In addition to hearing from people who are currently inside the classroom, I enjoy meeting, and hearing the stories of, people who are using their experiences and skills to try to make the educational system better in some way. Dr. Bryan Hale's career in the educational system spans over 25 years. He has been a high school math teacher in Ohio, an assistant principal in North Carolina, and a Principal of a K-8 school and then a charter high school in the Chicagoland area, where he considered becoming a superintendent. His doctoral research on Holistic Wellness in Education and the six domains of wellness eventually led him to shift direction. Now he uses his research and experience as an educator to support school communities. He works with school leaders on building school culture through a wellness lens. 

In this episode, Bryan shares about the challenges and rewards of his years in the educational system, as well as the student who was his inspiration to research the six domains of wellness: physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and environmental. He discusses how helpful it can be for the intellectual wellness of a school environment to identify areas of (un)wellness for students and how those can impact learning. In his work with schools, through qualitative and quantitative data, Bryan helps adults identify the driving forces behind student behaviors. This can lead to increased awareness of student and educator needs.

For more information about Bryan’s work, or to schedule a call or zoom chat, he can be reached at [email protected] .