Why Edify: The Teacher Wellness and Resilience Podcast - Strategies and Classroom Resources

The Room Changes When You Do | Built From Within Your inner work doesn't stay inside. It changes the rooms you're in — and Epictetus makes the case that this is the whole point. This is episode four of four in the Built From Within series, built entirely around The Art of Living by Epictetus. Four weeks. Four quotes. One arc that moves inward first, then back out. This week: the ripple. How the ga...

How I Built a Student Study Chatbot with EdCafe AI Most teachers I talk to feel overwhelmed by AI tools — not because they don't want to use them, but because there are too many, they change constantly, and you can't tell which ones are actually worth your time. My approach: slow down and get really good at one tool. This video is about EdCafe AI — specifically the chatbot feature — and how I used...

What Makes a Good Cookie? A STRONG Teacher Report on Traditions, Perfectionism & Gratitude What makes a good cookie? Stick around — the answer might surprise you, and it says something real about how we find meaning in the middle of an ordinary school day. This is a STRONG Teacher Report — me practicing the STRONG Framework out loud, letting the chips fall where they may. No polish. Just pract...

Teacher Gone Wild: GoPro, May Chaos, and Why Messy Is the Point May is chaotic. The paper piles are real. The emotional roller coaster is real. And honestly? So is the fun — if you let it be. Receive email updates: https://www.jeremyajorgensen.com/newsletter/ In this STRONG Teacher Report, I'm giving you a raw, unpolished look at what's going on in my world right now: the newsletter that went out...

Teachers, Your Attention Is Being Stolen — And You're Letting It Happen Your Attention Is Being Stolen — And You're Letting It Happen | Why Edify What got most of your attention yesterday? Not your time — your actual, focused, present-with-it attention? For many teachers, the honest answer isn't their students. It's the inbox at 7am. A difficult conversation looping in the background all morning....

Compassion Is Not Soft — It's Survival (The Science Teachers Need to Hear) Check out the STRONG Teachers Core: https://www.jeremyajorgensen.com/strong-teacher-core/ There's a quote from Amanda Gorman that I keep coming back to: "There is no better compass than compassion." Not a destination. Not a cure. A compass — something that orients you when everything else feels like noise. If your week has...

The 90-Second Window That Changes Everything for Burned-Out Teachers Something happened this week that followed you home. The person who caused it? Already moved on. You haven't. Join us in the STRONG Teachers Lounge: https://www.skool.com/the-strong-teachers-lounge-3476/about Read the episode newsletter: https://www.jeremyajorgensen.com/the-provocation/ After 26 years in the classroom, I know thi...

Teacher Burnout: Redefining True Persistence Persistence and pushing through aren't the same thing. We use them like they are — in staff meetings, on motivational posters, in the well-meaning advice people give burned-out teachers — but confusing the two could be costing you more than you realize. One of them sustains a career. The other just sustains the suffering. In this episode, I break down t...

Why 'Just Push Through' Is Terrible Advice for Teachers (Do This Instead) Someone is going to say it to you this week. Just push through. Nobody ever finishes the sentence. Push through to what, exactly? There's no finish line — just next Monday, and the one after that. In this episode, I'm talking about why the push-through mentality is some of the worst advice circulating in schools right now —...

33 Years of Teaching Taught Me This | Dan Tricarico, The Zen Teacher Dan Tricarico has been teaching English at West Hills High School in San Diego for 33 years. Same school. Same classroom. And somewhere around year 20, he started burning out—with 10 more years to go before retirement. Instead of quitting, he started writing. That writing became The Zen Teacher—a platform, two books, and a moveme...

5 Real Causes of Teacher Burnout (Not What You Think) Join the STRONG Teachers Lounge: https://www.skool.com/the-strong-teachers-lounge-3476/about It's late on a Tuesday. You're still at school. You've been here since 7 AM—11.5 hours—and you'll be back tomorrow at seven to do it again. This isn't burnout yet. For many teachers, this is just Tuesday. Teacher burnout isn't caused by a lack of self-c...

The Power of Boring: How Repetition Creates Sustainable Excellence in Teaching and Life (STRONG Teacher Report #2) The secret to teaching for 26+ years? Embrace boring. Same morning routine. Same Sunday reset. Same practices over and over. In this week's STRONG Teachers Report, I'm sharing: - Updates from The STRONG Teacher's Lounge - What's new at Why Edify - Three truths about sustainable teachi...

