“You Can’t Pour From an Empty Cup”
Prioritising Staff Wellbeing to Support Student Purpose and Growth.
A 2 hour session exploring how teacher wellbeing directly impacts students’ social-emotional growth and their ability to find their ‘purpose’. Includes:
• Burnout prevention and practical strategies for self-care
• Creating sustainable wellbeing routines in a busy school environment
• Setting boundaries without guilt
• Peer support and team culture for wellbeing
• Examples: Setting email curfews and out-of-office norms, Boundary buddies for peer accountability, Sunshine folders (collecting positive feedback), 5-minute mindful starts to meetings
“Wellbeing That Works: Small Shifts, Big Impact”
Simple, evidence-informed wellbeing practices tailored to regional school contexts. This can be presented as 2 hours, half day or a full day. Includes:
• Practical tools staff can use daily/weekly without adding to workload
• Building habits as a team (e.g. wellbeing challenges, walk-and-talks, intentional gratitude)
• Examples: 1-minute breathing strategies between classes, 3-minute peer coaching huddles, Walk-and-talk meetings instead of sit-downs, One-word gratitude moments at the end of meetings, Micro-movements (quick body resets without leaving the classroom)
“Leading with Care: Trauma-Informed Practice for Every Classroom”
Helping teachers and school leaders integrate trauma-aware practices into everyday school routines without feeling overwhelmed. A half day or full day workshop that includes:
• Understanding the impacts of trauma on learning and behaviour
• Practical classroom strategies to support regulation, predictability, and connection
• Building a whole-school language of care (without needing major program overhauls)
• Examples: Low-arousal communication scripts (“I can see you’re upset; I’m here.”), Predictable classroom routines and visual schedules, Use of calm corners and sensory reset stations, Repair conversations after incidents (structured but gentle), Connection rituals (e.g., morning welcomes, check-in boards)
“From Surviving to Thriving: Reigniting Purpose in Teaching”
Designed for staff who feel fatigued or disconnected, especially in high-pressure, regional or high-needs environments. A 2 hour or half day reflective workshop focused on:
• Reconnecting with personal values and teaching purpose
• Recognising signs of compassion fatigue and secondary trauma
• Strategies for protecting passion and joy in education
• Scripts for escalated situations
• Examples: Purpose-mapping activities (identifying personal/professional ‘north stars’), Tiny wins journals (capturing small daily victories), Compassion satisfaction exercises (what fills your emotional cup), Story circles (sharing meaningful moments in teaching), Personal wellbeing goal-setting linked to values, scripts to manage escalated situations
Melissa Smith 