Bridges PLT & NYSMTP June 2025 Forum Presentation

Advancing Educator Wellness Through Counselor-Teacher Collaboration

As part of my work with the Bridges Counselor-Teacher Professional Learning Team (PLT), I co-designed and delivered a professional learning session at the New York State Master Teacher Program (NYSMTP) June 2025 Forum. 

The session focused on promoting educator and student wellness through simple, research-based strategies and highlighted the value of collaboration between Master Teachers and Master Counselors.

Session Focus

This presentation emphasized:

• The importance of counselor-teacher partnerships in supporting social-emotional learning (SEL)
  
  

• The role of educator wellness in modeling healthy practices for students
  
  

• Practical activities that are easy to implement in schools, including:
  
  

  • Gratitude jars for daily reflection and community-building
    
    

  • Meditation bracelets and mala beads as grounding tools for stress management
    
    

  • Mindful games, drawing, and crafting to promote collaboration, flexibility, and emotional regulation
    
    

  • Book clubs and wellness-focused professional learning teams as sustainable models for educator support
    
    

Participant Feedback Highlights

The session received highly positive feedback, including:

• Descriptions such as “authentic, meaningful, and one of the best June Forum sessions”
  
  

• Praise for the delivery: “natural, engaging, and informative presenters”
  
  

• Recognition that the strategies were “simple but impactful” and “easy to integrate into practice”
  
  

Participants reported plans to:

• Establish wellness-focused PLTs, staff book clubs, and wellness committees
  
  

• Incorporate gratitude jars, meditation tools, and mindful activities into counseling groups, staff meetings, and classrooms
  
  

• Share the provided resource guide with colleagues, families, and district leaders
  
  

• Advocate for professional development focused on educator wellness

• Selected participant feedback:
  
  

  1. “Authentic and meaningful—simple SEL activities that are easy to implement and have a profound impact.”
     
     

  2. “The collaboration model between Master Teachers and Master Counselors is powerful and replicable.”
     
     

  3. “I am proud to call you colleagues under our vast umbrella of professionals.”