Meet Shaylan Richardson | Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shaylan Richardson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shaylan, how do you think about risk?
When I think about risk, I think about how uncomfortable it can be to take risks. I think it’s uncomfortable because of the uncertainty and the fear of failure. I once read a quote that said that people will choose a familiar hell over an unknown heaven. Sadly there’s some truth in that statement. We tend to be creatures of habit that like routine and knowing what to expect. We become complacent and content with the status quo. The issue with this is that we don’t grow from being in comfortable positions. The growth and success in my professional life is a result of me taking risks. Do I always know what I’m doing? No. Do I know what’s going to happen next? Absolutely not. Becoming an educator was a risk as I didn’t really know what I was doing or if i’d even enjoy it. Four years later I can say that I’m glad that I stepped out and took that risk because it’s been a fulfilling adventure that has taught me so much about myself that I might not have learned if I were in another career field.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in Family & Human Development and a minor in Communication Studies. After graduation I still didn’t know what it was that I wanted to do for my career. A friend of mine talked me into becoming a teacher and four years later, I’m still teaching. Was it easy? Absolutely not. I started out as a music teacher at a local elementary school. I remember teaching one kindergarten music class and telling my colleague that I couldn’t handle it and was going to quit. She insisted that I could do it and coached me on different strategies to try so that I’d have an easier time. Part of what was so difficult for me was the learning curve since I didn’t study education in college. I really didn’t have a clue how much teachers do behind the scenes on top of their regular classroom duties. As the school year went on I did become more comfortable and confident in my teaching, but I realized that I would be better suited to work at the high school level. Looking back at the past four years I’d say that I was right. I enjoyed it so much that when the pandemic first hit I decided to go back to school by enrolling in a teacher prep program so that I could learn all the things that I missed in college. I think it’s interesting that I went from not knowing what I wanted to do in life to loving my career. This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t stepped out and taken the risk and opportunity.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I tend to give a whole valley tour when friends/family visit, so we’d for sure get some authentic Mexican food from the westside. While we’re on the westside we’d have to also check out Westgate and see if any cool events are happening during the week. From there we’d drive to the top of Dobbins lookout so that we could get a nice view of the land. From there we’d head east around ASU and Tempe Town Lake so that I can prove that we have water in the area (even if it is a man made lake). We’d also go through Scottsdale and Paradise Valley so that we can look at the homes and be reminded of why we need to keep working hard (I always say it’s what we do today that’ll determine our tomorrow). From there we’d go back to central phoenix/downtown to enjoy the dozens of good restaurants and eateries out there. There’s too many to name!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This goes out to my village, y’all know who ya’ll are! I’d also like to shoutout my students.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaylanrichardson/

Image Credits
Alexys Brandon