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Tag: Featured blog

Posted
January 29, 2025
Category
Whole Child

Prioritizing Educator Well-Being: Effective Strategies for Supporting School Staff After Winter Break

Returning to work after the winter break holiday can be a unique phase and process for educators.

As we step into the new year, educators face challenges that can sometimes feel overwhelming. This feeling is especially strong when they shift from the restful holiday season back into the rigorous school routine. However, taking care of educator well-being is critical not only for teachers’ health but also for student success.

As someone who has held multiple roles in education—from a public school teacher to a school principal, district superintendent, and assistant state superintendent—I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact of prioritizing staff well-being and mindfulness. With over 40% of teachers leaving the profession within their first five years, it’s clear that we must take quick and meaningful action to support the well-being of our educators.

Thrively’s Commitment to Educator Wellness

At Thrively, we support a ‘culture of care’ that fosters hope and well-being for educators. Through our partnerships with schools and districts, we help create strengths-based, joyful, and hopeful learning environments, ensuring that staff well-being is always a priority. We believe that when teachers are supported, they are better equipped to support their students.

Why Teacher Wellness Matters

Anyone who has worked directly with students understands that wellness and emotional health are crucial not only for students but for educators as well. We all know that educators are the heart of the school, and their well-being impacts the entire school community.

Thrively’s Research-Backed Resources for Educator Well-Being

To help educators (re)prioritize their well-being, Thrively offers a range of research-based, practitioner-tested resources designed to support the mental health and emotional resilience of school staff. Here are some of our most impactful resources:

Well-Being Check-In:

In just 60-90 seconds, daily or weekly, hear directly from each staff member about how they are feeling and functioning. This tool helps monitor and support staff wellness in real time.

Hope Index:

Every quarter, measure and monitor the ‘agency’ and ‘pathways’ of staff members through a quick, 2-minute assessment. Use the data to create personalized action plans to enhance hope and purpose among educators.

Culture of Care:

Our 90-minute experiential professional learning session provides educators with research-backed strategies to nurture their well-being, build a supportive school culture, and instill hope.

Culture of Hope:

Hope is one of the primary predictors of academic, career, and life success. In this 1-hour professional development session, educators dive deep into the science and psychology of hope, followed by a 1-hour session that celebrates staff strengths and supports their well-being.

Hope Culture Survey:

Our Hope Culture Survey is a powerful tool to measure and enhance the psychological well-being of your school culture. This audit addresses four key domains: Conflict Resolution Systems, Procedures and Routines, Mission and Vision, and Support and Recognition, offering actionable insights to improve staff resilience and empowerment.

Incorporating Mindfulness and Well-Being Practices

While the transition back to school after a long break can feel daunting, incorporating targeted well-being strategies and mindfulness practices can transform both professional practice and personal life. Taking the time to prioritize mindfulness, resilience, and emotional health is not just about surviving the academic grind—it’s about thriving.

Learn More About Thrively’s Resources

Interested in learning how Thrively can support fostering Hope and well-being with staff? Explore the following professional development opportunities and resources:


Let’s connect! Please, reach out to me directly at marion@thrively.com.

Your partner in humanizing learning,
Dr. Marion Smith Jr.
Chief Learning Officer, Thrively


Posted
December 9, 2024
Category
Whole Child

Equity, Joy, and Student Achievement: Unlocking the Potential of Every Learner

Discover how equity, joy, and student agency unlock the potential of every learner. Learn how culturally responsive teaching and strengths-based education foster student success.

As I reflect on my diverse career in education—spanning roles from public school teacher to assistant state superintendent—one truth remains clear: Every child has a genius waiting to be unlocked. But realizing this truth requires more than just recognition; it demands creating equitable, joyful, and supportive environments that allow this genius to emerge.

Equity, Joy, and Whole Child Development

Equity, joy, and whole child development are deeply connected in ways that go beyond academic success. Achieving this intersection calls for intentional practices that recognize the fluidity of student identities and experiences, while fostering student agency and voice. Embracing culturally responsive teaching (CRT)—an evolution of culturally responsive pedagogy—means integrating students’ diverse cultures into the curriculum and learning experiences.

Throughout my career, I’ve seen the transformative power of creating spaces where students feel seen, heard, and valued. When we prioritize student agency and voice, we engage learners meaningfully, creating environments where they thrive. This is not just educational theory—it’s a practical approach I’ve implemented, especially in advancing racial equity in education.

The Role of Joy in Learning

Joy in learning is a crucial but often overlooked ingredient in discussions about student achievement and well-being. Dr. Gholdy Muhammad (2023), in her book Unearthing Joy, emphasizes the importance of culturally sustaining pedagogy—a practice that integrates students’ identities and experiences into learning. She explains how joy can be a transformative force, combating systemic inequities and fostering resilience and connection. In my experience, classrooms where students feel seen and valued become fertile ground for joyful learning environments that support positive learning identities.

