The Burned-In Teacher Podcast Episode 42

Sep 16, 2019

In this episode, Danielle Nuhfer shares her journey from burned-out teacher to Certified Mindfulness Instructor and how her struggle with stress, anxiety, and overwhelm led her to have to make a decision about her career in education: either quit teaching or take control.

Danielle Nuhfer, is a teacher and Certified Mindfulness Instructor. I’m so excited to share this episode with you because, just like me, she’s recently turned her passion for helping teachers into a business and it’s a really good one!

Danielle empowers teachers to reduce stress and burnout and increase health and well being so that they can be their best both inside and outside the classroom. She is the founder of Teaching Well which strives to bring self-care routine building, mindfulness instruction, and teacher wellness coaching to teachers through online programs and in person.

DANIELLE'S MESSAGE TO US:

We are the solution to our stress. And this can be both empowering and a little scary.
Mindfulness practices can be extremely effective and impactful to the entire atmosphere of the classroom without teaching students any of these practices directly.
There are simple ways to bring mindfulness to the classroom:
1. Take three deep breaths at the beginning of the day, lunch break, Specials time, or prep period. When are other times you can sneak in deep breathing?
2. Centering your feet and plug into them in moments of stress or overwhelm. Put a smiley face image or use a sticky note to remind you to get centered.
3. Use Silent 60 at the beginning of class. Tell students to close their eyes, put their heads down, and get quiet and still for a moment. Build a bridge of, "that other stuff happened, but now we're transitioning to a safe, quiet space."