Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Rafferty.
Hi Jen, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was a public school music teacher for most of my career and like most people, Covid changed everything for me. Prior to the pandemic, a large part of my identity was who I was as a teacher and a choral director, and in an instant, all of that changed. Not only could I not teach in a classroom with my students, but singing itself was considered dangerous. I spent a few months grieving this loss and learned how to reinvent myself. This was a huge realization, and once I figured out that I could still teach and facilitate singing experiences (albeit in a non-traditional way), I found a renewed sense of purpose and direction; I started my doctorate degree in Educational Psychology, incorporated my business Jen Rafferty Music LLC, created professional development programs for teachers, started a podcast about education, continued to promote my book, A Place in the Staff: Finding Your Way as a Music Teacher and began a global virtual singing community. I decided that nothing was going to stop me from pursuing my dreams, and it took a pandemic to make that abundantly clear to me.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The bumpy road of Covid resulted in lots of time for introspection and reflection. I was able to look back and really consider what was important to me, what I wanted, and if I was actually working towards getting those things. That reflection was difficult, and it wasn’t always pretty, but it provided insight to how I needed to move forward and build the life I dreamed of. I reevaluated my priorities and discovered that I wanted to lean into my entrepreneurial spirit and create something new. It was completely nerve-wracking to leave my public school teaching career, but I’ve always had a very strong connection to my professional mission: to inspire people to discover their voice. I realized that I could do that on a greater scale and I gave myself permission to explore many new possibilities.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
As an educational consultant I now have the opportunity to work with educators from all over the world. My new program, The Empowered Educator, elevates professional development through personal introspection. Teacher burnout is a very serious problem right now, and in order to maintain a healthy longevity in this career, teachers need to get in touch with how they want to feel when they get to work every day. Through my program teachers learn how by realizing that they no longer need to be a victim of external circumstances and wear their stress like a badge of honor. The eight tenets of the Empowered Educator walk teachers through creating a mission, vision, and understanding life-changing mindset shifts. We explore real self-care, emotional intelligence, and the psychology and neuroscience behind how we learn. I feel an incredible sense of urgency about sharing this program because teachers have the MOST important job in the world, and empowered teachers empower their students.
In addition, my virtual singing community, Sing Together, is now a global entity. People from all over the world (Vancouver to Kazakhstan, Paris to Japan and everywhere in between) come together over Zoom to sing. This program is unusual in that everyone except me is on mute. Because of the audio lag of online platforms like Zoom, virtual live music-making has been impossible. Sing Together was built on the idea that because everyone is on mute – there is no need to feel shy! People who were once afraid to sing have truly found their voice. I use a lot of movement during class so music becomes visible. Instead of focusing on output (for example, an end goal of a concert, which is the traditional focus of a music rehearsal), we focus on input; we learn how to be the best musical storytellers through emotion and healthy singing. This class has grown more than I ever imagined it could be, and I have seen the power of this beautiful universal language that connects us all.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I really enjoy the podcasts Invisibilia and Freakonomics Radio. They’re both great for interesting information and taking a look at things from a different perspective. I also love to read a lot of books about things outside of music and education because I’m able to make new connections and expand my ideas of what’s possible. Some of my favorites are Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor and Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor. My new favorite novel is The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern.
Contact Info:
- Email: music@jenrafferty.com
- Website: jenrafferty.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenraffertymusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theempowerededucator
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg8IPZt6TFN35YIg63JDGQQ
