Hello hello, my fabulous educators.

After last week's wellness check in, so many of you reached out wanting more. So this week, we're staying with wellness and talking about the part we don't love to talk about: our bodies.

We're on the floor, tying shoes, chasing children through outdoor play and up and down all day long. We don't think about the toll it takes, because it's part of the job. But we strengthen our minds with professional learning. We need to strengthen our bodies too.

In this episode:

• My honest truth about weight, fitness and getting stronger
• Why the physical side is even harder for educators
• What moving looks like for me right now (two favourite songs and the stairs, anyone?)
• Starting with what you have, and making progress at your own pace
• Do you move with the children? Modelling healthy habits in your program
• An invitation: 14 Days of Let's Get Moving

Join me for 14 Days of Let's Get Moving, Tuesday, November 17 to Monday, November 30. I'll be showing up online every day, moving. Show me how you're moving and tag me on Instagram: @ispyrtoeducate

Mentioned in this episode:

• Turvill, Sheffield and Taylor (2024), Musculoskeletal pain and working practices in the UK early childhood education workforce, Safety Science: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2024.106592

Want to learn more?

• Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults: https://csepguidelines.ca/

I'm sharing my story and what works for me. I'm not a physiotherapist or a trainer. If you have joint pain or a health condition, check in with your doctor or physio first.

Connect with me: @ispyrtoeducate on Instagram, or info@ispyrtoeducate.com

The Inspiring ECE Podcast by Ispyr to Educate, hosted by Marcia Nicole.

Hello hello, my fabulous educators.

How are you really doing? Not the staff room answer. Not "I'm fine, everything's going well." The real one.

Today's episode is all about you. Life is hard, and it's always going to be hard. That's not the problem. What matters is how we navigate it, and whether we ever stop long enough to check in with ourselves.

In this episode:

• Why it takes trial and error, just like the children building their towers
• Listening to your body before it tells you to stop
• Saying "it's not fine, but I'm working through it" with your whole chest
• What the Canadian Teachers' Federation found about educators thinking of leaving
• The eight areas of wellness, and how to check in with each one
• The guilt we feel when we do something for ourselves
• Why taking care of yourself is not a privilege. It's a priority.

Free download: grab the Pause and Rise Reflection Guide, take a few quiet minutes, and check in with you: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dYKxOFBTS-kDOOn4Gc0pdl-5GbRoQHue/view

Mentioned in this episode:

• Canadian Teachers' Federation Parachute survey (Spring 2025): https://www.ctf-fce.ca/take-action/parachute/
• The eight dimensions of wellness: https://www.samhsa.gov

This episode and guide are for reflection and support, not a substitute for professional care.

Connect with me: @ispyrtoeducate on Instagram, or info@ispyrtoeducate.com

The Inspiring ECE Podcast by Ispyr to Educate, hosted by Marcia Nicole.

Hello hello, my fabulous educators.

I almost quit. As someone who encourages educators to keep going, that feels strange to say out loud. But if I'm going to tell you to keep going, I owe you the honest story of what almost made me stop.

It wasn't one moment. It was everything at once: my PhD, my aging parents, home, finances, work across multiple institutions, and the weight of what is happening in education right now. One night I asked a question I never thought I would ask: was choosing education a mistake?

In this Real Talk episode:

• What was really happening when quitting felt like the answer
• When the doubt gets loud
• What made me stay, and the sticky note on my mirror
• Why I need you to sit in it and not rush to the end
• Thriving, not just surviving
• What made me come back

If you are in it right now, you are not alone. Your contribution to education is not measured by how much you can endure without support.

Tell me your almost quit moment. DM me @ispyrtoeducate on Instagram. I read every one.

Connect with me: @ispyrtoeducate on Instagram, or info@ispyrtoeducate.com

The Inspiring ECE Podcast by Ispyr to Educate, hosted by Marcia Nicole.