Classroom Management Without Yelling: The Stoic Teacher Approach Join the STRONG Teachers Lounge: https://www.skool.com/the-strong-teachers-lounge-3476/about Tired of yelling in your classroom? Wish you could stay calm when students are off-task, disruptive, or testing boundaries? In this episode, I share three ancient Stoic philosophy practices that actually work in modern classrooms—not theory,...

STRONG Teacher Report #1: Community Updates, New Content & What We're Building Welcome to the first STRONG Teacher Report—a live update on what we're building together at Why Edify! In this session, I share: ✓ Recent Content Highlights What MLK Jr. Knew About Teaching - https://www.jeremyajorgensen.com/what-mlk-jr-knew-about-teaching/ Why Curiosity is a Teacher's Superpower - https://www.jeremyajo...

Still Grading at 9 PM? The Science-Backed Strategy That Makes Teaching Sustainable How to stop grading at 9 PM and finally leave school on time—using science-backed implementation intentions. Still staying late? Checking work email on weekends? Bringing grading home every night? You'll learn the if-then strategy that research shows is 2-3X more effective than willpower or vague goals like "I'll le...

Teacher Burnout Prevention: 37 Years of Classroom Wisdom with Craig Shapiro After 37 years in the classroom, Craig Shapiro knows what separates teachers who burn out from those who thrive for decades. In this conversation, Craig shares hard-won wisdom from nearly four decades as a health and physical education teacher, mentor, and strength coach. We dig into the lessons most teachers learn the har...

Stay Curious: The One Practice That Prevents Teacher Burnout The teachers who burn out fastest? They've stopped wondering. The ones who sustain themselves for decades? They're still curious. In this episode, I break down why curiosity might be the most powerful (and underutilized) tool you have as a teacher—and how to practice it when you're exhausted, overwhelmed, or burned out. What you'll learn...

Exhaustion ≠ Excellence: The Lie Teachers Are Told Are you still waiting for someone to say it's okay to leave at contract time? To stop answering emails at night? To say no without guilt? In this episode of the Why Edify Podcast, Jeremy Jorgensen offers a powerful reminder: permission isn’t coming—and that’s okay. Through heartfelt stories and hard-earned wisdom from 26 years in education, he dis...

Why Teachers Should Complete a Yearly Review (and How Reflection Builds Resilience) This episode is about why teachers should complete a yearly review—and why this practice is more than just a feel-good exercise. Recorded at the end of the year, this episode explores how structured reflection can support teacher wellbeing, resilience, and long-term growth. Drawing on research, personal practice, a...

Screens, Paper, and the Cost of Speed: Rethinking Learning in a Chromebook Classroom This episode began as a blog post—but it’s one of those topics teachers don’t just think about. We feel it every day. In this live-style podcast conversation, we explore the growing tension between screens and deep learning in classrooms filled with Chromebooks, tablets, and laptops. While technology promises effi...

Small Steps Make STRONG Teachers (Live Reflection on Rest, Boundaries, and Wellbeing) This episode is a live reflection inspired by a recent STRONG Teacher newsletter titled “Small Steps Make STRONG Teachers.” Recorded as a livestream, this conversation looks back on lessons from the 12-Day Winter Reset and reflects on what actually helps teachers stay grounded during demanding seasons. Rather tha...

Feeling Worn Down? How Awe Can Help Teachers Reconnect, Reset, and Stay Strong Teaching is meaningful—but it can also wear you down. In this episode of the Why Edify Podcast, we explore the awe principle—the idea that noticing small moments of wonder can help teachers restore energy, improve their well-being, and reconnect with why they started teaching in the first place. Drawing from psychology,...

Lessons from a Life Well Lived: What My Wife’s Grandmother Taught Me A quiet drive home after a celebration of life sparked this reflection on legacy, teaching, and what truly matters. Doris—a quiet force of service, thoughtfulness, and deep family connection. As a teacher, volunteer, and lifelong learner, Doris modeled a way of being that resonates far beyond her immediate circle. This episode ex...

Ever feel like your best efforts in the classroom are barely keeping you afloat? You're not alone. This episode of the Why Edify Podcast dives into persistence—that quiet, unwavering force that sustains teachers when ambition fades and obstacles pile up. Join Jeremy Jorgensen as he explores how consistent, meaningful “strong steps” can turn fatigue into fulfillment. From lesson planning to persona...

Why Simplicity Is the Superpower Every Teacher Needs Feeling overwhelmed by the never-ending to-do list of teaching and life? This episode of the Why Edify Podcast dives into a game-changing concept: simplicity. It might sound small, but it's a secret weapon for happier, healthier, and stronger educators. Jeremy Jorgensen shares six powerful ways to bring more peace, presence, and clarity into you...