Unlock Your Teaching Potential

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Where are health and nutrition on your list of priorities?

Does the idea of losing weight and getting healthy feel more like a roller coaster ride than a path to teacher well-being?

When you start looking at food through the lens of fueling your body and get out of the dieter's mindset of lack and scarcity, it starts to become an integral part of your well-being as a whole person.

But, how can you shift your mindset for good?

Welcome to episode 17 of the Take Notes podcast with Jen Rafferty! In this episode, I’m speaking with weight loss coach for teachers, Sonia Dhaliwal. She helps teacher moms lose weight through self-care and exploring how their unique bodies work- rather than a one size fits all approach.

Sonia believes in getting back to basics through learning which foods fuel  AND help you shed some pounds. She feels that if you're going to be on your feet all day delivering engaging lessons and then run home to your own children, you need to figure out what's going to give you sustained energy!

Teacher self-care is incredibly multifaceted- and nutrition and health is a piece of the empowered educator puzzle.

Today is all about aligning what you say with your habits! We’re taking a whole body approach for the long term, no longer just worrying about losing weight- but truly taking care of yourself.


Stay empowered,
Jen

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About Sonia:

Sonia Dhaliwal, a weight loss coach for teachers, is all about helping teacher moms struggling with the weight loss roller coaster. She helps them lose weight for good with one-on-one coaching. She believes in finding foods that help teachers feel fueled, learning ways to sneak in some self-care, and exploring how areas off the plate can affect the progress of one's weight-loss goals. Sonia feels that if you're going to be on your feet all day delivering engaging lessons and then run home to your little cherubs waiting for you, we need to figure out what's going to give you your second wind. Teacher Moms deserve to be in front of students with all the confidence in the world and overhear their own kiddos say things like, "Mom is so much more fun now that she plays games with us!" Getting back to basics and learning which foods fuel you, but also help you shed some pounds are the go-to strategies in all of Sonia’s training and core philosophy.

Connect with Sonia here:
Instagram: @wildheartmommas
Facebook:  Wild Heart Mommas
Website: Holistic Health Coaching | Wild Heart Mommas

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What does it mean to create safe and courageous spaces in school where students feel comfortable taking risks? 

How can we encourage high achievers to use the creative arts to lean into the beauty of making messy mistakes?

Self-care routines can come in many forms. But, few modalities help you tune into self-trust and personal expansion like the arts.

Welcome to episode 16 of the Take Notes with Jen Rafferty podcast! In this episode, I’m speaking with Sharon Costianes. She has helped introduce freedom and mobility to people through her Feldenkrais practice at Body Song. She has worked with a wide variety of people: performers, athletes, elders, and children.

Sharon holds a Bachelor of Music from Ithaca College in vocal performance and sociology with a minor in theater and a certification from Feldenkrais resources in Manhattan, as well as a professional certification from the Feldenkrais guild of North America.

In this conversation, we dive deep into discovering the true value of well-being, how to get quiet, and empowering educators by reassuring you that it’s okay to give yourself permission to relax for a minute!

Today, it's all about breaking away from perfectionism, encouraging teacher well-being, and leveraging your own wellness to create safe and brave spaces for learning that support equity and inclusion!

Stay empowered,

Jen 

Let’s keep the conversation going! Find me at:

Click here to learn all the ways you can work with me:
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Contact Sharon here:

Instagram: @sharon_costianes

Website: Flight Performing Arts

Click here for a special gift from Sharon:

https://mailchi.mp/93fbb705d9fc/socialactiongift

About Sharon:

Sharon holds a BMu from Ithaca College in vocal performance and sociology with a minor in theater, certification from Feldenkrais Resources in Manhattan, as well as Professional Certification from The Feldenkrais Guild® of North America (2006). She has studied extensively and volunteers at the Clinic with Sheryl Field at the Field Center for Children's Integrated Development. She is also the founder and director of Flight Performing Arts in Ithaca, NY.

