Welcome

Holding space: The conscious act of witnessing and validating the experience of another. 

We are two mid-career teachers who grew tired of shallow conversations about our profession. Holding Space for Educators is our passion project - a blog and community seeking to be part of the solution.

Our Mission

To be strong space holders for educators.

Our Vision

To spark honest conversations and build awareness within our community about the nuances and realities of the teaching profession.

To be an authentic space for educators to receive transformative, caring support so that we, through brave, bottom-up change, can experience more wholeheartedness in our work and a more sustainable profession for generations to come.

Our Values

Honesty, empathy, curiosity, empowerment, and hope.

We are so glad you’re here.

Get to know us a little more

Rachel (top) and Kat (bottom) met while working together on the 5th grade team in an urban elementary school in the midwest. Rachel was an intervention specialist with prior experience in high school intervention, and Kat was a 5th grade teacher whose previous work was as a 3rd grade classroom teacher. They hadn’t worked closely together for most of the year, but began to hit it off in the small moments when they discovered that they were both passionate about their work, yet were experiencing similar dissatisfaction. The day COVID brought schools to a close in their district, Rachel asked Kat on board a project that had been brewing in her mind. That was the birth of HSE! We continue to be an active Instagram community and are excited to share even more with you through our blog and resources!

Rachel lives in Ohio with her husband and two-year-old daughter. Motivated by her own struggle, Rachel started researching teacher dissatisfaction in 2017. Fast forward to 2020, Holding Space for Educators was created. Now, with only a very part-time teaching position, her days are currently full of coffee, play, and writing.

Kat is now living in the northeast with her husband, two dogs, and a baby girl on the way! She is an artist and writer, certified yoga teacher, and an MSW candidate at Columbia University. You can find her working on art for her Etsy shop, Turnip + Crow Paper Company, writing children’s books, and, of course, creating the visuals you see on Holding Space for Educators!