Educator Wellness Podcast

Scanlan Center for School Mental Health, University of Iowa

25 episodes listed below

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In their own words

A podcast just for K-12 educators! Prioritize YOUR wellness to better care for your students and yourself. Dr. Kari Vogelgesang hosts nationally-recognized experts that help us explore and reflect on various dimensions of health and well-being. Take away strategies and tips to transcend wellness knowledge and practices into your classroom or school.The views and opinions expressed by the hosts and guests in this podcast do not necessarily represent those of the University of Iowa.

As heard by us

Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026

It connects educator wellness to classroom practice and school systems through practical questions about support, training, and collective responsibility.

Educator Wellness Podcast keeps asking what educator well-being looks like once it meets the realities of schools. Host Keri Vogelgesang brings a former elementary-school teacher's perspective to conversations that connect personal health with classroom practice, student needs,…

Read our full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

A teacher-appreciation cupcake is nice; you may still want to talk about bargaining power.

Press play if you want

  • to hear Keri Vogelgesang bring burnout back to school systems instead of blaming tired teachers
  • to find pleasure in identifying birds and leaves alongside the children you teach
Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Talks about

Best episodes of Educator Wellness Podcast

Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.

Alone Together: Navigating Loneliness in Education

A calm, educator-centered conversation about loneliness, social health, and the need for connection.

The discussion treats loneliness as a familiar problem and ties it to the pandemic, when social distancing became common language and many people felt isolation in a more personal way.

Educators and Parents Unite! The Power of Strong School-Family Collaborations

A steady case for making school-family relationships part of everyday practice.

This episode treats school-family collaboration as work people do day by day, not a slogan. It keeps circling back to a simple point: educators and parents do better when they know one another as people, especially when culture, language, and identity shape the relationship.

The Attendance Crisis: Tackling School Avoidance, Together

School attendance is framed as a layered problem that calls for shared responsibility, not blame.

School attendance is treated as a layered problem, not a simple one. The discussion points to developmental factors, school climate, and outside pressures such as poverty or homelessness, while also keeping identity, attachment, peer language, social cues, and parental…

Nourishing Minds, Fueling Futures: How Food Impacts Students’ Ability to Thrive

School food is presented as part of learning, not cafeteria background noise.

The episode frames school food as part of the learning environment, not just a cafeteria detail. It walks through the dietary guidelines for Americans and MyPlate in plain terms: half the plate fruits and vegetables, a quarter grains, a quarter protein, plus a dairy serving and…

Nature Nurtures: How to Leverage the Outdoors for Enriched Learning

Outdoor education is framed as a way to notice more, learn alongside students, and leave room for curiosity.

This episode presents outdoor education as part of educator wellness: a way to slow down, pay closer attention, and invite children into curiosity about the living world.

The Social Media Tug-of-War: How Much is “Too Much” for our Students?

A grounded look at why social media for adolescents resists a single simple rule.

The Educator Wellness Podcast, hosted by Dr. Kira Vogelgesang, takes on social media and adolescents with a steady, measured tone. It speaks to educators and parents who may want a simple answer, while admitting the reality is more complicated than that.

Emotional Intelligence for Educators: The Transformative Power of Understanding Emotions

A thoughtful look at emotional intelligence as a core part of educator wellness and support.

Emotional intelligence is treated here as part of the daily work of educators. Keri Vogelgesang speaks with Dr. Erica Brockneck about how understanding emotions can shape empathy, self-awareness, social awareness, and support in both personal and professional life.

Podcasts like Educator Wellness Podcast

Episodes

  1. 1

    Nourishing Minds, Fueling Futures: How Food Impacts Students’ Ability to Thrive

    Dr.

    ·33m·3 clips
  2. 2

    Game On: Harnessing The Power of Sports and Physical Activity for Mental Wellness

    Dr.

    ·43m·4 clips
  3. 3

    The Attendance Crisis: Tackling School Avoidance, Together

    Dr.

    ·40m·3 clips
  4. 4

    Nature Nurtures: How to Leverage the Outdoors for Enriched Learning

    Hidden gem

    Outdoor learning starts by looking closely.

    ·1h 15m·5 clips
  5. 5

    Educators and Parents Unite! The Power of Strong School-Family Collaborations

    Relationships come before worksheets.

    ·39m·2 clips
  6. 6

    Speaking the Truth from the Field

    Hidden gem

    Keri Vogelgesang interviews Haley Finn, a middle school counselor, and Miles Finn, an Indianola High School choir director, about educator life, family, and school pressures.

    ·1h 15m·5 clips
  7. 7

    The Social Media Tug-of-War: How Much is “Too Much” for our Students?

    Dr.

    ·48m·3 clips
  8. 8

    Embracing Our Differences, Elevating Our Schools Through Global Education

    Hidden gem

    Keri Vogelgesang opens the Educator Wellness Podcast with a conversation on global education, and the guests include William Coghill-Berens, Amy Anderson, and Monique Kottman.

    ·55m·3 clips
  9. 9

    The Power of Us: Transforming K-12 Schools Through Collective Action

    Dr.

    ·1h 1m·5 clips
  10. 10

    Alone Together: Navigating Loneliness in Education

    Dr.

    ·34m·3 clips
  11. 11

    Beyond Survival Mode: How to Recognize and Recover from Job Burnout

    Hidden gem

    Kira Vogelgesang opens with a direct conversation about job burnout.

    ·1h 7m·4 clips
  12. 12

    Reimagining MTSS: A Pathway to Whole School Well-Being

    Hidden gem

    MTSS becomes a wellness conversation.

    ·48m·3 clips
  13. 13

    Emotional Intelligence for Educators: The Transformative Power of Understanding Emotions

    Dr.

    ·52m·5 clips
  14. 14

    Full Inclusion for Special Education Students

    Full inclusion gets a clearer, harder look.

    ·51m·5 clips
  15. 15

    The Cost of Addiction: How Substance Abuse Damages Youth’s Brains, Bodies, and Communities

    This episode explores the impact of substance abuse on educators, students, and communities, featuring personal stories from Jeff Johnson about his son's fentanyl overdose and his own recovery, and insights from Drew Martell on societal factors driving addiction.

    ·1h 46m·5 clips
  16. 16

    Challenging Behaviors in the Classroom - Whose Problem Is It?

    Nov 27, 2023·38m
  17. 17

    Creating a Culture of Caring Comes First

    Oct 26, 2023·1h 15m
  18. 18

    Educator Wellness: Planning Your Summer for Personal Harmony

    Jun 5, 2023·57m
  19. 19

    Connecting to your Environment in a Meaningful Way to Support your Well-Being

    Apr 21, 2023·57m
  20. 20

    Challenging our Minds to Improve our Intellectual Dimension of Wellness

    Mar 26, 2023·48m
  21. 21

    We are Professionals! Educator Compensation, Retention, and Attrition

    Feb 23, 2023·51m
  22. 22

    How to Become Your Best Self by Loving Yourself Exactly as You Are

    Jan 19, 2023·53m
  23. 23

    Connecting with Others in Difficult Times

    Dec 15, 2022·59m
  24. 24

    Creating Habits to Support Your Physical and Mental Health

    Nov 17, 2022·1h 6m
  25. 25

    Your 8-Dimensions of Wellness and Creating a System to Support Your Well-Being

    Oct 19, 2022·1h 8m