Rooted: A Wellness Collective

CEO 

Vista Village 

✔️ Developed and executed long-range learning and development strategy by conducting ongoing training needs analysis for past 3 years

✔️ Facilitate engaging online and in-person professional development experiences for a diverse team of 65 team members

✔️ Collaborate with outside vendors and facilitators to design, deliver and assess robust training opportunities

✔️ Directly supervise a group of 4 team members using relationship-focused and strength-based coaching strategies 



🌟 Biggest Accomplishment 🌟
Just 4 months into this role, I designed and implemented an intern training curriculum.  On top of my regularly scheduled duties, I was able to onboard, train and supervise 2 interns the first year of this internship program.  The first year such a success that we repeated the same process the following year and welcomed another 2 interns to the team.  This was the first comprehensive internship program within this department. And I can proudly say that one of my former interns is now a full-time employee at my agency that I currently supervise.

Education & Training Manager

Metropolitan State University of Denver

✔️ Conducted dynamic lectures and interactive discussions (both in-person and online) rooted in adult learning theory so that students could connect meaningfully to course content

✔️ Revamped course curriculum, strategically aligning it with current trends in the education industry, ensuring students received cutting-edge knowledge and skills

✔️ Regularly evaluated student performance based on strengths and growth edges, identifying inherent strengths and areas for development

✔️ Guided students in their academic and professional development so that they felt equipped and prepared to enter the teaching field

🌟 Biggest Accomplishment🌟
I was hired in December of 2019 to teach this course in-person.  In the middle of the semester, the pandemic shut down the university and I had to pivot my in-person curriculum and modules to a virtual space.  I quickly learned how to navigate Zoom, the best tech tools for engagement and researched best practices for boosting community and morale in a virtual setting.  It was not only my first time teaching at a university level, but I was able to successfully pivot from an in-person to an online format within a 2-week period!

Adjunct Instructor

Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center

✔️ Designed curriculum and facilitated educational experiences tailored to meet student needs.

✔️ Collaborated with cross functional team to support learning goals for each student

✔️ Provided personalized coaching to both novice and seasoned team members, sparking improvements in educational practices, communication, and time management skills

🌟 Biggest Accomplishment🌟
I spearheaded the school's first Community Learning Group, facilitating constructive conversations on workforce development, teacher recruitment, training, and retention strategies. This collaborative effort led to meaningful discussions with senior leadership, contributing to the exploration and implementation of impactful ideas for the school's progress

Professional Development Coach and Head Teacher

Central Synagogue Nursery School

✔️ Collaborated with leadership team and external trainers to coordinate and conduct effective staff meetings and engaging professional development workshops and trainings

✔️ Played a key role in co-designing and implementing leadership development initiatives aimed at enhancing staff leadership skills through personalized coaching and mentoring

✔️ Used targeted coaching strategies rooted in relationship-based and outcomes driven frameworks to enhance team communication skills, effective collaboration and problem solving abilities.

✔️ Orchestrated and executed wellness-focused activities during team meetings and training sessions, aimed at enhancing the overall well-being of staff members

🌟 Biggest Accomplishment 🌟
Designed and executed a comprehensive year-long training series, successfully aligning the school with its mission and facilitating a transformative shift in the teaching approach among team members

Staff Development Coordinator and Head Teacher

Stephen Wise Free Synagogue

✔️ Delivered 20+ parent workshops and educational events rooted in adult learning theory

✔️ Collaborated with cross functional team to support learning goals for each student

✔️ Designed curriculum and facilitated educational experiences tailored to meet student needs.

✔️ Coordinated and implemented 3 week-long Staff Orientation events that included educational content and team building experiences

🌟 Biggest accomplishment 🌟
I trained and mentored 3 teachers-in-training.  One of my teachers-in-training went on to become the Assistant Director of the school!

Head Teacher and Teacher Trainer

⬆ Hit 'Connect' ⬆. Are you an early childhood education leader who dreams of a healthy, thriving school where your team feels valued, connected, and inspired?

Do you feel stretched thin, overwhelmed, and constantly putting out fires—with little time to focus on what truly matters?

Have you tried every team-building strategy, leadership book and self-care tip, yet you still find yourself running on fumes?

Would you love to step into confident, human-centered leadership, where your teachers thrive without burning out—and where YOU finally have the space to lead with clarity, impact and balance?

If so, I can help!

Through my T.H.R.I.V.E. Leadership Method, I help early childhood leaders like you rebuild trust, strengthen team morale and create a school culture where both you and your teachers can flourish.

What if you could…
✅ Have a teaching team that shows up engaged, energized, and committed—without micromanaging?
✅ Feel confident in your leadership, setting boundaries that honor both your well-being and your team’s success?
✅ Lead a school culture that attracts and retains passionate, high-quality educators?

