Jeff Catania

Jeff left JK-12 education to explore and share the experience of being alive with love ("alove"). In 2022, he wrote "Rebooting Assessment" with Damian Cooper (awarded the IBPA Ben Franklin Gold Medal for Best Book in Education). His first solo book "Flourishing Classrooms A Deep Dive into Proactive Wellness for Grades 7-12" is now available. Jeff also runs support groups, and offers workshops on wellness, mindfulness, restorative practices, and math therapy (see https://alove.ca/)

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From https://alove.ca/about ...

Trained as a computer engineer (briefly), and then an educator (longingly), I taught only analytical high school subjects such as physics, math, communication technology, and computer studies. On leaving the classroom for a leadership role, I ran district-wide programs such as Assessment, B.Y.O.D., Cloud Computing, eLearning, I.T., and Math. In that time, I co-wrote The Joy of X: Becoming a Mathematics Teacher, and was a contributing author of Talk About Assessment: High School Strategies and Tools with Damian Cooper. My life looked great, but being so cerebral didn't always feel great.

When a devastating betrayal in 2012 cracked me to the core, I began a healing journey of yoga, therapy, meditation, groups, self-help books, courses, and sharing with loving others. In September, 2013, I experienced an intense, heart-awakening that left me utterly transformed. For two miraculous weeks I felt a deep flow in which life and love merged. It became absolutely clear that we are (all of us together) alive with love--alove. My life from that point on would never be the same.

As I connected more deeply with myself, others, and the world, I began running support groups to help hundreds around the world heal and thrive beyond infidelity. A blossoming of loving relationships followed by more liberating experiences left me feeling even more alove, and my intellectual energy felt balanced emotion, intuition, and spirit.

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My career shifted during this time, as I launched district-wide mindfulness, well-being, and Restorative Practices programs. I have led thousands of wellness sessions, community circles, group retreats, mindfulness series, and other workshops for both educators and students across my district and North America.​