Leading Educator Wellness: Six Critical Actions to Support All Staff (Empower Educators with Actionable Wellness Strategies That Build Resilience and Balance)

When leaders don’t prioritize their wellness, supporting teachers and students becomes challenging. This resource emphasizes wellness as a core part of a leader’s identity, addressing low morale and exploring personal connections. It outlines six critical actions for self-care, goal setting, and professional learning, enabling leaders to create systems that prevent burnout and build resilient school communities.

Readers will:

• Critically examine personal and communal health practices to identify wellness needs
• Develop a common educator wellness vision to guide improvements to health practices
• Identify clear, feasible goals and actionable steps to achieve desired outcomes
• Strengthen commitment to wellness goals through professional learning teams
• Sustain educator wellness through active assessment and improvement of health practices

Contents:
Introduction
Part I
Chapter 1: Engaging in Purposeful Self-Care
Chapter 2: Implementing a Common Vision for Educator Wellness
Chapter 3: Performing a Needs Assessment
Part II
Chapter 4: Goal Setting and Action Planning
Chapter 5: Designing and Facilitating Effective Professional Learning
Chapter 6: Monitoring Progress and Sustaining Educator Wellness
Epilogue
Appendix A: Engaging Stakeholders in the Needs Assessment
References and Resources
Index

Bill Barnes is the chief academic officer for the Howard County Public School System in Maryland. A past president of the Maryland Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM), Barnes has also served nationally as a regional director and vice-president for NCSM: Leadership in Mathematics Education, and as the affiliate service committee Eastern Region 2 representative for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).
Barnes is passionate about ensuring equity and access in mathematics for students, families, and staff. His experiences drive his advocacy efforts as he works to ensure opportunity and access for underserved and underperforming populations. He fosters partnerships among schools, families, and community resources in an effort to eliminate traditional educational barriers.
Barnes was the recipient of the 2003 Maryland Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. He was named Outstanding Middle School Math Teacher by the Maryland Council of Teachers of Mathematics and Maryland Public Television and Master Teacher of the Year by the National Teacher Training Institute.
Barnes earned a bachelor of science in mathematics from Towson University and a master of science in mathematics and science education from Johns Hopkins University and has served as an adjunct professor for Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland–Baltimore County, McDaniel College, and Towson University.
To learn more about Bill Barnes’s work, follow him @BillJBarnes on X.

Erin Lehmann, EdD, is an assistant professor for the University of South Dakota. She has experience as an elementary principal at a Title I school, as well as being a math teacher, math coach, and curriculum specialist. Her diverse background has afforded her the opportunities to facilitate content, pedagogy, and implement realistic strategies for beginning and veteran teachers while utilizing data-driven instruction. Her vast knowledge in professional learning communities and professional development has led to strong implementation of best practices in teaching and learning.
Dr. Lehmann has authored Teaching Mathematics Today, Second Edition, as well as coauthoring several works. She is a frequent speaker at NCTM, ASCD, and NCTM, advocating for mathematics and grading practices. She successfully facilitated the transition from traditional to standards-based grading at one middle school. Dr. Lehmann was awarded the Innovative Team Award in 2015.
Dr. Lehmann holds a BA in elementary education, an MA in curriculum and instruction, and an EdD in educational leadership from the University of South Dakota.
To book Bill Barnes or Erin Lehmann for professional development, contact pd@SolutionTree.com.