After healing circles, it’s important to pause to reflect on the profound moments of connection, restoration, and shared wisdom that unfolds.
During the month of March, we had the honor of holding a healing circle series at District 9 in New York. To every District 9 leader, educator, and participant who joined us in this sacred space—thank you. Your presence, vulnerability, and commitment to fostering healing-centered school communities have been nothing short of inspiring.
From the beginning, we recognized the immense demands placed upon school leaders and educators. We know that navigating the complexities of today’s educational landscape requires more than just strategy—it demands deep care for ourselves and one another. Through these circles, we sought to provide a space where reflection, rest, and collective healing could take root.
A Journey of Reflection, Boundaries, and Rest
Each session in our series offered a unique opportunity to explore practices that sustain both personal and professional well-being:
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Dreaming as Liberation invited us to envision new possibilities, reaffirm our agency, and dream boldly for ourselves and our communities.
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Defining and Setting Boundaries empowered us to create the conditions for sustainable leadership, reinforcing the importance of protecting our time, energy, and well-being.
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Rest as Resistance reminded us that rest is not a luxury but a necessity—and an act of radical self-care in a system that often prioritizes productivity over wellness.
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Reflection & Witnessing Circle allowed us to bear witness to one another’s experiences, deepening our collective commitment to growth, resilience, and transformation.
What We Have Built Together
Through these circles, we did more than just learn strategies—we built a community rooted in care and mutual support. We listened deeply, shared courageously, and held space for one another in ways that reaffirmed our shared humanity. Together, we explored:
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Strategies for promoting teacher well-being and collective efficacy
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Concrete tools for building community care and trust within our schools
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Trauma-informed and healing-centered practices that uplift both staff and students
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Approaches to addressing identity and power dynamics in school culture
We have seen firsthand how these conversations ripple beyond our virtual gatherings, influencing the ways we show up in our schools, for our students, and for ourselves. Your engagement, reflections, and willingness to embrace this journey have been the heart of this series.
Moving Forward, Together
Though this series is concluding, the work of healing and belonging continues. We hope that the insights and connections made in these spaces will serve as a foundation for continued growth and transformation in your schools. Let us carry forward the lessons of dreaming, boundary-setting, rest, and reflection, knowing that we are never alone in this work.
To each of you who made time for this experience, who showed up for yourselves and for one another—thank you. Your dedication to creating healing-centered schools is what makes this work so powerful.
Bylines:
Mia “Omi” Hunte
Lead Circle Keeper and Coordinator: Triple-certified restorative and healing circle facilitator and trainer. Extensive experience providing trauma-informed healing circles for participants of color.
Dr. Yaribel Mercedes
Publications:
- Muhammad, G., Mercedes, Y., & Bruhn, B., (2024). Nurturing Student Joy: Like Gardeners, Educators Must Tend To Students’ Genius and Joy https://ascd.org/people/genius-garden-collective
- Genao, S., & Mercedes, Y. (2021). All We Need Is One Mic: A Call for Anti-racist Solidarity to Deconstruct Anti-Black Racism in Educational Leadership. Journal of School Leadership, 31(1-2), 127-141. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052684621993046
- Mercedes, Y., Mothersil, A., & Love, B. L. (2024). Exploring Liberatory Practices of Dreamkeepers. Black Educology Mixtape “Journal”, 2(1). Retrieved from https://repository.usfca.edu/be/vol2/iss1/5
- “The most basic activism we can have in our lives is to live consciously in a nation living in fantasies. Living consciously is living with a core of healthy self-esteem. You will face reality, you will not delude yourself.” ~ bell hooks