HUMANIZING EDUCATION
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTERING EDUCATORS DEVELOPED BY EDUCATORS
Educator Well-Being for Systems Change
The NEED
The recent efforts to humanize students’ learning experiences are important and needed, but often overlook a critical factor: the well-being of adults.Wellness initiatives and professional development trainings often don’t account for the large-scale systemic influences at play and can often put more of the weight on the shoulders of individual educators.
THE APPROACH
Humanizing Education is an ongoing and unfolding body of work focused on supporting educators. Our belief is that when the social and emotional health of adults who work in schools is centered, this fosters positive work relationships and school and district cultures where students' social, emotional, and academic capacities can flourish.To account for power dynamics and positionality, two groups will move through the program in parallel: 1) classroom educators and school-level direct-service staff and 2) administrators and district leaders.Both groups will come together at points during the program.
Who is this for?
• You are feeling burned out, isolated, overwhelmed, disconnected, or numb in your role in education.
• You are frustrated by the tendency to get stuck in complaining that doesn’t improve the way you feel or fix the problems.
• You are open to participating in experiential, playful, and sometimes vulnerable activities, even if it feels a little awkward or uncomfortable.
• You are committed to co-creating spaces of authentic belonging for all students and adults
IMPACT
Our framework acknowledges the need for ongoing investment and dedication to the long-term outcomes we are striving for.
About Us
효영 HyoYoung Minna Kim is a former public school educator of eleven years, regenerating on the native land of the Coastal Salish peoples, colonially known as Seattle, Washington. She develops K-8 social-emotional literacy curricula and supports collectives and organizations in centering secure relationship dynamics as the foundation for transformative shifts. She approaches her work through a decolonial co-liberatory lens at the intersection of somatics, systems thinking, biomimicry, and collective care. She is a big believer in the healing power of children's literature, play, and nature. She has a Master of Arts in Inclusive Elementary Education, a Master of Social Work, and a PhD in Cuddling Dogs.
Jo Linden facilitated social-emotional learning experiences with alternative high school youth for over a decade in both classroom and out-of-school settings. She now works to support educators and youth-serving professionals to create human-centered organizational and classroom cultures that foster the well-being and resilience of their people. She has a Master of Science in Teaching, is a certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, and has studied impacts and responses to developmental trauma with Dr. Bruce Perry and Interpersonal Neurobiology with Dr. Dan Siegel. Jo is a seeker of delight, curiosity, and depth, and finds joy in connecting with the natural world, reading young adult fantasy fiction, and playing with her mini aussie, Rosie.
Let's connect
Email us to meet for a 30-minute introductory call. We'd love to learn about you and your group's needs and vision, and for us to share about how we can support you.Please include your name, your school or district's website, and anything else you'd like to share. We'll follow up with you shortly to schedule a time to meet over Zoom.We look forward to working together!