Rhea Settles

As a reminder to all participants of why they are engaging and to be mindful of how they engage with each other, Dr. Settles presents the Haim Ginott quote:

Children are like wet cement — whatever falls on them makes an impression.

Rhea Settles is an educator, a liberator and mediator, founder of The Civility Zone, and creator of Mindful Civility®. Dr. Settles has over 31 years of experience teaching and leading in how to share resources, spaces, and engage with each other without causing harm in education. Her conflict transformation approach is evolutionary, resolution-relief-based, and grounded in Mindful Civility which includes guiding a collaborative process, welcoming all voices, translating perspectives, leveling power imbalances, and offering ways to build bridges, not barriers. Dr. Settles is amply skilled at:

• facilitating all-aspects of the IEP process and general school-based and work-based forums and meetings
• coaching for civility and healthy communication
• evaluating and resolving conflict wars
• identifying oppressive constructs
• leading formal mediations
• resolving-relieving grade and performance-based disputes, student teacher conflict wars, school-based employee conflict wars
• cultivating and teaching liberation, peace, and bridge building between families, students and school-based employees in school districts and other education settings

In addition, Dr. Settles works with school districts and colleges/universities on organization-wide culture transformation, provides Mindful Civility coaching, and is clinical faculty with a California State University, School of Education, and an instructor with a Bay Area California Community College.

Dr. Settles calls what she does a necessary movement of heart work, liberation work, and purpose work.