How to Work With Me:

🌿 T.H.R.I.V.E. Retreats – transformational in-person experiences designed to help you reconnect with your leadership vision, reset your energy and implement simple, research-backed strategies for a thriving early education program

🎤 Conference Speaking & Keynotes – Engaging, thought-provoking sessions that inspire real change in ECE leadership, team culture and workplace well-being.

✨ Workshops & Trainings – High-impact professional development to support ECE leaders and teams in building trust, resilience and sustainable success

Why Work With Me?
With over 20 years in early childhood education, I’ve supported hundreds of ECE professionals as a teacher, coach, and strategic leader. I’ve trained teams, restructured professional development systems, and developed wellness-based approaches to leadership that actually work.

But I also know what it’s like to be exhausted, overworked, and wondering how much longer you can sustain this pace. That’s why I’m passionate about helping leaders like you shift from survival mode to T.H.R.I.V.E. mode—without sacrificing your well-being.

📩 DM me to chat about how I can support you!

𝗘𝗖𝗘 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 — 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆?

→ Teachers are showing up… but not really 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵
→ Motivation feels lower than usual
→ The energy during staff meeting is flat — maybe even a little mopey

Or maybe you’re the program director watching teachers cycle in and out like a revolving door.

What’s going on? 
One culprit could be 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Here’s why that matters: one of the pillars of psychological wellbeing is 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

✅ When it’s strong, teachers feel warm, supported, and capable of empathy and collaboration. They show up for each other and for families. 
❌ When it’s missing, teachers feel isolated, frustrated, and checked out. They struggle to invest in relationships, and the culture suffers.

And the truth is, connection doesn’t just “happen.” Leaders need to create intentional spaces for it.

Here’s one small shift you can make this week: 
𝗧𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 "𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀" 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲.

→ Open your meeting by asking teachers to share a “peak and valley” from their week (one highlight and one challenge). If it’s a group setting, they can share with a partner.
→ Close your meeting by asking everyone to name one thing they’re grateful for in that moment.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀: You’re signaling that people matter more than the agenda. 
Teachers leave the meeting or conversation feeling heard, connected, and reminded of the good. That feeling of gratitude lingers — and it starts to reshape school culture and rekindle connection in a positive way.

Try this in your next staff meeting or 1:1 and notice the shift.

And this is exactly what we go deeper on inside the 𝗘𝗖𝗘 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆. Because building connection isn’t just about a one-time activity — it’s about creating a culture where teachers feel seen, supported, and part of something bigger.

I have just 𝟱 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 for trailblazing ECE leaders who are ready to: 
➡️ Stop the revolving door of staff turnover 
➡️ Build a culture rooted in trust and belonging 
➡️ Turn teacher needs into lasting change that keeps your team thriving

If this sounds like you, drop 𝗔𝗖𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗬 in the comments or DM me, so we can chat.


𝘗.𝘚. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘷𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘉𝘪𝘨 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 (𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘺 81-𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱-𝘥𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 73-𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳-𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘮 𝘣𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘰!).  𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵!

What about you- have you ever been country line dancing?  Yes or NO?

Monica Rollins

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ECE is Burned Out. I Help Leaders Change That. | Coaching Schools Where You AND Your Educators Thrive — Not Just Survive | Ready to Join The Movement? Enroll in the ECE Wellbeing Academy Today👇🏼

I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Creator of The ECE Wellbeing Audit at Rooted: A Wellness Collective!

ECE is Burned Out. I Help Leaders Change That. | Coaching Schools Where You AND Your Educators Thrive — Not Just Survive | Ready to Join The Movement? Register for the FREE Live Training Below👇🏼

Most ECE programs wait to invest in teacher wellbeing until things get spooky and scary.

But what if I told you the real magic happens 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 the crisis hits?

Let’s go “Trick-or-Treat” on 5 myths floating around about ECE wellbeing:

𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸: “Our team’s solid, so we don’t need to fuss over wellbeing.”  
𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁: That’s exactly when you should double down. Strong teams deserve support that keeps the good times rolling—don’t wait until morale nosedives.

𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸: “Teacher wellness is just a burnout Band-Aid.”  
𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁: It’s way more than damage control. True wellbeing systems are your program’s immune booster, not a quick fix.

𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸: “We’ll just wait for turnover or drama, then look at staff wellbeing.”  
𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁: Why wait for the fire alarm? The best leaders prepare and prevent before things get heated.

𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸: “Making space for wellbeing means admitting something’s broken.”  
𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁: It means you care about staying strong, not scrambling when things get tough.

𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸: “If culture feels good now, it’ll stay that way.”  
𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁: Culture isn’t set-it-and-forget-it. Keep tending it, or the weeds take over.

Here’s the truth: Investing in wellbeing is what keeps the monsters out from under the bed.