 Sharon has helped introduce freedom and mobility to people with chronic pain, arthritis, as well as people recovering from injury, trauma, and surgery through her Feldenkrais practice at Body Song. 

Sharon has been teaching private voice lessons for nearly 20. In that time, she has earned a reputation for being the “voice whisperer” helping each singer find their own unique sound. Possessing unique insight and skill into the physical organization of the singer, she can assess and correct tension patterns that hinder proper vocal technique quickly and effectively, allowing each student to find more power and ease with beautiful tone and sound quality.

Sharon has had the distinct honor of serving on the faculty at Ithaca College, and the Community School of Music and Arts, and as a guest lecturer at Cornell University. She is a regular theatrical director and music director with the Ithaca School District. 

Let’s keep the conversation going! Find me at: empowerededucator.com

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Students come into our classrooms with a multitude of different needs.

And, oftentimes you get an IEP or a 504-  and then it's go time!

Problem is, teachers don’t receive any formal training on how to handle these needs in a way that fully supports the student and helps them flourish.

So, how do we come up with creative ways to teach self-regulation and executive function skills without it leading to frustration?

Welcome to episode 15 of the Take Notes with Jen Rafferty podcast! In this episode, I’m speaking with ADHD-academic and parenting coach, Leslie Josel. She is the founder of Order Out of Chaos, a virtual company whose mission it is to help parents guide their students to success in learning and in life.

Leslie is the creator of the award-winning Academic Planner: A Tool for Time Management®, the author of three books, weekly writer of “Dear ADHD Family Coach®” for ADDitude magazine, (the premier magazine for adults and children with ADHD), and speaks to audiences all over the world on the subject.

In our chat, Leslie describes her own experiences when her son was first diagnosed with ADHD- in a time when there was limited understanding and resources available to families like hers. 

She shares how she made it her mission to “untangle” her son's world- and has been dedicated to defining systems and structures that would help other families do the same for the last 19 years.

Today, it’s all about understanding how the ADHD brain functions, and how to encourage purposeful action within your classroom environment. 

The principles we discuss today are beneficial to all of us, and move us closer to students engineering their own path to learning.

Stay empowered,

Jen 

Let’s keep the conversation going! Find me at:

Click here to learn all the ways you can work with me:

 Jen Rafferty | Instagram, YouTube, Facebook | Linktree

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Facebook: Empowered Educator Faculty Room

About Leslie Josel:

Leslie Josel, an ADHD-academic and parenting coach, founded Order Out of Chaos – a virtual company whose mission is to help parents guide their students to success in learning and in life - when her son was first diagnosed with ADHD.

She is the creator of the award-winning Academic Planner: A Tool for Time Management®, a planner that helps students develop time management skills, and the award-winning author of 3 books including the recently published, “How to Do it Now Because it’s Not Going Away: An Expert Guide to Getting Stuff Done.” (Lerner Publishing)

A respected resource on ADHD and Executive Functioning, Leslie writes the weekly “Dear ADHD Family Coach®” column for ADDitude Magazine, the premiere magazine for adults and children with ADHD.  She speaks to audiences all over the world helping them utilize their resources to best navigate the task-driven world in which they live.  Last year, Leslie’s line of student organizing products – a collaboration with Samsill Corp – was released.  

And for the last six years, Leslie has been named by Global Gurus as one of the top 20 Time Management experts in the world.

Let’s keep the conversation going! Find me at: empowerededucator.com

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Have a question for the show? Text us here!

What if learning about your brain led you to realize how much agency you have over your life?

What if we could supercharge everything we teach students through SEL methodologies in a way that incorporates the whole of their brains?

Taking a deep dive inside the brain can be an amazing catalyst for discovering how you can show up as your best self, and empowered educators as a whole. So, if you want to live a better life as a teacher- this episode is for you!

