Facilitator
Teresa Hurliman (she/her) always dreamed of becoming a teacher. Those early dreams resulted in a 48-year career working in schools in both Washington and Idaho.
She was born and raised in Othello, WA, where her lifelong love of learning and teaching began with tutoring neighborhood children and teaching in the local summer school. She went on to get her BA and master’s in education at Eastern Washington University and principal certification at Gonzaga. She worked in Spokane Schools for the next 34 years as an elementary resource teacher, education specialist, special ed coordinator, and alternative school principal. Her next chapter was doing school improvement coaching and consulting with the state of Idaho and the Spokane school district for ten years.
Teresa joined the Sound Discipline as a facilitator 5 years ago and has provided workshops and coaching to schools in Eastern Washington and North Idaho. Teresa feels fortunate to have the opportunity to help districts and schools build capacity and develop systems to support a relationship-based approach to nurturing children and creating healthy communities.
What are people most surprised to learn about you?
I once caught a halibut that weighed more than I did!
What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
Playing with my family (especially by the water or in the snow), traveling, swapping stories with friends, and dancing – as long as I can lead!
Why are you passionate about working at Sound Discipline?
I have a deep appreciation for teachers and educators. They are my favorites! The work they do on behalf of children makes all the difference in the kind of society we are and will become. I was drawn to Sound Discipline because their foundational beliefs aligned with the work I had been doing in schools. It is rewarding to help educators see the connections between brain science, trauma, and learning and to support them in implementing practices to build strong school communities. It delights me to hear stories from educators when a tool works for them, and when their students engage in more successful ways. I am also appreciative of the gifted, collaborative team at Sound Discipline; they inspire me to continue to learn and grow.