That Moment Is Good For Everyone
I fell into my career as a trainer, but I became good at it on purpose. Education can do that, you know. It can help you do things better.
Way back in the stone ages (you know, when I was in college), I worked as a manager at a big department store. After a few months there, I started to gain notice among senior management. Apparently, I was really good at making my department look pristine and perfect. It didn't take long for me to be named a regional trainer. It became my responsibility to travel around the country for new store openings. I would set up the department and train others how to do that thing I was so very good at doing.
I didn't really know how to train people, though. The new store opening process was a chaotic and stressful one. The training team would work 18 hours days for ten days straight, so we all had a tendency to just do all of the set-up ourselves. "Trainer" might have been in our job titles, but what we really did was tell people to stay out of way as we tried to get as much done as possible.
It was at a store opening in Wisconsin that I figured out I was doing it wrong. I was behind a jewelry counter untangling a bunch of necklaces when I overheard two of the local store managers talking. They were frustrated that they hadn't learned how to do anything. They went on and on complaining about us trainers and our cavalier attitudes.
It stung a bit. No doubt.
But, from that overheard conversation, an obsession was born.
The next semester I made it a point to take more communication and business writing classes at school. I paid more attention in my technical writing classes. I sought out information on adult learning theory. I applied what I knew about translating Spanish into English to translation "complicated" English into English that anyone could understand. I stopped being a trainer and became a Trainer.
I remember the exact moment that all of the work paid off for the first time. I walked around a corner to check on my trainee and found that she had nailed the project she was working on. Absolutely NAILED IT. Every detail was perfect and I told the trainee as much. She grinned from ear-to-ear before continuing on to the next thing.
That store opening, the first one where I really trained someone how to do their job, we were ready a full two days early. I hadn't shoved someone out of my way and done everything myself but instead had really partnered with them. The payoff was HUGE. We didn't just get two extra days to use how we pleased, I also loved the feeling of knowing that I was leaving the store with a new manager who really understood how to do her job.
I've spent most of the ten years since that store opening working in corporate training. I have helped accounting professionals learn how to do their jobs using new software. I've helped customer service representatives understand how to navigate systems so they could answer questions quickly and accurately. I've trained everyone from company presidents to entry-level clerks.
There is always That Moment. That Moment when I see their eyes light up with "I get it!" There are few things in life better than knowing you have played a part in helping someone really understand their job.
Capella University can help you have That Moment. Whether it's the skills needed to help be good at something or the knowledge to help others reach their potential, your degree will change more lives than just your own. You can learn more about Capella and what graduates are saying on Facebook, YouTube, or on their website.
Photo by aeboi80
What about you? Has anyone ever given you That Moment? Please tell me about someone (a teacher, a loved one, anyone!) who helped you reach your potential in the comments below. BlogHer has graciously offered to donate $1 for every comment up to $500 to Reading is Fundamental. The ten seconds it takes for you to leave a comment will directly help deliver the joy of reading to kids.
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Monday, June 11, 2012
Reader Comments (87)
So Sr. Catherine wasn't my teacher at the time, but she made going to Catholic school totally worth it with one little conversation.
I was an invisible, or at least I wanted to be. I made A's and high B's and was content with the fact that most people left me alone about it. Not stellar grades, but I enough to feel OK about it and still stay under the radar.
Enter Sr. Catherine, a teacher I had no desire to have next year after the rumors about her hard tests and even harder deMEANor, pun intended. One day, after our semester grades were released, Sr. Catherine approached me in the hall. Not only was I surprised that she knew my name but that she had any reason to talk to me. She said that her and the other teachers were talking about me in the teacher's lounge and had noticed that I'd finally made all A's. It's the "finally" that got me. They HAD noticed. She took the time to say that she was happy to see the grades and my extra effort. She smiled and walked away. Being noticed wasn't so bad after all. Needless to say, she helped a shy little girl try harder.
My freshman high school English teacher taught me to love to write. I'm not saying I'm good at it. She was hard but fair. The funny thing she hated freshman. I can totally understand why. The one thing that stuck was if you were not sure how to begin to write something you simply write... I'm not sure where to beging but my english teacher always said to start out this way and it will eventually turn into something. The crazy thing is it has worked evertime I have used that meatheod. The hardest part about writing anything is just to simply start writing. If you start off in that fashion you no longer have a blank screen or blank page and it's no longer overwhelming or intemidating.
Oh, hmm. I don't know if I could pick one teacher moment as there are a handful that stick out as "moments." Basically, the previous moment contributed to the next moment and so on. I will forever be grateful for my chorus teacher who worked with me on our lunch breaks. She believed in me and some of our conversations stick with me to this day.
This is great!
Great way to raise donations!
I'm too memory impaired to remember any of Those Moments. :(
My mom gave me that moment growing up a lot when she homeschooled us!
I started to hate graphic design at The Art Institute, then along came Mark Bender, an illustrator and instructor. Hadn't ever done any formal art, but I was hooked. Now I'm all happy and employed n'at.
I had a college professor who taught me to be confident in my abilities and to let my artistic style be uniquely my own without feeling the need to compare myself to others. It's not exactly a curriculum type lesson, but it's one of the most important lessons I ever could have been taught. The fact the HE knew I could do "it" made ME know I could do "it" and here I am...doing it on my own. :)
My favorite teacher was my previous boss. She taught me grant writing and when we went over doing logic models, it really clicked the way she explained it. I hated logic models before but now they are my friends. And I kick butt on them!