Don’t wait for things to get spooky before you take care of your people.

If you could drop one “treat” in your staff’s bucket this year, what would it be?

5 Myths About ECE Wellbeing

This win was too cool not to share...

I’m beyond thrilled to be part of the extraordinary lineup of speakers for Early Childhood Investigations Webinars produced by Playground 

I’ll be presenting: “𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗛.𝗘.𝗔.𝗥.𝗧: 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀” 

🗓️ March 12, 2026 
⏰ 2–3:30 PM ET

I know it’s still a ways off—but I couldn’t help but share!

A huge thank you to .Tamar Andrews, EdD for the referral and to Hannah Teter for our lovely conversations in bringing this together.

And if you’re an ECE leader planning your professional development calendar for March, come join in on the fun!

Today I turn 42—and when I look back, it’s clear nothing about this path was linear.

𝗔𝘁 𝟯: I was sitting on the floor of a play-based preschool, eating peanut butter and Cheerios out of a Dixie cup and sipping grape juice. My parents already understood how much early learning mattered—even if I didn’t have the words for it then.

𝗔𝘁 𝟰.𝟱: I ran straight into public kindergarten like I owned the place. Zero hesitation, just pure excitement. That spirit stuck with me (most days).

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝟱 𝘁𝗼 𝟵: I soaked up progressive hands-on learning. I made terrariums from scratch, learned about precipitation with sponges and water, and yes—screeched my way through fourth grade with the world’s most annoying recorder.

Let’s skip middle school. Trust me, it’s better for everyone.

Elementary school breaks were spent helping my mom in her own classroom. I’d line up dolls in my bedroom to “teach” them multiplication or coach them through making friends. (Did I know then I’d end up coaching real teachers and leaders? No, but it makes so much sense now.)

𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹: I went to a humanities magnet where I first learned what social justice meant—and got hooked on art history.

𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲: I went to UC Santa Cruz, where I became a student leader and RA, learned the power of social justice, and spent a quarter in Siena, Italy. That trip locked in my love of travel and made me realize how much languages and culture shape who we are.

𝗠𝘆 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝘀: I built curriculum in children’s museums, trained adult learners, moved across the country for grad school in NYC, and landed my first classroom job at a Reggio-inspired Jewish preschool.

𝗠𝘆 𝟯𝟬𝘀: I did a lot of soul-searching, attended multiple yoga teacher trainings and learned what “deep listening” feels like—in my body and in the classroom. I started blending mindfulness into curriculum, for preschoolers and adults alike.

𝗕𝘆 𝗺𝘆 𝟰𝟬𝘀: I was leading in Early Head Start, combining everything I care about: hands-on learning, coaching, presenting, facilitating, and bringing yoga and wellness into my work.

And now? 
I’m building a business from all those pieces. 

Some days I’m running workshops, other days I'm laughing through a failed launch or an awkward Zoom call. 

No two days look the same, but I wake up grateful to do work that feels real and alive.

Would I trade any of it? Not a chance.

Turns out, all my wild choices led me right here to my 42nd year on this earth.

Here’s to the winding paths, the detours, and the courage to keep following what lights you up—even when the plan doesn’t make sense to anyone else.

If you made it this far, I hope you get a minute to look back on your timeline today. 

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘬𝘺, 𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦?

P.S. This is a photo of baby Monica during one of her birthdays as a preschool teacher back in the day 🧁🎉

You're a bold ECE leader with a grand vision for your program- but your coaching conversations might be holding your teachers back...

You know the feeling.

You notice a teacher struggling with a lesson, classroom management, or co-teaching dynamics. 

You 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 to guide them. 
You start to speak up…
…but then you hesitate.

You tell yourself: 
💭 “I don’t want to hurt their feelings.”
💭 “Maybe they’ll take it the wrong way.”
💭 “I’ll just let it slide this time.”

So you stay quiet. 
Smile. 
Nod. 
And hope things improve on their own.

Meanwhile, the same challenge plays out… 
The teacher feels frustrated and stressed.

You (low-key) feel frustrated and stressed because the teacher just repeated the same missteps again for the 3rd time.

Here's the hard truth: 
Avoiding feedback doesn’t help anyone. 
It leaves teachers feeling unsupported, unsure, and overwhelmed.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰, 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸?
It leaves teachers feeling confident, more connected and less stressed out.

Creating a safe space for teachers to reflect on their practice while providing guidance and resources is actually the 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 that I teach.

So the next time you find yourself in a coaching conversation with a teacher, try structuring the chat like this:
✅ 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝟮-𝟯 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝘀/𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
𝘌𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦: 
"Your confidence really shined when I observed you and it seemed like you were really prepared for this activity"

✅ 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝟮-𝟯 𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸
𝘌𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦:
"I really noticed a shift in you from when you started your lesson versus when you finished- what type of change did you notice?"

