Dear Reader,

I'd love to introduce you to some new ways of engaging with us that we're really excited about!

Recently, I published an essay on Substack that attempts to capture the value of the meet-ups we host each week live in The Studio for Playful Inquiry. These meet-ups have been a place where meaningful relationships have grown between colleagues who otherwise would never have had a chance to know each other or share their perspectives and ideas. Matt and I feel good about the structure that has evolved as we've developed this invitation and we've come up with a new way to make it available.

Recognizing the financial hardships educators are facing, it also has been important to us to reduce costs while we increase access. To do that, we have replaced all the monthly options with two annual plans. Now you can join The Studio for $99 annually. Once you are a member of this "Inspire" plan, you can choose to purchase and add one or more of the meet-up series which we'll offer 3 times this year.

The first series will focus on what it means to teach with our whole heart. This series offers 10 opportunities spread over the next three months to join live. These opportunities to practice collegial dialogue are designed to allow participants to drop in without the need for prior experience or any sense of being "caught up" with the posted Studio material: you can come to all, or several, or just a few and reap the benefits of connection. They are not recorded because the experience relies on the unique moment created by the individuals who are present.

A recent note from a participant had this to say about meet-ups:

They became something I looked forward to: a chance to lift my head from the weight of what was happening in our spaces and be reminded of the light on the other side of it. That was a real gift, and honestly a necessity for my sanity.

This year, from September through May, we'll be focused on embodiment and embodied learning. We'll explore a variety of theory and practice that supports us to develop a shared understanding of the "bodymind" as learner - both our own and the younger bodyminds that we work alongside. As Emily Poel and Guy Claxton write in their book Bodies of Learning, which we'll read together in October and November,

"... the term bodymind is actually short for body/brain/world/mind. Brain and world both need a mention. We have to acknowledge the importance of the brain, but on the embodied view it has a new role. It is no longer the boss of the body ... it is more like the body's meeting place, its agora, evolved to allow all the different parts and functions of the body to talk to each other, and to resolve conflicts and priorities so that concerted action can appear."

The Studio is designed to invite slow engagement over time, which is why we've decided to only offer annual options to join. In this private, protected space of collegial thought, sharing, and imagination, we'll explore these ideas together. The pace is up to you.

Here is a visual guide to membership - we hope you'll join us!

You can register here for Transform and here for Inspire.

Please reach out to me or Matt - you can just reply to this email - with any questions or requests for financial support.

Up next in the Studio Wholehearted What informs your image of the child and the work you do alongside them? We'll explore this question through a variety of texts, poetry, arts provocations, and live meet ups. Join us

We'll be guided by Guy Claxton and Emily Poel We are excited to have Guy and Emily join us on September 1 to launch our new year as we focus on the importance of embodied experience in learning. Transform members have the option to attend live. The recording will be posted for all - adding to dozens of treasured recordings of past conversations. Buy the Book

The Language of photography​ ​ ​ We are thrilled to partner with Kathryn Ann Myers to enhance opportunity in the Studio to explore and think with materials. Members will enjoy monthly videos that include prompts, practices, and invitations to deepen their relationship with a variety of materials. The full and growing archive is there for your use, as well. Kathryn Ann's Work →

WATCHING, LISTENING, READING

Good things:

Matt and I loved working with Raven Writes in Juneau this summer, and then we got to watch the local humpback whales bubble-net feeding on a gorgeous sunny afternoon - how lucky for us to get to do both in one trip!

In case you missed it, we've recently posted articles on Substack that explore and explain our approach to professional development.
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This podcast with Guy Claxton and Emily Poel is an excellent introduction to their work.

​Hidden Brain this week is also about embodied learning - with an emphasis on the power of the arts.

“Learning to tune in to your own inherent, ever-present joie de vivre is an essential aspect of well-being.”

— Guy Claxton and Emily Poel

3950 NW St. Helens Rd. , Portland, OR 97210
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