Healthy Teachers, Healthy Classrooms

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Healthy Teachers, Healthy Classrooms

I blend real stories, reflective practice, and practical tools that support real change. Alberta
Agriculture
Women

I’m Carman Murray, a speaker, coach, and author who helps educators reduce burnout, reconnect with their values, and create aligned rhythms for life and teaching.

05/28/2026

June is coming in with a whole little basket of reasons to smile.

We’ve got cheese, bicycles, best friends, picnics, sauntering, yoga, sunshine, ocean energy, and a day that literally gives us permission to say something nice.

Honestly, June understood the assignment.

For teachers, this month can feel like a strange mix of celebration, exhaustion, sticky notes, field trips, classroom clean-up, and wondering how one water bottle can be missing since March.

So maybe these fun days are less about adding more to your plate and more about noticing the small moments that help you feel human again.

Say something kind.
Take your lunch outside.
Go for the slow walk.
Move your body in a way that feels good.
Eat the cheese.
Text the friend.
Let something go.

And when the Summer Solstice arrives, maybe take it as a quiet invitation to notice the light you’ve carried through this school year, even on the days you were running on fumes.

05/27/2026

Somewhere along the way, many teachers learned to treat rest like a reward. Something you get once the marking is done, the emails are answered, the classroom is tidy, and everyone else has what they need.

But rest is part of how you keep going. It’s not a prize for pushing yourself past your limit.

Rest can be closing your classroom door for two quiet minutes before the next group walks in.

Or sitting in your car after school and letting the day settle before you head home.

Some days, it’s leaving the papers in the bag and deciding they can wait until tomorrow.

Other days, it’s choosing bed over scrolling because your brain has made enough decisions and your body is asking for something kinder.

Rest can also be letting dinner be simple, cancelling the extra thing you said yes to too quickly, or sitting outside for five minutes without turning it into a productivity moment.

These small choices add up.

They help your body exhale.

They give your mind a little more room.

You don’t have to make rest complicated. You’re allowed to care for yourself before you reach the point of having nothing left to give.

What is one small way you can give yourself permission to rest today?

05/22/2026

The vagus nerve and nervous system seem to be having a moment lately. And honestly? I’m glad.

When we understand what’s happening in our bodies, we can meet ourselves with a little more compassion and a lot less judgment.

Polyvagal theory gives us a simple way to notice our state:

🔥 Too hot: anxious, overwhelmed, activated
😌 Just right: calm, connected, present
❄️ Too cold: checked out, flat, shut down

The good news is that we don’t have to stay stuck there. Small tools like humming, grounding, gentle movement, anchoring, journaling, or using a weighted blanket can help bring us back toward centre.

Start by noticing where you are. Then choose one small reset.

Your nervous system doesn’t need perfection.
It needs cues of safety, one small moment at a time.

Let me know in the comments which of these you do, and if it helps!

05/19/2026

Celebrate the Small Wins (They matter more than you think!)

In the whirlwind of lesson plans, grading, parent emails, and ever-growing to-do lists, it’s easy to overlook the small wins that make each day meaningful.

Some days, the win is a quiet student asking a thoughtful question. Other days, it’s getting through that pile of marking, or realizing you actually drank your coffee while it was still warm.

These tiny victories might seem insignificant in the moment, but when you pause to recognize them, they become powerful reminders that you are making a difference.

Burnout often grows in the spaces where our effort goes unrecognized, even by ourselves. So this week, take two minutes at the end of the day to jot down one thing that went well. It doesn’t have to be big. It just has to be true.

📓 Start a “Tiny Triumphs” notebook.
🎉 Share a win with a colleague.
🧡 Let yourself feel proud.

You’re doing more than enough. The small wins are the big picture.

05/15/2026

Feeling overwhelmed? Try this quick grounding exercise:

5 things you can see

4 things you can touch

3 things you can hear

2 things you can smell

1 thing you can taste

It’s a great way to bring yourself back to the present and reset your energy. Give it a try next time stress kicks in!

05/13/2026

Calm doesn’t usually arrive because everything finally gets quiet.

It’s something we practise.

In the middle of the full inbox.
Between classes.
After the hard conversation.
Before we walk into the room, carrying more than anyone can see.

That’s why I created my new YouTube playlist, Calm is a Practice.

These short videos are gentle invitations to pause, breathe, reset, and come back to yourself, without needing to overhaul your day or wait until life slows down.

Because teachers don’t need one more thing to manage.
They need small practices that actually fit inside real life.

If you’re craving a little more calm in your classroom, your body, or your day, I’d love for you to subscribe and follow along. Link in the comments.

05/07/2026

You’re holding a lot right now.
Lessons, students, conversations, expectations… and the things no one else sees.

It adds up.

Mental Health Awareness Month is a quiet reminder to check in with yourself, too.

Are you getting the support you give?
Are you running on empty?

Even small moments count.
A breath between classes.
A quick step outside.
Asking for help.

Taking care of yourself is part of the job, not separate from it.

What’s one small way you can support yourself this week?

05/06/2026

In the middle of the noise, the to-do list, the in-between moments…
you can pause.
Just a few breaths can help you reset and return to yourself.

05/06/2026

Teachers don’t just teach curriculum.
They carry people.

They hold space for big emotions, small wins, and hard days, showing up when they’re tired, caring when it would be easier not to, and continuing on even when no one is clapping.

This week is a pause to say what doesn’t get said enough:
You matter. The way you show up matters.

And also, a gentle nudge, you matter outside the classroom too.

If you’re a teacher reading this, let this be your reminder to take one small step toward yourself today. Not in the summer. Not when things slow down. Now.

To every educator, thank you for the steady, quiet impact you make every single day.

05/05/2026

You don’t have to push through every moment.
It’s okay to pause.
To recalibrate.
To take a breath—and begin again.

05/05/2026

There is nothing like being in a room full of students who are ready to lead 🔥

I had the honour of running workshops on protecting your spark and leading from your values—and wow, these students reminded me exactly why this work matters. So great to have and as the keynotes with impactful messages for everyone.

Endless gratitude to the Olds High School staff and student leaders for creating such a powerful, welcoming space.

This community truly is one of my favourite places to be. 🫶🏻🫶🏻

Address

Acme, AB
T0M0A0

Website

https://healthyteachers.ca/

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