Meet Brittany Lee-Bey

We were lucky to catch up with Brittany Lee-Bey recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Brittany, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

For a long time, I thought I was going to be a lawyer. I went to college and studied government and Black Studies with the aim of going to law school and becoming a civil rights attorney. But my senior year of college, I had a realization- I loved social science, but I didn’t want to be a lawyer. Unclear about my path, I reflected on what I desired in life, and that was to have a positive impact on our society. And the idea came to me to teach. I had tutored and found success, and I enjoyed the feeling of seeing someone come to learn and master a skill. So I began to realize that part of my purpose is to teach, particularly teaching literacy skills. Reading and writing have been my favorite pastimes since childhood, so when I first encountered students who struggled to read, finding a solution was my immediate thought. From there, I pursued the study of literacy instruction- first, on my own, but eventually by pursuing high education to master my instruction. What truly helped me realize that I should be a reading specialist and a literacy coach is my students. To see them improve their skills over several grade levels fills me with pride- I feel I’m having an important impact on their lives, and that alone helps me feel like I am living my purpose.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I believe my passion for literacy is just a part of my larger love of language overall. I remember loving grammar and spelling in elementary school and taking survey foreign language classes in middle school. It was in high school that I was introduced to etymology. Understanding the root of words and how languages evolve over time is fascinating because it gives us a lens into society and culture of the past. The Adinkra symbol Sankofa represents the need for us to go back into the past to reclaim forgotten history, and I believe studying language is a key to living this principle. I began to study etymology and linguistic concepts critical to teaching children to read, and I started to think about how teachers could benefit from learning this same information. This is why I created EtymologyRules and published my workbook four years ago. From there, I’ve been able to train faculty with my text, create literacy programs and start a children’s YouTube show (The EtymologyRules Show). Through this platform, I’ve been able to pursue a passion and positively impact young people and hopefully, communities overall.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Being reflective: Being reflective has allowed me to look back at where I’ve come from and appreciate my growth. Growth comes from recognizing where I may have made mistakes in the past with the aim of learning from them and doing better in the future.

Perseverance: There have been many times that I’ve wanted to quit when writing my book because it felt like an insurmountable task. But I have a strong desire to finish what I’ve started and do what I say I plan to do. I told myself I was going to write a book, so I had dig deep within myself at times to encourage myself to finish. I believe having this type of tenacity can help someone get far. It’s not a rush- pace yourself, work diligently and see yourself reaching your goal.

Communication skills: One problem we experience in society is the inability to understand each other or see something from another person’s point of view. We strive to impart our thoughts and ideas, and often times that gets lost in translation. In my experience, I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to communicate both orally and in writing, and I believe it helps me connect with others and make informed decisions. Through EtymologyRules, I seek to equip people with the knowledge and power of words to better communicate with each other.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I am always looking to partner or collaborate with folks that share my mission to help young people improve their literacy skills. Teachers, parents, community members, business owners, municipal leaders, etc. alike are all stakeholders in education, and I hope to connect with others that can help me share more about literacy instruction as well as provide direct literacy instruction.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Keywestlegalrum.com
BMore Lifestyle (Fox 45)
Yule Pieters
Appraise the Phrase

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