MINDFUL MATTERS: WELLNESS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION LEADERS

Free Member BenefitSupporting the Well-Being of Special Education Leaders

Mindful Matters
Leading in special education is meaningful work—but it also comes with unique challenges. CASE Mindful Matters is dedicated to helping leaders prioritize their well-being while building resilience, balance, and sustainable leadership practices.
 
 
Through practical strategies, expert insights, and a supportive professional community, Mindful Matters provides resources designed to help you navigate the demands of leadership, reduce stress, and lead with confidence and purpose.
 
 
Because when leaders thrive, schools, staff, and students thrive too.
 
You'll learn simple mindfulness techniques, stress management strategies, and self-care practices that you can integrate into your daily routine. This session will provide an opportunity to connect with other leaders, share experiences, and gain insights into fostering a supportive and healthy work environment for yourself and your team.
 
These sessions are for CASE Members. If you are not a member, join here. 
 
View the Mindful Matters Blog here
 
Registration for Mindful Matters is in the Members Only tab, linked here
 
Chase Mielke
Chase Mielke (pictured) is a veteran teacher and instructional coach, a nationally recognized speaker, and the author of ASCD's "Illuminate the Way: The School Leader's Guide to Addressing and Preventing Teacher Burnout, The Burnout Cure: Learning to Love Teaching Again, and Overcoming Educator Burnout (Quick Reference Guide)". A Michigan Teacher of the Year nominee and expert on teacher well-being, Chase delivers highly engaging, research-based, and practical keynotes and professional development workshops to schools and organizations across the world.
 
His work has been featured on "CNN, Greater Good Magazine, and Edutopia". He hosts the Educator Happy Hour podcast and writes the "Burnout Rx" column for "EL Magazine". Chase resides with his family in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he daydreams about fresh Expo markers and tries to keep his wild toddler from eating dog food and rocks.
 
Chase is set to provide CASE members the following Mindful Matters sessions during the 2026-2026 year. 
  • Tuesday, September 15, 2026 - Growth Zone: Raising Teacher Efficacy One Step at a Time
    Empower your staff to move from defeated to efficacious in this research-based Professional Development session. Together, we'll explore the four roots of efficacy—mastery experience, social modeling, verbal persuasion, and positive emotional states—to accelerate professional growth in our staff. We'll also break down easy-to-implement strategies like Efficacy Ladders, Feedback Friday, and Dopamine Boosters. 
  • Thursday, October 15, 2026 - The Science of Stress Resilience: Equipping Our Staff (and Ourselves) to Overcome Exhaustion
    Stress is inevitable, so we can’t always be resistant to stress. We can, though, become stress resilient, learning when stress is good, when it is bad, and how to manage the many stressors of life. This workshop explores the science of how stress affects our thinking, learning, and behaving. We will explore the Continuum of Calm and the 5 "D-Stress” strategies that any person can use to reduce stress and improve their performance and well-being. This session will equip leaders to both manage their own exhaustion and support the resilience of their staff and students.
  • Tuesday, December 8, 2026 - Strengthening Your Staff Culture Immune System: Simple Strategies to Fortify Against Cynicism
    Thriving in education isn't just about reducing the bad -- it's about curating the good. In this reflective and pragmatic session, we look at the roots of cynicism. We'll understand that our best path toward a strong culture is cultivating a staff "immune system" of trust, belonging, and psychological safety. Together we'll share strategies and mindsets for humanizing our work and strengthening collective efficacy. 

 

Podcast: Live Well, Lead Well

Featuring Dr. Nora Sugai and Dr. Jim Bock
Great leadership starts with personal wellness. Facilitated by Dr. Zabrina Cannady and featuring Dr. Nora Sugai and Dr. Jim Bock, this engaging podcast series explores the eight dimensions of wellness, offering practical strategies to help educational leaders flourish both professionally and personally.
 
Mindful Matters Schedule for the 2026-2027 Year
August 2026          Live Well, Lead Well: Podcast with Dr. Sugai and Dr. Bock
September 15, 2026   Chase Mielke Session-Growth Zone: Raising Teacher Efficacy One Step at a Time 
October 15, 2026   Chase Mielke Session-The Science of Stress Resilience: Equipping Our Staff (and Ourselves) to Overcome Exhaustion
November 2026   Live Well, Lead Well: Podcast
December 2026   Chase Mielke Session-Strengthening Your Staff Culture Immune System: Simple Strategies to Fortify Against Cynicism
January 2026   Blog Post
February 2026   Live Well, Lead Well: Podcast
March 2026   Blog Post
April 2026   Live Well, Lead Well: Podcast
May 2026   Blog Post