ABSTRACT
Museum education leaders often find themselves thrust into greater responsibility without an opportunity to prepare themselves for the challenges ahead. In this article, I discuss my own struggles transitioning from manager of a specific program area to oversight of an entire education department. This transition happened unexpectedly, and the opportunity for promotion arose faster than I had planned for. I recount the difficulty learning the content and pedagogy associated with programs with which I was not familiar, concerns I had advocating for these program areas to senior management and external partners, my feeling of isolation given I had no peers at the institution with the same responsibilities as myself, and my struggle to balance the needs of the institution as a whole with those of my department – especially when they seemed at odds. I recount the efforts I have made to grow into the position, my successes and continuing challenges, and the need for opportunities to more formally prepare museum education personnel for growing responsibility as they progress in their careers.
