Episode #13 Season 3 Embracing Change and Challenge in the New School Year

Have you ever wondered why we can easily recall our favorite teachers decades later, yet struggle to remember last year's award-winning movie or championship teams? The answer lies in the profound, lasting impact educators have on their students' lives—an impact that extends far beyond test scores and classroom walls.

Summer break is winding down, and a new school year approaches with its inevitable challenges, choices, and changes. As educators, you face over a thousand decisions daily, from curriculum implementation to addressing individual student needs. Your attitude toward these challenges—choosing optimism over complaints, embracing change rather than resisting it—sets the tone not just for your classroom but potentially for your students' futures.

Teaching isn't merely a profession; it's a calling. Those who approach education as an opportunity to shape young minds report significantly higher levels of satisfaction and fulfillment. When you create safe spaces for children who carry worries and heartbreak alongside their backpacks, when you look beyond test scores to see the whole child, you leave what one grateful parent describes as "fingerprints on hearts, not just paper." These seemingly small gestures—learning each student's name, offering second chances, believing in a child's potential—build confidence that students carry with them long after they've forgotten academic content.

As Maya Angelou wisely observed, "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." This profound truth forms the foundation of educational impact. While prioritizing self-care through adequate sleep, healthy nutrition, and regular movement, remember that your well-being enables your vital work. You need to be well to teach well, finding joy in the journey as you become "a rainbow in someone's cloud."

Share this podcast with colleagues who could use encouragement, and rate and review to help others discover these wellness insights. Let's make the 2025-2026 school year one where both teachers and students thrive!

Thanks for listening!

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:00

This is Wellness for Educators , episode 13 . You need to be well to teach well . That is the motto , seeking a healthy balance . You matter , and so does your health . There is life beyond the classroom . This is Wellness . Wednesday , august 20 , 2025

Welcome Back After Summer Break

Speaker 1 0:19

. Wellness for Educators Lori Maxfield , your host .

Speaker 1 0:22

My hope is that this summer brought lots of time to rejuvenate , relax and certainly to rewind . We are given this wonderful opportunity to have weeks in the summer when we are not required to follow a routine . Time is a true gift that not all occupations have . However , it is needed and vital . However , it is needed and vital . You have extremely difficult jobs and , although others may view this as unfair , you are so deserving of every day you have been given . You need to freely rejuvenate . I am so hopeful you are able to have quality time with family , found opportunities to take some vacations and fully unwind from the previous school year . Summer days are probably getting fewer for you , or you may actually be in full swing of starting the 2025-2026 school year . Wherever you are in the process , I am hopeful you are looking upon this school year as a new opportunity to bring joy to the future generation .

Speaker 1 1:25

Before we begin the topic for this episode , I want to ask you a few questions . Number one do you remember what movie won the Academy Award this year ? Number two do you recall what teams won the World Series or the Super Bowl ? Lastly , how about the Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction ? Do you know the name of that novel

The Lasting Impact of Teachers

Speaker 1 1:48

For all of those Eagle fans out there ? I am sure you knew who won the Super Bowl , but I'm not certain you could answer the other questions . Now for my final question . Can you name your favorite teacher and what that teacher taught ? I am pretty certain that you can answer that question , and maybe that person was actually the person who influenced you to become an educator yourself . You see , what you do every day and every year can have a lasting impact for someone's future . Honestly , I am not sure others , in different occupations , have that honor . Being an educator is a calling . You are doing amazing work . Please never lose sight of this fact .

Speaker 1 2:35

The theme for this episode will contain digraphs , the digraph CH . For those of you that have forgotten your phonetic skills , let this be a reminder . C-h is a digraph which typically represents one consonant sound . Our first one is challenge . Each year , you will be faced with challenges . How you decide to approach these challenges is the key . Facing challenges is a normal part of life , and it's how we respond to them that matters . Developing a positive mindset , making a plan and seeking

Facing Challenges with Positive Choices

Speaker 1 3:13

support are all key strategies for over-income obstacles . It's also important to acknowledge and process your emotions and to remember that you are not alone in your struggles . This is now when we implement the next CH word , which is choice .

Speaker 1 3:30

As parents know , it is always good to allow our children to have choices . Giving children choices empowers them , fostering independence , confidence and a sense of control over their lives . When children are given appropriate choices , they develop valuable decision-making skills , learn about consequences and become more engaged . Well , we have choices too . Adults have a wide range of choices available to them , from simple daily decisions to significant , life-altering ones . These choices can encompass various aspects of life , including career , relationships , finances , health and personal development . The key to making good choices as an adult often involves considering the potential consequences , both positive and negative , and aligning decisions with personal values and goals .

Speaker 1 4:27

I just read an article on Facebook which was posted by one of my past students Teachers make over a thousand decisions each day , and it's exhausting . Yes , this is so true Thousands of choices each day , but please realize those choices really matter . The most important piece of the choices and decisions you make are in regards to your attitude . In episode two , I read a quote from Charles Swindoll about attitude . Let me remind you that life is about 10% what happens to us and about 90% of how we react to it . As a reminder , we are in charge of our attitudes .

