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In this episode of Healthy Teacher Happy Teacher, Jess shares the real story behind her Australia trip: the one that was supposed to be magical, adventurous, and full of teacher-travel joy… but ended up turning into a crash course in listening to her body.

What begins as an exciting journey across the world quickly shifts when Jess gets unexpectedly sick far from home. Through humor, honesty, and a whole lot of vulnerability, she unpacks what that experience taught her about rest, burnout, and the way teachers push themselves long past their own limits.

This episode dives into:

• Why teachers wait until they’re forced to rest
• How our bodies whisper before they scream
• What happens when adventure and exhaustion collide
• The guilt we feel when we actually slow down
• Practical ways to rest before reaching a breaking point

Jess connects the dots between travel burnout and teacher burnout, reminding listeners that rest isn’t something we earn: it’s something we need in order to stay human. If you’ve been running on fumes, pushing through every ache, or telling yourself “I’ll rest when things calm down,” this episode will feel like a deep exhale.

Come for the story, stay for the reflection, and leave feeling seen, understood, and a little bit softer toward yourself.

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In this episode of Healthy Teacher Happy Teacher, Jessica dives into one of the most common and painful experiences educators face: emotionally draining friendships, burnout from “being the strong one,” and why highly empathetic teachers often attract people who take more than they give.

You’ll learn the psychology behind why emotionally avoidant or self-centered people gravitate toward warm, grounded teachers, how to recognize the early signs of one-sided relationships, and practical strategies for protecting your mental health, setting clear boundaries, and rebuilding your confidence after a friendship fallout.

Jessica shares personal insights, emotional recovery tools, and uplifting reminders that help teachers reconnect with their worth, refocus their energy, and create healthier, more balanced connections.

If you’ve ever felt used, dismissed, or drained—inside or outside the classroom—this episode will help you understand what happened, validate your feelings, and guide you toward friendships that feel supportive, reciprocal, and real.

Keywords: teacher wellness, teacher burnout, friendship breakup, boundary setting, emotional avoidance, healthy relationships, empathic teachers, teacher mental health, toxic friendships, emotional labor, educator self-care.

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In this episode of Healthy Teacher Happy Teacher, Jess breaks down one of the most damaging myths in education: the belief that teachers earn their worth by absorbing endless stress. She opens up about what this year has taught her — that exhaustion isn’t a character flaw, burnout isn’t “negativity,” and struggling doesn’t make you weak.

Jess explores how school culture conditions teachers to push beyond their limits, hide their feelings, and carry responsibilities that no single human should be expected to manage. She reframes the truth: your capacity is not your identity. Your worth doesn’t rise and fall with your workload, your productivity, or your ability to remain cheerful in impossible circumstances.

Listeners will learn simple, compassionate ways to reclaim their emotional space, challenge the martyr myth, and remind themselves that they are more than what they can carry. This episode is a soft landing for any teacher who’s tired, overwhelmed, or quietly questioning whether they’re “enough.”

You don’t have to be strong to be worthy. You don’t have to handle everything to be valuable. You are enough — on your best days, your messy days, and every day in between.

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This episode is all about how teachers can take tiny little actions or change thoughts into seeing true progress each day.  The truth is that we're all progressing, but happy and healthy teachers are the ones feeling it, noting it and growing from it!  

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This episode discusses why teachers transfer schools or positions and what happens when they do.  A lot of teachers still feel unhappy at their new positions and this episode talks about what to do if you are feeling this way. 

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In this episode, Jess dishes on why she hasn't podcasted in 2 years and what's happening with her career right now.  She also opens up about her struggles with diabetes and having to use a prescription medication called Ozempic. 

Stay and listen to this fun and whimsical welcome back episode and feel free to reach out to Jess about your own ozempic journey!  

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I think all teachers would love to feel like they are thriving instead of just surviving in their career.   I see a couple of ways to feel thriving and successful sometimes, and I share these ideas with you in this podcast! 

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On this episode, I dish on my international trips with Bookbag Tours  and share my big takeaways from visiting Egypt this last summer.  Egypt was nothing like I imagined!  It was so different and in this episode I attempt to share my experience! 

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I recently transferred from a 4th grade classroom position to a position in an elementary school library where I teach grades K-5 daily!  Here are the ups and downs of my journey so far as a licensed librarian. 

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This episode is all about why I left this podcast hanging for over a year!  Teaching is so hard and we all have a different story. This is mine.