In my time as an educator, I’ve sparked joy by encouraging students to take charge of their own learning and voice their ideas. This aligns with Dr. Chris Emdin’s work (2021), Ratchetdemic, which celebrates the intersection of education and culture. By acknowledging the cultural backgrounds of students and incorporating them into the curriculum, we create authentic learning spaces where student identities and creative expressions can flourish.

Cultivating Equity and Student Agency

Equity is not a one-time initiative; it’s a daily practice that must be intentionally woven into every aspect of learning and teaching. Equity is not something you do; it’s how you live your life! As I collaborate with educators and stakeholders to implement more equitable educational policies, practices and procedures, I often turn to Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970). Freire’s focus on dialogue and collective inquiry reminds us that education is about empowering students to transform their circumstances. In this way, equity equips students with the tools to question, challenge, and transform the world around them.

Supporting student agency is central to creating equitable environments. It requires a deep commitment to dismantling inequitable practices and reimagining classroom dynamics. At Thrively, we champion strengths-based education and asset-based learning to help educators identify the unique strengths of each student and create personalized learning pathways that foster engagement and ownership.

Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT)

At the heart of thriving educational environments is Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT). CRT acknowledges and values the diverse experiences and backgrounds of students, setting the stage for them to thrive academically and emotionally. bell hooks (1994), in her book Teaching to Transgress, emphasizes that education should inspire critical thinking, challenge societal inequities, and allow students to take pride in their cultural identities.

When I began integrating diverse narratives into the curriculum, I witnessed a remarkable transformation: student engagement soared, and their sense of belonging deepened. CRT helps us honor the richness of student identities, creating the conditions where academic performance flourishes alongside emotional well-being.

The Thrively Impact

At Thrively, we equip educators with comprehensive resources and research-based tools and strategies to create strengths-based classrooms that foster joy, agency, and better academic outcomes. By prioritizing student agency and ensuring that every student is seen and supported, we create conditions where learning thrives.

Our learner-centered platform helps educators assess students’ strengths, engage their interests, and create personalized learning pathways that honor each learner’s unique journey. As a result, educators can focus on both academic achievement and nurturing social-emotional skills—critical elements in building joyful learning spaces.

I invite my fellow educators to become equity-seeking practitioners—champions committed to creating environments where every student can thrive. Together, let’s disrupt inequitable practices and embrace culturally responsive teaching, student agency, and joyful classrooms.

We are inspired by scholars like Gholdy Muhammad, Chris Emdin, bell hooks, and Paulo Freire. Let’s join forces to unlock the full potential of every student. To support you on this journey, I encourage you to explore the resources Thrively offers to empower your work in creating equitable, joyful, and student-centered classrooms.

References

  • Emdin, C. (2021). Ratchetdemic: Reimagining academic success. Beacon Press. 
  • Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Herder & Herder. 
  • hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to Transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. Routledge. 
  • Muhammad, G. (2023). Unearthing Joy: A guide to culturally and historically responsive teaching and learning. Scholastic.

Learn More About Thrively

Interested in how Thrively can support your educational journey? Explore the following:
Thrively Overview Video (1.5 minutes)
Comprehensive Overview Video (5 minutes)
Guide to Creating Strengths-Based Classrooms


For additional guidance and support, reach out to me directly at marion@thrively.com.

Your partner in humanizing learning,
Dr. Marion Smith Jr.
Chief Learning Officer, Thrively

Posted
August 27, 2020
Category
Whole Child

Deeper Learning in a Time of Challenge

As coronavirus shutdowns have spread across the country, we have seen many of our partner schools and districts grappling first and foremost with the challenges inherent in delivering meaningful instruction at a distance. Distributing devices, building new schedules, and rapidly training staff on virtual meeting platforms have inevitably consumed most of the initial energy. Students must still be able to learn. At the same time, some of the more progressive districts have purposefully turned attention to their students’ social and emotional health during this deeply challenging time. In Anaheim Union High School District, Carlos Hernandez, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and Mary Jo Durkin, School Counseling Curriculum Specialist, wanted to ensure that vital SEL instruction continued, even as students were stuck at home. Anaheim Union High School District - Header Given that at Thrively we are deeply committed to exactly that kind of student-centered approach, we jumped at the opportunity to use our existing resources to best support all AUHSD learners. Over one busy weekend, our content team constructed five different playlists filled with engaging 30-minute lessons that corresponded to the district’s own 5Cs framework for developing 21st-century skills:
  1. Character & Compassion,
  2. Collaboration,
  3. Communication,
  4. Creativity, and
  5. Critical Thinking.
With that alignment, students could engage in meaningful, self-directed learning while making real progress towards the development of the very skills that AUHSD had prioritized.  All Thrively lessons include ample opportunity for students to reflect on the learning, and so one of the unexpected benefits of the new district-wide playlists is that students have been able to really open up about the stress they are feeling and share with their teachers and counselors just how they are doing. Feelings ranging from fear to grief to frustration could all be expressed in conversation and directly connected to a deepening understanding of the crucial SEL skills.   Anaheim Union High School District (1).jpg Thankful to work with such forward-thinking districts who have focused on the fact that SEL’s relevance really does only become more vital in times of crisis. Go AUHSD!
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