We recently connected with SallyAnn Gray and have shared our conversation below.
SallyAnn, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career.
As a trained special educator with over 20 years of experience, I have seen many students struggle to meet curriculum standards. There are many reason one can propose why students struggle. Research does indicate that students are not engaged. There are several reasons why students may not be engaged in a classroom setting, there are so many distractions. Teachers are competing with a world of limitless distractions. The phones and social media, the games and countless upgrades and updates. So what can teachers do?
I believe that as educators, scholars, government officials, policy makers, there needs to be a call for more engaging and meaningful standards. I believe that since times are changing, standards must evolve. What students learn and why they learn it must be evaluated at minimum every 5 to 10 years. The purpose of school is to equip students with the skillset to be productive and contributing global citizens. To this end, I believe that there is great need for a shift in how we view education in traditional schools.
The curriculum must include skills students will need to properly function in school. Students have to view the work and curriculum as relevant to their needs and interests. I believe when we start thinking differently around this, we can look at changing it. There is no simple solution but what is clear is this: student engagement has to improve for education to be effective. There also has to be a greater push for skills based curriculum. Every child will not go to college. The question then is this, what skills have they left high school with that makes them employable?
As someone who was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and expelled from high school, I understand the misunderstood student. It is easy for students to be misunderstood, I do not believe that we can adequately serve a generation of students we do not understand.
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
Through her keynotes and presentations, SallyAnn helps business leaders, youth advocates and administrators, improve the mindset of their teams, which leads to improved performance and improved results. A veteran special educator with over twenty years of experience, SallyAnn uses her educator skillset, to teach audiences powerful mindset tools they can use immediately to see results in work and life. She was adopted at three months old, diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder at fifteen and was subsequently kicked out of high school at the age of seventeen. SallyAnn uses her past, to inspire audiences to leave the excuses behind and step into their greatness.
A native of Jamaica, SallyAnn loves sun and fun. She takes her energetic personality with her wherever she goes. She has presented to teams in Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Colombia, Nicaragua and the United States. SallyAnn’s mantra is this, “I remain committed to growth in all areas of my life. When I grow, I grow others.” She is married to her best friend Mark, and they have two awesome children, Malachi and Sarah. For more information about Sally’s books and keynotes, visit: www.sallyanngrayspeaks.com
Career Highlights:
· Professional member of the National Speakers Association.
· Jamaica Association of the Deaf Shield for Best Performance in Education Awardee.
· PhD Candidate currently pursuing doctorate in Educational Leadership.
· Author of the year (2019) by The Indie Author Legacy Awards. (IALA)
· Founder &; CEO of Gray Focus Training Solutions www.grayfocustrainingsolutions.com
Gray Focus Training Solutions is a premiere training company, providing solutions to small corporate teams looking to achieve some pretty BIG strategic goals and objectives. Trainings are impactful, customized, and specifically tailored, helping teams align their tasks with strategic objectives to get the results they desire. We use data, research results, trends in industry and your strategic objectives to influence our training solutions. The curriculum and content are designed using a learner/problem centered modular format for delivery to teams. What teams KNOW is important but what they DO will move the needle. There is a focus on performance and results during delivery. For more details about Gray Focus Training Solutions visit: www.grayfocustrainingsolutions.com
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The best source of new clients is the ability to create meaningful connections. Building relationships is the most powerful tool for improving client roster. Going to networking events and nurturing relationships where their is alignment of purpose and mission are key. You do not have to attend every event and get to know everyone, but their are some key relationships that should be nurtured. As the saying goes “Your network is your net worth.”
I have found also that focusing on maintaining a spirit of excellence through product and service offerings are key components to attract new clients. Expansion is important but growing too quickly is also a recipe for disaster. There is value in taking time to build momentum. There is value in growing with a strategic plan in place. Too much, too quickly can rob any business of the opportunity to put proper standard operating systems in place.
When a business starts with little and perfects the little, with time they can perfect the much. Maintain standards of excellence and the best PR tool in the business will do its work. Never underestimate the power of “WOM” word of mouth can and will generate new clients. Keep offering excellent products and services that solves a problem and fills a need and “WOM” will keep clients coming through your doors.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I am actually going through the process of an entire restructure in my business right now. I was living in Jamaica up to last May and got an opportunity for work and study in the United Stated presented itself. My business was doing well in Jamaica pre-COVID but was struggling. I decided to use my skillset to jump back into the workforce which gave me an opportunity to re-think, re-structure and re-emerge. It involved moving to a new country but the change of location gave me a renewed sense of purpose and mission.
It is so important on this journey that we understand times and seasons. It is okay to re-think an idea. It is okay to go back to the drawing board. It is okay to change strategy. If something is not working, change it. I re-structured my training company (new name, new trainings, new branding). Decided to come back better and that is what I did. I am just starting out, rebuilding from the ground up all over again and it feels great.
Never be afraid to take a step back in order to take 10 steps forward.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sallyanngrayspeaks.com
- Instagram: @sallyannspeaks
- Facebook: SallyAnn Gray
- Linkedin: SallyAnn Gray
- Youtube: SallyAnn Gray
- Other: www.grayfocustrainingsolutions.com Intagram @grayfocustrainingsolutions
Image Credits
Mark Gray- Gray Focus Media LLC