Speaker 1 5:14

For our third CH word , we have change as you embark on a new school year . Yes , it is going to involve change . Maybe you have a new curriculum or a new administrator . Whatever the change may be for the school year , please embrace it and no complaining . Remember champions never

Embracing Change in Education

Speaker 1 5:38

complain . They're too busy getting better . This is an opportunity for you to be a positive cheerleader for your colleagues . Great minds discuss ideas . Average minds discuss events . Small minds discuss people . Don't allow gossip and negativity to get a handle . When you are unhappy with a possible change , make a choice to take the high road and be an encourager . Remember that positive attitude will bring sunshine into your world as well as those around you .

Speaker 1 6:13

To handle change effectively , focus on acceptance , adaptation and self-care . This is when taking care of our own health is vital . As a reminder , get adequate sleep , eat healthy and be sure to get moving . It is most important to keep these healthy habits during the school year . It is quite easy to tell yourself you don't have time , but honestly , this is when you need to prioritize your health .

Speaker 1 6:43

Changes can be difficult . Sometimes we just want everything to stay the same , but there are so many benefits to change . This allows increased resilience , personal growth and new opportunities . By embracing change , you may foster innovation . People often want to avoid changes and prefer to stay in their comfort zones . However , here are five benefits to change . Number one personal growth . You grow and learn every time something changes . Number two Flexibility . Change helps us adapt to new situations . Number three improvements . We all have areas in our lives to improve . Number four progress . Change triggers progress . Number five new beginnings . Each change is a turning of a page , closing one chapter and opening another . Changes bring new beginnings and excitement to life . I know there's much to do before starting the school year , but take each day and each item on your to-do list as an opportunity to make a difference in your world .

Speaker 1 8:01

Being an educator is not just a job . It is a calling . A teacher who sees their role as shaping young minds and making a positive impact on their students' lives will be more passionate about their day-to-day lives . Individuals with a calling often report higher levels of job satisfaction , engagement and overall well-being . People with callings often exhibit a strong passion for their work and are enthusiastic about their tasks . I really do not think many teachers realize the impact you can have on your students

Teaching as a Calling

Speaker 1 8:40

Impact for a lifetime .

Speaker 1 8:43

A few years ago I heard one of my past students was having a really rough time . He was living on the West Coast , so I obtained his address and sent him a card of encouragement . I love to send cards and most time when I send cards I do not hear responses , but I always hope the cards were received and it brought a little sunshine to that person . A few weeks ago I was walking with a friend and I heard a young man call out Hi , mrs Maxfield . I looked and it was this student . He was in town visiting his father . We talked for a while and it appeared to be doing very well . As I was walking away , he called out thanks for the card .

Speaker 1 9:32

This was a little reminder to me that , yes , these little things do make a difference In your professional career . You will have the opportunity to influence children for a lifetime and in most cases , you will never know the impact you may have made . When I retired , I was honored that the principal selected a quote from Maya Angelou for me . I've learned that people will forget what you said , people will forget what you did , but people will never forget how you made them feel as you pursue your calling . I hope you can remind it that daily you can impact somebody for good . Another Maya Angelou quote be a rainbow in someone's cloud .

Speaker 1 10:12

Now , before I end the podcast , I want to read a powerful letter . The letter is written to my child's teacher . As we start this new school year , I just want to say thank you in advance . Thank you for choosing a job that is so much more than a job . Thank you for showing up for

Letter to My Child's Teacher

Speaker 1 10:34

kids who aren't yours and loving them like they are . Thank you for being patient on the days when learning feels hard , for giving grace when they forget their homework , for understanding that some kids walk into your classroom carrying more than just a backpack . Some carry worry , some carry heartbreak , some carry things too heavy for their little shoulders , yet they still show up . Thank you for noticing , for looking beyond the test scores , the behaviors , the charts , the checkboxes and seeing the actual child .

Speaker 1 11:14

This year you'll be so much more than a teacher . You'll be a safe place when life feels scary . You'll be the voice that tells them they're capable . When the world whispers they're not enough , you'll be the steady hand that reminds them it's okay to try again . When they fall apart , you will shape how they see themselves , even when you don't realize it , and years from now , when they're grown , they'll still remember how you made them feel , because that's what teachers do you leave fingerprints on hearts , not just paper . So , before the chaos begins , I want you to know this what you do matters more than you'll ever see in a paycheck . It matters more than test scores or standards . It matters in the little eyes that light up when you call them by name . It matters in the confidence they carry because someone believed in them . Here's to a school year filled with grace , growth and kids who feel seen and deeply loved because of you .

Speaker 1 12:23

Thank you from one grateful parent . Wow , I found this letter to be very powerful . I do realize not all parents are that appreciative , but please realize you can make a lasting difference . Now let's revisit those original questions . The Academy Award-winning movie was Enora , the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series and the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl . The Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction was Percival Everett for his book James , which is a reimagination of Huckleberry Finn .

Speaker 1 13:04

Please never forget how your favorite teacher made a difference in your world . Now it's your opportunity to make a lasting impact as well . Remember , I am here cheering for you . Thanks to Ron Coleman for providing the music and thanks to you for being a positive influence to the future generation . You are a true hero . You are a true hero . You need to be well to teach well . Find joy in the journey . This is Lori Maxfield and I thank you for listening to . Wellness for Educators . If you have a friend who you think could benefit from this

Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Speaker 1 13:42

podcast , please pass it along . If you can rate and review this podcast , I would greatly appreciate it . I look forward to connecting again in September . Until that time , remember to practice self-care , and blessings to all of you for an awesome start to the 2025-2026 school year .