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Breaking Free from the Lesson Plan

Writer's picture: Kimani HaleyKimani Haley



Don’t forget to always do what you love to do!


My earliest memory of loving to write is from third grade in Ms. Cherry’s class at St. Augustine.  We always had competitions, whether it was for writing or coloring.  The first story I remember writing and winning in a competition was from the perspective of a pencil.  I didn’t think the story was a big deal, but Ms. Cherry did.  I don’t know if she sympathized with the pencil’s constant headache from constantly being sharpened or if she just thought it was a creative take on the assignment.  My story was posted on the bulletin board in the hallway for all to see!  You couldn’t tell me nothin’!


In elementary school, I loved reading books like Amelia Bedelia, The Babysitters’ Club, and anything Ramona or Beverly Cleary.  I loved watching sitcoms like The Cosby Show, Diff’rent World, 227, and Amen.  I often memorized the lines from those sitcoms and acted out each character for family and friends.  From there, I began writing stories — some juicy stories, sometimes too!  I would often read the stories to my family and friends, and they loved them!


In secondary school, I loved English classes; I loved writing because it came naturally.  I must admit that my mother, being an elementary school teacher, played a huge role in my speaking - hence writing - properly.  I can still hear her now: “It’s not “hurted”; it’s hurt.”  Consequently, I also enjoyed correcting people’s writing, whether or not they asked.  I remember sitting in church with my friends and voluntarily editing a letter one of them had in their purses from a crush or a boyfriend.


In college at Ohio University in Athens, I wasn’t sure of my major until my junior year, when I decided to major in Secondary English Education (Integrated Reading & Language Arts - grades 7-12).  Throughout my time at OU, I found time to write now and then but realized that I didn’t really have time to read and write what I wanted to read and write.  I still had a notebook of a story I started writing in high school (before I had a computer).  


I remember one time I was at the library at OU and came across a website, Poetry.com or something like that.  They were looking for entries from writers.  I quickly wrote a poem on the spot and submitted it; they published it, which was pretty cool!  Now, the poem wasn’t the most appropriate poem.  There weren’t any curse words or other inappropriate words, but … I’ll just tell you that the topic was “sex”.  I never gave it any more thought until my mom called me, asking about it about a year or so later because my 70-something-year-old grandmother had gotten wind of it and called her about it.  (God, rest her soul.)


By my junior year at OU, I had my own computer and started typing a story again.  I still didn’t devote much time to it, but I did write a little bit — more than I have over the last 24 years.  Graduation came quickly between going to classes during the week and kicking it with my friends on the weekends.  I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in June of 2001 and began teaching 7th-grade Reading and Language Arts at Africentric Secondary School in August.


I taught five out of eight periods a day and, in the evenings, had papers to grade and lessons to prepare (while still enjoying being in my early twenties with my friends).  It was time-consuming, but I loved it!  I could still be creative and create; I was just creating lessons and executing them instead of writing stories and sharing them.  I realized that not only did I have a knack for writing and grammar, but I also had a knack for building relationships and managing student behavior.  I devoted zero time to writing or even reading for my pure pleasure.


The plan was to teach secondary English, then teach at a college, and go on to retire and live in a big house on a hill.  The love for writing was lost — forgotten.  Along the way, I received my Master’s degree in Education Administration and eventually my Principal’s License; that was not the plan!  I got married and had kids — not necessarily in that order.  I took on other job titles (in the same building and school district) before returning to my first love of teaching English.  I attempted to join the administration of my school district but was denied … BUT GOD!


Things became uncomfortable at work regarding curriculum and instruction — nothing horrific.  Things became uncomfortable at home.  I was just uncomfortable extrinsically and intrinsically.  Something was missing; something had been missing.  I was consumed by my job but enjoyed it until this point.  The discomfort forced me to change and re-evaluate some things.


I had to re-evaluate my purpose and my peace.  I had to realize that my job was a job, no matter how much I loved it.  I had talents outside of teaching Engish in a school or editing friends’ and colleagues’ writing for free.  


