Training & Lineage
My Institutional journey started at St Olaf College in Northfield, MN where I studied art and graduated with a BA in Studio Art. I then went on to pursue a teaching career and graduated with a Visual Art LIcense, Reading Endorsement and Masters in Education from Augsburg College (Minneapolis, MN). I went on to teach art from 2007 - 2017 at 5 different Schools.
In August of 2009, I moved to Stavanger, Norway (with 2 weeks to pack) to work at the International School of Stavanger. I would end up extending my two year contract, twice, for a total of four years, in one of the greatest countries (and happiest) in the world. I taught middle and high school art, and a high school yearbook class. And is where I created LoveRockResidue and where I started to see that not everyone stays in Minnesota and gets the job, gets married and has a family. There are families out and about traveling and working in different countries. There are way more single folk out here just living their best life. There can be a beautiful work/life balance. That Cross Country skiing, a hot drink in a thermos and a Reindeer hide to sit on, is the best. As well as brunost and bike commuting. That a group of strangers can become family. That spirit and the universe has bigger plans, and is truly at work in every step along the way.
In 2014, I started a job at North View Middle School in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. It was here as a new teacher in the district that I participated in a mandatory training called Beyond Diversity. A 2 day training through Glenn Singleton (Pacific Educational Group) and Courageous Conversations About Race. And is what started my understanding of what it meant to be a racialized being in this world. Also as a new teacher in the district I went on to be trained in ENVoY (Educational Non Verbal Yardsticks) with Nancy Burns. Which gave me permission and concrete ways to be the teacher I had always envisioned myself, but hadn’t been trained properly. Eventually, with my newly forming critical race lens, was also trained and given language for what I believed deeply in my soul, Restorative Practices/Justice. And is where I rooted in the belief that there should be more room for *Bubbles in the Hallway. And that our humanity and inherent dignity and worth matter.
I am primarily trained in my anti-racist analysis by Courageous Conversations About Race trainings (Beyond Diversity I&II, National Summit - Leading While White, and continuous Equity team trainings). As well as sustained training with Heather Hackman through offerings at West Metro Education Program (WMEP). Heather Hackman (my white person role model and mentor), walked me deeper into my knowing of whiteness and white supremacy within myself. And held me when grief really set in. In addition to Lee Mun Wah’s Cross Cultural Facilitation Skills and MIndful Inquiry folded into the CCAR protocol, National Urban Alliances Summer Academy, and Anthony Galloway and his Dare 2 Be Real Training (Anti-racist youth leadership program).
My analysis on race started and quickly deepened throughout my years at North View Middle school. Where my experience, as a white woman teacher in racially segregated school, built my understanding of our history and how systems were created and are perpetuated today. As I spent 30 plus years of my life not understanding the systems I lived in. Like many white people in this country, I was carefully taught not to see. I didn't understand the impact of the racist, oppressive systems I was helping to perpetuate every day in my classroom.
Being introduced, trained and coached in Educational Non Verbal Yardsticks (after already 7 years of teaching) as stated earlier, was another layer of icing on the game changer cake. Not only in my classroom, but for our whole school culture. It helped me to see the importance of influence over power and it most certainly helped me maintain being the teacher I know I am/was and strived to be every day. I was able to implement practices in my classroom, offering my room as the first defense to my whiteness and that of the school system around me. I became dedicated to the work of influencing systems and people in order to create thriving, compassion-filled space for my students and others.
Over time my dedication to Justice and closing the Resource/Opportunity Gap strengthened. I rooted in being a message of awareness, growth and transparency to uncover the oppressive systems at work in students' lives. I built my capacity and interest in continuing to influence at different levels of systems, knowing how interpersonal and internal the work truly is. And moved into a leadership role by seeking out multiple perspectives and more information, by participating in a Restorative Practices implementation team and co-leading a school staff equity team, white teacher affinity group, as well as an anti-racist student leadership group.
This work is personal before it is professional and I want to continue to engage in softening hearts and raising awareness of whiteness and white supremacy. As a white person, I want to influence and help build awareness in other white people. I want to speak truth to power and oppressive systems we live in every day. I will guide others back to their authentic selves so that they may find joy, community and room for bubbles.
As I started understanding systems and all the various part of me and my experience as a white, cis gendered, straight, able bodied woman. I was given various tools to communicate differently than what I had learned (Midwest, Norwegian, German, passive aggression), and speak my truth. Granted I still have much to practice, implement and still heal. I don't know where I'd be without open ended questions and the consistent practice I had around talking about racism, sexism, ableism and everything else in between.
I ultimately decided to step away from teaching, but pursue spaces to continue to influence adults, specifically white adults, to look at themselves and examine their beliefs and behavior. I wish to continue to engage in softening hearts and raising awareness of whiteness and white supremacy. I attempt to stand in my **PREP (Personal Racial Equity Purpose) every day. And never take my critical race lens off.
I have pursued experiences with organizations like Building Bridges and The Conflict Center in order to share my experience as a teacher and to find opportunities to encourage others in becoming less oppressive human beings, build communication skills, and increase awareness of how others may experience the world differently but also continue to facilitate and hold space in order to support others in their own healing journeys in whatever form that is, individually or systematically.
I now facilitate community trainings here in Denver (Groundwork, Uprooted) with Building Bridges. Our training focus areas include: Navigating Conflict, Cross-Identity Team-Building, Authentic Communication and Empathy, Equity and Inclusion, Leadership for Social Impact, Facilitation Training, Racial Identity Development, Anti-oppression Training and Dialogues. It has been in these community trainings that I have started to implement more “mindfulness” and somatic work, influenced by Resmaa Menakem and his Book, “My Grandmother's Hands”, and more recently influenced by Kelly Germaine and Kelly Elizabeth of Energetic Justice.
