What We Carry, What We Share: Supporting Ukrainian Educators from Afar

What We Are Exploring This Month

I recently had the opportunity to create a series of three videos for Ukrainian educators—one focused on how teachers can care for themselves, one offering ideas for how they can support their students, and one created directly for children, with their principal translating.

There was something deeply moving about this experience.

I found myself recording messages for a situation I have never lived through, for people I have never met in person, yet somehow felt deeply connected to. I was acutely aware of the distance between my daily life and theirs—of the reality that while I was speaking about calming the nervous system, they were teaching and learning amidst sirens, uncertainty, and loss.

The techniques I shared are not new or unique. They are simple, foundational practices—pausing, noticing the body, becoming aware of thoughts, softening the breath. But in moments of crisis, these practices become essential. They are small anchors in a storm.

Before recording, I spent time learning about the physical and emotional impact of living through war, especially on children. The research is clear—prolonged exposure to stress and fear leaves deep imprints. But there is also hope. Even during a crisis, supportive relationships and small moments of regulation can lessen the long-term impact of trauma. A calm presence. A steady voice. A pause.

That is what these videos aim to offer.

And yet, as with most meaningful work, I found myself receiving just as much—if not more—than I was giving.

Creating these videos was a quiet reminder to return to the very practices I was sharing. To notice my own nervous system. To pause. To breathe. To soften. It is easy to talk about these things; it is another thing to live them consistently. This experience gently brought me back.

It also reinforced something I continue to believe deeply: connection matters. Even across distance. Even across language. Even in the midst of unimaginable circumstances.

These videos are a small offering. A way to say: we see you, we care, and you are not alone.

Link to the playlist of the three short videos.