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In this week’s Taught episode, I talk with researcher Amanda Hiner, PhD student in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, about the Total Teacher Health project and what happens when schools move beyond surface-level “wellness” and start tackling root causes.

When the Total Teacher Health Project began collecting data across six New England schools, the results were hard to ignore: 76% of educators reported moderate to severe stress, 31% reported clinically significant anxiety, and 49.5% met criteria for depression.

Through the Total Teacher Health project, Amanda and her research team are using a participatory design approach to turn those numbers around. She walks us through their Learn–Plan–Improve model and describes a cafeteria case study where small environmental tweaks and light-touch incentives measurably reduced chaos, improved school climate, and protected teacher bandwidth- without costly programs.

We also explore how to balance educator voice with leadership support, how to include non-instructional staff for broader insight, and how to implement simple recognition practices that actually work.

Tune in to learn how participatory designs - and simply listening - can create transformative change.

Learn more about the Total Teacher Health Project at the University of Connecticut.

Access the Educator Well-being Program infographic here, with QR codes to watch an informational video and sign up for the Total Teacher Health newsletter.

Connect with guest Amanda Hiner on LinkedIn.

Read the Episode Transcript on the TAUGHT website.

Connect with host Amy Schamberg on LinkedIn

Explore:

• Learn more about the Total Worker Health® approach from NIOSH
• Discover Amy’s wellness workshops, coaching, and consulting at amyschamberg.com
• Check out the book that started it all! Taught: The Very Private Journal of One Bad Teacher by Melissa Lafort — Available on Amazon

Want to Be a Guest on TAUGHT?
We're always looking to elevate expert voices and real solutions. Email amy@amyschambergwellness.com with your name, title, and a brief description of your perspective or experience in education or workforce wellbeing.

Need Support Right Now?
For immediate mental health resources, visit HealthCentral or connect with a licensed provider in your area.

Send us Fan Mail

How do we create schools where neurodivergent students and their teachers can thrive?

In this episode, psychodynamic counsellor Liessa Callahan (United Kingdom) draws on three decades as a teacher and special educational needs coordinator to reveal the invisible struggles in today’s classrooms. From sensory overwhelm to unsustainable curriculum demands, she explains how outdated systems harm both learners and educators—and why small, practical shifts can transform outcomes.

Her insight is clear: What works for neurodiverse children works for everyone.

You can find Liessa at www.perspectivescounsellingservice.co.uk

Read the Episode Transcript on the TAUGHT website.

Connect with host Amy Schamberg on LinkedIn

Explore:

• Learn more about the Total Worker Health® approach from NIOSH
• Discover Amy’s wellness workshops, coaching, and consulting at amyschamberg.com
• Check out the book that started it all! Taught: The Very Private Journal of One Bad Teacher by Melissa Lafort — Available on Amazon

Want to Be a Guest on TAUGHT?
We're always looking to elevate expert voices and real solutions. Email amy@amyschambergwellness.com with your name, title, and a brief description of your perspective or experience in education or workforce wellbeing.

Need Support Right Now?
For immediate mental health resources, visit HealthCentral or connect with a licensed provider in your area.

Send us Fan Mail

Workplace culture strategist and corporate attorney Luaskya Nonon, author of Embracing the Future of Work, joins us this week for a powerful conversation on what it really takes to build thriving organizations. Luaskya shares how well-intentioned workplace initiatives often fail to reach everyone and what leaders can do differently.

Drawing from her expertise as an Afro-Latina attorney, executive coach, and author, Luaskya explores why belonging, equitable opportunity, and psychological safety must come before wellness programs can succeed. We discuss how to uncover blind spots in program design, why middle managers hold the keys to safe environments, and how servant leadership, authentic communication, and personal accountability can reshape organizational wellbeing.

If you’re ready to move beyond surface-level efforts and embrace the future of work with humanity at the center, this episode is for you.

Connect with Luaskya Nonon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luaskyanonon/

Visit her website https://equityprinciple.com/ to learn more about her consulting services.

Purchase her newest book, Embracing the Future of Work—15 Actionable Strategies for Inclusive, High-Performing Organizations

Read the Episode Transcript on the TAUGHT website.

Connect with host Amy Schamberg on LinkedIn

Explore:

• Learn more about the Total Worker Health® approach from NIOSH
• Discover Amy’s wellness workshops, coaching, and consulting at amyschamberg.com
• Check out the book that started it all! Taught: The Very Private Journal of One Bad Teacher by Melissa Lafort — Available on Amazon

Want to Be a Guest on TAUGHT?
We're always looking to elevate expert voices and real solutions. Email amy@amyschambergwellness.com with your name, title, and a brief description of your perspective or experience in education or workforce wellbeing.

Need Support Right Now?
For immediate mental health resources, visit HealthCentral or connect with a licensed provider in your area.