Hi! My name is Lauren Murphy Akashian, EdD and I’m an educator with over twenty years of experience in the high school English Language Arts (ELA) classroom and over ten years of experience in school leadership as an ELA Department Chairperson. I have a BA in English from the College of the Holy Cross, an MAT in Teaching English from Salem State University, and a doctorate in Leadership in Schooling from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. I’m passionate about promoting Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) in the high school classroom through the use of mindfulness activities that cultivate a safe and positive learning environment for teachers and students.