Hi, we’re Kailey and Josianne, the founders of Educalme (pronounced “edu-calm”!). Nice to meet you!
We’ve been in the field of education for over 10 years. So, we have a first-hand understanding of the realities of the classroom and the challenges that both teachers and students face every day.
We developed the research-backed Educalme online program in response to the rise in anxiety, stress and burnout in the classroom for both students and educators. And, as we know, the pandemic has further intensified this crisis and the need for evidence-based solutions.
How a Common Problem Led to an Innovative Solution
It all started when we were facing burnout as teachers. We were also so tired of piecing together social-emotional learning lessons from different sources that didn’t fit together. Plus, we taught in a French Immersion setting and we couldn’t find a bilingual program. We needed a ready-to-use program that improved self-regulation, mental health, and academic achievement for all members of the classroom (including us, the teachers!).
Frustrated by this lack of quality resources, we set out to develop a program ourselves. We launched Educalme in 2017. We tested Educalme in our own classrooms and piloted it for two years in K-12 classrooms across Canada and the United States. We tweaked and improved the CASEL aligned program based on the data we collected. In 2019, a third-party evaluation was done on Educalme and it demonstrated that this program improves self-regulation, focus, resilience, classroom management and more!
Now, teachers choose to use Educalme in their classrooms to improve both student and teacher wellbeing because…
- Educalme does not require professional development, release time, lesson planning or preparations, which makes it a very affordable option. It is designed so that K-12 teachers learn alongside their students by pressing “play” on the pre-recorded lessons.
- Educalme is completely bilingual (English & French) and lessons are recorded in a Western Canadian French accent, making it easier for French Immersion students to understand.
- Educalme is a trauma-sensitive year-long program that allows students and teachers to co-regulate with daily self-care practices and learn concrete skills for emotional wellness and mental health.
- Educalme creates a positive daily mental hygiene routine that gives teachers and students coping strategies and common vocabulary to return to calm and focus quickly, so less time is wasted on classroom management, and more time is dedicated to teaching the curriculum.
Instead of reactively addressing student and teacher stress and anxiety once they’re already burned out, Educalme is a proactive and systematic approach for preventing overwhelm and burnout, while preparing minds and bodies for effective teaching and learning every single day of the school year.
Self-care shouldn’t be reserved for after-school hours to make up for the burnout you’ve experienced during the school day.
Educalme flips the script and makes wellbeing an integral part of your classroom routine for both your students and YOU.
Join the community of thousands of teachers around the world using Educalme!
Learn strategies that empower you to feel more calm, balanced and joyful both in and out of the classroom on The Balanced Educator Podcast
“These girls know how to keep it real on all topics (but not limited to) mindfulness, self-care, classroom management and meditation! I’ve been gaining some huge take-aways to help me bring mindfulness into my own classroom and personal daily life! Thank you both!!” – Carolina, grade 1 teacher
Curious About Where Educalme Has Been Featured?
Here are just a few of the places you can find them online!
Features & Mentions
Young Entrepreneurs of the Year (2019)
Educalme Brings Bilingual Mindfulness to Manitoba Schools (Government of Canada)
Mindfulness and Stress Management Worksop (TeacherVision)
The Little Kids, Big Feelings Conference
15 Teaching Podcasts to Re-energize You
Top 40 Growth Mindset Podcasts for Kids, Teens and Parents
Le succès de la pleine conscience avec Educalme (Université de Saint-Boniface)
Podcast Interviews & Guest Blog Posts
Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast
The Effective Teaching Podcast
Lesson: Impossible – An Exploration of Educational Innovation Podcast
The Blissful Parenting Podcast
How to Start a Mindfulness Practice: A Simple Guide by Educalme – Simple Lionheart Blog Post
How to Practice Mindfulness With Your Kids – The Parent Spot Blog Post
The Team Behind Educalme
Meet Kailey and Josianne, Canadian Teachers & the Founders of Educalme!
Hi, I’m Kailey
- I have a B.Sc. (concentrations in Biology and Microbiology), B.Ed., and vinyasa and yin yoga teacher certifications.
- I have experience teaching in high school (Science, Biology and Psychology) and middle school (all subjects) in a French Immersion setting.
