Namasteach: Recent Episodes
T Smalls-Brown & Jen Savage
In this brief solo episode, Jen unpacks new learning that she has gleaned from the Courageous Conversations training: Beyond Diversity. She shares insights and ideas for educators to continue to do this work and specifically speaks to her role as a white educator and the importance of white educators showing up for the work by naming their identities and recognizing the role that they play in systemic racism. She also discusses ways that schools can create Equity Teams to move from reflection to action. This courageous conversation is the first of many, but it is one that is worth listening to for those who want to see our schools be more equitable and safe places for all children and adults alike.
Show Notes:
Courageous Conversations
https://courageousconversation.com/about/
Collectively Renewing the Montessori Curriculum
https://montessori-action.org/renewing
Robin DiAngelo
https://www.robindiangelo.com/
Peggy McIntosh: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack
https://psychology.umbc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2016/10/White-Privilege_McIntosh-1989.pdf
Charleston Jewish Federation
https://www.jewishcharleston.org/
Episode Photo by Jon Tyson
In this short episode, Jen and Techa are glad to be back and starting Season 3 with a conversation on entering the new school year amidst all that we have experienced and continue to navigate. They catch up with a few of the things happening in their worlds. They also provide the Namasteach audience with hope for a positive new school year and remind us to approach our work with open hearts and minds.
May you come to know that work
Which emerges from the mind of love
Will have beauty and form.
May this new work be worthy.
Of the energy of your heart
And the light of your thought.
May your work assume
A proper space in your life;
Instead of owning or using you,
May it challenge and refine you,
Bringing you every day further
Into the wonder of your heart.
– Excerpt from John O’Donohue, “Blessings for a New Position,” To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings (2008)
In this dynamic episode, Techa and Jen have a conversation with Spencer George, writer, teacher, artist, and folklorist. Spencer shares her experiences writing about the intersectionality of folklore, storytelling, and empathy and specifically the roles that stereotypes play in limiting our stories and thus limiting our transformative power. Sharing her own journey as well as a multitude of resources, Spencer enlightens listeners to the possibilities that are available to all of us when we embrace all parts of our stories and ourselves. She reminds us to focus on what is important and to open up brave spaces for our students to have conversations that matter. She reminds us that empathy is both a choice and a critical practice and that sometimes our smallest moments are the most impactful. This is one episode that you do not want to miss.
Spencer George is a Writer and Teaching Artist based in North Carolina. She holds a BA in English and Human Rights with a concentration in Creative Writing from Barnard College and is an MA student in Folklore at UNC-Chapel Hill. Her work focuses on the intersection of storytelling, folklore, and empathy in the rural south, with a particular focus on the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. Her writing has been published in The Bitter Southerner, The Adroit Journal, and Medium, and once received a shout-out in The New York Times. She is the creator and writer of GOOD FOLK, a weekly newsletter about the people and stories of rural America and the American South. Currently, she serves as an ArtistYear Senior Fellow in Creative Writing and the Special Initiatives Assistant at Girls Write Now. Spencer was the 2019 recipient of the Peter S. Prescott Prize for Prose Writing and is at work on a reimagined Southern Gothic novel about young, queer love and the radical power of hope.
IG @ spencerggeorge
Email: spencerggeorge@gmail.com and goodfolksonly@gmail.com .
References and Resources:
Ocean Vuong (Poetry)
https://www.oceanvuong.com/
Genevieve Hudson
https://www.genevieve-hudson.com/
Joan Didion
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/24/fashion/From-Joan-Didion-to-Andrew-Sullivan-some-writers-leave-behind-letters-when-they-leave-new-york-city.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CNew%20York%20was%20no%20mere,at%20the%20age%20of%2029.
