Conversation Starters

Listen to this post here . To my fellow graduates, When I moved to Cleveland in the summer of 2019, I was leaving behind almost eighteen years of a life I built in Somerville, Massachusetts, just across the river from Boston.  When I first moved to The 'Ville in 2002, it was to attend Emerson College and earn an MFA in Creative Writing -- so the boomerang effect of returning to my Ohio roots to work on a second Master's Degree felt like poetry. I entered the Mandel School on my first day of class at least ten years older than many of my classmates.  I entered the Mandel School on my first day of class with over twenty years of professional, leadership, community-building experience.  I entered the Mandel School on my first day of class with the confidence of a woman who'd survived nearly two decades of life in Boston, a city not known for its friendly, opening arms (though they are there -- if you know how to access them).   I entered the Mandel School on my fir...

  Reflection on the Simulation of Working With Parents of Elementary School-Aged Children  Returning to In-Person Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic Identifying the Community  For my video simulation, my selected community is parents of elementary school-aged children in a district that is reopening to in-person classes. I selected this group because I have school-aged nephews as well as a number of friends who work in schools, and so I have seen all sides of this conversation around safety for students and staff amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on this group of parents also provides an opportunity for me to explore a multi-faceted and dynamic array of viewpoints and concerns. While some parents have worked from home during the pandemic, others haven’t had that as an option, while still others lost or given up their jobs in order to be home with their kids.  Additionally, different families had different assessments of safety during the pandemic, ...

LISTEN HERE. DOWNLOAD HERE. Script from May 4, 2021: I am happy to be leading the grounding exercise and would like to dedicate today’s practice to our friend Kat and Baby Robert, who has joyfully arrived!   I invite you either to lay down flat on your back or if you remain seated to sit straight but without any forceful effort.  Close your eyes or draw a soft focus.  And breathe.  Begin with slow and steady deep breaths.  If you know ujjayi breathing, feel free to engage it now. If not - no worries.  Focus on even inhales and exhales.  I AM, HERE NOW I AM, HERE NOW I AM, HERE NOW What are chakras? In Sanskrit, the word “chakra” means “disk” or “wheel” and refers to the energy centers in your body. The belief is that when your chakras are “cleared” then you function at your best.  The chakra system follows your spinal column from base to top, so we will start at the beginning: Root chakra - Red (Muladhara) Imagine the color red. The root ch...