Wellness for Educators

Lori Maxfield
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“Wellness for Educators” is a podcast featuring Lori Maxfield, a retired teacher from central Pennsylvania. It is a place where educators feel valued and appreciated for their service to the future generation. "You need to be well to teach well. "That is the motto. Health and wellness is important for all educators. They need to take time to take care of themselves. This podcast will be updated monthly during the school year. (August- May) Wellness for Educators will provide tips to help educators experience life beyond the classroom.

  1. 6 МАЯ

    Episode #22 Season 3 How Teachers And Administrators Build A Stronger School Team

    Send us Fan Mail Negativity can feel like background noise in a school building, but it quietly drains the people doing the work. I sit down with Matthew Palmer, an elementary assistant principal in South Carolina, to talk about educator wellness from a leadership perspective and to name what many teachers feel but rarely say out loud: schools run best when we stop criticizing roles we don’t fully understand and start acting like one team. Matthew shares what challenges him most as an administrator, especially the moments when an early childhood teacher is doing everything possible for a struggling student and still feels overwhelmed. We dig into the “priceless moments” that keep educators going, why small gestures matter more than big one-week celebrations, and how daily appreciation can shift a school’s culture. We also tackle difficult parent interactions with a clear, practical takeaway: if a situation is getting tense, stop emailing and pick up the phone or meet face to face to prevent misunderstandings and rebuild trust. We reflect on post-pandemic changes in student behavior, particularly in pre-K and kindergarten, and what schools can do with early intervention and stronger behavior supports. Matthew also explains how learning walks and peer observations can strengthen relationships, spread great teaching ideas, and replace comparison with encouragement. We close with real-world self care for educators, including boundaries, movement, letting go of late-night replaying, and a mindset shift that sticks: are you living a “get to” day or a “going to” day? If this conversation helps you, subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a review so more educators can find the support they deserve. Thanks for listening!

    31 мин.

  2. 8 АПР.

    Episode #21 Season 3 Put The Phone In The Bucket And Breathe

    Send us Fan Mail Phones, pressure, and rising anxiety are not abstract trends. They’re showing up in real classrooms, in real kids, and in the adults trying to support them without burning out. I sit down with Dr. Dana Sarvey, a double board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist, to get clear on what’s happening to youth mental health and what educators can realistically do next. We start with a practical question schools face all the time: what’s the difference between a child psychologist and a child psychiatrist? Dr. Sarvey breaks down training, roles, neuropsych testing, and prescribing, then connects it to what she’s seeing most often in her practice, especially depression, anxiety, panic, and OCD that frequently overlap. We also talk about seasonal mood changes and why some students look like different people once routines shift and the weather improves. Then we take on the big, uncomfortable topics: the increase in psychotropic medication for kids and teens, what the numbers actually show, and why medication is only one slice of a much bigger treatment plan that includes therapy and strong environmental supports at school. We also dig into social media and adolescent mental health, including research on depression, self-perception, and academic impact, plus concrete guardrails and why delaying exposure can matter. Along the way, we reflect on the lifelong imprint teachers leave and how to help students regain perspective when perfectionism and competition take over. If you found this helpful, subscribe, share with an educator or parent, and leave a review so more people can find Wellness for Educators. Thanks for listening!

    33 мин.

  3. 4 МАР.

    Episode #20 Season 3 Leap To Switzerland, Teach With Heart

    Send us Fan Mail What if a single yes could reshape how you work, live, and care for yourself? We sit down with Kelly Donovan—middle school physical and health educator and well-being coordinator at International School Basel—to trace her leap from Pennsylvania to Switzerland and the lessons she carried across oceans. From the first spark in Mexico City’s international classrooms to a serendipitous invite that opened a door in Basel, Kelly shows how courage, clarity, and community can turn a dream into daily life. We explore the emotional arc of moving abroad—the honeymoon highs, the homesick lows, and the steady rise into adaptation—and the practical supports that made it real: a city voucher for German classes, cross-border routines, and rituals that keep family close. Inside school walls, Kelly walks us through SEE Learning, the Social, Emotional, and Ethical Learning framework developed at Emory University. The team began by training teachers in cognitively based compassion practices, proving that student well-being sticks when adults embody it first. The rollout spans early years to grade 12, aligning language, habits, and goals around compassion, resilience, and systems thinking. We also dig into the culture that sustains hard work: leadership that values the person behind the teacher, real holidays with zero email pressure, and a ski week in the Alps that forges trust and grit. Kelly offers a clear path for educators curious about working overseas—mindset shifts, where to find roles (Search Associates and TES), and how to navigate partnerships, logistics, and fear. She closes with daily wellness anchors—movement, rest you don’t have to earn, cooking at home, and the simple act of noticing—as tools any teacher can adopt, anywhere. If this conversation sparks your own leap of faith, hit follow, share with a colleague who needs hope, and leave a review to help more educators find their way. Thoughts from Kelly below: SEE Learning Search Associates TES klc9793@gmail.com  Thanks for listening!