Projects about rural and queer South:
Amazing oral history podcasts about rural queerness:
https://www.countryqueers.com
interactive map on American LGBT history: https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/lgbtdivide/#/cover
Books
- Arcadia by Lauren Groff
- The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
- The Empathy Exams and The Recovering by Leslie Jamison
- Outlawed by Anna North (queer western reimagining)
- Boys of Alabama by Genevieve Hudson (gender non-conforming author, magical realism about immigration/queerlove/religion in Alabama)
- The Round House by Louise Erdrich (Native American author, stranger things vibes, heartbreaking but SO good)
- The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr (incredible debut about the deep South)
- Low Country by J Nicole Jones (memoir about South Carolina)
In today’s episode, Techa and Jen connect for a deep and meaningful conversation with wellness coach and advocate Rose Schieck. Rose is the founder of Mamastewell, a coaching business that supports mothers in various phases of their journey. Rose shared wisdom about the importance of slowing down, self-awareness, and cultivating self-love and compassion. She gave many ideas about reclaiming and reframing our wellness journeys and meeting our own needs so that we can show up for others. Finally, she reminds us that our emotions are our truest language and shares what brings her joy. This powerhouse episode has a meditative quality, one that you will not want to miss.
Rose Schieck is a Yogini Mama, Health and Wellness Coach, RYT 200 hr, Energy Medicine Yoga Level one teacher, Reiki I & II practitioner, creative, and lover of all things local. Rose has taught 'Yoga Supports Recovery' for Yoga in Action since 2017 and is also the owner and operator of Mamaste Well.
While Rose has been passionate about supporting others on their path to optimal well-being for many years, becoming a mother ignited a deeper understanding of herself, a clear seeing of her inner workings, and a sincere desire to support other mothers in loving and accepting themselves. Rose believes awareness is the starting point for all behavior change, and acceptance is the key to healing, limiting beliefs, and transcending towards the higher self.
Before motherhood, Rose spent nearly a decade working for the InSHAPE program, a cutting-edge wellness program designed to improve the physical and mental health of persons living with severe and persistent mental illness. During this time, Rose developed an intense sense of purpose for being of service to others.
Over the last 15 years, yoga has been a very powerful component of Rose’s self-care, personal healing journey, and growth. As a coach and yoga teacher, Rose approaches health and well-being from the perspective that developing a strong relationship to self, having hyper self-awareness, and unconditional self-love; are the key ingredients to vibrant living. Rose brings playfulness, empathy, and compassion to her teaching and a passion for guiding people to their ultimate physical and mental strength.
Rose’s greatest joy comes from time spent in the great outdoors with her husband, Hugo, and sons Leif and Axel.
The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter: 9780593138762 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
Home - Zach Bush MD
Evergreen - Starting - Interconnected Series
The Official Website of Dr. Joe Dispenza – Unlimited with Dr Joe Dispenza
InSHAPE for Adults with Serious Mental Illness and Obesity
InSHAPE Lifestyle Program | Program to Encourage Active, Rewarding Lives for Seniors (PEARLS)—A Depression Management Program for Elderly Adults - PRC (cdc.gov)
Connect with Rose Schieck
Instagram @mamastewell
Educated, Empowered, Resilient: Welcome to 2022
In this brief episode, Techa and Jen welcome back guests for the new year and share what they have been up to. Techa has been engaged in a lot of activism work around the Anti-truth education legislation in SC and shares ways to get educated and involved in your state. Since January 2021, 36 states have introduced bills or taken other steps that would restrict teaching critical race theory or limit how teachers can discuss racism and sexism and issues of systemic inequality in the classroom. Jen has been reading a lot and shares new titles. Using Elena Aguilar's work on resilience, Techa and Jen encourage listeners to find ways to be compassionate and curious as they continue to face challenges in their personal and professional lives. Having a growth mindset helps us stay strong in the face of adversity and inspires us to keep showing up for ourselves and our students.
