Together we make a difference: transforming student-teacher relationships through functional fitness, with Libby Douglass, a CrossFit coach at CrossFit Wall Street and Jackie Boyle, a NYC public school teacher. Hear about the benefits of using exercise in the classroom and ways to incorporate exercise into your daily classroom routine. Learn more about the UFT’s Member Assistance Program and check out resources for new teachers at Member Assistance Program.

Hi everyone, thank you for joining us for this “trailer” of the Classroom Café Podcast, where it’s all about brewing the conversation with New York City public school educators. This podcast is presented by The United Federation of Teachers & the union's Member Assistance Program (MAP). We know you are busy and on the go in your career. But we all experience challenges in our personal and professional lives and need the support of a helping hand from time to time. For UFT members, these stresses can create a perfect storm. For this reason, the UFT Member Assistance Program is excited to bring you this series of well-being podcasts on topics such as Making Classrooms Happy Places, 10 Ways to Eat Healthier with Limited Time, Time Management: Getting It All Done, Mindfulness and Compassion and Creating Safe, Welcoming and Inclusive Schools for ALL of Our Students, Families and Staff.

Time Management: How Can I Get it All Done? with Gisele Noisy- McBride, UFT Teacher Center Field Staff. In this podcast, Gisele outlines 3 simple, realistic strategies for effectively managing time and balancing tasks that arise during your workday.

Creating Safe, Welcoming and Inclusive Schools for ALL of Our Students, Families and Staff with Mitch Klages-Bombich, M.S. Ed., PLC Professional Development Coordinator. In this podcast, Mitch discusses the importance of embracing family diversity, creating LGBTQ and gender-inclusive schools and classrooms, and an overview of NYCDOE guidelines supporting transgender and non-binary students.

10 Ways to Eat Healthier With Limited Time with Meredith Price, a Brooklyn-based Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). Meredith provides her top 10 strategies for eating well when you have limited time during the work week. To learn more about Meredith and some of the websites she utilizes, please visit: www.PricelessRD.com, www.101cookbooks.com, www.cookieandkate.com, www.healthyaperture.com. 

Mindfulness and Compassion with Kristin Westbrook, the founder of Calm City Meditation and certified meditation teacher. Kristin outlines three meditation techniques that can help educators relieve stress and maintain a sense of calm throughout the day: a body scan, a mindfulness meditation and a loving kindness meditation. For more information about Calm City Meditation Station visit www.calmcitynyc.com.

Learn tips and strategies about creating boundaries, setting routines and virtually supporting students in the remote era from Doreen Ng, the director of mental health at the UFT’s United Community Schools program, and Christopher Chin, the director of the union’s Retiree Social Services Department. In this interview with Lindsay Strickler-Levine, a licensed counselor with the union’s Member Assistance Program, Ng and Chin also discuss why finding a “win” every day is an important self-care tool.

Learn more about how the UFT Member Assistance Program is helping union members cope with the COVID-19 pandemic through individual consultations, virtual support groups and online resources at Membership Assistance Program.

UFT Member Assistance Program Director Tina Puccio, LCSW, and licensed counselors Lindsay Levine and Jenice Acosta, who have been facilitating the union’s virtual support groups, discuss that strategies that have helped UFT members deal with the fear and anxiety triggered by the coronavirus crisis.

Learn more about how the individual consultations, virtual support groups and online resources that the UFT Member Assistance Program offers at www.uft.org/map

Getting Ready to Launch with Gisele Noisy-McBride, UFT Teacher Center. How can you set yourself up for a successful school year? Hear about steps you can take to focus your actions and beliefs.

The holidays are a time of joy — and for many, a time of stress and anxiety, too. The year 2020 has brought an array of new challenges, including how to celebrate safely during a pandemic. What is the best way to manage? With careful thought and preparation. In this episode of the Classroom Café podcast, Jonathan Benz, a New York City-based behavioral health professional, shares tips, strategies and scenarios to help you plan for a safe and celebratory holiday season.