Calling White Educators to an In-person Opportunity to Connect, Regulate, and Prepare for the Year Ahead
Last year was one of the most challenging ones we’ve experienced as educators, and—between the continued fallout from the war in Gaza, the upcoming election, and the ongoing pushback on DEI—there are sure to be many tense and complex moments this fall. As white educators, we’re often conditioned into silence; this year especially, silence will not allow us or our students to thrive. Before you jump back into the frying pan, consider joining us for a two-day in-person workshop to connect, regulate, and prepare.
Together we will:
Connect – We need each other to combat racism and the many ways that white supremacy shows up in us and in our schools. We simply can’t fight white supremacy by reading a book on our own. With compassion, we’ll challenge ourselves and each other to share our truths and ask hard questions.
Regulate – To show up for our students and communities with integrity and courage, we need to regulate our nervous systems. Together we’ll practice somatic exercises to ground us in our bodies, which we often forget once we’re back on the roller coaster of the school year.
Prepare – If we want to show up for the challenges ahead of us with courage and integrity, we must prepare. We’ll create a roadmap that we can return to and a supportive community that we can depend on throughout the year.
This program has the added benefit of an opportunity to continue the learning in ongoing (online) sessions throughout the school year: time to reconnect, reground, and re-chart our course—together. Finally, affinity spaces for white educators make us stronger, braver, and clearer about who we are and how we show up. This workshop is designed to do just that. We hope to see you at the Bay School this August!
Liza Gleason has been an educator in the Bay Area for more than 25 years. She recently completed her Educational Doctorate at Mills College, where her research focused on white women teachers. Liza has taught in both public and independent schools at the elementary and middle school levels. She is passionate about the intersection of building inclusive schools and white educator identity development. Liza uses vulnerability, care, and emergent thinking to ground her work with educators. She currently coaches individual teachers and teaching teams on curriculum and instruction and facilitates dialogue groups for white-identifying educators. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, teenage son, and two rescue dogs, Sammy and Cali.
Rob Wasielewski is an educator at Live Oak School in San Francisco and seeks to advance equity and justice through his work with students. As a middle school humanities teacher, Rob is passionate about creating antiracist curriculum and building strong, trusting classroom communities alongside his students. He lives in Oakland with his wife and their newly growing family.