https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Onward%3A+Cultivating+Emotional+Resilience+in+Educators-p-9781119364900
https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/map-where-critical-race-theory-is-under-attack/2021/06
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/the-trials-of-critical-race-theory-cbs-reports/
https://abcnews.go.com/US/teachers-protest-bills-targeting-critical-race-theory-race/story?id=79642784
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-best-reads-of-2021
--Brene Brown Atlas of the Heart https://brenebrown.com/book/atlas-of-the-heart/
In today's episode, Techa and Jen go deep with a special guest and educational revolutionary and badass, LaTisha Vaughn. LaTisha has been in education for 25+ years and has worked in the classroom, administration, non-profit sector, consultant, and so much more. For her full bio, check out the link below. Today LaTisha shares with Techa, Jen, and the Namasteach community the importance of self-care and how to impact education from the ground up and from the top down. She believes that sometimes you need to reimagine your path to make the most impact for yourself and your students and that educators have a moral responsibility to take their seat at the table and use their voice for good. And if the seat at that table doesn't yet exist, it is their job to create one. LaTisha believes that the only way things will change in education is if those who are actually in the classrooms advocate for policy change. She also feels that there is an entry point for everyone in this work. Whether it is antiracism education or hosting parent universities, we must see our work as activism and go above and beyond to impact change.
This is a dynamic episode that you won't want to miss!
LaTisha Vaughn's Bio
LaTisha Vaughn is an education revolutionary who has exhibited innovation at the classroom level, as a principal, and at a District-level over her twenty-five-year career. Known for developing education leaders, LaTisha has coached and strengthened educational systems in the Midwest, Southwest, and the East Coast through LaTisha Nicole Consulting (Formerly Vaughn-Brandon Consulting). Vaughn is the co-founder of E3: Educate, Empower, Elevate LLC, an organization that focuses on equitable outcomes for black and brown children and families in the region through increasing the diversity of teachers and leaders in the education and non-profit space and authentically engaging and elevating the voices of parents and children. Additionally, as the Chief Operating Officer for the Tri-County Cradle Collaborative, a backbone Cradle to Career organization, she oversees strategy and primary leadership for the Kindergarten Readiness and High School Graduation Networks to ensure equity and authentic engagement in supporting ambitious goals for all of the children in the Tri-county region (Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties) of South Carolina.
LaTisha received degrees from Missouri State Univ., Park Univ, and Master of Educational Leadership from Georgia State University.
Vaughn resides in North Charleston, South Carolina, with her two vivacious daughters. She enjoys traveling to exotic locales, spending time at the beach, and a great book.
Resources:
Racial Equity Institute (REI) https://www.racialequityinstitute.com/
REI 1---Framework
REI 2--Implicit Bias
Ibram Kendi https://www.ibramxkendi.com/antiracism-center-2
Ruth King https://ruthking.net/mindful-of-race-training/
Nicole Cordoza--AntiRacism Daily https://antiracismdaily.com/
Embrace Race https://www.embracerace.org/
In this episode, Techa and Jen share with Educators 6 tips to remember as we start this new school year. In addition, they want to wish you all the best as you start your school year in your various settings and a reminder that you are not alone. We are all in this together.
“Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Howard Thurman
Today's episode of Namasteach is a beautiful compilation of wisdom as Techa and Jen welcome Elizabeth Lesser to the show. Elizabeth talks about the need to hear the other story and how our humanity lies in the common ground of “otherness”. She discusses the human journey of living into who you are meant to be. Sharing about programs at the non-profit Omega Institute and their plans to diversify the campus, Elizabeth also addresses the idea that we are preparing for a new world. She focuses on how we are the new humans, but there’s all this crud between us and who we are meant to be, and how ours is the journey to rise above the crud and over the clouds to find our sky. This is an episode that you won’t want to miss.
https://www.elizabethlesser.org/
Omega Institute
https://www.eomega.org/
Take the Other Out to Lunch Ted Talk
https://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_lesser_take_the_other_to_lunch?language=en
--
In this episode, Techa and Jen take some time to step back and welcome summer vacation, and reflect on the past year. They talk about the need for educators to continue to do the activism work needed to make our schools equitable places for all children to learn and thrive. They also explore ways to fuel ourselves to show up for the work, specifically around the recent debate -Critical Race Theory (CRT). The episode explores how we will integrate lessons (like setting boundaries, reimagining our classrooms as equitable learning environments, and prioritizing what is essential for us) lessons learned early on in the pandemic. Techa and Jen end by sharing ideas for clearing energy from the trauma of this past year and book recommendations, and always the importance of self-care.
