Name: Rachel Machtinger
Position: Bilingual Clinical Intervention Specialist
What led you to your current position? I never wanted to do a job where I was working for a company selling a product. That left me with a service-based job. I love that there are ways to make a living in the world where your job is based around being in relationship with people. Being a therapist is one of a few very cool careers where your work is entirely devoted to supporting people in the deepest way, facilitating a space in which they can identify their most important human needs and explore themselves without pretense or shame.
What inspires you to do this work? I chose to work with kids because (I totally love them, and) they don't always get offered a space where they can be their true selves, as they are often put in situations where they are told to do things or accept things and don't get a chance to figure out how they feel about it. I think giving kids a space to fully have their own, authentic experience, and have that validated by an adult that sees them in their truth, is a mitzvah.
What is an important lesson you’ve learned in this role? This year, during Shelter In Place and Distance Learning, I learned the value of being with kids in person. I will never again take for granted that a kid is present at school, even when their hood is up and they are unresponsive with their head down at their desk. Being there in body--that is huge. I also learned that even when they are logged in to Zoom class with their camera and microphone off and not responding--they still logged in, and that is also huge. There is something they are getting out of coming to school, or logging in, even if they are not saying a word or doing a single math problem. We are still offering them something that is valuable to them, just by being there consistently and being our authentic, caring selves. And they are choosing to take us up on that.
Share your life motto: My life motto is "Part of the whole," which brings to my mind the image of a vast spider web. We are all connected and impact each other. We all have a small place (in the grand scheme of things) in which we belong.
Position: Bilingual Clinical Intervention Specialist
What led you to your current position? I never wanted to do a job where I was working for a company selling a product. That left me with a service-based job. I love that there are ways to make a living in the world where your job is based around being in relationship with people. Being a therapist is one of a few very cool careers where your work is entirely devoted to supporting people in the deepest way, facilitating a space in which they can identify their most important human needs and explore themselves without pretense or shame.
What inspires you to do this work? I chose to work with kids because (I totally love them, and) they don't always get offered a space where they can be their true selves, as they are often put in situations where they are told to do things or accept things and don't get a chance to figure out how they feel about it. I think giving kids a space to fully have their own, authentic experience, and have that validated by an adult that sees them in their truth, is a mitzvah.
What is an important lesson you’ve learned in this role? This year, during Shelter In Place and Distance Learning, I learned the value of being with kids in person. I will never again take for granted that a kid is present at school, even when their hood is up and they are unresponsive with their head down at their desk. Being there in body--that is huge. I also learned that even when they are logged in to Zoom class with their camera and microphone off and not responding--they still logged in, and that is also huge. There is something they are getting out of coming to school, or logging in, even if they are not saying a word or doing a single math problem. We are still offering them something that is valuable to them, just by being there consistently and being our authentic, caring selves. And they are choosing to take us up on that.
Share your life motto: My life motto is "Part of the whole," which brings to my mind the image of a vast spider web. We are all connected and impact each other. We all have a small place (in the grand scheme of things) in which we belong.
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