ISBE School Wellness Conference

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.