Welcome to episode 14 of the Take Notes with Jen Rafferty podcast! In this episode, I’m speaking with one of my heroes, Harvard trained and published neuroscientist: Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor.

In 1996, she experienced a severe hemorrhage and the left hemisphere of her brain causing her to lose the ability to walk, talk, read, write or recall any of her life. She documented her experience in her memoir  “My Stroke of Insight,” which spent 63 weeks on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list.

Dr. Jill is a dynamic teacher and public speaker who loves educating all age groups and academic levels, as well as corporations and not-for-profit organizations about the beauty of our human brain and focuses on how we can purposely choose to live a more flexible, resilient, and satisfying life.

In our conversation, we take a deep dive into her new book “Whole Brain Living” and the idea that you can achieve a  symbiotic relationship with all the “characters” in your brain to live a more full and satisfying life.

Today, we address how to leave overwhelm and teacher burnout behind on a cellular level that is both tangible and enlightening!

This information is truly life-changing and leads to true teacher well-being!

Stay empowered,

Jen 

About Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor:

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained and published neuroscientist. In 1996 she experienced a severe hemorrhage (AVM) in the left hemisphere of her brain causing her to lose the ability to walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life. Her memoir, My Stroke of Insight, documenting her experience with stroke and eight-year recovery, spent 63 weeks on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list and is still routinely the #1 book in the category Stroke in the Amazon marketplace.

Dr. Jill is a dynamic teacher and public speaker who loves educating all age groups, academic levels, as well as corporations and not-for-profit organizations about the beauty of our human brain. She focuses on how we can activate the power of our neuroplasticity to not only recover from neurological trauma, but how we can purposely choose to live a more flexible, resilient, and satisfying life.

In 2008 Dr. Jill gave the first TED talk that ever went viral on the Internet, which now has well over 27.5 million views. Also in 2008, Dr. Jill was chosen as one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” and was the premiere guest on Oprah Winfrey’s “Soul Series” webcast. Her new book, Whole Brain Living – the Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life is a #1 release on Amazon in categories ranging from Neuroscience to Nervous System Diseases and Stroke.

Let’s keep the conversation going! Find me at: empowerededucator.com

Get the book at: empowerededucator.com/book

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Have a question for the show? Text us here!

What if a missing piece to truly empowered educators includes feeling and looking great in your teacher outfits?

What if the best way to fight the status quo of teaching today is to stop being in conflict with ourselves, and start loving our bodies as they are today?

Feeling and looking your best can be an excellent conduit to start seeing yourself in a new light and feeling more confident. So, why not start the healing journey against teacher burnout in your own closet?

Welcome to episode 13 of the Take Notes with Jen Rafferty podcast! In this episode, I’m chatting with fashion therapist, Marisol Colette!

Marisol combines fashion and style with healing and transformation. Using her experience in social work, trauma, healing, emotional intelligence, and fashion, she supports people's journeys in discovering their own personal style.  

She believes that when you feel comfortable and powerful in what you're wearing, it leads to feeling confident and powerful in all of the spaces in your life.

Today is all about feeling great from the inside out, and discovering that it’s not vain or self indulgent to have a stylist to support you in feeling more like yourself. 

Everybody around you wins when you take care of yourself first!

Stay empowered,

Jen 

Let’s keep the conversation going! Find me at:

Click here to learn all the ways you can work with me:

 Jen Rafferty | Instagram, YouTube, Facebook | Linktree

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About Marisol Colette “The Fashion Therapist”

Marisol Colette is a Personal Stylist and Psychotherapist who has married her expertise in fashion and personal identity with her decade-plus long career working and teaching in the field of trauma healing. Marisol engages clients from the heart, helping clients define and refine their personal style to create life-changing results. 

Marisol believes that feeling comfortable and powerful in what you wear leads to feeling comfortable and powerful in everything you do. In one-on-one and group programs, clients find their authentic personal style through writing, personal sessions, Closet Transformations and therapeutic shopping outings. 

