"I’m not crazy," is sometimes the response to the idea of getting help. But everyone has moments of anxiety, stress and depression. It's important to recognize when those feelings require you to seek more support. In this episode of the Classroom Café podcast, we are joined by social workers Selma Williams, LMSW; Kathleen Regalado, LMSW; and Steven Sulzer, LCSW, all from the union’s Member Assistance Program. They will provide strategies that support better mental health so no one — not you or your friends, family, colleagues or students — has to struggle in silence.

Learn ways to lower the stress and increase the learning and joy in your classroom by using mindfulness techniques and movement, theater and the visual arts. In this episode of the Classroom Café podcast, we are joined by Julie Flynn Badal, a longtime public school teacher and artist, who offers workshops on contemplative practices, movement and the arts at The Meadow. She will explore a variety of ways to engage students and incorporate mindfulness practices and the arts in the classroom, a benefit to both students and educators.

How do you help a student who is being bullied find their voice and power? In this episode of the Classroom Café podcast, we are joined by author and attorney S.P. Brown, who will share stories from her book, "Kyrie’s School Blues," about a home-schooled 4th-grader’s rocky transition to the classroom. Jamie Lepow, a licensed social worker and senior administrator in the city Department of Education’s Office of Safety and Youth Development, joins the conversation to discuss ways to help students overcome conflicts and bullying.

What does it take to transform your life when you face great adversity? In this episode of the Classroom Café podcast, we are joined by S.P. Brown, an author, attorney and former corporate executive. This native New Yorker overcame childhood verbal and physical abuse, spurred on by her love of books and writing. “Gifts in Brown Paper Packages,” her latest novel, shares her real-life experience as she escaped domestic abuse to find her way in the world.

With the new year fast approaching, it’s a great time to reflect on the past year and think about changes you’d like to make in the months ahead. In this episode of the Classroom Café podcast, we are joined by Donna Resmini, a wellness and fitness coach. She will discuss ways to set yourself up for success, including how to have a magic moment every day, the importance of gratitude and other wellness practices and, most important, how to focus on being present, not perfect.