Hi, I’m taylour…
I am a former high school teacher from Monterey County, and while I loved teaching and connecting with my students, I couldn’t help but notice that something essential was missing from the education equation. My teacher training, and that of many of my colleagues, had been insufficient in preparing us in how to build and maintain healthy relationships with not only our students and their caregivers, but also our colleagues and administrators. It was this missing piece that was contributing to my disillusionment and burnout.
I didn’t want to leave education altogether, but I was compelled to reposition myself in the education sector, electing to build my own consulting practice that centered around the components that I knew were backed by social neuroscience to promote a thriving teaching and learning environment. In fact, the more I engaged in this work, and learned from others in the field of consulting, I realized it was not just schools, but workplaces and employees in general, who were lacking the skills to adequately resolve conflict, build trust and cohesion with their teams, and reflect on their work in a way that brings them meaning and a sense of purpose. This consulting practice has restored my own sense of purpose, and I look forward to sharing that with you.
I earned my M.A. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, with a focus on Healing-Centered Engagement, conflict resolution, creative thinking, storytelling, and program design. I have a background of study in interpersonal neurobiology, and have been published in the Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice with a co-authored paper titled “Restoring Relationships, Healing Trauma, and Creating Attached Classrooms.” I am trained in restorative practices through the International Institute of Restorative Practices, and certified in Nonviolent Communication through the Center of Nonviolent Communication and in Bridging Differences through UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center.
Reflective Questions
Reflective questions puts you, the client in the driver’s seat, and positions you as the expert of your thoughts, feelings, values and goals. Yes, it is essential that I understand who you are and how you make sense of the world and your work, but it is more important that you understand.
Social neuroscience tells us that the foundation of a joyful, inspiring, and transformative working environment rests on the strength of our relationships—the relationships we have with ourselves, our colleagues, and with the work itself. The services I provide you and your team are supportive, flexible, voluntary, reflective, confidential, and non-assessment based.
The Mechanisms
Conflict Resolution
Conflict resolution seeks to repair what has been ruptured. I do this in a variety of different ways, using different models, depending on what makes sense for you and your team, such as restorative practice, Nonviolent Communication, or Bridging Differences. Integrated into the conflict resolution work, will be guidance on how to communicate more effectively, especially during critical moments.
Group Mind
Group mind, also known as collective intelligence, is a crucial component when it comes to how we perform as a team. Oftentimes, our workplaces have us siloed, which keeps us from, connecting, innovating, and problem-solving. The principles of Group Mind are not only energizing, but constructive, using such practices as behavioral and cognitive synchrony, shared attention, collective intelligence, and jigsaw learning.