In my life I have been many things; a manager, a landscape designer, a parent, a homeschooling teacher, a writer, a blogger, and a content creator. I have made all different kinds of impacts; and incomes. The one thing that has been common throughout all of these is that I have been teaching something I know, to someone else, to make an aspect of their life easier. That’s it. Why then is there such a difference in what I got paid? 

The Problem with Teaching Today

There are thousands of incredible teachers out there—educators who shape the minds of children, guide young adults through college, and help career professionals reskill for a changing world. These teachers are passionate, skilled, and dedicated. Yet, despite the impact they make, most aren’t paid anywhere near what they’re worth. They are sitting right in the same qustion that I had when I started writing this, what do I have to do to make a living doing what I love?

This is a problem. We ask teachers to inspire, challenge, and transform lives, yet their financial compensation rarely reflects their value. It’s no wonder so many educators experience burnout or leave the profession entirely.

But what if there was a way to keep teaching—on your own terms—while earning what you deserve?

The truth is, your knowledge is valuable beyond the traditional classroom. People are actively looking for ways to learn new skills, and with the rise of digital education, they don’t need to sit in a classroom to do it. The best part is that you can teach them, while still keeping your job and teaching those you love. 

That’s where teaching through books and courses comes in.

If you’re an educator, you already have everything you need to reach a global audience. You just need a new way to package your expertise—and that’s exactly what I’m setting out to learn. 

On one of my other websites LearningTodaysAI.com, I am working on creating a library of books to help others learn AI step by step. Eventually, I will turn these books into courses. I started planning the first book, but then I stopped and asked myself:

How do I make the writing process better for the reader?

After all, they’re the ones wanting to learn about the world. I should be teaching directly to them. So, before I went any further, I started looking into what makes great one-on-one teaching. I don’t want my books to feel like they’re lecturing to the masses. I want them to feel like we are sitting in a coffee shop, learning one-on-one. This led me deeper into educational theory.

One thing led to another, and now I’ve decided to take a deep dive into research on how to become a better teacher.

My Next Book Won’t Be About AI—It’ll Be About Teaching

So, the next book I write won’t actually be part of the AI book library I’m building. Instead, I’m going to thoroughly research and write about what it takes to become an exceptional teacher.

Because before you start teaching, you should sharpen your skills first, right?

But where do I start?

A quick search showed me that this isn’t an easy question to answer. There are so many types of teachers, so many different educational levels. How would anyone who wants to become a teacher ever know where to begin?

Finding My Answer in My Readers

Instead of trying to answer this broad question all at once, I decided to focus on my audience. According to The Learning Study published by Wylie Communications, Inc., the average American adult reads at a 7th to 8th-grade level. 

Luckily for me, I have a soon-to-be sixth grader who loves to read. She reads above her grade level. That gave me an idea: If I write this book as if I’m writing for my daughter, I will naturally be writing at the level of my average reader.

So now I have my answer. If I study the skills needed to teach middle school education and comprehension, I’ll develop a strong foundation for writing at the right level.

The Next Challenge: Teaching Adults, Not Kids

But here’s the catch—I don’t want to teach middle school. I want to teach adults about the world of AI. I want to help them understand and apply AI, make their lives easier, and secure their jobs as the world changes how we work once again.

So now I have a new question:

How do I take teaching techniques designed for middle schoolers and apply them to adults who are learning something career-changing?

In order to answer this question, I need to understand how adults learn differently from children. Middle schoolers rely on structured guidance, frequent engagement, and simplified explanations, while adults bring prior knowledge, real-world experiences, and a need for immediately applicable skills. Adults learn best when they can see direct benefits, have control over their learning pace, and engage in problem-solving rather than rote memorization.

By applying cognitive science principles, structuring content for self-paced comprehension, and using real-world applications, I can translate effective teaching strategies from middle school education into formats that make learning engaging and practical for adults. This is where research into instructional design, asynchronous learning, and teaching methodologies becomes crucial.

Bridging the Age Gap: How Learning Science Can Make You a Better Teacher (Even in Books & Courses)

At this point, you might be thinking that this is a lot to take in. And honestly, it is—because learning how to teach effectively is just as important as the content itself. If you want to create books and courses that truly resonate, you have to understand how people learn.

Instead of overwhelming you with everything at once, I’m going to break this process down into individual, deep-dive articles covering the core concepts behind effective self-directed learning. This way, we can explore each element step by step, making it easier to absorb and apply.

Here’s a preview of the topics I’ll be exploring in the coming weeks:

1. Traditional vs. Self-Paced Learning: Which Is Better?

Traditional classroom teaching allows for real-time interaction and immediate feedback. Self-paced learning, on the other hand, gives learners the freedom to digest information on their schedule—but also requires them to stay motivated without an instructor present.

• How do these two models compare in effectiveness?
• What are the best ways to design learning materials that fit both approaches?

2. Live Teaching vs. Asynchronous Learning: Pros & Cons

Many online courses offer a mix of live (synchronous) sessions and self-paced (asynchronous) materials. But which one is more effective?

• Why do some people thrive in live, discussion-based settings while others prefer self-paced learning?
• How can you combine both strategies when writing books or courses?

3. The Most Common Mistakes in Self-Directed Learning Materials

One of the biggest challenges in writing educational content is avoiding information overload. Too much information, poor structure, and unclear guidance can frustrate learners.

• What are the biggest mistakes in self-directed learning?
• How can you make sure your book or course guides learners effectively?

4. Applying Cognitive Science to Make Learning Stick

Science has shown that active recall, spaced repetition, and cognitive load theory all play a huge role in retention.

• What brain science principles can you use to improve your teaching?
• How can you apply these concepts in books and courses?

5. The Feynman Technique: The Secret to True Mastery

Richard Feynman once said that if you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it well enough.

• How can you use the Feynman Technique to teach complex ideas in simple, digestible ways?
• How can this technique improve both your teaching and your writing?

Want to Teach What You Know? Let’s Do This Together.

If you’re an educator—or just someone with expertise worth sharing—this process might be exactly what you’ve been looking for.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be deep-diving into each of these topics, breaking down how to turn what you know into engaging, effective books and courses.

Are you interested in teaching what you know in a new way? Let me know what you think—what’s the one topic you’d love to teach the world?