How the 2026 California Teacher of the Year Builds Belonging - and Beats Burnout

In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Ilana Nankin sits down with California 2026 Teacher of the Year Chrizia Dela Rosa to explore a journey of belonging, resilience, and the transformative power of education.After immigrating to the United States from the Philippines at age six without speaking English, Chrizia struggled to find her place in school. Everything changed when a teacher helped her feel valued, understood, and capable of thriving.Years later, those experiences would shape the educator she would become.In this conversation, Chrizia reflects on her path from English learner to award-winning educator, the importance of relationships in the classroom, and the practices she uses to help students feel safe, connected, and ready to learn. She also shares how mindfulness, social-emotional learning, and human intelligence transformed both her teaching and her life.At the heart of her story is a powerful reminder: one caring educator can change the trajectory of a student's life.Chapter Markers00:00:00 - Episode Introduction00:00:58 - Meet Chrizia Dela Rosa: California Teacher of the Year00:02:45 - The Immigrant Experience: Struggling to Assimilate00:03:52 - Basketball as a Second Language00:05:10 - How Miss Tran Created Real Classroom Belonging00:08:20 - Facing the Pivot: Moving to a New Community00:11:50 - Discovering the Addictive Magic of Teaching00:16:05 - Teach for America, Miami, & First-Year Burnout00:19:55 - Why Teacher Prep Programs Set Educators Up to Fail00:22:00 - Leaning into Personal Strengths over Rigid Discipline00:24:25 - The Catalyst: Discovering Breathe for Change00:30:40 - Bringing Brain Science into the Math Classroom00:34:20 - The Power of Equitable Sharing & Mindful Listening00:42:45 - Proactive vs. Responsive Classroom Strategies00:45:00 - Positive Greetings at the Door & Daily Check-Ins00:48:00 - Using Somatic Games & Movement to Shift Low Energy00:55:50 - Deep Dive: The Five Layers of Human Intelligence01:00:10 - Drop the Puck: Celebrating a Once-In-A-Lifetime Journey01:06:00 - "Find Your People": Final Words of Wisdom for EducatorsBest Moments in This EpisodeChrizia's experience immigrating to the United States at age sixThe teacher who helped her feel seen and supportedHow basketball became her second languageWhy relationships are foundational to learningPractical classroom strategies that build belonging and connectionHow mindfulness transformed her teachingWhat it means to teach the whole human beingHer journey to becoming California Teacher of the YearWhat You'll LearnWhy belonging is essential for learningHow educators can build stronger classroom communitiesPractical strategies for emotional check-ins and student connectionThe role of mindfulness and self-awareness in educationHow relationships shape student successWhy representation and identity matter in schools#TeacherWellness #Education #Belonging #SocialEmotionalLearning #HumanIntelligence #breatheforchange About Breathe for ChangeBreathe for Change empowers educators, school leaders, and community changemakers with research-backed practices that cultivate well-being, emotional intelligence, mindfulness, human connection, and purpose.Through our Master of Education in Human Intelligence, educators develop the skills needed to help students thrive in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world.Connect With UsWebsite: breatheforchange.comInstagram: @breathe4change