Two mathematics teacher educators describe their responses during a year disrupted by a serious earthquake and the ongoing effects on students and staff. We discuss our pedagogical responses to unforeseen changes in courses and in students' lives, including the re-calibrating of social relationships. We describe our work in a postgraduate course for teachers and our responses to their new priorities, drawing links to the notion of a 'praxis of living' and the role of mathematics education as a sustaining resource in disrupted times.