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Dr. Barbara Malkas, the 2024 Massachusetts Superintendent of the Year, didn’t respond to the post-pandemic education crisis with stricter policies or new academic programs. She started with three deep breaths. In 2021, when she saw her educators completely burned out, she made a bold choice: she trained with Breathe for Change, opened her school library on Friday afternoons, and invited her staff to join her. What began with 10 teachers practicing yoga together grew into a district-wide movement.
The results were measurable: an 11% drop in chronic absenteeism, a Golden Basketball Award from the Boston Celtics for ranking in the top 10 statewide for attendance, and even a fourth-grade classroom that went an entire year without a single disciplinary referral. Third-graders began asking one another, “Are you angry or frustrated right now?” The data tells a clear story: when schools invest in human intelligence (emotional regulation, self-awareness, empathy, and connection), culture shifts.
In this episode, Barbara shares why educator wellness is not a nice-to-have but a leadership priority, how to implement SEL practices district-wide even in the face of pushback, and why human intelligence remains essential in an age of artificial intelligence. She explains what it truly means to regulate before you educate and how small, consistent adult practices can lead to lasting change.
Here are some of the best moments from the episode:
- Caring for the whole educator, not just the whole child
- The data: fewer office referrals, faster de-escalation, better attendance
- How to get buy-in from teachers, parents & school boards
- Handling skeptics & navigating the controversy around yoga in schools
- Human intelligence vs. Artificial intelligence
- Barbara’s legacy & what’s next after 36 years in education
If you’re an educator feeling burned out, a parent concerned about engagement, or a leader seeking meaningful transformation, this conversation offers both clarity and a practical path forward.
If this conversation moved you, don’t let it be a one-time moment.
Follow “A Work of Heart” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. And if it resonated, take 30 seconds to rate and review. It helps more educators find these conversations and reminds the algorithm that teachers matter. Your support helps us keep bringing voices like Barbara’s to life.