By looking and feeling good, clients gain the courage to shine their inner beauty on the outside, showing up in the world in new and notable ways. Marisol’s background as a therapist allows her to bring a level of consciousness that is not incorporated in traditional styling, ultimately helping align your style to your soul.

Can’t wait to connect with Marisol? Find her here: 

Instagram: @solreflection

Website: Sol Reflection | Soul | Systems | Style

Linktree: solreflection | Facebook | Linktree 

Find all her freebies and different ways to work with Marisol here!

Let’s keep the conversation going! Find me at: empowerededucator.com

Get the book at: empowerededucator.com/book

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What is your conflict style? 

Does your conflict resolution strategy consist of throwing your hands up and becoming indifferent and resentful?

Or, do you become aggressive and defensive when you’re met with difficult conversations?

Conflict is not always comfortable. But, we can learn conflict resolution skills that make us feel more confident during these inevitable interactions. 

Welcome to episode 12 of the Take Notes with Jen Rafferty podcast! In this episode, I’m speaking with Rachel Teichberg, (my favorite sister, and returning guest) about all things conflict management.

We discuss how conflict makes us feel, and how to manage conflict with more confidence, grace, and ease.

Rachel is head of Learning and Development at Veterinary Growth Partners. She's a content creator, consultant and speaker who creates and delivers interactive leadership training programs that support veterinary practices in establishing or sustaining highly productive teams. 

Rachel’s work parallels the work we do at Empowered Educator because leadership skills are transferable and directly related- no matter the industry.

Today, it’s all about discovering how to engage in difficult conversations productively in an effort to have more open and honest relationships- whether they be personal or professional.

You may have not been taught these skills growing up, but if you want to handle things differently- I’m here to help you do the work!

Stay empowered,

Jen 

Let’s keep the conversation going! Find me at:

Click here to learn all the ways you can work with me:

 Jen Rafferty | Instagram, YouTube, Facebook | Linktree

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About Rachel Teichberg

Rachel is the head of learning and development at Veterinary Growth Partners. She works with teams to enhance their culture, boost team morale, and improve overall communication through conflict management and emotional intelligence training. Her goal is to design fun and engaging learning programs that make leaders feel less alone, give them the tools to excel in their roles, while creating beautiful moments of growth and awareness.

Rachel and I have been working behind the scenes together pretty much our entire lives, and sharing her with you brings me so much joy. Her insights offer tremendous value regardless of industry.

Let’s keep the conversation going! Find me at: empowerededucator.com

Get the book at: empowerededucator.com/book

Instagram: @jenrafferty_

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Have a question for the show? Text us here!

Why did you decide to become a teacher?

Usually, the answer is to create impact and change in their students' lives, and ideally the world at large.

But, these days, after living through a pandemic, the stress of test score expectations, and the role of politics in education- it can be difficult to focus on that original intent.

Welcome to episode 11 of the Take Notes with Jen Rafferty podcast! In this episode, I’m chatting with Dr. Julie Schmidt Hasson. 

She is a professor in leadership and school administration at Appalachian State University, former teacher and a principal. Currently, she teaches graduate courses in school leadership and conducts qualitative research in schools.

We discuss helping kids feel safe, seen and stretched, and remembering that although we're planting seeds that we'll never actually see the fruit of- teacher impact is enormous and gratifying.

Break out the tissues, because today is all about reconnecting with your intention and subsequently your attention into why you became a teacher in the first place.

We’re here to leave a beautiful legacy of elevating humanity in a way that creates a better world!

Stay empowered,

Jen 

Let’s keep the conversation going! Find me at:

Click here to learn all the ways you can work with me:

 Jen Rafferty | Instagram, YouTube, Facebook | Linktree

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About Dr. Julie Schmidt Hasson:

Dr. Julie Schmidt Hasson is a professor in Leadership and School Administration at Appalachian State University. A former teacher and principal, she now teaches graduate courses in school leadership and conducts qualitative research in schools. Julie’s research on long term teacher impact and classroom culture is the foundation of her books, professional development programs, and TEDx Talk. Her latest book, Safe, Seen, and Stretched in the Classroom: The Remarkable Ways Teachers Shape Students’ Lives, was published in November 2021. Julie is a third-generation educator and the proud mother of a teacher. 

