Whole Child Education

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With August just around the corner, educators, students, and parents are all beginning to gear up for the year ahead. Just as students return to school with a range of emotions, so too do educators. Some may be looking forward to returning to school; others may be a little bit apprehensive about how they'll meet so many challenges throughout the year.

Educators who start off the year with energy and enthusiasm often find that it fades gradually or dramatically. Teaching is one of the more stressful professions, and it can be one of the most rewarding when educators are able to strike a balance and schools create the conditions that allow them to thrive.

In this episode of the Whole Child Podcast, learn how educators and schools can work to create the conditions that allow teachers, and subsequently students, to thrive. You'll hear from

• Mike Anderson, author of the forthcoming book The Well-Balanced Teacher: How to Work Smarter and Stay Sane Inside the Classroom and Out, about how teachers can care for themselves so that they are happier, healthier, and more effective teachers.
• Nora Howley, manager of programs for the Health Information Network—the health and safety arm of the National Education Association (a Whole Child Partner)—about the importance of schools supporting teachers to maintain their balance and meet their own needs.
• Kate Quarfordt, art teacher at Bronx Preparatory Charter School, artist, theater maker, writer, and mother, about her experience balancing life in and outside the classroom.

Educators, are you struggling to manage stress, meet your basic needs, and find time for your own learning and development? What strategies have helped you to maintain your enthusiasm and balance between work and life?