Some Resources
Dr. Bettina Love
https://bettinalove.com/
Through the Night
https://www.throughthenightfilm.com/
Brene Brown Podcast & The Gifts of Imperfection
https://brenebrown.com/podcast/introducing-unlocking-us/
Summer Reading
https://legacy.npr.org/programs/atc/books_music/summer.reading.html
https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2021/06/24/summer-books-recommendation
https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=the-hottest-summer-reads-librarian-picks-who-on-npr-books-in-the-news-5152020
CRT
https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/how-educators-are-talking-students-about-systemic-racism
https://www.npr.org/2021/06/20/1008449181/understanding-the-republican-opposition-to-critical-race-theory
In this episode, Techa and Jen have the pleasure of interviewing English Language Acquisition Coach Jen Hunter on her philosophy on education, especially during these times of Covid. Jen Hunter shares her diverse experience from teaching to coaching to writing to parenting and everything in between. At the heart of all the work that she does, Jen believes in the importance of connections, equity, and fun. Hosting flash mobs and dressing up like a penguin are just a few examples of how Jen has infused her personality and brought fun into her work. Jen inspires teachers to find out what motivates them and have fun!
Jennifer Hunter, M.S, C.A.G.S., is a Mom of two at home and work; she is an English Language Acquisition Coach (Instructional Coach) for the Bilingual Department in Brockton Public Schools in Brockton, Ma. She has had the privilege to teach students K-6 during the school day and undergraduate/graduate-level courses at various educational organizations and a local University in the evenings.
Jennifer has traveled worldwide but specifically to both China and Senegal, Africa, to learn more about other cultures and teach English. She is incredibly passionate about creating equity and inclusivity for culturally and linguistically diverse students.
Show Notes:
Teaching to Empower by Debbie Zaccarin and Michael Silverstone http://www.ascd.org/Publications/Books/Overview/Teaching-to-Empower.aspx
Beyond Crises by Debbie Zaccarin, Margarita Calderon, and Margo Gottlieg https://us.corwin.com/en-us/nam/beyond-crises/book276886
Culturally Responsive Teaching by Zaretta Hammond https://www.amazon.com/Culturally-Responsive-Teaching-Brain-Linguistically/dp/1483308014
Flash Mob:
https://youtu.be/Sl5chHaHYJc
In this episode, Techa and Jen had the honor of interviewing Todd Scholl, a 25-year educator and the founder of Teachers Aligned. Teachers Aligned was born to address the public education system's misalignment and the suffering expressed by many teachers. He wanted to connect educators in activism and contemplative practices. Through Todd’s work, he aims to support human flourishing and realign education systems to develop compassion and reduce suffering in both educators and students. As Todd says, teachers will find themselves in increasingly toxic environments until we address that core issue. As we have mentioned in past episodes, teachers are waking up to the reality that the current system isn’t serving their students or themselves. This episode will add fuel to your fire, inspire you to be the change, and think deeply about ways to get to the root of the problems we face in schools to find our wings to thrive. We hope this episode gives you some tools so that you can stop and listen to your voice and then go out and use it to transform our misaligned systems.
Todd spent 25 years in public education, retiring in 2020. He spent over fifteen years in the classroom and served as Coordinator of Communications and Program Development at South Carolina's Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA).
Todd has led over 100 sessions on mindfulness in education to schools and businesses across the state. He has also helped facilitate three teacher retreats. He is the founder of Teachers Aligned to connect educators across the state interested in mindfulness, trauma-informed practices, restorative justice, social-emotional learning, yoga, neuroscience, psychology, and teacher wellness.