    33 мин.

  4. 4 ФЕВР.

    Episode #19 Season 3 Small Habits, Big Energy: Rethinking Fitness For Busy Educators

    Send us Fan Mail The school day starts before sunrise and ends long after dismissal, and somewhere between lesson plans and parent emails, your back is tight, your energy is low, and sleep keeps slipping. That grind doesn’t have to be your baseline. We invited Pilates and fitness specialist—and former professional dancer—Lane Groser to help us build a smarter, simpler path to feeling strong, mobile, and rested. Lane traces her journey from the studio to coaching and shares a clear framework any educator can use: train your heart with cardio, protect muscle and bone with strength, and safeguard ease with mobility and balance. She cuts through the noise about protein rules and trend-chasing and returns to fundamentals that fit a busy life. You’ll learn posture cues you can use at your desk today—stack ribs over hips, sit on your sit bones, keep a gentle core tone—so your back stops doing all the work. Lane also reframes “core” as a 360-degree system where abs and back share the load, reducing tension and improving alignment. Motivation gets a makeover with three practical methods to beat procrastination: the cleaning method to spark momentum, the boundary method to anchor sessions between fixed events, and the five-minute method to lower the start barrier. We dig into stretching and balance for injury prevention and aging well, and we close with a candid look at sleep. Lane offers a realistic target of eight to nine hours, a calming gratitude wind-down, and a simple fix for early wake-ups: go to bed earlier and give your body the opportunity window it needs.You’ll leave with tools you can use tomorrow: small movement “snacks,” short strength sessions at home, posture resets between classes, and a kinder weekly review using your wearable. Stronger alignment, steadier energy, and better sleep help you teach with patience and joy. If this helped, follow the show, share it with a colleague who could use a boost, and leave a quick review so more educators can find it. Check out Lange Grosser Fitness www.lanegrosserfitness.com instagram.com/lanegrosserfitness facebook.com/lanegrosserfitness Thanks for listening!

    30 мин.

  5. 7 ЯНВ.

    Episode #18 Season 3 New Year, Healthier Habits For Teachers

    Send us Fan Mail A fresh year doesn’t magically create more time between classes, meetings, and grading—so we built a smarter way to pursue wellness that fits the real school day. With health and wellness consultant Dayna Gowan, we dig into practical strategies teachers can use right now: finding hidden insurance perks, shaping a sustainable self-care routine, and bringing simple, joyful energy back into daily life. Think free mindfulness apps through your insurer, short info sessions that boost benefits awareness, and small habits you can actually keep when afternoons get stacked. We also zoom out to the district level. If you’re the person who wants to make wellness real for your campus, Dana lays out a clear path: secure leadership buy-in, involve HR and the benefits team, and recruit a few site advocates to meet regularly. Start small with a wellness corner, add low-lift walking challenges, and ask leaders to participate publicly so culture follows action. Budgets help, but momentum matters more; consistency, clear communication, and visible wins keep people engaged. On the personal side, Dayna’s SELF framework—Sleep, Exercise, Love for yourself, and Food—translates self-care into doable steps. Protect your bedtime, choose movement you enjoy, practice compassion, and stop skipping meals. We even play with mindset: “Find the fun in the mundane” turns routine tasks into a spark of joy, breaking the tunnel vision of burnout without slipping into toxic positivity. Wrap it all together with one habit per quarter, and by year’s end you’ve stacked real change without the crash. If this conversation gives you a nudge, share it with a colleague who needs it, then hit follow and leave a quick review. Your support helps more educators find tools, perks, and hope to teach well—by feeling well. Be sure to check out Dayna's podcast, Improvly Speaking Dayna Gowan Speaker & Facilitator of Fun at Improvly Speaking  | W |   | improvlyspeaking.com E |   | dayna@improvlyspeaking.com Thanks for listening!

    36 мин.

  6. 03.12.2025

    Episode #17 Season 3 Finding Silence Amongst the Chaos

    Send us Fan Mail What if five quiet minutes could reset an entire day? We close the year with a focused, practical guide to finding calm in a loud season—especially for teachers who spend every hour juggling decisions, emotions, and endless distractions. Rather than adding another task to your to-do list, we build a small, sustainable habit that creates big returns: a short window of morning silence that lowers stress, resets attention, and restores patience. We unpack why silence is more than peaceful—it’s powerful. Research points to lower cortisol and parasympathetic activation when we pause the noise, and that matters in December when finances, social obligations, and grief often collide with shorter daylight. We share plainspoken steps to make the practice stick: wake a touch earlier, flip your phone face down, set a five-minute timer, breathe or repeat a grounding mantra, and name five things you’re grateful for. If mornings are hectic, we offer creative plan B options, from a no-audio commute segment to carving out a quiet nook with earplugs or a closet beanbag. Throughout, we connect this practice to the classroom. A clearer mind increases tolerance, deepens listening, and helps you respond rather than react—to students, colleagues, and the everyday frictions of traffic, grocery lines, and holiday expectations. You’ll hear reminders from past guests about how movement and journaling can pair with silence, plus realistic planning tips for the night before to protect your calm at sunrise. Start with twice a week, notice what changes first—focus, patience, or gratitude—and let the habit grow from there. Be well to teach well, and find joy in the journey. If this conversation helps, share it with a colleague who could use five minutes of quiet today. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us where you’ll make space for silence this week. Thanks for listening!

