Skip to main content

When School Staff Are Well, Students Are Too - Strategies To Avoid Burnout

Where You Are | S3 E2 | January 5, 2022

 

Stress levels and burnout for school professionals has been a significant and growing issue for quite some time and has only increased with the COVID-19 pandemic.  Michelle and guest co-host Gail Markin come together with Vanessa, a school District Counsellor, and Kim Weatherby, lead for EdCan's Well at Work Advisors program, to look at the importance of teacher and school staff well-being and what this means for the students they teach. Listen to strategies school professionals can use to support their own well-being, support each other’s well-being, and engage at a system’s level to keep staff well-being a priority for mental health and wellness— all of which contributes to student health and achievement.

You can read the full transcript for the episode here. 


EPISODE RESOURCES:

Guest Bios

Vanessa Marie
District Counsellor, Sunshine Coast

Vanessa Marie lives and works on the traditional and unceded territories of the skwxwú7mesh and shíshálh peoples where she is district counsellor and SOGI district lead for the Sunshine Coast School District, as well as a clinical counsellor in private practice. She has experience counselling and teaching in a variety of roles from K-12, in rural and Indigenous contexts across BC and in Northern Québec. Vanessa is a passionate advocate in all areas of social justice, due in large part to their intersections with mental health and wellness. She is committed to staff professional development and mental health initiatives in particular because she believes that supporting and caring for adults helps to create supportive and caring communities for everyone—students, staff, and parents.  

Kim Weatherby
Lead, EdCan Well at Work Program

Kim Weatherby, a leader in school health promotion whose work focuses on staff well-being. Kim is currently the Lead for EdCan's Well at Work Advisors program. She explores ways to advance K-12 workplace well-being at school district, provincial/territorial, and pan-Canadian levels. With more than 15 years in school health promotion, Kim has led mental health work at the Joint Consortium for School Health, the BC Ministry of Education and DASH BC.

Gail Markin
Guest co-host, counsellor, and district teacher

Gail Markin is a middle school counsellor and a district teacher supporting social and emotional learning in the Langley School District. Gail came to the education field with a background in social work, family counselling and parent education.  She moved to the  education field after working for many years as an involved parent and seeing the impact and importance of home and school and community working together.  She is passionate about parents understanding social and emotional learning because she knows what research says about the impact it can have on health, happiness and success for all.

Where You Are | S3 E6 | April 20, 2022

Re-release: Self-Harm: What Families Need to Know

In this episode, we speak to a youth who has lived experience with self-harm; and a clinical counsellor who has supported many youth who have self-harmed. Walk away from this episode with a greater understanding of why youth self-harm and what parents can do to support their child.
Where You Are | S3 E5 | March 30, 2022

A Mindful Approach to Parenting & Caregiving

Learn how mindfulness can support your overall well-being and help during common stressors that parents experience, debunk myths and misconceptions that surround mindfulness, and tips on how you can weave mindfulness into parenting and caregiving.
Where You Are | S3 E4 | February 16, 2022

Re-Release: When Parenting Gets Tough...

In this episode, join Mary (mom of 3) and Dr. Ashley Miller (Child Psychiatrist and Family Therapist at BC Children’s Hospital), as they break down some simple strategies all parents can use to support their children’s mental health, regardless of what struggles they’re facing.
Where You Are | S3 E2 | January 5, 2022

When School Staff Are Well, Students Are Too - Strategies To Avoid Burnout

Listen to strategies school professionals can use to support their own well-being, support each other’s well-being, and engage at a system’s level to keep staff well-being a priority for mental health and wellness— all of which contributes to student health and achievement.
Where You Are | S3 E1 | December 8, 2021

Eating Disorders: How Parents Can Play an Active Role in Recovery

In this episode Michelle and Bryn are joined by Kelly, a parent of a youth diagnosed with an eating disorder, and Dr. Jennifer Coelho, Psychologist at BC Children’s Hospital’s Provincial Specialized Eating Disorder Program, to answer questions we often hear from families about supporting a youth with an eating disorder.
Where You Are Podcast

Through real stories, expertise, and practical tips, this podcast helps families promote their mental health and wellness, navigating important topics to meet you where you are in your journey.