Educators on the Frontlines: A Self-Care Guide for Teachers & Administrators

As educators we find ourselves on the frontlines daily, giving our all to our jobs and the students we care for. But, when do we take the time to care for ourselves? What do we do in order to maintain good health: mind, body, and soul? Why do we feel guilty for needing that day off?

Written by two educators, this guide answers those questions and more! Think of it as a gentle nudge, complete with 10 self-care tips designed to empower educators through the unapologetic use of easy to apply self-care tips.

Maati Wafford is a master's level social worker who has worked in service of others on both an international and local level. She is also a Montessori educator with over 15 years serving as an educator, Independent School Leader, and Equity and Inclusion practitioner. Maati is well known for her insightful and dynamic professional development workshops and trainings she conducts, covering a variety of topics. She provides culturally-relevant support for public school start-ups, resource development, professional development and advocacy for schools in both private and public sectors across the country. She is the founder of a dynamic homeschool collective in Nashville, TN and prides herself on assisting mothers during pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum. She has gone above and beyond the standard methods of training and professional development by dedicating herself to learn and grow as much as possible. Maati facilitates courageous conversations about ways to identify, understand, and eradicate bias amongst faculty, parents, students, and school administrators to increase critical consciousness and equity in Pre K-12 classrooms.

Jeff Menzise is a proud graduate of two of our finest HBCUs, receiving his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Fisk University in Psychology and Clinical Psychology, respectively. He finished up his academic training at Howard University majoring in Clinical Psychology with a minor in Developmental Psychology. He has worked with Ministries of Education in both the Caribbean and West Africa, providing professional development for teachers, administrators, families, students, and mental health staff. He is known locally for his dynamic presentation style, bringing insight to thousands via his community workshops, courses, and lectures. He has most recently been invited to work directly with Taraji P. Henson and her mental health foundation: The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation. He has been featured on popular radio and television shows and in national newspapers and magazines; he is also the creator of the hit radio show Mind on the Matter. Dr. Menzise is currently an Associate Professor with the Morgan State University Institute for Urban Research and the immediate past president of The Association of Black Psychologists, Washington, DC Chapter.