Original Insights - Issue #1
"It is not enough for the teacher to love the child. She must first love and understand the universe. She must prepare herself, and truly work at it."
- Dr. Maria Montessori
Greetings!
Though it is tempting to begin with a platitude like “Hope this email finds you well,” my sense is that even relative wellness right now is a thin veil atop the collective anxiety and uncertainty we are all facing as we attempt to prepare ourselves and understand the universe. So, I will begin instead by saying, I see you.
You are receiving this email because you attended a past training, are a friend, acquaintance, colleague or client. You are an original educator, of that I am certain. We are all teachers and learners, and this is the key to our resilience. I am writing to share some professional happenings with hopes that you or someone you know may be interested in learning more.
As many of you know, the inner lives and emotional well-being of educators has been my passion for years. After serving children, families and schools with my learning support, assessment and counseling skills, I closed my private practice to begin my consulting work full time. My work has evolved from The Core Psychology to The Core Initiative to my new endeavor, Original Educator. Original Educator is dedicated to building the personal capacity of educators to meet the growing demands of schools by providing professional development to cultivate educators’ skills in four key areas: emotional agility, relationship, communication and spirited work.
This is the inaugural edition of my newsletter Original Insights. This will be the one and only edition you receive if you choose to opt out using the link at the bottom. I hope you will choose to stick around to learn about ways you can receive support and/or support the educators in your life during this unprecedented time. Please share this newsletter with anyone you think may be served or uplifted by this work.
Just last month, the Collaborative for Academic Social & Emotional Learning (CASEL) issued a roadmap for re-opening schools with an eye toward supporting Social-Emotional Learning. Their second key point was to design opportunities for adults to connect, heal and build their capacity to support students. That’s the mission of Original Educator!
Over the next several weeks, I will share more about the ways Original Educator is reaching out to support teachers, administrators, and specialists, but here is a quick preview of some upcoming special events.
Original Educator Mad Lab - August 22, 2020 1-3pm, Denver, CO
Has pandemic life left you speaking these three simple words? I feel mad. Or, perhaps you have just been engaging in vigorous weeding, walking around with a clenched jaw and low back pain, going for extra runs, self-loathing or muttering under your breath because anger is one of those emotions educators aren’t “supposed” to express. Nonsense! Befriend your anger and join other educators for Mad Lab, a short primer in using anger to transform. Details below.
Original Educator Healing Circles - Four virtual sessions to choose from!
Come to the circle. You belong. You deserve support. Join the Healing Circle to talk, connect, express emotion, think out loud and get or stay inspired. FREE for the month of August and September as an offering to the community I most love. Register in advance to receive the event link. Details below.
Thanks for reading these words, and thanks for being you in all of your youness. I see you… and I want to support your well-being. I look forward to sharing this journey with you through Original Insights, and welcome your questions, comments and feedback as we all continue to flex, pivot, grieve and grow. Below is my professional contact information. I remain ever grateful for the opportunity to serve educators on their personal and professional journeys.
Shine On,
Dr. Sara Knickerbocker
Chief Empowerment Officer
Original Educator Healing Circles
During this 40-minute virtual session, you will connect to self, connect to others, and move forward with a lens that serves you regardless of the state of remote, in-person or hybrid school environments.
The Healing Circle is right for you if…
You have been having a hard time sleeping because of recurring worries.
You wonder if anyone else is having the same thoughts or feelings as you.
You feel fine right now and want to fill up your resilience reservoir.
You keep replaying an incident from the spring with parents, colleagues, administrators or students, wondering about how or someone else handled a situation.
You feel stuck and unmotivated as you are called to return to work.
You want to connect with other educators!