Todd was born in Syracuse, NY. His father, Thomas, spent most of his career teaching special education. His mother, Nancy, was an elementary school teacher early in her career and later taught high school math. In 1986, Todd's family moved to Conway, SC, and graduated from Conway High School in 1989. Four years later, he graduated from the University of South Carolina with a B.A. in Journalism. Todd worked in the radio industry through college and thought that would be his career path. He eventually decided to follow his parents' footsteps into education. Todd lives in Myrtle Beach with his wife, Anna, and three children, Madison (20), Colin (16), and Sophia (11).
Resources:
Dr. Rick Hanson Neurodharma
Dr. Tish Jennings Mindfulness for Teachers
Podcasts 10% Happier
Judson Brewer Yale
Eckhart Tolle
toddscholl@gmail.com
http://mindfulnessretreat.weebly.com/
In this episode, Techa and Jen have the honor of interviewing Rosalynne Duff. Rosalynne is an educational activist, Ph. D student and all-around spiritual badass. Ros shares her wisdom on ideas of cultivating contemplative practices and reckoning with who you are from an equity lens. Her words are medicine, and her ideas are inspirational. Join Jen, Techa, and Ros for this mic drop worthy conversation around things that really matter and how to unveil yourself as an educator and human being.
Rosalynne Duff (She/ Her/ Hers) is an educator, leader, and healer with more than a decade of experience in urban education focusing on liberation and transformational pedagogy. In 2008, she launched her teaching career serving as a substitute teacher in Louisville, KY. In 2015, she migrated south to Atlanta, GA to serve as a Founding Teacher of Kindezi Old Fourth Ward in the Kindezi Charter Network. Following her passion for holistic education for students and teachers she transitioned into a leadership position as the Equity Coordinator of the CREATE Teacher Residency Program, a partner with Georgia State University. Rosalynne also holds a secular meditation certification in a cognitively-based compassion contemplative practice through Emory University’s Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics.
Nationally, she has studied the intersectionality of social and emotional learning (SEL), mindfulness, equity, and leadership with a focus on academics through the Transformative Educational Leadership (TEL) program at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY. She is currently a facilitator-in-training with Millennium Forum. Internationally, she contributed knowledge to the creation of an innovative social and emotional curriculum with the SEE (Social, Emotional, and Ethical) Learning program. After the launch of the curriculum, she traveled to India to speak on the impact of SEE Learning in the classroom on a global teaching panel. Currently, she is a doctoral student at Georgia State University examining Teaching and Teacher Education while developing a framework for critical contemplative pedagogy, an integration of educational equity, SEL and academics.
Books Ros Recommends:
Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie Glaude Jr.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom by Dr. Bettina Love
Meditations of the Heart by Howard Thurman
In this episode, Techa and Jen celebrate a year of the Namasteach Podcast and reflect on all of the happenings since the show's Inception. They discuss ways teachers and school staff continue to show up for their students amid the pandemic and the collective frustrations they hear from colleagues worldwide. Finally, they unpack the importance of rewriting stories and looking at things from a different lens. They listen to you; they see you, feel you, and are you; we are all in this together.
In this short episode, Techa brings us a few tidbits of wisdom. Reminding us of the meaning of EQUANIMITY. These days many educators feel alone, isolated, and unimaginable amounts of stress and anxiety. Here at Namasteach, Techa and Jen always want you to know that we see you, we hear you, and we hold space for you. Techa offers a short mindfulness practice to help us return to a place of stillness and rest. Our minds and bodies need this to keep us healthy, well, grounded, and at ease in the coming days.
In this brief episode Jen revisits appreciative inquiry, focusing on the principle of the language we use and how it creates our reality. She invites us to reclaim and reframe our educational experiences by reflecting on the language we use and suggests ways to re-dedicate the experience we want to have.
In today’s brief episode, Jen and Techa reflect on the times we are all living in and the upcoming holiday season. They are right there with listeners—not necessarily adding words of wisdom—but feeling the feels and the weight of teaching and living through what seems like a never ending pandemic and offering tools to help us remember and return to what matters most. In our current reality, many of us are experiencing many moments of stress and frustration, Techa and Jen remind you that you can pause and find a sense of stillness n the middle of all the chaos.
