My Credentials and Activities

Put on your 3D glasses!

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​When we intentionally use our Intellect, Insight, and Intuition (our 3 Eyes) together, it is like putting on a pair of 3-Dimensional glasses.
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​Just as 3D glasses transform a flat, fuzzy image into one that jumps out at us from the page, by looking at our lives, experiences, and decisions through all three lenses, we gain a depth of meaning and level of clarity that we cannot achieve through using one lens alone. 

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A Little Bit More About Me

I am an author, speaker, and systems-thinker who has been in the education and nonprofit space for more than thirty years. Through my extensive experience leading personal and system-wide change, I have come to believe that when we approach our challenges from the inside out, by building a supportive and heart-centered connection with ourselves first, we have the confidence and resilience to tackle the important work of transforming our lives and communities.

My mission is to create a more equitable and inclusive world by empowering people to unapologetically prioritize their health, healing, and personal wellbeing. 

THE FOUNDER

In addition to my professional work, I am passionate about meditation and am an internationally-recognized expert on mindfulness in education.
I regularly speak on podcasts and give presentations about change management, self-care, and mindfulness.

THE CREW

I live with my son and these two beauties, and collectively, they are known as The Crew.  The Crew keeps me grounded, laughing, accountable, and driven.
We love walks along the water, snuggling on the couch to watch cooking shows, and then trying out recipes of our own.

THE LOCATION

I am a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, and still call it home. I credit my upbringing and life in the Bay Area for my deep commitment to social justice and equity.
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While this is home, we provide services across the country and world!

Whole System Repair

We nurture our Internal System through self-care and developing our emotional intelligence. As we support ourselves, we gain the capacity and awareness to be the change we want to see in our world.
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Self-Work

We change the Professional Space through building trusting and collaborative relationships with our colleagues and clients. Together, we create the changes we envision for our workplaces and the people we serve.
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Work-Work

Healing-centered and beloved communities emerge when individuals are resourced and our collaborative spaces are grounded in connection and care.  Through love, we transform our Social Systems.

Community Impact

Let's Own Our Narrative

Stories stick with us. Stories appeal to our emotions and provide us with tangible examples that compel us to think differently and motivate us to change. Stories are so effective because they put a face to facts and figures that otherwise feel too overwhelming or impersonal to inspire action.

​It is time for educators to tell their stories. We need to shine a light on the challenges we face in education and use our stories to advocate for changes that will transform our system into one that truly serves all students.

The Idea and the Opportunity

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THE IDEA

Most educators do a similar calculation when reviewing the latest policy or practice: Will it work in my context and with my students? How will this actually roll out? How will I find the time? And so on. We do this because most ideas for improving our system come from outside of it--from people who no longer, if ever, worked in education.

​Educator expertise is often overlooked or ignored.

It is time for educators to lead the changes we need to improve our system. Through telling our stories, we not only illuminate the complex challenges we face in education, but also demonstrate the incredible skill, knowledge, and capacity we have to address those challenges. 

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THE OPPORTUNITY

I earned a grant from the VELA Fund that allowed me to empower educators from across the globe to tell their stories. I call the project School Stories. Here are the details:

• Use of VELA grant to provide scholarships to 8 educators, with matching scholarships for another 10 participants through The OpEd Project
• All grantees participated in an OpEd Project Write to Change the World workshop
• All grantees had the opportunity to be on The Awakening Educator podcast and have a guest blog 

​Two grantees had their op-eds published! Check them out!

• Renee Owen's article on ways to make transformative change in education appears in Greater Good Magazine
• Smriti Sharma's article on mindfulness and youth was published in the largest circulating newspaper in Kenya. 
  

​Smriti Sharma and Anashay Wright joined The Awakening Educator to tell their stories.

Meet Some of Our Grantees:

Want to be a part of my story?

I am in the beginning stages of researching my next book. It will tell the story of educators who have been on the job between 3-5 years--that time when most choose to either leave the profession or to stay.
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If you are in that range yourself, or know someone who is, please reach out! I'd love to chat with you briefly, and possibly feature your story in my book.

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