We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tamitha Brown a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tamitha, appreciate you joining us today. Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?

I was a Center Director for a childcare center. The District Manager told me, ” Ms. Tamitha, let go of all the nuts”. I was running every part of the center from the food program, advertisement, parent engagement, teacher scheduling, and etc. I had an Assistant, however, I was not delegating major responsibilities to the Assistant Director. I was stressed out and overwhelmed and the District Manager knew it. I had to learn how to delegate and trust others to handle the task.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I became an educator because I wanted to bring awareness and change to my community through education. Throughout this journey called life, I have struggled, battled, and worked through many challenges. I was adopted at the age of 8 months, however, I was able to locate and connect with my birth-family. I was told at an early age I was adopted and it never really bothered me until I was around 11 years old. I struggled with acceptance, rejection, validation, self-esteem, and trust. At an early age I was molested by a family member in the home. I battled with suicide, depression, and self hatred. School was an outlet, journaling and dancing was an escape. I was not a confident little girl, however, if you turned on music my face would light up and I began to move. Dancing was a powerful escape, it was away for me to be in control of my body. It allowed me to escape my reality and express myself through movement. Writing was another escape, I come express my words on paper and nobody could take those words from me. I was able to write in my journal what happened to me and not feel scared or worried about about a person changing my words. Through teaching I encourage students to use their voice and to advocate for themselves. What sets me apart from other teachers is my genuine love for my community, my students and their families. I discovered true authentic power by building relationships with my students and meeting their needs by asking them what do they need from me. Building and partnering with caregivers is the main buy-in to the student. Once the caregiver is on aboard the partnership is now a community. I brand my work around advocating for the butterflies. I speak up for those that have not discovered their voice or their power. Through my writings, dancing, ministry, and teaching, I believe in giving myself and others the permission to just be. Through my messy canvas was a broken little girl who finally could no longer stay broken, She grew up into a powerful women who reached back and pulled the little girl out of darkness and desolate thinking. The messy canvas became a blueprint of my heart and all the different chambers that show living waters of life.

Any advice for managing a team?

I live by this,” time is how you make it, you can do something or nothing but time will pass you bye”. Time can be an allusion and you will believe you have all the time in the world. One day you are 18 years old and then your 30 years old looking back at what happened to the time. People must understand, time is always doing its job. The question is, are you doing your job?
I maintain a high morale when leading a team with truth and honesty. Building a team requires truth and understanding everyone’s strengths and challenges. Having a plan sometimes means there is a backup plan to the plan.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Having an open mind to knowing you are not always right. Willing to pull your own card and tell yourself it’s time to start over. Teaching is not for the weak or the faint at heart. It’s for the ones who are willing to risk it all for their students. The teacher who is willing to show up and be present everyday. The teacher who is willing to go above and beyond the four walls of the classroom.

Image Credits

Tamitha Brown