✅ 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝟭-𝟮 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀/𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀
𝘌𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦:
"I wonder what made this so easy/challenging for you."

I recently worked with a Child Development Specialist on this approach, and here’s what she reported back:
"𝘔𝘺 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘫𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢 𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘺𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦."

Teachers thrive when they feel supported. 
Great programs thrive when leaders deliver feedback that builds confidence, competence, and connection.

Which type of feedback is most tricky for you as a leader?
1.  Strengths/Affirmations
2. Constructive Feedback
3. Wonderings/Curiosities

Let me know in the comments below 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

Positive Constructive Feedback for Teachers

This new report says 75–90% of early educators feel they’re making a difference in the world — and most people will miss it.

The 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 2025 report put out by Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, UC Berkeley breaks down all the predictable and familiar pain points: 
➡️ Nearly 70% of educators report 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴. 
➡️ Around 40% show 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘴.

Those numbers are real. 
They matter. 
But here’s what I noticed that most people will skim right past.

The report also measured something called “emotional wellbeing.” 
And like most data sets, it focused on what’s wrong—stress, anxiety, depression. 

But tucked inside that matrix was one quiet, powerful question:
𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦?

Educators who answered “very often” made up 75–90% of the entire workforce.

That’s extraordinary.

Even in a field battling low pay, exhaustion, and constant change, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.

And that tells me something: the problem isn’t passion. 
It’s infrastructure.

We’ve built an entire system that depends on the purpose and devotion of early educators—while offering very little to sustain them in return.

What would it look like to design ECE programs and policies that 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 that purpose instead of exploiting it? 

What if emotional wellbeing was defined not just by the absence of burnout, but by the presence of meaning, connection, and care?

That’s exactly why I built the 𝗘𝗖𝗘 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆—a tool that measures six dimensions of wellbeing across your early education team, helping you see who’s thriving, who’s struggling, and what systems need attention.

If you’re the kind of ECE leader who’s ready to build sustainable systems that center teacher wellbeing and purpose, we should chat.

DM me the word WELLBEING so we can start the convo.

Meet my client Diana. 

When I first started working with her center, she was fresh off her first full year as a toddler teacher in an Early Head Start program.

She wanted 𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘺 to love her job—to feel confident enough to return the next school year. 

But she was stressed. 
Overwhelmed. 
The classroom behaviors were more than she felt equipped to handle.

Her BA program hadn’t prepared her for 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 part of teaching—the emotional toll, the constant demands, the burnout creeping in before she’d even hit year two.

And even with the mindfulness and breathwork tools I shared, it wasn’t enough. 

Because what she needed most wasn’t another self-care tip. 

She needed 1:1 instructional coaching. 
Meaningful professional development. 
Intentional support.

Luckily, her program invested in pillar #2 of teacher wellbeing: ongoing learning + curiosity. 
The program director brought me in to build a practice-based coaching system—and Diana joined the very first cohort.

Fast forward to our 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 coaching session this past week: 
Diana showed up like a completely different teacher. 

She carried herself with confidence. 
She spoke with clarity and authority. 
And she told me, “This process has been so transformative. I want to use the goal-setting framework to help me grow in other aspects of my teaching skills and I feel confident enough to try it out."

That’s the dream. 
When teachers internalize the process—when they start seeing themselves as capable, reflective professionals—that’s true wellbeing.

It’s not just green juice and yoga mats. 
It’s systems that nurture professional growth, reflection, and confidence.

This is exactly what we do inside the 𝗘𝗖𝗘 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆—and we kick off in just 𝟮 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀!

If you're that exceptional ECE leader who wants to ditch that burnout narrative and ready to invest in teacher wellbeing so they can follow in Diana's confident, self-aware and thriving footsteps, then the ECE Wellbeing Academy is your next step.

Spots are capped- grab your seat today: https://lnkd.in/gsGKN-jS

At the start of this year, I set a wellness goal for myself: 𝟱𝟮 𝗵𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝟱𝟮 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀.

Some days in LA, I feel like I’m just driving from one thing to the next—stuck in traffic, isolated in my car, rushing from here to there. 

I needed a reset. A way to reconnect with nature so I could reconnect with myself.

So I laced up my hiking sneakers and hit the trails.

When I'm meandering the mountains, I attune myself to the...
...steady crunch of gravel under my shoes
...the quiet pause when a hawk sweeps overhead, wings stretched wide 
...the way the air shifts when I hit switchbacks
...the melodies of all the different chirping birds

While hiking, I remember how to breathe. 
On the trails, I feel whole again.

And that goal I set? 
I’m already 83% of the way there—and there are still three months left. Think I can make it? 😉

This challenge taught me something important: 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲.

That’s the same philosophy I built into the 𝗘𝗖𝗘 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆.

