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What happens when an educator on the verge of leaving the profession discovers the tools to heal, reconnect, and lead with renewed purpose?
In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Ilana Nankin sits down with educator and Director of Curriculum Beth Schreiber and Superintendent Jon Konen of Stevensville School District in Montana to explore how one educator’s personal transformation can create powerful ripple effects across an entire school system.
Beth shares how severe burnout once left her questioning whether she could continue teaching. Through the practices she learned with Breathe for Change, she began caring for her own well-being, regulating stress, and creating a more connected classroom culture. The changes she experienced personally transformed her students’ experience and eventually led her into district leadership, where she now helps shape the culture and learning experiences of educators and students across the district.
Jon reflects on the profound impact Beth has had throughout Stevensville School District and why educator well-being, vulnerability, accountability, and relational trust are essential for building healthy school communities.
Together, they offer a hopeful vision for education, one where educators fill their own cups first so they can help students, colleagues, and communities thrive.
Here are some of the best moments from the episode:
- The Reality of Teacher Burnout & The Sunday Scaries
- The Shift: Validating Shared Experience & Looking Inward
- Classroom Strategies: Breaths, Check-Ins, and Weather Reports
- From Classroom to District: Questioning Protocols & Human Intelligence
- Vulnerable Systems & Organizational Health
- Empowering Educators with Nonviolent Communication (NVC)
- The Dignity Index as a Self-Scoring Tool
- Navigating a Cancer Journey: The Power of a Wish Circle
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.
