ISBE School Wellness Conference

While individual self-care is vital, the "Blueprint for Transformation" highlights that a school’s collective well-being is the true engine of teacher retention and student success. This session pivots from solo wellness to Systemic Adult SEL, exploring how Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is prioritizing collective belonging as a foundational strategy. We will delve into the Illinois SEL Standards through an adult lens, sharing practical strategies for building "Bridges of Belonging" that foster relational trust and psychological safety. Participants will leave with an actionable toolkit to cultivate a thriving school culture where educators feel seen, supported, and empowered to remain in the profession.

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. 

Giving is not the only path to fulfillment. By embracing support, kindness, and help from others, we can build our resilience, self-worth, and emotional wellbeing. By growing our capacity to receive, we set the stage for even greater generosity and impact in our personal worlds, creating a ripple effect of positive impact, love, and growth.

Parents who work in education often carry two full-time roles: supporting students all day and caring for their own families at home. Over time, this constant giving creates a burnout loop: pushing through exhaustion, feeling guilty for being depleted, and continuing to overextend because it feels like the only option.
In this session, participants will learn how to break that loop through three key shifts: awareness, interruption, and identity. Attendees will hear insights and real-world reflections from, Erin Shook, a veteran educator and mom of four who has lived this cycle firsthand and supports other educator parents in creating more sustainable ways to work and live.

Flourishing inside and outside our work environment is what allows us all to stay energized, passionate, and impactful.  Be empowered by three crucial actions that allow us to double-down on our unique signature strengths and passions in order to reach higher levels of happiness, fulfillment, and giving; all while avoiding burnout and a negative mindset.

Explore the SEL and Well-being framework developed from a CASEL Fellows Capstone project. Reflect on the CASEL 5 competencies and core ideas of self-awareness (identity), self-management (agency), social awareness (belonging), relationship skills (collaborative problem-solving), and responsible decision making (curiosity). Consider areas of strength and growth of these concepts and how a deeper understanding of the SEL competencies can support well-being. This session is interactive with individual reflection, small and large group discussion. 

What if we could use real-time school data to strengthen classroom climate and improve student outcomes? This 60-minute session introduces the Resilience Supportive Schools Illinois (RSSI) framework. This free, statewide resource helps schools integrate trauma-responsive strategies, social-emotional learning (SEL), mental health supports, and equitable practices into each school day.  
Participants will explore how a positive school climate and relationship-centered classroom management can foster student engagement, mitigate behavioral issues, and enhance academic achievement. The session will include brief overviews of research, educator stories, and the four RSSI pillars, followed by a hands-on walkthrough of a data-informed tool designed to support schoolwide improvement planning.
Attendees will leave with practical strategies to enhance climate and wellness in their classrooms, along with access to the RSSI app, which simplifies planning and connects teams to aligned, research-based resources. Whether you're a classroom teacher, administrator, or support staff member, you'll gain tools to help students thrive academically and emotionally.

Some conversations are just plain hard. But working with people who see the world differently doesn’t have to drain our energy or end in conflict. In this high-energy, highly practical session, the audience will be guided through the art of respectful communication, even when tensions run high.

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.

School Social Workers are essential mental health personnel who have been shown to positively impact students and schools. The need to respond to challenges facing schools and students can reduce the amount of prevention work that SSWs are able to complete. Additionally, the job responsibilities of school social workers are continuously expanding. This qualitative study gathered data utilizing the Illinois School Social Worker Association listserv. This study consisted of 56 participants who all self-identified as school social workers in Illinois. Two open ended questions were asked of school social workers. The first was, “If you believe that additional supports are needed, what supports could they provide?” The second open-ended question was, “As a school social worker what supports do you need to function more effectively?” These questions enabled us to understand perspectives of challenges and solutions that school social workers across the state have in regard to social work services and supports. Challenges and solutions were discussed by participants and provide guidance to school districts and school administrators about the services that school social workers can provide as well as the support they need to continue doing their jobs effectively. The two most prevalent challenges included the need for support through MTSS, and the lack of tier 1 SEL programs in schools. Solutions focused practice implications are explored in the perspective of the school social worker.

In this interactive session, educators will discover evidence-based wellness strategies that create healing classroom environments while preventing teacher burnout. Participants will learn applicable techniques to integrate into their daily routines—no special equipment or extensive time required.
Through hands-on practice and real classroom examples, attendees will explore:

• Simple breath work and grounding exercises to regulate stress for both teachers and students
• Trauma-informed approaches that build trust and emotional safety
• Morning and transition routines that set a positive tone without sacrificing instructional time
• Self-care strategies educators can sustain even during the busiest seasons

Participants will leave with a personalized wellness toolkit they can implement the very next day, along with concrete strategies for modeling self-regulation and resilience. Whether you're experiencing burnout or seeking to deepen your practice, this session offers compassionate, practical support for cultivating joy and balance in your professional life while nurturing student well-being.
Session Format: Interactive presentation with experiential activities, and small group discussion. 
Ideal For: K-12 educators, counselors, administrators, and support staff seeking practical wellness integration

A silent transition is impacting a massive percentage of our most experienced educators, yet it remains professionally taboo. With women comprising over 76% of the education workforce, perimenopause profoundly affects adult well-being and accelerates burnout. This urgently needed session confronts the stigma head-on. Together, we will explore why creating spaces for open conversation is a transformative act of school leadership. Participants will learn how to foster a culture of profound, systemic support that retains invaluable talent and models a new standard for adult well-being in your district.