Because creating teacher wellbeing isn’t about quick fixes or one-off perks—it’s about listening deeply to teacher needs, setting clear and measurable goals, and walking it out with consistency.

Inside the Academy, you’ll learn how to survey your teachers, uncover what they actually need, and set one school-wide wellbeing goal to carry out over 8 weeks. 

Along the way, you’ll have my coaching and a community of other leaders doing this work right alongside you.

By the end, you’ll have more than a completed goal—you’ll have momentum, accountability, and the foundation for a culture where teachers thrive (and stay).

𝗗𝗼𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗖𝗘 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆. 
𝗪𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟱.

And I'm looking for 5 exceptional ECE leaders are ready to start building a culture of wellbeing without rushing to the summit so that your teachers and kiddos can truly thrive. 

If that sounds like you, DM or comment "ACADEMY" so we can chat.

👉🏻 𝘗.𝘚. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘬𝘦 # 42 𝘪𝘯 𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘷, 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘢.  𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘥?

“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝘂𝗽.”

I hear this all. the. time. 
Especially in early education.

It’s tossed around like a gentle reminder — “Fill your cup so you can pour into others.”

But honestly? 
That’s not self-care or community care. 
That’s 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦.

Because the message underneath is: 
→You don’t deserve to rest unless it helps someone else
→You can only recharge so you can go back to giving

𝗜’𝗺 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗦 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁.

What if teachers filled their cups 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 — not because it makes them better teachers, parents, or partners?

What if being energized, regulated, and inspired was the standard, not the exception?

Teachers don’t need to earn the right to be well. 
They deserve to be whole. 
Period.

And here’s the thing — teachers are often expected to recharge during off-hours (evenings, weekends, vacations). 
But what if the 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 actually reinforced this act of being filled up? 

What if your school's structures, expectations, and policies sustained teachers instead of drained them?

That’s how we move from 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 to 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦. 
Because real wellbeing doesn’t happen in isolation — it’s built into the culture.

And doing this?  
It's an act of...
...community preservation
...resistance to the status quo
...truly human-centered leadership

If you’re an ECE leader who’s tired of this burnout-fueled “pour from your cup” rhetoric and you’re ready to build real, sustaining wellbeing systems for your staff — then you should register for my upcoming webinar on Thursday, November 13.

DM me or comment SUSTAIN to grab all the deets and secure your spot- it's gonna be a real juicy convo!

𝘗.𝘚. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘩𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦?

𝟳 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝟳 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀...

1️⃣ LinkedIn is the one social platform that actually feels like 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦. No silly dances. No chasing the hottest audio trend. Just building a solid network of interesting folks who are also here for true connection.

2️⃣ The more I show up as me — a little spicy, compassionate, and yes, with the occasional cuss word — the more people lean in. The raw, messy, human posts I’ve written have led to the deepest conversations and dare I say... true friendships.

3️⃣ Collaboration beats competition every time. Some of my biggest aha moments have come from people in the same niche as me. Turns out, it’s actually really fun (and surprisingly energizing) to cheer on “competitors.”

4️⃣ Hashtags? Officially dead. (RIP hashtag #ECEleaders, you had a good run.)

5️⃣ DMs are where the magic happens. I can’t even count how many real, meaningful connections have started with a simple, “Hey, loved what you shared.” Those little conversations turned into collaborations, referrals, even friendships across the world.

6️⃣ Time management is everything. Batching my calendar with similar tasks has been a game-changer. The less time I spend on random little distractions (like doom scrolling on instagram), the more space I have to focus on what matters — building relationships and connection points.

7️⃣ Rejection is just part of the gig. I’ve had people tell me, “I love following your work, but I’m not interested in connecting further.” At first that stung, but now I see it as making more room for the folks who 𝘥𝘰 say yes. I’m not everyone’s cup of tea — and that’s more than okay.

What did I miss?  What's 1 LinkedIn lesson that you've learned along the way?

P.S.  Shoutout to all my fav people here in LinkedIn so far (I know I'm probably forgetting some folks): Laura Roush Paul Buckley Alyssa Smith, M.Ed. Kaitlin Lee Rosie Noel T. Sophia Mikelionis, MBA, CPC Ana "Latina" Aristizabal Jodi Miller Danna T. Carla Ward .Tamar Andrews, EdD Theresa Sanchez Nancy Villarreal, M.S. Natalie Lucero Melissa Hausmann Job Christiansen Adrienne Weimer

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You’re a trailblazing ECE leader with a big PD budget and even bigger vision.
But if you’re honest, you probably see 𝘵𝘸𝘰 types of teachers on your team:

👉🏼 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 — the one who volunteers for everything, signs up for every committee, and soaks up PD like a sponge. On the outside, this teacher is clearly sending you the message that they want to grow, to stretch, to evolve as a professional.

