Hi, I'm Meghan Raftery.
I've never fit neatly into one box. My work spans education design, thought leadership, and community building, and I love connecting people, whether through new frameworks, deep conversations, or the simple joy of giving away a book at a cocktail party.
Right now I spend most of my time helping communities, educators, and kids get better at the skills that matter in real life, not just the ones that show up on a resume or report card. That means communities of practice, durable skills, microcredentials, and project-based learning.
This site is where all those threads come together. It is my home base for professional projects, book recommendations, and the experiments that shape my next chapter.
Read more on my About page, or get in touch.
WHAT I'M CURRENTLY READING
Does your town do Battle of the Books?
When my oldest son was in first grade, a talkative big kid at the bus stop told us all about why he could not wait to be a fifth grader to participate in this competition, hosted by the Virginia Beach Public Library and facilitated by his school. From that point forward, our family was hooked and interested. This is our family’s 4th year participating. We’ve learned a lot, from how to put a team together when a teacher or parent is not facilitating the interaction, to managing disappointment, taking responsibility for non-school work, time management, and being a gracious winner. One year, our middle schooler made it to the finals where a surprise judge turned out to be the author of one of the books they read! The contestants answered one question (what make and model car a minor character in the book drove) the author did not even know the answer to!
Each year I am impressed with how deeply the students engage with the books and one another. I am a fast but often shallow reader and will sometimes only get half of the questions correct, while my sons rarely get a single one wrong! This year is extra exciting for 2 reasons: this is the one and only year the kids will be on the same team as sixth and eighth graders (I could not be prouder of their team name: Booking.com!), but also I convinced a group of friends to join me for the adult edition! I hope this will challenge me to read more closely while also making a memory with some of my favorite people.
Learn more about the Battle of the Books here and consider finding out if your local library hosts a battle!
Two friends/colleagues recently published books I love!
Christina Owens wrote A Cup of Authenticitea, described by Bookshop.org as: “Short stories and journal reflections steeped in humor, heart, and a little bit of wonder, A Cup of Authenticitea invites readers into the messy, magical in-between spaces of life. The moments when clarity is still brewing, courage is still warming, and you're not quite the person you were, but not yet who you're becoming. It's cozy, it's honest, and it asks just the right questions at just the right time.”
Becca Silvers wrote The Resistance Solution, described by Bookshop.org as: “The Resistance Solution offers a research-informed, field-tested approach that helps leaders understand what resistance signals and how to respond in ways that build trust, strengthen belief, and move the work forward. Designed for K-12 leaders and instructional coaches, this book helps you shift from reacting to resistance to diagnosing it.”