I had an English teacher who encouraged me to enter a writing competition. She made me feel like I was really good at something at a pretty young age (I was probably 11). I felt special and smart - and at that age and with what was going on in my world at the time, I can't even guess how much that might have effected my path. Thank you Mrs. Klink!
Those moments never came to me during formal education, instead when I'm on "my time" and the subject comes up. It seems that all those things I thought went in one ear and out the other did actually stick. I heart knowledge!
I was lucky to be the first child and grandchild, so I was fortunate to have a willing supply of parents and grandparents to read my favorite books to me over and over and then listen to me try to read those same books to them over and over. I'm still an avid reader and have seemed to passed it along to my kiddos.
I think it was my sister. She really instilled in me a love of reading.
I remember those old Reading is Fundamental commercials from the 70s.
I'm too impatient to be a good trainer. So I took 3/4ths of a Writing degree and developed into a Technical Typesetting, then a Manager and then a Technical Writer.
Because I knew I wasn't a good trainer, I generally would write up procedures and reference material and have one of my employees train the new folks. She had had some background in education and she was good at being patient during training. I'm better at answering questions people have, or helping to figure out how to find the information.
Ironically, though my daughter isn't any more patient than I am, she does a fair amount of training at the software company where she works. And my husband was a teacher the first two years we were married.
My dad. He taught me to follow my dreams and made me realize I could do anything I want to do.
I learned a lot from my dad, he owned his own business for most of his life and working with him and learning how to run a business was a valuable experience. I was taught to treat people with respect and not to "boss" but to manage people. His people respected him and he got things done, he never asked anyone to do anything he wouldn't do and I have seen this first hand and worked side by side with him in some dirty jobs.
After a couple of years of just NOT getting math, despite tutors, teachers dedicated to the cause, parental help--I still wasn't getting it. My mother decided that a better way to go about things would be to teach me to cook. She had me in the kitchen every minute--and all of a sudden math made sense. I remember sitting down to do some math homework and yelling to my mom that "This is easy! It is the same as doubling a recipe!"
In my 2nd year of architecture school, I had a professor who not only taught us design but taught us how to be PASSIONATE about design/architecture and basically told us that if we didn't have that same passion, then we would be better off getting out of the field... He taught me so much about what it means to not just do what you love but actually love what you do.
(ps. Reading is Fundamental is an absolutely amazing organization - hooray for putting together this donation drive)
I have had several teachers/family/friends that have helped me. I had some great ah-ha moments at a photography class I took not long ago ;).
My twelfth-grade teacher taught us how to be true researchers and write literary critiques. She had a passion for teaching literature!
My 5th grade teacher taught me love books. I can remember her telling me that I reminded her of herself as a child. She was so encouraging and amazing and at that moment I realized that I could be like her when I grew up.
My sixth grade teacher was the best!
i always wanted to be a stay at home mum. i guess i always envied the kids who had parents that could attend school functions, mine were always working. i want my children tk know i love and care about them. a feeling i didn't always have.
My 11th grade English teacher sparked my love of writing. My hope is that my kids will have a teacher like her that really males a difference.
My mom is the one who always took the time to help me really understand my homework. :-)
Gosh, I had so many great teachers. I don't think I could pick just one, but Mrs. Larson was one of my teachers in high school and she always encouraged me to love math, even when it wasnt' really cool to love math. I think about her every time I work on month-end reports.
My high school English teacher saw my potential before I did. He pushed me to read noteable books and selected me for leadership roles for which I never thought I could be brave enough. I became an English teacher and librarian, so clearly, he made all the difference!
My favorite teachers have always been my art teachers. I even invited my 10th grade art teacher to my wedding. He is now 80 & a Reverend for the past 18 years. So he is still teaching. I still keep in touch with him, even after 30 years.
My love of art has extended to my daughter who just graduated high school. 2 of her favorite teachers were art teachers. They wrote glowing recommendations for her that will help her in her get into the college of her choice. She wants to do graphic design & photography.
My honors english teacher was also my gifted program advisor and she was a tough lady. But the tough love she showed to all her students resinated with me and had me prepared for the difficulties that I would face in the future. As a PhD by age 26, I think she did well :)
My mother was a teacher for 36 years. She didn't teach me, but I learned a great deal from her (not just a Mom!). Other than that obvious answer, my High School Band teacher was the most amazing man ever (other than my dad). He taught me a lot about life, and was one of those people that you could just go to and feel instantly better in life. I miss him very much.
I was at a staff meeting in Chicago and our dinner one night was at a place where you cook a 5 course meal and then eat as a group. I was in charge of the entree and had tons of onions and jalapeño peppers that needed to be prepped. One of the instructors as off wanted a few quick tips. After 2 mins I was chopping away much more efficiently. The simple things she taught me in those few minutes have saved me so much time in the years since.
My 4 th grade history teacher, Mrs Fox, had a unique style of teaching. To this day I still remember questions from history tests because they were written to be funny and always jogged my memory about a specific lesson we discussed in class. She is the first teacher I remember who seemed to really want us to succeed and I still love reading about American history because of her.
My aha moment came when I was in college. My English professor had insanely high standards, but his relentless criticism really helped me become a better writer. He would probably put red marks all over this comment!
My 2nd comment! The professor's name was Dr. Ellington.
My favorite teacher right now is actually a friend of mine, who is a college professor. I mentioned I had thought about going back to school, thinking community college or a trade school. He said "Go get your Master's!" I told him he was nuts, as it has been 19 years since my bachelor's degree. He said it didn't matter and to go for it. I'll be starting a Master's in Counseling in the Fall, and I never would be doing it if it weren't for his encouragement.