Teachers, administrators, and edtech companies have a common goal: to meet student needs. Sometimes, though, it can seem like educators and edtech companies are working against each other.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Educators simply want edtech companies to do these things:

Be the solution

Find out what matters most to teachers and administrators. Then find ways to help them solve their biggest problems. If your product is a must-have solution that educators cannot do without, you have done your job.

Focus on alignment

Teachers and administrators want products aligned to curriculum standards. Nearly eight out of ten times that means aligning your edtech product with the Common Core academic standards. Only seven states have separate standards.

Identify the curriculum standards for your market, and then align your product accordingly.

Collect data

Classroom data is one of the most valuable tools teachers have. They use it on a daily basis to make instructional decisions. Finding innovative ways to collect Big Data is critical to success in education.

Your edtech data must be readily available for quick analysis. Even better, if your data migration is seamless between other edtech platforms, teachers and administrators will be more likely to choose your product over one that works in isolation.

Make it easy

The KISS method rules. By keeping it simple, you can almost guarantee that your edtech solution will be the one to which teachers and administrators turn. Educators want seamless integration and processes that are intuitive.

The longer they spend figuring out your software, the less time they have for what matters most: instruction.

Provide support 

Teachers are excellent learners, but they become frustrated quickly when they can’t figure out your technology. Their administrators don’t have the time to provide your training for their teachers. That’s your job.

Offer ongoing support throughout every phase of the adoption, and teacher – and their administrators – will appreciate your willingness to provide them the professional development and support they need.

Go beyond the role of a provider and be a partner who invests for the long term rather than just the sale.

Be realistic

Avoid coming across as the panacea for everything. Honesty is a great policy to practice when touting your edtech. If you lie or even exaggerate about your product, you will be found out. You can’t be the solution in every situation, so don’t say that you are.

In summary, provide educators what they want in edtech, and everyone benefits.