The Empowered Educator
Join the Summer Session, an online cohort where teachers can rebuild their resilience and set themselves up for a school year with more happiness, wellness, and balance.
Teachers, ready to reset your resilience this summer?
This is where the link will jump to
Submit your info below and we will send you the application for the Summer Session!
The Summer Session has just 3 live online meetings:
Tuesdays from 9:30a to 12:30p — June 18, June 25, July 2
The cost is $800 and is usually covered by school funds. (Not sure how to procure funding? I have resources to help you ask.)
Becoming a more empowered educator starts with a perspective shift.
A lot of what’s really challenging about teaching right now happens to be beyond your control. Global injustice, violence, limited resources and funding, an entire pandemic… it’s a lot, and it makes complete sense that it all weighs on you.
But there’s so much relief and reward in learning to focus on what you can control.
You can’t control the world outside your classroom, but you can control the culture you create within it, making sure kids feel safe and accepted.
You can’t single-handedly resolve all of your students’ needs… but you can focus on habits and routines that nourish your own well-being, so you can more fully be the positive force they need in their lives.
You don’t get to make all the decisions about what happens within your school, but you can decide where you put your energy (and how you respond to curveballs!) so that you can best serve your students while still avoiding martyrdom.
And these shifts help you recommit to your important, soul-filling work, in a way that is both sustaining and sustainable.
In a profession as demanding as teaching, whole-self well-being isn’t a luxury—it's a necessity for sustainable success.
Here’s what your group learning experience includes:
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SMALL COHORTS
Each cohort consists of a small group of up to 20 educators. Our supportive, fully confidential environment allows you to share candidly without stress.
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LIVE SESSIONS
In the Summer Session, we gather online or weekly, live, half-day meetings to learn research-backed concepts about resilience and well-being, explore how to put them into practice in their professional and personal lives, and dive deeper in “hot seats” to connect and problem-solve.
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POWERFUL EXERCISES + A CUSTOM COURSE GUIDEBOOK
A comprehensive course guidebook, journal, and resources (mailed to you personally!) offer reflective exercises to explore the week’s topic and get your thoughts down on paper. Our sessions never feel like “another meeting”—they’re interactive, impactful, and inspiring.
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EXPERT FACILITATION
When teachers get talking, transformative insights are inevitable! I facilitate an active, engaged group so that every educator can ask questions, swap ideas with their peers, discover new lightbulb moments, and request additional resources.
Teachers, want to tell your administrator about the Empowered Educator?
Share the brochure below to let them know the positive impact this program would make for you and your colleagues.
Love from Empowered Educator alums
“Sarah is a great example of a teacher who truly cared about all of us in the program and respected our ideas.
The breakout sessions were always fruitful, too. I learned to listen more thoughtfully, both to my peers and to my own thoughts and feelings.”
Katie M., Grade 7 history teacher, Virginia
“I would recommend this program to teachers who need rejuvenation in their role as an educator.
This program can motivate them to believe in their true calling.”
Jacqueline L., Reading Specialist, Washington, DC
"In this course, I learned that to give my students the best, I need to be at my best.
The experience was upbeat, kind, and refreshing."
Shannon S., Pre-K teacher, Maryland
Hi! I’m Sarah Dugan,
fellow educator and founder of Teach Learn Thrive
Throughout my 10 years as a teacher, I adored my students, reveled in the content, and delighted in pushing students beyond their perceived limits. I—perhaps like you—wanted it all. I wanted a fun, full life: NYC for the weekend? 100%! Train for a marathon with a friend? Let’s try it. I also wanted to show up as my best self for my students, inspiring and challenging them every day.
I’m not sure I ever got the balance thing just right, and that’s why I created The Empowered Educator. Now, I love helping teachers get closer to that balance while reigniting your excitement for the important, necessary work we get to do. I love tapping into your life-long-learner side with research on inner resilience, strategies to reprioritize and shift your thinking, and motivation to make time for soul-filling fun beyond your work.
As a trained instructional coach who uses Cognitive Coaching™, Adaptive Schools, and other facilitation techniques, I can provide you with opportunities for personal renewal as you continue your courageous work.
Above all, I share in your vision of a world where educators are valued, understood, and cared for, and I’m here to support you.
Now it’s your turn to ask the Qs and get answers!
Here’s what you might be curious about.
Logistics
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The Summer 2024 session meets 3 Tuesdays in a row: June 18, June 25, and July 2. It’s from 9:30a - 12:30p on Zoom.
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Any teacher of grades pre-k through 12 who wants to reconnect (or stay connected!) to wellness and joy in the work (and in life!).
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The program is built so that if you miss a session, you won't be lost when you return. You can also watch the recording of any session anytime, and can access the materials/exercises on your own time.
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No—all readings, journaling, etc. are done during our sessions. I share resources or journal pages to explore between sessions, but these are always optional.
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The per-person fee is $800.
My goal is that a teacher NEVER pays on their own for this program—even if you’re not sure your school will pay for it, please ask! This is professional development, after all. This template provides some wording for a written request for funding.
Membership + Meetings
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In three sessions, you will…
Identify high points of their past school year and use that as a jumping-off point to intentionally engineer more joy and satisfaction into 2024-25.
Reflect on roadblocks to well-being from the previous year and learn from them.
(Re-)establish habits for wellness this summer and make a plan for realistic and sustainable wellness once school begins.
Anticipate challenges next school year may bring and prepare for them so you respond in ways that align with your values.
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I’ve got your back! I have a website and a brochure just for school administrators that outlines everything—including why this is such a good investment for them.
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Each group member agrees to confidentiality—we have a conversation about it the first day we meet, and review the agreement at every session. I have found that the respect and kindness in these groups is so abundant that a high level of trust develops. I also have a mechanism in place for what to do if one feels confidentiality has been compromised.
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From the program start, we agree to guidelines for creating a safe space for growth and support in the group. Honesty is critical in this program, and everyone’s feelings are acknowledged and validated. However, we also help each other flip the narrative and form new neural pathways that bring a more energizing outlook. There is always another way to view the story. Where we put our energy matters, and dwelling on the negative is an energy drain. This is a lesson we touch on repeatedly during the cohort, and we all come out better for it.
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I’ve got you covered! After you apply, we’ll be able to chat about any questions that are on your mind.