- Before becoming a teacher, I was a babysitter, a tutor, a volleyball coach, a camp counselor and an Educational Assistant.
- I’m very interested in the mind-body connection and how emotions influence learning and performance I am always learning more about these subjects through professional development.
- I love sharing what I’m learning with other teachers on The Balanced Educator Podcast and when I lead Educalme professional development workshops.
- I practice mindfulness meditation daily and my favourite self-care activities are stand up paddle boarding or snowshoeing with my dogs Nova and Juno.
Hi, I’m Josianne
- I have a B.A. (concentrations in French and Psychology), B.Ed., PBDE (concentration in Special Education) and a yoga teacher certification.
- I have experience teaching elementary and middle school (grades 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 all subjects) and high school (French & English Language Arts, and Psychology) in a French immersion setting.
- Before becoming a teacher, I worked as a Childcare Worker with children aged 2-8 and as an Educational Assistant for students with developmental disabilities and autism.
- I’m always expanding my knowledge on how to incorporate mindfulness and meet social-emotional needs in the classroom through professional development.
- I’m passionate about creating transdisciplinary, inclusive and engaging social-emotional learning lessons for Educalme.
- I practice mindfulness meditation daily and my favourite self-care activity is taking my dog Bo for a run or a hike.
Why Administrators, Teachers and Students Love Educalme
I have used Educalme in my classroom for many years and have seen first-hand the positive results of using a mindfulness practice in English and French. This year I am using Educalme for the first time as a Special Education Resource Teacher (SERT) and our high-needs students are also benefiting. Since these students find it often challenging to regulate themselves, these short 2-5 mindfulness sessions offer them some calm in their day and they are better able to focus and manage their emotions. Educalme is truly providing us with the opportunity to practice a life skill!
You have put some serious work into this program! I am a hard critic when it comes to mindfulness as there’s so much out there that isn’t really mindfulness. But wow. You captured it all so well.
During a stressful time, the Educalme mindfulness lessons help bring calmness and opportunities to practice breathing tools to effectively handle stress each day.
We have seen significant, positive changes in our students after focusing on mindfulness this year using Educalme as our guide. We saw students be more aware of their emotions, practice gratitude daily, and independently tap into breathing strategies. We look forward to using Educalme again next year!
I can’t believe the difference Educalme has made among my students. The kids get to start the day so calm and ready to learn. You can really tell the days we don’t do mindfulness, they seem like completely different kids!
Words cannot express how grateful I am to have discovered Educalme. My group is very impacted. So many students have experienced traumas that nobody should ever endure. Then, the pandemic. Our school was virtual for almost two years. So, self regulation was a must and this has helped our class so much.
Mental Health and wellbeing have become accessible to us. It’s no longer what older people talked about – maybe in high school or older. It’s about our minds and bodies NOW. Educalme encourages us to take care of our selves because we matter, not later when we’re older, but we matter now.
This is an awesome program and it needs to be in every school. It gives staff and students the tools they need to be successful in life.
I like Educalme because I learn new things. Like, it’s our brain that chooses what we want to focus on. When we do Educalme, I feel good!
Many people ask me for guidance on how to bring this program/teaching style into the classroom! This program has given me the tools & confidence to be a leader in student wellness in my school.
Educalme saves me time during the school day because it is ready to go!! It is amazing!! I have done mindfulness for a few years with my classes but it was always a scramble to find appropriate, interesting, scripts.
Classroom management is easier because students are much more focused after doing the Educalme mindfulness practice.
Being able to sign on, click “play” and participate in the mindfulness practice with my students is such a relief. My students say it helps them clear their minds, takes away their headaches and helps them feel refreshed for the rest of their school day.
Educalme is helping me as a teacher. I notice I’m taking more time to check in with myself and to recognize my own needs as a teacher so that I can be a healthy version of myself for those around me.
Mindfulness with Educalme lets me get out of my feelings I don’t want through breathing, moving and reflecting rather than taking my feelings out on somebody else and maybe hurting them or making them mad.
The concrete strategies in the audio guided mindfulness practices and supporting materials help my students to self-regulate and to understand their bodies and minds.