With all that's happening, we feel that we need to run away from the chaos. But the practice of coming to the place of stillness will help us to see that the chaos is just movement, we can allow it, acknowledge it and be still in the midst of it. Stillness can bring you to the place where you belong. Be still in the journey and in coming home.
Breath of Life by Dana Faulds
I breathe in All That Is
Awareness expanding
to take everything in,
as if my heart beats
the world into being.
From the unnamed vastness beneath the
mind, I breathe my way to wholeness and healing.
Inhalation. Exhalation.
Each Breath a “yes,”
and a letting go, a journey, and a coming home.
In this Episode, Techa reminds us how important it is to remember who we are and how not to allow the stress of the Pandemic to take us away from ourselves. She shares tidbits that serve as reminders about the things that can help to bring you back to YOU.
Description: In this brief episode Jen reminds listeners to practice relentless self care and to focus on filtering our experiences teaching amid the Covid19 pandemic through the Appreciative Inquiry model. She asks listeners how they are prioritizing their self care and what is working in their current reality? What we appreciate appreciates and during this time of things "not working", it is crucial that we take an asset-based approach to our situation to empower us to move forward with the big picture of education.
The Myth of the Perfect Child
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1144486
Appreciative Inquiry Resources
https://positivepsychology.com/appreciative-inquiry/
Jen and Techa examine this next phase of the pandemic, the idea of reopening schools, and the anxiety that educators are feeling. They provide helpful tips and strategies to support our healing and remind us the as educators, we are not alone and do not have to suffer in silence.
The Namasteach Podcast welcomes Harry and Rachel Cole, co founders of Bauhaus Montessori in New Orleans. Harry and Rachel share their journey of creating their own school and navigating its inaugural year being set in the presence of a dual pandemic. Their journey is inspiring, and their wisdom is enlightening as they remind us to design the lives we want and find educational settings that are in alignment with who we are and who we want to be.
Website to Nola Montessori https://nolamontessori.org/
Books:
-
Children of the Universe ~ Third Edition, Cosmic Education in the Montessori Elementary Classroom from Parent Child Press
-
The Art of Coaching, Effective Strategies for School Transformation- by Elena Aguilar
-
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success- by Carol S. Dweck
In this Episode of the Namasteach podcast, Techa unpacks ways that the community can become more involved in our schools. We are all feeling the impact of living amid a pandemic and the systemic inequities that have existed in our country for centuries are now being seen. Our school is a microcosm of society. School climate is a direct reflection of our society as well as our community. Techa discusses ways that our communities can address some of these societal challenges to support students impacted by trauma. Techa feels that the time is NOW. We can strengthen and build relationships to support all of our students. Communities want to get involved, but may not know how. As educators, we know what our students need. We have to educate our communities and provide ways that they can support our ALL of our students.
Feel free to email us with comments, suggestions or to share ideas: Our email address is: namasteach1@gmail.com
In this episode, Jen and Techa discuss ways that educators and individuals can show up during this dual pandemic--the Covid19 pandemic and the pandemic of systematic racism and racial injustice. They reflect on recent world events and how we as individuals are seeing now more than ever how truly interconnected we are. The episode ends with a guided practice to remind us of our human connection and also serves as a call to action to make this work sustainable in our lives and in our classrooms. The work starts with US. As you listen to this episode, ask yourself two questions:
1. How do I want to show up right now? and 2. What am I doing to make things better?
Resources
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/race-matters
https://www.theconsciouskid.org/
https://socialjusticebooks.org/
https://public-montessori.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9f5e66487b78e45eb5fe7425c&id=81e2669af8&e=23c601147d
https://blog.calm.com/blog/how-to-use-mindfulness-to-stand-in-solidarity-with-the-black-community
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HjP6Ap4MZFaYSGUwfxpn9VnR7MRMoiNAi-7pJGnzdXU/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1orHXKievjWFxRnt-D85olVFcf8DX5orSTwodPcv9d8o/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BRlF2_zhNe86SGgHa6-VlBO-QgirITwCTugSfKie5Fs/preview?pru=AAABcna23ZU*UFxcccsKPO0IBoX5nP79aw
Description: In this brief but poignant episode, Jen and Techa reflect on ways they are processing the shifting educational landscape during the global pandemic. They offer tools that they have created to help them stay present during this time in the hopes that they will support listeners.
