Here we are in the 2021-22 school year, still dealing with COVID-19,  wearing masks, social distancing and trying to manage stressors created by the pandemic. In this episode of the Classroom Café podcast, mental health speaker and best-selling author Mike Veny will discuss the “next normal” and how to support people where they are.  Listen in for tips on how you can maintain your own mental wellness and support others with compassion and concern.

Students are trying to figure out how to navigate the new school year.  In this episode of the Classroom Café podcast, Dr. Miri Rosen talks about how educators can support students while reengaging with them at school. Learn how to identify students in need and how creating healthy boundaries and engaging in self-care can benefit our students.  Dr. Rosen is a board-certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist.

Are you preparing to welcome a new child into your life? If you are a UFT member employed by the Department of Education, you are eligible for paid parental leave. In this special episode of the Brewing Wellness podcast, Tanisha Franks, member representative, and Emily James, special projects coordinator, discuss the details. Birth parents, partners of birth parents, and foster and adoptive parents are all entitled to paid parental leave. To register for a workshop or to learn more about the paid parental leave benefit, visit UFT.org/parental-leave; for questions, call the UFT at 212-331-6311.

Thankfulness is a feeling, and like all emotions, it is fleeting. Gratitude, however, is a state of being — an attitude of appreciation — under any circumstance. In this episode of the Brewing Wellness podcast, we welcome Francine Steadman, the owner of BuddhaBooth, which has brought portable meditation spaces to schools and workplaces and is a longtime partner of the UFT Member Assistance Program. She joins Raul Garcia, the UFT Social Workers and Psychologists’ chapter leader, for a discussion of how to cultivate gratitude. They share ways to express and receive gratitude through acts of kindness as well as discuss strategies for improving our own social and emotional well-being.

Choosing the right therapist can be challenging! In this episode of the Brewing Wellness podcast, Mike Veny, a professional drummer and podcaster and the best-selling author of "Transforming Stigma: How to Become a Mental Wellness Superhero," shares his own mental health journey and his experience finding a therapist suited to his needs. Join us for a discussion of the different types of therapists and modalities of treatment. 

We have all experienced the downside of not setting and maintaining healthy boundaries in our lives. In this episode of the Brewing Wellness podcast, Alexa Leigh Mulee, a licensed mental health counselor and owner of Wise Mind Counseling, and Christine Hanley, field liaison with the UFT Teacher Center, share their strategies for creating and managing mindful boundaries. Learn skills to help manage your emotions in effective and healthy ways. 

Caring for a loved one with intellectual and developmental disabilities takes patience and compassion. In this episode of the Classroom Café podcast, we are joined by Rocio Ruiz and Cristy M. Torres of YAI, a social services nonprofit offering a comprehensive range of services for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They will discuss the complexities of being a caregiver and share available resources. Committed to seeing beyond disability, YAI provides opportunities for people with disabilities to live, love, work and learn in their communities.

The most recent episode of the UFT’s On the Record with Michael Mulgrew delves into two thorny issues for NYC public school educators: the DOE’s high school admission process and its byzantine process for determining school budgets. Episode 3 also includes highlights from the Nov. 8 elections and some memorable moments from Teacher Union Day on Nov. 6.

The latest episode of the UFT podcast “On the Record with Michael Mulgrew” focuses on the city Department of Education’s foot-dragging on the new state law requiring New York City to lower class sizes in its public schools. Mulgrew and education activist Leonie Haimson discuss how educators, parents and community groups need to push the DOE to implement the new law. The clock is ticking for the DOE to plan for September 2023, when the first 20% of New York City public school classrooms must meet the new class-size caps.

The UFT podcast “On the Record with Michael Mulgrew" tackles two key issues for UFT members: the DOE-UFT contract and health care. Episode 2 opens with a briefing on efforts by the UFT and the other municipal unions to preserve premium-free health care for their members. And then two UFT officers who attended the union’s first bargaining session with the city and the DOE walk us through what to expect as contract talks get underway.