Trying Era: A Revelation and a Request
Hey guys! The most recent episode of my podcast, Cats and Snacks, is live and I wanted to take the time to elaborate a little more on it here.
When I recorded my second episode about shedding, I had an expected reaction but an unexpected conclusion. I cried (expected) when I began to speak about some of the things I left behind while attempting to shed my teacher identity AKA Ms. Cole. In the midst of that crying, I began to question (unexpected) whether I even wanted to shed that identity. I was just overcome with emotion thinking about how much I thrived when making connections with kids, distilling information, leading them, and helping them feel seen. I had been telling myself for the past two years that I never wanted to be a full-time teacher again, and I thought I had convinced myself of this. Exiting the field was traumatic because it was all I had ever known. The thing is, I never really left - I ended up working in similar capacities, but more independently than I was before. I wasn’t held down by a school district or leadership when crafting and creating my own creative projects and workshops for any and all ages. That part has been liberating.
Even with that freedom, I kept finding myself drawn back to the same things that allowed me to thrive as a teacher - connection. Story. Making people feel seen. Regardless of age. A moment of clarity helped me recognize that those skills do not live exclusively in a classroom. They never did. They are alive in ME. And with that realization, I began to step into the idea that I have a story to tell, and I want to tell it. I want to connect with others through my lived experiences. I want to be speaker.
For over 20 years, I have stood in front of audiences - big and small - speaking and leading in some capacity. I built classrooms where people felt safe enough to take risks and show up as themselves. I know how to hold and guide a room. I know how to tell a story. I just never let myself come to the conclusion that those things do not have to take place in a classroom.
That changes now. The world is my classroom and I can show up to lead, guide, and teach anywhere.
Next week on Cats and Snacks, I am doing something that is equally parts exciting and terrifying - I will be sharing the first draft of my keynote speech. It’s about resilience, identity, and rebuilding when the life you had imagined for yourself goes a different direction. If you have ever lost something you thought would define you forever, and you had to figure out who you were without it, AND while navigating who you’re becoming, it’s for you.
Keep a look out for that podcast episode next week, and thank you for taking the time to read this! I can’t wait to bring you along on the journey.
