Last week, I read the heart-breaking news of Diane Kashin‘s passing.
Diane’s beautiful words so perfectly convey why she was so important to so many of us. More than a leader, a friend who always brought people together, challenged us to believe in a better future, and made every interaction meaningful. Diane lived beautifully. Her legacy is love. pic.twitter.com/pfUM3H7yZW
— kids connect (@LaurelFynes) January 2, 2024
While I never had the opportunity to meet Diane in person, my previous teaching partner, Paula, and I were fortunate enough to facilitate a webinar with her on educator partnerships in Early Childhood Education.
Since we were in the midst of COVID, all of our planning and practising was done online. Even through a computer screen, Diane was able to not only encourage and inspire us, but elevate Paula’s voice — giving her a reason to contribute another guest post to my professional blog.
Self-Reg & Relationships
Stuart Shanker often talks about how relationships are the backbone to Self-Reg. We can think about what this means for kids in a classroom, but what about adult Self-Reg? What about professional relationships that allow for planning, programming, and new possibilities? If educators are going to take risks in their professional lives, they need people like Diane, who prioritized listening, supporting, guiding, and challenging, all under the umbrella of relationships.
“Legacy is Love”
A community of educators is grieving the loss of a phenomenal human being. Some of them, like me, never even met Diane in person, but still knew that they had her support. In Diane’s last blog post, she speaks about her terminal illness and the thinking around her legacy. I agree with Laurel that her “legacy is love,” and the remarkable relationships that she built, which cultivated this love. Diane’s background might not be Self-Reg, but there is so much Self-Reg pedagogy in her words and actions. May we all find ways to lead with love, as Diane did, and continue to see the magic that happens when we believe in both kids and the adults who care for them.
