The Galactic Cow: Conversations about teaching, the Universe, and everything

Between Kindness and Fear

There is nothing easy about life in the United States right now, and being an educator holds an increasing weight and tension. Education, as an institution, is facing an existential crisis and without the certainty that education itself still matters, what can give us certainty? What can we believe in that matters, regardless of our status or position in our institutions? Acknowledging our fear and its connection to kindness matter. That moment of recognition, of understanding that we all have known fear, presents us with many choices. What we choose in those moments of distress matters, and is a reflection of who we are in that moment, perhaps beyond. Join me for a short talk on the moments that exist between fear and kindness. References amb's IG reading [https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9pl1kcpsNX/?igsh=a28yMGl1eDFrMzBq] (August 20 2024) Butler, O. (1993). Parable of the Sower [https://bookshop.org/p/books/parable-of-the-sower-octavia-e-butler/19767724]. Seven Stories Press. NY. Daniels, E. (2022). Building a trauma-responsive educational practice: Lessons from a corrections classroom [https://www.routledge.com/Building-a-Trauma---Responsive-Educational-Practice-Lessons-from/Daniels/p/book/9780367499624?fbclid=IwAR3Vu73_WfD09INVHoXaTreB4nAsOFYC6FVZVTLd6bD61AdEPRLho0pP8nw]. Routledge. NY. Keltner, D. (2024). Awe: The new science of everyday wonder and how it can transform your life [https://bookshop.org/p/books/awe-the-new-science-of-everyday-wonder-and-how-it-can-transform-your-life-dacher-keltner/92627722b0d00a9e?ean=9781984879707&next=t]. Penguin Books. Show Notes theme music: composed and performed by Alden Zac [https://www.aldenzac.com/] (here [https://twitch.tv/sword_fishy], here [https://youtube.com/@swordfishy], here [https://twitter.com/fishysword]) thanks friend! editing & production: emareena (who is relieved this is mostly listenable) logo: emareena, who loves Galactica very much website: galacticcow.com [https://galacticcow.com/] and, occasionally, on the blog [https://galacticcow.substack.com/]

Visible Mending and Generational Promise in Learning

For our season's final episode, I wanted to bring as many of our episode themes together as possible. To make it even more interesting, the conversation takes place outside of education – as an institution – almost entirely. But so many of our concepts for this season show up – kindness, accountability and restorative processes, where public love shows up, trauma responsivity, generosity, creativity and risk taking, and maternal health. As an educator, I am always curious about how ideas make their way into everyday living, and this conversation offers many glimpses into how that can happen. References Visible mending info: https://www.goingzerowaste.com/blog/visible-mending/ [https://www.goingzerowaste.com/blog/visible-mending/] Show Notes theme music: composed and performed by Alden Zac [https://www.aldenzac.com/] (here [https://twitch.tv/sword_fishy], here [https://youtube.com/@swordfishy], here [https://twitter.com/fishysword]) thanks friend! editing & production: emareena (who is relieved this is mostly listenable) logo: emareena, who loves Galactica very much website: galacticcow.com [https://galacticcow.com/] and, occasionally, on the blog [https://galacticcow.substack.com/]

