A Week in the Life of Picture News Education Consultants!
Hello everyone! Nur here, back with another blog, but this time with a twist — quick-fire questions to get to know the education team at Picture News!
Our Education Consultants Lisa, Jo, Chloe, and Digital Marketing Manager, Katie, help create our educational content, and they make it all happen with a perfect balance of creativity, deadlines, and (of course) plenty of coffee.
So, what does a typical week look like for them? Let’s dive in with some quick-fire questions that reveal the ins and outs of their daily lives.
- What’s the first thing you do when you sit down at your desk?
L: Turn my laptop on!
J: Put on my SpongeBob SquarePants hoodie to keep me warm and snuggly.
C: Unpack all my lunch and various meals for the day (and squeeze them into the fridge if I can find space). Though now, I bring a cool bag just in case!
K: Get my things out from my bag. If Bobbi the dog is in, I say hello to her, and chit-chat with everyone (and recap on the weekend if it’s a Monday!).
Clearly, the team has their priorities — laptops, hoodies, and snacks. Chloe might even win an award for fridge logistics.
2. How do you stay inspired when working on new resource ideas?
L: I go online for ideas.
J: I listen to my incredible colleagues and their fantastic ideas — haha, not really, my ideas are always better. (But really, theirs are fantastic too!)
C: My colleagues and bouncing ideas around really helps.
K: Learning about the impact of education and how we can help both teachers and children really inspires me.
It sounds like Jo’s modesty knows no bounds, but honestly, this team knows how to spark creativity through collaboration — and a little competition.
3. Describe a typical morning in your role.
L: Check emails, make coffee, write resources, shack mistakes, cheque mistakes, check mistakes – got there at the end, phew!
J: I get in, put on my SpongeBob hoodie, make coffee, and print all the resources before anyone else gets in. Then, I proof them with coffee (did I mention coffee?) sat at Katie’s desk next to the printer. Then, I go to my own desk, though not before making sure there’s no trace of me at Katie’s desk before she arrives, where I definitely wasn’t sat!
C: It depends on the day! Sometimes it’s resources, sometimes webinars, and always trying to get more followers on BlueSky.
K: Every day is different, but it usually starts with checking emails and planning my marketing tasks for the day.
Sounds like Jo’s secret hideout is Katie’s desk before she arrives — and Chloe juggles everything from webinars to BlueSky. Meanwhile, Lisa is on a mission to defeat typos, and Katie’s the multi-tasking queen of marketing.
4. What’s one thing you can’t start your day without?
L: Coffee — I can do anything once I have my coffee.
J: My SpongeBob hoodie and coffee.
C: Probably a snack, breakfast, and Elevenses.
K: Decaf coffee!
It’s safe to say coffee and snacks are essential Picture News fuel. Chloe’s even mastered the art of multiple breakfasts.
5. What’s your favourite current event or news topic to work on?
L: Things related to wildlife.
J: Anything involving kindness and people making an impact.
C: I like topics about the world around us — whether it’s space, animals, or the environment.
K: My favourite recent news was about pebble pinchers! But the ‘How can photos shape the world?’ pack was a standout too.
6. How do you handle tight deadlines?
L: Plan the week, write to-do lists, and don’t go home till I’m done, haha! Sometimes you just need to make quicker decisions too.
J: I just get up earlier. Coffee and my SpongeBob hoodie get me through it.
C: I prioritise and ask for help if I need it.
K: My planner is a lifesaver. I try to be realistic and ask for help when needed.
7. What’s your go-to snack during a busy day?
L: Moroccan-style hummus with carrots and breadsticks.
J: Chickpeas with a lot of salt.
C: Ideally, a pork pie. But I also like biscuits, cakes — basically anything I can grab.
K: Biscuits, and birthday cakes when someone’s celebrating!
8. What’s a surprising fact about working in education consulting that most people don’t know?
L: Every day is different — you never know what you’ll learn.
J: It’s a great opportunity to learn from other schools and teachers.
C: You could end up doing anything! The role goes in lots of different directions.
If you thought education consulting was predictable, think again. Turns out, every day is an adventure!
9. What’s your dream Picture News topic?
L: A story about how there are no problems in the world — positive stories!
J: Something about sheep.
C: Nature or wildlife.
K: A positive, happy news story in general!
10. If you could create a resource on any subject in the world, what would it be?
L: Horses
J: Sheep. Or SpongeBob SquarePants. Maybe what institutions are and how they can influence us.
C: Maybe on something like “How do you make a good cup of tea?”
K: Nature. Or something about being there for other people, or examples of people being good citizens and making an impact.
11. What’s something that made you smile or laugh at work this week?
L: Seeing the Northern Lights for the first time — thanks to Chloe linking it to a news story.
J: My colleagues picking on me (you have to learn to laugh at yourself). Also, here’s a joke: Why did the belt go to prison? Because it held up a pair of trousers.
C: Probably Bobbi.
K: We laugh every time we are in the office. We were recently laughing at Chloe’s intolerance of the word ‘brekkie’! I also recently smiled seeing how many people joined the Black History Month assembly and hearing Swarzy’s story.
12. What project or resource are you most proud of finishing recently?
L: Early years resources and helping children gain confidence.
J: Being part of the Communities resource — it was all about what makes us part of a community.
C: My secondary school event — I was nervous but nailed it!
K: Being involved with the Big Olympic Assembly and getting to meet Stef Reid beforehand – over 400,000 children attended the assembly!
Conclusion:
This has been such a fun experience, getting the chance to interview the team and write about the day-to-day at Picture News. So, there you have it — a week in the life of our Picture News Education Consultants (and Katie!). From proofing resources to crafting engaging content on wildlife and world events, the team is constantly buzzing. But we’re never too busy for snack breaks, a few laughs, or even more of Jo’s brilliant jokes.
And, of course, we couldn’t end without giving a special shout-out to the hardest-working member of the Picture News team: Bobbi the dog! Whether it’s supervising naps or keeping morale high, Bobbi is always on hand (or paw) to make sure everything runs smoothly — when she’s not “working hard” at sleeping, that is.
