Brewing Wellness

Classroom Café is a podcast created by the UFT Member Assistance Program to support the well-being of public school educators and the social-emotional health of their students.

Classroom Café is all about brewing the conversation with fellow educators. We cover everything from mindfulness meditation to confronting substance use – either your own, your students or a loved one — to navigating interpersonal relationships in challenging times.

Selma Williams is the host. A new episode is released on the final Monday of each month.

Listen to Classroom Café wherever you get your podcasts. It’s available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts and SoundCloud.

23: Helping kids avoid substance use

Sep 23, 2021

Learn ways of identifying students at risk of substance use and how to support them. In this episode of the Classroom Café podcast, the New York Times best-selling author Jessica Lahey will discuss her latest book, The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence. She will share her personal...

22: Prioritizing Mental Wellness During a Pandemic

Sep 23, 2021

Here we are in the the 2021-22 school year, still talking about COVID-19, still wearing masks, social distancing and dealing with stressors the pandemic has created. In this episode of the Classroom Café podcast, mental health speaker and best-selling author Mike Veny will discuss the “next normal” and how to...

21: Supporting students in their return to in-person learning

Sep 23, 2021

Students are trying to figure out how to navigate this new school year. In this episode of the Classroom Café podcast, Dr. Miri Rosen talks about how educators can support students as we re-engage at school. Learn how to identify students in need and how creating healthy boundaries and engaging in self-care for...

20: Managing Substance Use

Jan 7, 2021

Feelings of isolation, stress and anxiety have been heightened during the pandemic, creating the perfect storm for an increase in substance use and other addictive behaviors. In this episode of the Classroom Café podcast, Anthony Rizzuto of the Seafield Treatment Center on Long Island, a master social worker,...

19: Mental Wellness for Educators

Dec 21, 2020

The year 2020 has been tough. The pandemic has taken a toll on our emotional well-being, whether we have suffered the loss of a loved one or we miss our normal work routines and time spent with family and friends. In this episode of the Classroom Café podcast, mental health speaker and best-selling author Mike Veny...