Connect with Julie here:

Instagram: @julieshasson

Website: chalkandchances.com

Let’s keep the conversation going! Find me at: empowerededucator.com

Get the book at: empowerededucator.com/book

Instagram: @jenrafferty_

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Have a question for the show? Text us here!

What does it take to come back from trauma?

How do you move from surviving to thriving after a traumatic event?

There are amazing strength building opportunities when you come out on the other side of trauma. You don't have to get stuck in the negative parts of your story, and it’s even possible to leverage it into transformation. 

Welcome to episode 10 of the Take Notes with Jen Rafferty podcast! In this episode, I’m speaking with Nichole Myles, who weaves together compelling storytelling with experience and expertise to engage listeners in a journey of self-discovery, the ups and the downs of growth, and how to recover from emotional trauma.

Nichole brings more than 20 years of experience in education, nonprofits and leadership. Having gone from a traditional upper middle class life to losing everything living in domestic violence shelters and having to rebuild an entire life while raising three children.

In our conversation we delve into why resilience is important, its true purpose, and how we are wildly overselling it in today’s society. Also, we discuss that trauma informed classrooms and teachers don't have to be heavy or hard- and how to get it right!

Today is all about finding a pathway to healing and feeling empowered about your external circumstances. 

Nichole doesn't just speak about post traumatic growth, she's lived it. She teaches how to really lean into these experiences in a way that amplifies your future and moves past survivorship to thrivership!

Stay empowered,
Jen 

Let’s keep the conversation going! Find me at:

Click here to learn all the ways you can work with me:

 Jen Rafferty | Instagram, YouTube, Facebook | Linktree
Instagram: @jenrafferty_
Facebook: Empowered Educator Faculty Room

About Nichole Myles:

Bringing forward more than 20 years of experience in education, nonprofits, and leadership, Nichole Myles weaves together compelling storytelling with experience and expertise to engage listeners in a journey of self-discovery – the ups and downs of growth – and what it takes to come back from trauma. Having gone from a ‘traditional’ upper-middle class life to losing everything, living in domestic violence shelters, and having rebuilt an entire life while raising 3 children – Nichole doesn’t just speak about post-traumatic growth, she’s lived it. 

Nichole carries a CAGS in Nonprofit Management, a CFRE (certified fundraising executive) designation, a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Certificate, and 2 levels of professional certifications in Trauma and Resilience. Her master’s in Organizational Psychology with a Coaching and Consulting concentration is expected early 2023. She uses her education to hone poignant personal stories into opportunities for participants to glean critical steps to their own growth – to examine what they’ve overcome, and how to lean into that experience to amplify their futures. 

Nichole works as an ‘expert companion’ in the position of speaker, facilitator, consultant, or coach, helping move clients from ‘survivorship’ to ‘thrivorship’. 

Connect with Nichole here:

Instagram: @myles.2go
Facebook Mylestogo Speaking and Consulting
Website: MylestoGo.net 

Sign Up for her email list and receive 20 phrases to avoid and 12 things to say instead, for trauma informed language quick reference PDF!

Let’s keep the conversation going! Find me at: empowerededucator.com

Get the book at: empowerededucator.com/book

Instagram: @jenrafferty_

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Have a question for the show? Text us here!

What does it mean to have a teacher identity? 

What makes a “good” teacher? 

And, what makes a teacher effective both in the classroom and in their personal lives?

Teaching today can feel like we're putting ourselves in a box, and questioning some of our choices- even when those choices feel right and authentic to us as human beings. 

The truth is, the best way for you to create your identity is to be unapologetically and authentically, YOURSELF. And what better example is there to model for our students?