If you would like to be a part of the conversation on our changing educational landscape during this era, please email namasteach@gmail.com
Check out Still Soul Studio for Techa’s weekly Virtual Sunday Community Meditation Class @11 am
https://www.stillsoulstudio.com/
Link to Techa's Affirmations
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-I9PwLW65GHScHB1VJGGhOZPfn56MxGFKdfFgkS5z_4/edit?usp=sharing
Link to Jen's Poem Quarantine Blessings
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UA7LEoDMgEck3mcsbmAYL3V5fsTGjG0HN9zH_lwcuIo/edit?usp=sharing
The Namasteach podcast welcomes Danielle Parker, an adolescent Montessori guide, yoga teacher, and small business owner. Sharing her unique educational journey, Danielle liberates educators by reminding us that the teaching journey is a practice that ebbs and flows. From failure to perseverance, Danielle also reminds us that our weaknesses are truly road maps to our super powers, and how vulnerability creates connection. Danielle's radiant energy and authenticity will inspire listeners. We will all benefit from her insights and perspective. Beyond her gifts of wisdom, Danielle is also sharing free yoga during this time for educators. Please see link below.
Danielle’s Offer and link https://www.thesaltyblossom.com/pages/yoga
Link to Salty Blossom https://www.thesaltyblossom.com/
Danielle Shares books that inspired her:
Dare to Lead -Brene Brown
When Things Fall Apart -Pema Chodron
The Namasteach Podcast welcomes our first guest Maria Palma. A Massachusetts native, a Spanish teacher and department head of 18 years, a mama of two, and a social justice activist. Maria Palma shares her wisdom and insights. In this episode, we delve into her guiding principles of education, how she supports herself and others during the COVID19 pandemic, how she finds the balance of being a teacher and a mom, and most importantly staying present and finding joy. This is an episode you won't want to miss!
Maria Shares:
VIVIR MI VITA Marc Anthony - Vivir Mi Vida (a great song to inspire students)
Book: The Language of Motherhood by Jen Iamele Savage (with contributors Maria Palma and Techa Smalls-Brown and others) https://www.amazon.com/Language-Motherhood-Mosaic-Beauty-Oneness/dp/B084WPXCQC/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=jen+iamele+savage&qid=1584963219&sr=8-1
Book: White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo https://www.amazon.com/White-Fragility-People-About-Racism/dp/0807047414
In this episode, Jen and Techa invite educators to explore the idea of retreating for Spring break and beyond. Sharing ways to truly cultivate inner calm during this unprecedented time in our lives. How can we create boundaries and sanctuaries within our current reality in the midst of a pandemic. Connect with Jen and Techa at namasteach1@gmail.com let us know how you are creating space to retreat and rejuvenate during this time.
A personal retreat is a fantastic tool to recharge and set your life in a new direction or shift your focus. ... Personal retreats give you space to rejuvenate, recharge, recollect yourself and also allow you to reflect, gain new insights, relax or brainstorm innovative solutions. They feel good. Your mind, your body and your soul will thank you!
Techa invites you to join her as she teaches meditation classes at https://www.stillsoulstudio.com/ great place to connect with amazing teachers and practitioners in virtual meditation & yoga practice.
In this episode you will experience Equanimity. Techa will lead you in a 15 minute guided meditation teaching you how to remain grounded and flexible in the midst of intense emotions.
In this episode, Jen and Techa discuss the ways life has shifted as we face a pandemic. They discuss how in these uncertain times, we have an unprecedented opportunity to truly remember what's important.
In the introductory episode, listeners will learn the purpose of the podcast and the importance of focusing on the whole educator