I remember hearing and then finally understanding the quote: “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.”  The actual quote was: “Those who can step, step; those who can’t, step aside.”  Whitley Gilbert said it to Freddie Brooks on an episode of A Diff’rent World when they were preparing for a stepping competition.  When I understood it years later for myself and my profession, I was offended.  I don’t even know if it’s meant to be offensive, but that’s how I took it.  I “felt some type of way” because it seemed to mean that writers/authors write professionally, while “wanna-be” writers just teach other people how to write and can’t really be successful at it themselves.  (You can make it make sense for you; however, I knew I could write and teach writing!)


In my discomfort, I started an editing and proofreading business, kNotED by Kimani, and became a Notary, too.  I started my LLC, created a website, got a business coach, and executed from there.  Ironically, my business coach had a publishing company and was a children’s book author, which piqued my interest, but that wasn’t my purpose to work with her, although I’d written a children’s book years before and never did anything with it.  Nevertheless, she taught me so much, and I am forever indebted to her.  Thank you, Dr. Janell Jones!


Let me stress the importance of getting a coach when you have no clue what you’re doing.  You have to invest in yourself because you don’t know everything, and sometimes investing in yourself means hiring a coach and/or finding a mentor in your niche.  There’s no sense in fumbling your way through things when there are professionals who can and want to help you.  Pay them for their expertise and monetize off of it.  Our college degrees are not enough anymore.


kNotED by Kimani was and is a success!  I immediately began editing documents such as employee handbooks, newsletters, obituaries, cover letters, websites, and books — whole books!  I’ve edited for family, family friends, former students, associates, and people I’ve never met.  I even have clients from Facebook and TikTok.  


Editing for all of these people, especially the authors, constantly reminded me of my children’s story that I’d been sitting on.  Honestly, I’d started to try to publish it years earlier, but there were too many roadblocks, mainly the expense(s); I left it alone.  I wrote it back in 2017 when I was in the hospital having a mastectomy.  I don’t remember if I gave it a title back then, but now it’s called He’s Not Your Dad.  It’s my story of growing up in a blended family with my bonus siblings and bonus dad (also known as stepsiblings and stepdad).  Let me backtrack.


In 2024, I really got into the TikTok game — and I do mean “game”.  The TikTok algorithm is/was interesting, fun, and frustrating to figure out.  I’m not going to even go into the ins and outs of the TikTok algorithm because  — whew!  If you’re a writer, follow writers; if you’re a gardener, follow gardeners.  If you’re an educator, follow educators.  Trust me, it works best this way.  IYKYK!  However, I made some real connections (and a little bit of money) on TikTok.  


TikTok is where I found my second coach, a publishing coach.  I kept seeing her go Live, encouraging her viewers to write and publish their books.  I was halfway there; mine was already written.  She offered a 6-week 1-on-1 coaching program.  I knew I needed her help, and she, too, was worth every penny.  We moved faster in six weeks than I had moved in six years.  I have to thank and shout-out Ren Lowe!


My publishing coach challenged us to set goals for 2025.  I set big goals, which included writing more, specifically a certain number of children’s books, to create a series for the current book.  I started writing, and it just flowed — story after story.  It made me happy.  I forgot that.  


What changed that I stopped writing?  I started teaching.  The best job ever for me distracted me from what I loved with my whole heart — creative writing.  For 20+ years, I’ve been distracted by the demands and expectations of my job (some self-imposed) — talk about a conflict of interests.


I had to set boundaries.  I had to tell myself and others “no”.  I have to create time and even space to do what I love to do.  I won’t grade papers and create lessons at work and at home.  I’ll do my best work for the company at work and my best work for my leisure and kNotED by Kimani at home in the evenings, on the weekends, and on summer, winter, and spring breaks.  It’s only fair for all parties.


I’m a writer and a teacher.  I can do and can teach!


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2件のコメント


susiemazur
2月01日

This is so refreshing to read! You are a true example of reminding us that it’s possible to love your life and to prioritize our interests no matter how lost they may feel!

いいね!
Kimani Haley
Kimani Haley
2月01日
返信先

Yes! Thank you!!!

いいね!

KNotED by Kimani

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