Welcome to episode 9 of the Take Notes with Jen Rafferty podcast! In this episode, I am speaking with former educator, Jenn Mercado. Jenn is currently a real estate agent by trade and an entrepreneur by spirit.

She is the owner of Jen Mercado PA,  her luxury real estate brand and Insightful Media LLC, where she provides coaching and direction for realtors and their social media presence. She has the unique gift of seeing people where they are and connecting them to communities that support them. Jenn a mother to two young children, a wife to her best friend and number one fan with whom she's created a seemingly traditional life while rewriting all the rules. 

In our conversation, Jenn takes us through her outside the box life trajectory from being a professional clown for many years to becoming an educator, a successful realtor- and everything in between! 

This talk with Jenn will serve in empowering teachers to incorporate outside the box thinking in their own lives while strengthening the student teacher relationship. 

Today, it’s all about avoiding teacher burnout and self care for teachers using a more unorthodox, yet brilliantly authentic approach of allowing yourself to be happy in ALL the stages of your life!

Teacher wellness is more than one thing, and so are you! Celebrate it!

Stay empowered,

Jen 

Let’s keep the conversation going! Find me at:

Click here to learn all the ways you can work with me:

 Jen Rafferty | Instagram, YouTube, Facebook | Linktree

Instagram: @jenrafferty_

FaceBook: Empowered Educator Faculty Room

About Jenn Mercado, PA

Jennifer Mercado is a real estate agent by trade, and entrepreneur by spirit. She is the owner of Jennifer Mercado, PA, her luxury real estate brand, and Insightful Media, LLC, where she provides coaching and direction for realtors and their social media presence. She has the unique gift of seeing people where they are and connecting them to communities that support them. She is a mother to 2 young children, a wife to her best friend and #1 fan, with whom she's created a seemingly traditional life while rewriting all the rules.

Connect with Jenn here:

IG- @thejennmercado

FB-JenniferMercadoRealtor JenniferMercadoRealtor

TW- PalmBeachesRltr

LinkedIn- JenniferMercadoRealtor

Mentioned in this episode

Listen here:

Never One Thing - May Erlewine - YouTube

Let’s keep the conversation going! Find me at: empowerededucator.com

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Have a question for the show? Text us here!

What is your strategy for health and longevity?

Are your daily habits supporting and serving you as you age?

Ultimately, your quality of life and overall health is completely up to you. The good news is that becoming an educator no longer resigns you to the traditions of martyrdom and revered selflessness of the past.

Because, the most generous thing you can do for other people is to take care of yourself first.

Welcome to episode 8 of Take Notes with Jen Rafferty! In this episode, I’m speaking with Dr. Otto Janke, chiropractor and owner of Janke Family Chiropractic in Cortland, New York.  He is an incredible chiropractor whose mission in life is to get as many people as possible to live their best and healthiest lives.

During our talk, we cover everything you need to know about taking a holistic approach to health in a way that feels expansive and centers on getting your body to a state of optimal functioning, so you can focus on preventive care instead of trying to put out fires when something goes awry.

Also, we discuss the role an optimized nervous system plays in maintaining good health and achieving longevity. All key points Dr. Otto expands upon in his program: Empire Longevity.

Today is all about taking care of our health in gratitude for everything our bodies do, and as a means to ensure we get to enjoy a long life doing the things that light us up inside!

It’s all in your hands, and you can start today!

Stay empowered,

Jen 

Let’s keep the conversation going! Find me at:

Click here to learn all the ways you can work with me:

 Jen Rafferty | Instagram, YouTube, Facebook | Linktree

Instagram: @jenrafferty_

FaceBook: Empowered Educator Faculty Room

Let’s keep the conversation going! Find me at: empowerededucator.com

Get the book at: empowerededucator.com/book

Instagram: @jenrafferty_

Facebook: Empowered Educator Faculty Room