The Heart of Education: Taking Risks

Jennifer WaldvogelBlog, Differentiate Better, Engage Better, Innovate Better, Lesson Plan Better, Manage Better, Personalize Student Learning Better, Reflect Better, Teach Further, Teach Happier

TL;DR: Taking risks makes teaching more exciting and fulfilling. Start small with change to accomplish more in the long run. Risk-taking is easier for students when we build them a safety net. Failure is natural. Show students it’s okay to fail as long as we try again. Growing up, we’re taught to be careful: to wear helmets and knee pads … Read More

Inspiring Cultures of Wellness in Schools

Teach Better TeamBlog, Connect Better, Engage Better, Lead Better, Self Care Better

TL;DR: Teacher burnout is a systemic problem. We need to reimagine systems where teachers and their wellness are prioritized. Create cultures of wellness at school. Consider forming a wellness committee that includes admin and teachers as well as other staff members. Prioritize Teachers I don’t need to tell you that the problem of teacher burnout is systemic. Through no fault … Read More

5 Radical Self-Care Lessons for Educators

Teach Better TeamBlog, Connect Better, Engage Better, Lead Better, Lesson Plan Better, Reflect Better

TL;DR: Burnout is not “this is just how it is.” We need to prioritize our own wellness. Self-care isn’t selfish and it’s not about temporary relief. You must put the work in to maintain boundaries and demonstrate self-care. Set office hours for yourself. Embed wellness routines into your classroom to model self-care for students too. Burnout Six years ago, I … Read More

Moving From Self-Care to Collective Care

Teach Better TeamBlog, Connect Better, Engage Better, Innovate Better, Lead Better, Manage Better, Self Care Better

TL;DR: While self-care is important, it has become a way of shifting the responsibility, whilst putting more work on the shoulders of already overwhelmed educators. Mutual aid is collective coordination to meet each other’s needs. Collective care removes the responsibility from the shoulders of individual teachers and shifts the onus to the school, district, and educators as a collective group. … Read More