About
My name is Juanda but you can call me JJ. I am a mother of a 22 year old college student, an animal lover, a sports enthusiast and life long learner in all things that relate to improving my emotional intelligence. I was raised in Texas but have lived in Ohio for over 25 years. I enjoy the outdoors, warm weather, traveling, good food, spending time with friends and family and trying new things. Becoming an educator was not my first plan out of undergrad but after almost a decade of feeling lost I did some soul searching and discovered my passion and purpose for working with kids. As a single mom I worked during the day and took classes at night to get my master’s in school counseling.
I have over 12 years of experience working with students, families and educators in K-12 systems as a licensed school counselor and administrator. I currently serve as a Social Emotional Coordinator in central Ohio and on the leadership team for Social Emotional Learning Alliance for Ohio. I lead professional development workshops on wellness and trauma informed practices for educators to transform mindsets, cultures and systems with a relationship building lens. My own personal journey of working through childhood trauma has given me permission to feel, forgive and fail into becoming my most authentic self. My training in solution based therapy, cognitive coaching, teacher leadership, yoga and mindfulness guide and inform my approaches to disrupting the educational system.
How did MyWellnessverse Come About?
I will never forget the day that we had to leave our schools and send our kids home with no clear understanding of what the future would hold because of a pandemic. It was unsettling to say the least but I was incredibly grateful to have a job that would still pay me, grateful that I didn’t have an elderly parent to worry about, grateful that my daughter was in college and I wouldn’t have to homeschool her, and grateful that I didn’t have any underlying health conditions.
In times of uncertainty in the past I have been able to find a way to stay grounded and this time around was no different. I began a daily self care routine and posted it on social media, hoping to inspire others to take care of themselves. Things like reading, journaling, spending time talking to friends and family, practicing yoga and mediation, and a few others kept my spirits up. When we were finally able to return to our schools it was evident that teaching through a pandemic had taken a toll and I began to shift my work and advocate for our staff’s wellbeing.
Then, after traveling to Greece this past summer for a yoga retreat, I came away feeling inspired, renewed and rejuvenated to share about all of the ways that I have tended to my own wellness. My journey includes physical, mental, emotional and spiritual practices that continue to evolve with more lived experiences. The most exciting part is that I feel that for the first time I have found what works best for me at this stage in my life.
Recent PostS
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How Can Educators Make the Most of Their Summer Break?
Summer break for educators is a much-anticipated period for us to unwind, rejuvenate, and prepare for the upcoming academic year. This summer break has been one of my most anticipated in my 14 years of education. This past school year began with a teacher strike, included learning a new system, multiple tragic events in our…
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The Power of Teacher Collective Efficacy for Staff and Student Wellness
By nature, educators are helpers. We want to help our students become the best versions of themselves. We want to see them achieve their goals and succeed in life. When a student comes back to us years later to tell us how much of an impact we had on them we are beaming. Tears fill…
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Leading the Way for Staff Wellness
Almost every day I see a story in the news about teacher shortages across the country. Maybe it’s just the algorithm or maybe the country is finally waking up to the stark reality that being an educator is hard. We are under-appreciated, undervalued, and underpaid. While there are many factors that contribute to teacher shortages,…