Blending PD with Wellness: A New Model for Leadership

Leading for Belonging: A Wellness & Leadership Retreat on November 25th in Brooklyn, NY.

In my academic research, I have seen how deeply educators care about equity. Teachers and leaders want to do more to support marginalized students—LGBTQ+ youth, undocumented students, and students with disabilities—but exhaustion is a constant barrier. The desire is there, but the capacity is strained.

This reality connects to Tricia Hersey’s call in “Rest as Resistance: A Manifesto” (Hersey, 2022): rest must be reframed not as indulgence, but as refusal. A refusal to be consumed by cycles of depletion. For school leaders, especially those committed to equity, this truth is essential. We cannot sustain transformative work if we are running on empty.

At Mauceri Education, we are experimenting with a new model of professional development—one that weaves PD with wellness. Too often, professional learning adds stress: long sessions, endless directives, little room to reflect or restore. But what if PD could expand our leadership capacity and leave us more grounded, nourished, and whole?

Here’s what that might look like:

· A discussion on supporting multilingual learners paired with a short breathing or mindfulness practice.

· A case study on inclusive discipline followed by a moment of journaling or reflection.

· A strategy session on equity leadership punctuated by movement, art-making, or restorative dialogue.

This model reframes PD not as another demand but as a space of possibility. Leaders leave with sharper tools and deeper insight—but also with replenishment. In a time when our most marginalized students are under attack nationally, school leaders want and need to step up. But we cannot sustain equity work on empty cups.

📖 This post is inspired by the work of Tricia Hersey (@thenapministry), founder of The Nap Ministry, based in Georgia, and author of “Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto” (Hersey, 2022).

👉 To put this model into practice, we’re hosting Leading for Belonging: A Wellness & Leadership Retreat on November 25th in Brooklyn, NY. Together, we’ll blend restorative practices—yoga, arts workshops, and a healing space—with professional learning on how to support marginalized students in today’s climate. This is your chance to fill your cup while strengthening your capacity to lead for equity and belonging.

*Registration Required, Retreat is Complimentary: REGISTER HERE

*Written by Mauceri Education, with AI editing assistance.