and what aspect would you like to see evolve?

Although we work all over the world, everyone’s willingness to help each other across departments is something I have seen throughout the company. I also feel valued by my manager and feel like our strengths are truly honored and celebrated. And last, but not least, I appreciate the ways in which the company finds ways to keep us all connected, despite working remotely.

I’m excited to see how Teaching Strategies will continue to evolve in creating new products and offering them in a variety of languages. I am hoping to witness our continuous growth in becoming a strong leader in supporting early childhood educators and children.

What is the most rewarding part of your work with Teaching Strategies?

Hearing teacher feedback on new content we worked on and launched. It really feels great to know that teachers are excited about the work we do in early childhood. I also really enjoy working with a team of individuals whose goals align with my own. We all share the same passion for early childhood, and that translates so well into how we handle our day-to-day work and show up for each other! Everyone has such a helping mentality, and it feels great to be a part of that.