👉🏼 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 — the one who’s slowly losing their spark. Maybe they’ve been in the field for years, or maybe they started eager but are now feeling disillusioned by the realities of the classroom.  They probably show up feeling unmotivated, uninspired and almost feeling like it's Groundhog Day- same shit, different day.

Here’s the thing: both teachers 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 to grow. 
But neither will thrive if their 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼.

You can’t spark curiosity in an exhausted nervous system. 
You can’t nurture growth in an environment that feels unsafe or unsustainable.

That’s why in my recent LinkedIn Live, I broke down pillar #2 of teacher wellbeing — ongoing learning + curiosity—and how the 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 of professional growth culture can reignite motivation and momentum across your team.

🎥 Watch the full training here → https://lnkd.in/gVqMPat5

And if you’re ready to go even deeper...

If you’re ready to be the kind of ECE leader who 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 to build a thriving, well-regulated, purpose-driven team...

Then join me inside the 𝗘𝗖𝗘 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆.

In just 8 weeks, you’ll learn my proven 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 to reduce burnout, strengthen collaboration, and rebuild a culture where teachers and children flourish year after year.

We kick off 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟱—and I’ve got just 𝟱 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 for exceptional leaders ready to make wellbeing their next big investment.

If that sounds like you, drop 𝗔𝗖𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗬 in the comments or DM me to grab your spot before they’re gone.

📣 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘋𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴—I know it’s federal review season.

And here’s a question that might make your heart race faster than your third cup of coffee: 
👉🏼 What story does your 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢 tell about staff wellbeing?

About a year ago, the Head Start Program Performance Standards were updated to include new expectations around improving staff wellbeing within your program policies and procedures.

Now imagine this—when the reviewers arrive, instead of scrambling for evidence, you confidently take them on a data tour of your staff wellbeing efforts: 
➡️ Colorful dashboards with feedback from teachers 
➡️ Clear wellbeing goals co-created with your team 
➡️ Action plans showing measurable progress

You know Head Start goes 𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘢 for data-informed decision making—and this is exactly what we do inside the 𝗘𝗖𝗘 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆.

In just 8 weeks, your program will: 
✅ Gather meaningful wellbeing data 
✅ Turn that data into actionable insights 
✅ Implement real strategies that boost morale, trust, and retention

So not only will your reviewers be 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘸𝘦—your teachers will actually feel the difference.

I’ve got a couple spots left for the next cohort of the ECE Wellbeing Academy. 

𝗪𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀!

If you’re serious about staff wellbeing 𝘢𝘯𝘥 staying aligned with Head Start performance standards—this is your moment. 

𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗯 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://lnkd.in/gCYjmgmb

𝗘𝗖𝗘 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀...

The best way to describe this shift is through my story as a first-year teacher.

It was 2009, I was getting my MA in ECE/SPED and had somehow landed my very first teaching gig at a highly respected and reputable Reggio-Emilia inspired school on the Upper Westside of Manhattan.

I felt like a small fish in a very big pond— eager to prove myself, learn everything I could, and grow into the confident ECE leader I am today. 

(If you asked my former director, she’d probably say I was 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 back then 😂.)

I was completely captivated by this new philosophy I’d never heard of before — the Reggio Emilia approach.

With my background in art history, museum education, and a study abroad semester in Italy, it felt like this approach was 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦.

But here’s the truth: 
In those early months...
I was shy. 
Quiet. 
A little unsure of myself. 

All the teachers already seemed so close-knit — most had been there for 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴. 

And I felt a little like Lindsay Lohan in 𝘔𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴 before she got in with the cool crowd. 🤪

But what made all the difference were my director and assistant director.

They deeply understood the power of community and relationship-based work (which, of course, is one of the pillars of the Reggio approach).

Every team meeting we had — maybe once or twice a month — was 𝘪ntentional. 

We didn’t just spend the entire time on announcements or reminders. 

Instead, they carved out space for: 
✔️ Small group conversations that helped us actually get to know each other 
✔️ Reflective exercises that connected us to our shared “why” 
✔️ Mission-aligned activities that kept us grounded in our school’s values

And slowly, I stopped feeling like the quiet new teacher.

I felt connected. 
Confident. 
Rooted in community.

That culture of belonging trickled down to the children and families too — you could feel the warmth and kindness in every corner of that school.

By the end of my first year, I wasn’t planning my exit — I was settling in for the long haul. 
I stayed there for seven years.

That experience shaped how I think about leadership, trust, and teacher wellbeing to this day and set the foundation for how I work with other ECE programs across the country.

𝗜𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜'𝗺 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝘂𝗽𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿: 
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘊𝘌 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬: 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘭 (𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 4-𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴)
Thursday, November 13
10am PST/ 1pm EST

Spots are limited, so grab your seat today!

