ISBE School Wellness Conference

This session equips teachers and staff with a practical, easy tool to support individual wellness. This tool can also be adapted as the basis for a more cohesive, schoolwide wellness program, as applicable to your school. Attendees will examine how small, intentional shifts can improve focus, emotional regulation, and overall quality of life.  Explore eight foundational areas of mental and physical well-being and learn how to use a simple checklist framework to assess needs, set realistic goals, and track progress over time. The session discusses how schools can create a shared language and culture around well-being that can be used by everyone- from staff to students. Attendees will leave with a ready-to-use structure for supporting personal wellness as well as building collective practices that strengthen the school community. Learn how to use this tool to transform your own life, the lives of students, and the school as a whole. 

Teaching is one of the most meaningful and demanding professions—and too often, educators are expected to do it all without losing themselves in the process. In this energizing and empowering session, Dr. Kristen helps educators and school leaders break free from the pressure to constantly perform and instead lead from a place of clarity, strength, and authenticity.
Dr. Kristen’s MAGIC framework invites educators to reconnect with their purpose, shift from survival mode to intentional leadership, and take small, courageous steps toward greater balance and impact—both in and out of the classroom. Through honest stories and practical strategies, attendees will walk away with renewed energy to lead with confidence, compassion, and courage.
You don’t have to change who you are to thrive as an educator—you just have to step into your MAGIC.

By May, even the most dedicated educators can feel the strain—patience is thinner, energy is lower, and the finish line seems both close and impossibly far away. Tethered and Whole: Avoiding Educator Burnout is an in-person workshop designed to meet educators exactly where they are in this moment: tired, stretched, and still deeply committed to their students. Grounded in the core ideas from Matt's new book, Tethered and Whole, this session invites participants to explore what it means to stay connected to purpose (tethered) while also maintaining a sense of personal well-being (whole). Rather than offering one more thing to do, this workshop provides practical, immediately usable strategies to reduce overwhelm, regulate stress, and navigate the emotional demands of the end of the school year. Through a mix of reflection, discussion, and interactive activities, educators will examine the hidden patterns that contribute to burnout—such as overcommitment, blurred boundaries, and decision fatigue—and learn how to interrupt them with small, sustainable shifts. Participants will leave with tools to create space between stimulus and response, set clearer boundaries, and restore a sense of agency in their daily work.