    14 мин.

  7. 19.11.2025

    Episode #16 Season 3 Beyond the Classroom: Balancing Health and Teaching

    Send us Fan Mail Nutrition expert and former college athlete Sam Rodgers joins the Wellness for Educators podcast to share practical strategies for maintaining health amid the demanding responsibilities of teaching. Sam reveals how his nutrition background led him to create "Dear Dad," a blog that frames wellness conversations as heartfelt letters to overcome the defensiveness many people feel when discussing their eating habits. The conversation delves into the powerful 80-20 principle of health—how food choices make up 80% of our wellness outcomes while exercise contributes 20%. Sam explains why this makes intuitive sense: we eat multiple times daily, making those decisions compound quickly, while exercise benefits accumulate more gradually. Rather than viewing movement as merely weight management, Sam encourages finding joy in physical activity for its mental clarity benefits, describing his running shoes as "one of the most important tools" in his professional arsenal. For educators facing the constant temptation of break room treats and holiday gatherings, Sam offers actionable advice: bring your own healthy snacks, adopt a personal rule to only eat homemade treats (skipping processed store-bought items), and fundamentally shift your mindset to recognize heavily processed foods as marketing products rather than actual nourishment. He addresses the challenge of fitting exercise into packed schedules by sharing his own morning routine and suggesting practical alternatives like lunchtime walks and utilizing school fitness facilities. As we approach the holiday season, Sam provides wisdom about maintaining balance without deprivation. His most profound insight may be recognizing how our culture has extended "holiday-style eating" into a year-round phenomenon—by reserving indulgences for truly special occasions, we can enjoy celebrations guilt-free while maintaining healthy patterns in between. The episode concludes with Sam's powerful reminder that teachers who prioritize their wellness bring more enthusiasm and effectiveness to the classroom, simultaneously modeling healthy behaviors for students who desperately need positive examples in our food-abundant society. What wellness strategy will you implement this week to enhance both your health and your teaching? Listen now to discover practical approaches that serve both you and your students. https://deardadhealth.substack.com/ Dear Dad Blog Thanks for listening!

    25 мин.

  8. 15.10.2025

    Episode #15 Season 3 One Student's Journey to Breaking the Cycle

    Send us Fan Mail What does true resilience look like in the face of overwhelming obstacles? Meet Anjelica Rodriguez, who journeyed from a childhood marked by family mental health struggles, financial hardship, and adult responsibilities to become a college graduate, homeowner, and devoted mother breaking generational cycles. When we talk about student potential, Anjelica's story stands as a powerful testament to what's possible with determination and support. As a middle schooler, she balanced schoolwork while helping care for younger siblings in a household where resources were scarce and her mother battled bipolar disorder. By sixteen, her independence led her to move in with her eighteen-year-old sister, working two jobs while maintaining her studies. Today, she's a Penn State graduate working as a resident specialist prioritizing housing for military families. What makes Anjelica's perspective so valuable for educators is her balanced view of her challenges. She acknowledges the difficulties while maintaining deep appreciation for her mother's efforts to create better opportunities. Her advice to teachers working with students from challenging backgrounds is refreshingly direct: "Don't assume." She shares a poignant story about a teacher who refused to accept her money for a school project, making her feel stereotyped rather than supported. For students currently navigating difficult circumstances, Anjelica offers wisdom beyond her years: "Sometimes life is not easy and you go through periods where you are learning and you don't have nothing to pull from. But keep in mind and have faith that at the end of the day, this is just a time." Her message emphasizes perseverance, exposure to possibilities beyond current circumstances, and maintaining faith in future potential. Whether you're an educator seeking to better support students from challenging backgrounds or someone navigating your own difficult journey, this conversation offers practical wisdom about creating supportive spaces, maintaining wellness through intentional practices, and recognizing the extraordinary resilience that can emerge from adversity. Thanks for listening!

    30 мин.
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“Wellness for Educators” is a podcast featuring Lori Maxfield, a retired teacher from central Pennsylvania. It is a place where educators feel valued and appreciated for their service to the future generation. "You need to be well to teach well. "That is the motto. Health and wellness is important for all educators. They need to take time to take care of themselves. This podcast will be updated monthly during the school year. (August- May) Wellness for Educators will provide tips to help educators experience life beyond the classroom.

Информация

  • Автор
    Lori Maxfield
  • Годы выхода
    2024 - 2026
  • Выпуски
    22
  • Ограничения
    Без ненормативной лексики
  • Авторские права
    © 2026 Wellness for Educators
  • Сайт подкаста
    Wellness for Educators