Shoot me a DM or comment FRAMEWORK below and I'll send over the registration link 👍🏻

👻 You know what scares me more than any horror movie?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗴𝗮𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿.

And listen—this is saying a lot, because I 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 horror movies. 
Like, cover-my-eyes, plug-my-ears, can’t-sleep-with-the-lights-off kind of hate.

Scream? Nope. You 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 Ghostface is about to jump out with a knife and I still jump every damn time. 

The Ring? Forget it. A creepy chick crawling out of the TV with soaking wet hair? Absolutely not. 

The Exorcist? Hell no. If someone’s head starts spinning 360 degrees, I’m out. 

Don’t even get me started on clowns, dolls, or chainsaws.

But here’s the weird thing: I could binge serial killer documentaries until 10pm and sleep like a damn baby. What is wrong with me? 😂

Anyway—back to the real nightmare: burnout.

Because the truth is, it’s terrifying that: 
→ Teachers are told to “fill their own cup” off the clock. 
→ Wellness gets reduced to bagels in the staff lounge and self-care Sundays. 
→ Leaders are expected to manage burnout individually instead of systemically.

And the scariest part? Burnout doesn’t just disappear. It spirals. 
And sometimes? Ends with teachers in the hospital from the stress and overwhelm. 
That’s not just spooky—that’s some real-life Walking Dead shit. 🧟‍♀️

If you’re an ECE leader who’s done with this burnout-as-a-badge nonsense and ready to build a culture where teachers (and kids) actually thrive—then we should talk.

DM me or drop “𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗥” in the comments and I’ll send you the details about the 𝗘𝗖𝗘 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆—an 8-week experience that helps you turn your school into a thriving, healthy community where teachers feel more like Glinda the Good Witch and a lot less like extras from 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘥.

Because the only thing scarier than horror movies? Burnout that never ends.

𝘗.𝘚. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘧𝘧 𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦-𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩
𝘈. 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴
𝘉. 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘴

I know your answer Michaela Toronto haha

Senior Expert Analyst at Urban Science

🚨 I'm going LIVE in 40 minutes 🚨 

So excited to highlight the surprise wellbeing approach that keeps ECE teachers motivated year after year!

I'll break down all the juicy details of pillar 2 of teacher wellbeing and why this wellness strategy is the key to teacher motivation, teacher happiness and ultimately teacher retention.

Will I see you there Stefania Rubino, Ed.D. Amy Reyes-Hauff Tracey Young, MEd Elsa Leal?

Amber La Dawn Best, Ed.D., Jennifer Coggin Ed.D and 11 other attendees

The Wellbeing Approach That Keeps Teachers Motivated Year After Year

I recently visited 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮’𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗲 in Romania… and I’ve got to say — I was 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 let down. 🧛🏻‍♀️

There was so much hype. 
It’s one of the most popular tourist attractions in Romania, so naturally I thought, “This is going to be spooky AF.”

I pictured gothic architecture. 
Brick walls dripping with cobwebs. 
A haunted-house vibe that would give Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion a run for its money.

But nope. 
It was... fine. 
A few interesting facts about the history, some artifacts, a couple of cool photos—and then we were in and out in 40 minutes.

And as I walked out, I couldn’t help but think… 
This is 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 what most “wellness initiatives” in schools feel like.

Directors roll out something trendy because it’s popular or fashionable (see Tripadvisor reviews on Dracula's castle). 
Teachers get excited — “Finally! Someone’s listening!” — only to be disappointed when it turns out to be a one-time, 40-minute workshop with no follow-up, no systems, no real change.

That’s not teacher wellbeing. 
That’s Dracula’s Castle. 🩸 
All show. No substance.

If you want something real — something that actually transforms how your teachers 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 and function — join me inside the 𝗘𝗖𝗘 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆.

We start 𝗧𝗢𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪, and I’ve got just 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 for leaders ready to build lasting wellbeing systems that don’t suck the life out of your staff (pun intended). 🦇

Grab your seat here: https://lnkd.in/gsGKN-jS

“The auditor was so nice as she walked around assessing the early childhood center — it’s nice that she wasn’t like the IRS.”

That’s what one of my clients told me today during our check-in.

It was her 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 time going through the rigorous Head Start Focus Area 1 review (and trust me — I’ve been through my fair share of state and federal audits, so I get exactly what she means).

But it got me thinking… Shouldn’t 𝘢𝘭𝘭 audits feel that way?

When I partner with ECE programs to complete The ECE Wellbeing Audit, my goal isn’t to make anyone sweat or feel judged. 
I’m not the clipboard lady with a stink eye and a superiority complex.

I’m there to 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 — to uncover strengths worth celebrating and shine light on the gaps that are quietly draining teams. 

