Wear One Hat
I normally stick to scenic photos, but I had nothing that related to hats. What I did have, was an adorable baby with a hat, so that’s what I went with. I loved this hat and two of my kids wore it before I put it away in a special reminder bin. And as I loved this white floppy hat, I love the teacher hat I wear every day. It reminds me of who I am and how I choose to show up.
I’m reading Howard Behar’s Book It’s Not About the Coffee (Howard was a senior executive at Starbucks who worked closely with Howard Schultz, founder, and whose focus was always the people and culture). I actually saw him speak at a conference a few years ago and his talk was titled, “It’s About the People” which fits my belief about a people-centric focus too.
Anyway, he talks about wearing one hat.
He writes:
“Wearing one hat is the epitome of personal leadership. It is the starting point – and end point – of the lifelong process of discovering who you are and what you stand for. You wear one hat when:
You know what makes you feel most deeply alive.
You feel good about yourself.
You have no need for secrets or pretending or posturing.
You can lead yourself and others from a place of clarity and integrity” (p. 11)
I loved this concept as it spoke to me like Simon Sinek’s Start With Why (which I wrote about in this blog post). I know my why (build leaders) but the one hat aspect made me reflect. I quickly came to realize my one hat is a teacher. I thought back over the years, and the times when I feel the most alive and excited involved teaching and empowering others.
I graduated with my Bachelor of Education in 1996 and taught in the traditional school system until 2006. I had worked really hard and earned both my permanent certificate and my permanent contract. When I left, I walked away from that permanent contract (which was a really hard thing to do since it took me many years to attain). I remember the reactions when I left teaching; people thought I was nuts. I actually remember one story (from a few years before I left) where I was talking to another teacher and we were discussing a report that had come out about attrition in teachers, and I mentioned that I didn’t think I would make it to 10 years teaching. He looked shocked and asked what I would do. I replied, that I wasn’t sure, but that I knew there would be something for someone with my experience. I am not sure I knew then how much of my heart was taken with teaching. I loved it, but I didn’t realize it truly drove me. I recall someone asking me a few years after I left if I missed teaching. My response has always been, I miss the thrill of a good lesson; of knowing that what I taught, and how I presented it, really got through and made an impact. I missed the relationships I built with the kids. I did not miss grading, politics, and many of the other challenges.
It’s been almost fifteen years since I left my teaching job with Edmonton Public Schools, however, during those fifteen years, I did not leave teaching, or rather, it did not leave me. What I think I knew way back when I was having that conversation with the teacher about what else I would do, is that there are a lot of ways to teach and empower without being in a classroom. I’m truly lucky that I’ve discovered these and have had many opportunities to teach.
Years ago, I’d be on the receiving end of the comment – what a waste it was for you to go to university as you just quit your job anyway. For a multitude of reasons, that statement makes me mad. Starting with, learning is never a waste. I have used the knowledge and skills from both my university education and my teaching experience in everything else I do. I’m a better parent and leader because of that knowledge and experience, and they have helped me plan and build a leadership program at CompuVision. I remember the thrill of a good lesson and I work to achieve that in the other training that I develop and deliver. I can’t find the right word (love doesn’t seem strong enough) but I love knowing that something I’ve taught has made an impact on someone; that they see things from a different perspective, or have a new idea or skill in their toolbox which they have used. In my heart, I am absolutely a teacher; that is my one hat. How I teach has changed, evolved and adapted to different situations, but my one hat has stayed the same.
I actually feel truly lucky that I’ve been able to teach in so many different ways, and that when I woke up that one morning when I was 17 with the epiphany that I wanted to be a teacher (after wanting to be a lawyer my whole life up to that point), that I truly found my calling. Others may take longer to realize their true purpose, and that’s fine too. But if you aren’t doing what fills your heart, take a big step back and reflect on what does and see what you can do to pivot and align yourself.
