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The Invitation to Play: Building Community Through Storytelling with Rachael Harrington
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đź“Ś Episode Synopsis
In this episode of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with storyteller and teaching artist Rachael Harrington to explore how storytelling can rebuild connection, imagination, and community in the aftermath of isolation and disruption.
Drawing from her background as a middle school art teacher and illustrator, Rachael shares how the “invitation to play” became central to her teaching philosophy and later evolved into her storytelling work with schools, libraries, and families. She reflects on creating Morning Circle during the COVID shutdown, using stories and art-making to provide routine, creativity, and emotional respite for children and educators navigating uncertainty.
Together, Joey and Rachael discuss storytelling as a deeply human act—one that strengthens listening skills, builds shared language and memory, and fosters empathy across communities. Through folktales, imagination, and interactive performance, storytelling becomes more than entertainment—it becomes a pathway toward reconnection.
As Rachael reminds us, rebuilding community often begins with something simple: sharing our stories with one another