Then, together, we build the systems that fill those gaps and actually support long-term teacher wellbeing.

Because isn’t that the sign of a great assessor? 
Not someone who puts the fear of God in you… 
but someone who puts the 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 in you.

So can we please stop normalizing the idea that audits have to be scary or punitive? 
They can actually be affirming, clarifying, and even (dare I say it) inspiring.

If you want to learn more about my 4-step framework — The Thrive Cycle — and how it helps ECE leaders boost teacher retention, wellbeing, and connection, join my free webinar on Thursday, November 13: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘊𝘌 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬: 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘭 (𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 4-𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴).

Drop WEBINAR in the comments or my DMs for the deets.

So tell me — what’s been your scariest audit moment… and how did you make it through?

T. Sophia Mikelionis, MBA, CPC I'm sure you got some stories to tell!

ECE leaders, it’s not always the budget holding you back from truly investing in teacher wellbeing. It’s sentences like these:
💬 “We just don’t have time for teacher wellness.” 
💬 “Turnover is just part of this field.” 
💬 “Our staff will resist something new.” 
💬 “I’ll focus on well-being 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 compliance is handled.”
💬 “We can’t afford outside support.”

Unfortunately… 
→ we often cling to a familiar struggle → over an unfamiliar solution

But your program 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 when you replace limiting language with liberating language.

Repeat after me:
💬 “Teacher well-being 𝘪𝘴 my compliance strategy.” 
💬 “A strong culture reduces turnover (and saves us money).” 
💬 “Investing in staff is investing in children.” 
💬 “Wellbeing support isn’t a luxury—it’s a leadership responsibility.” 
💬 “I can lead differently, and it starts with how I speak about change.”

Your words shape your priorities. 
Your priorities shape your school culture. 
And your culture shapes the future of your ECE program.

This is exactly why I created 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗖𝗘 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆- to help ECE leaders ditch the limiting language and beliefs around burnout and step into the liberating feeling of a school that centers both student AND teacher wellbeing.

Are you ready to start shifting your language, your priorities and ultimately the culture of your ECE program? 

Then the ECE Wellbeing Academy was made for you. We start October 15.  But space is limited, so grab your seat before they're gone.

DM me or comment "ACADEMY" and I'll link the details.

P.S.  I just got back from a romp in Europe- is anybody able to guess which city this is? Katherine Stein I'm sure you'll have the easiest time figuring it out!

Early Years Educator | Art & Play Advocate | Nurturing Discovery Through Hands-on Exploration

You ever have one of those moments that just hits you right in the heart? That was me yesterday.

It was mid-afternoon — that perfect mix of overcast clouds and cerulean blue, with a light breeze. My sister and I stood in this giant outdoor plaza after seeing the most spectacular dance show at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (if you haven’t seen 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, you need to).

Off in the distance, colorful papel picado fluttered in the wind at the entrance to Gloria Molina Grand Park — we wandered over and found rows of 𝘰𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘴 ready for Día de los Muertos.

Each installation was drenched in color: golden-orange marigolds, deep crimson cockscomb, and bright yellow sunflowers layered in vibrant harmony.

Battery candles flickered softly against draped fabrics and woven textures, giving every altar a sense of warmth and intimacy — like stepping into someone’s living room of memories.

People wandered slowly between altars — some quiet in reverence, others smiling through nostalgia. 

The air carried a tender mix of hushed laughter, soft sniffles, and whispered stories.

Families paused to write messages, tucking notes among petals and candles.
It felt sacred — as if time itself had paused to make space for remembering.

One ofrenda in particular hit me hard — a photo of a sonogram. 
A family honoring a baby they never got to meet. 
A tender reminder of how wide the net of grief really is — how love continues, even when life doesn’t.

There was even an installation for pets — a giant rainbow bridge surrounded by vines covered in handwritten notes. 
One, clearly from a child, read “I MIS YU,” next to a drawing of their dog. 
Oof. 
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘥.

I thought about how we carry grief — for people, for animals, for the chapters of life that have closed — and how remembrance itself is an act of love.

I thought of some of my own lost loved ones: 
✨ My father, a chiropractor and longtime yoga studio owner, who opened the door to mindfulness and healing — his big, bold energy still shows up in my wellness work and how I run my business today. 

✨ My grandmother, a preschool teacher and therapist, spent her later years crawling on the floor with autistic children under 4 years old — teaching parents how to connect with their children through play. 

I leaned on her during my own preschool classroom years, always chatting about child development — her curiosity and care shaped how I teach, coach, and lead today.

They’re both gone now, but their spirits feel close.

Every day, I see them in my small home altar — their photos, a candle, a quiet reminder that love, purpose, and legacy don’t die; they live on.

So tell me — who is someone you’ve lost who made a profound impact on your life? And how are you remembering them this week?

Taplio

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