A Path to Scholarship: Creativity and Black Maternal Health

I sometimes think that if I look inside the workings of truly outstanding teachers I will always find their wildly creative twin secretly pulling the levers! That more people in academia are not strongly encouraged to not only pursue their creative interests but bring that creativity into their classrooms and scholarship kind of blows my mind. If you are one of those academics with a tiny creative secretly running things from a chamber in your brain, this episode is for you! References Find Dr. Hunte: here [https://www.pdx.edu/profile/roberta-hunte] and here [https://www.linkedin.com/in/roberta-hunte-2b229726/] Film/Theatre: Push: Black Mamas Changing the Culture of Birth [https://cohoproductions.org/push/] and Sista in the Brotherhood [https://www.collectiveeye.org/products/sista-in-the-brotherhood] Her research on maternal health disparities for women of color [https://www.pdx.edu/social-work/news/dr-hunte-researching-maternal-health-disparities-families-color], and her role in launching [https://www.pdx.edu/health-counseling/news/dr-roberta-hunte-talks-about-health-birth-initiative-recent-podcast] the Healthy Birth Initiative [https://multco.us/services/healthy-birth-initiatives] Oregon's Momnibus bill [https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/reynolds/Pages/momnibus.aspx], more detail here [https://www.portlandnewfamilyfund.org/post/big-win-oregon-passes-momnibus-and-pnff-updates] Show Notes theme music: composed and performed by Alden Zac [https://www.aldenzac.com/] (here [https://twitch.tv/sword_fishy], here [https://youtube.com/@swordfishy], here [https://twitter.com/fishysword]) thanks friend! editing & production: emareena (who is relieved this is mostly listenable) logo: emareena, who loves Galactica very much website: galacticcow.com [https://galacticcow.com/] and, occasionally, on the blog [https://galacticcow.substack.com/]

Math, Creativity, and Taking Risks

If you've ever been afraid of math, this episode is for you! Also, if you are a math or art teacher, this episode is for you too!! My guest this week and I had a conversation that turned out to be one of my personal favorites, partly because I spontaneously burst into math! I can't believe I just typed that sentence but it is true, and it was called for and I stand by my conclusions 😊 Math is such a tremendous pain point for so many people, would it surprise you to learn that it has that in common with art? Join us for this week's conversation, and maybe math will start to feel a little less scary ♥ Show Notes theme music: composed and performed by Alden Zac [https://www.aldenzac.com/] (here [https://twitch.tv/sword_fishy], here [https://youtube.com/@swordfishy], here [https://twitter.com/fishysword]) thanks friend! editing & production: emareena (who is relieved this is mostly listenable) logo: emareena, who loves Galactica very much website: galacticcow.com [https://galacticcow.com/] and, occasionally, on the blog. [https://galacticcow.substack.com/]

Trauma-Responsivity and Teaching Practice

I write and talk extensively about the impacts of trauma on learning, educational trauma, and how trauma-responsivity in teachers can provide a counter to the impacts, and interrupt cycles of harm. I learned these things largely through my own practice, and applying research and observation, but hearing how other people interpret and apply this work is a full-on blessing from the Universe. There are many things teachers do instinctively that are helpful with regard to trauma, but we have also all been through and witnessed educational harm. Our own educational journey is usually where we learned our default habits, reactions, and behaviors whether we enjoyed that journey or not. This episode's guests and I have a warm and loving conversation about kindness, trust, and how experiencing those things for ourselves brings home how important it is to offer them to students. References Building a Trauma-Responsive Educational Practice: Lessons from a Corrections Classroom [https://www.routledge.com/Building-a-Trauma---Responsive-Educational-Practice-Lessons-from/Daniels/p/book/9780367499624?fbclid=IwAR3Vu73_WfD09INVHoXaTreB4nAsOFYC6FVZVTLd6bD61AdEPRLho0pP8nw] (Daniels, 2022) Galactic Cow, S2E1 with Dr. Cate Denial - Kindness, Learning, and Higher Ed [https://galacticcow.com/2025/07/03/kindness-learning-and-higher-ed/] Jenn Brazleton, on the interwebs [https://www.jenniferbrazelton.com/] Show Notes theme music: composed and performed by Alden Zac [https://www.aldenzac.com/] (here [https://twitch.tv/sword_fishy], here [https://youtube.com/@swordfishy], here [https://twitter.com/fishysword]) thanks friend! editing & production: emareena (who is relieved this is mostly listenable) logo: emareena, who loves Galactica very much website: galacticcow.com [https://galacticcow.com/] and, occasionally, on the blog [https://galacticcow.substack.com/]