Laura Bisbee is Determined to Encourage Students’ Curiosity

Whether studying psychology as an undergraduate, coordinating unique conferences for attendees from around the world, or helping link the luxury rail industry between the U.S. and Europe, Laura Bisbee has always been driven by curiosity about people, cultures, and experiences. Her diverse work background gave her a glimpse into multiple fields, but it was a career-changing realization that led her to her true calling as an educator.

“I ended up teaching English for two years in China, which really set the standard. It gave me my first taste of teaching and I really enjoyed it,” Bisbee said. “I’ve been in multiple Industries since then — I tried out tourism, journalism, marketing — I’ve been all over the place, but always found myself coming back to teaching as my favorite.”

How Bisbee Found Teaching

Bisbee already had plenty of real-world experience in a number of different fields by the time she earned her master’s degree in intercultural and international relations in 2020. With her new degree in hand, Bisbee envisioned a professional future in foreign service or tourism. In the short-term, however, Bisbee served as an office manager for international student services at a university in Utah — an opportunity that would serve as a surprising turning point in her life.

While Bisbee enjoyed planning and executing events and programs for her office’s audience, she didn’t love being confined to an office instead of working directly with students.

“I really found myself longing to be around students, and being around students as they were learning something,” Bisbee noted. “I’ve always really loved coming alongside people and bringing them into knowledge or inspiring wonder in them or just surprising them with something they’ve never known before. I find that extremely rewarding.”

Coupled with the desk-bound nature of her daily duties and the hours she had to spend outside of the traditional workday, Bisbee’s urge to have more meaningful interactions with students helped her focus on what she wanted in a future career.

“We were on a work field trip and I was thinking the last thing I really remember I enjoyed doing was when I was in China teaching kindergarten, and I never considered it my dream career, so to speak, but it was something I that brought me a lot of joy and something I felt like I was really good at,” Bisbee recalled, “and so I ended up leaving that role and looking into opportunities for alternative certificate programs, which is how I came to Moreland.”

Determined to make the transition, Bisbee enrolled in the TEACH-NOW program, which appealed to her because of its unique combination of a rigorous curriculum and flexible scheduling.

“Moreland isn’t the only program out there for getting your degree online or alternative education program by any means, but I found it to be the one that would equip me the best it’s very thorough in all the material it covers,” Bisbee said, adding, “and I was teaching full time while I was doing the program.”

Juggling Work, Studies, and Life

Balancing full-time work and teacher training can seem intimidating, but it’s manageable with the right strategies. For Bisbee, answering one big question helped keep her schedule aligned.

“I would recommend…figuring out whether you are a weekend worker or whether you are a workday worker,” Bisbee said, “so do you have more time and energy during the weekdays to get things done maybe in the evening or are you a weekend person, like you want to just bust it out all on a Saturday and a Sunday.”

Realizing she felt better doing her coursework on Saturdays and Sundays, Bisbee found aspiring teachers in her cohort who were also “weekend workers” so they could partner together to complete assignments and share ideas.

Finding Fulfillment in the Classroom

Today, Bisbee is a second grade teacher at Telos Classical Academy in Utah, where her global experiences inform her hands-on, interactive teaching approach. Working with grade two students keeps her moving, which is ideal for her energetic and inquisitive nature.

“Moving to teaching [has been] very friendly for my brain. I’m neurodivergent — I have ADHD — and so teaching is very suitable because there’s a lot of different topics I can delve into,” Bisbee said. “There’s a lot of different stimulus throughout the day and I’m also on my feet all day…I’ve just enjoyed being in an engaging, interactive career.”

A Full Circle Moment, with Support from Moreland

When she spent two years teaching in China, Bisbee didn’t imagine she would wind up finding her permanent career in a classroom years later, even if it seems like a natural fit now.

“I was never the person who pictured myself sitting at a desk, and yet that’s where I found myself eventually because that’s what I thought I was supposed to do,” Bisbee said.

These days, Bisbee has a desk in her classroom — but she only uses it when she feels like it.

If you’re looking for a career change like Bisbee’s, or if you’re already an educator and you want to open the door to new opportunities with an advanced degree, Moreland’s 100% online TEACH-NOW Teacher Certificate Preparation Program and master’s degree programs can be completed in 9-12 months to help prepare you for a fulfilling professional life and fast-track your teaching goals. Complete your no-cost application today to take the next step in your teaching journey and get more information and advice on changing careers and becoming a teacher by downloading the complimentary resource, A Career Changer’s Guide to Becoming a Teacher!