Peay & Associates Consultant Group LLC

09/01/2026

Put the Heart Work in Teaching has officially launched 👉🏾https://share.google/Kft1FyYu8j5NUtd2T learn more here https://share.google/UqxsjG1XaP8yHy2bG

08/25/2026

Self-care looks different for every educator ❤️

The question is: what does it look like for you?

Maybe-it's saying no. Setting a boundary. Leaving work at work. Taking the day off. Asking for help. Making time for something that has absolutely nothing to do with education.

And yes, when you start protecting your time, energy, and wellness, you may get some pushback.

Do it anyway.

Because taking care of yourself isn't about doing less for everyone else. It's about making sure you don't disappear while taking care of everyone else.

So educators define self care for yourself, and then give yourself permission to practice it.

What does self care look like for you?

08/19/2026

Why do we expect educators to create emotionally safe, relationship-centered, regulated classrooms if we’re not supporting the emotional wellness and self-awareness of the adults creating those environments?

We spend a lot of time talking about what educators need to do differently.

Build relationships.
Manage the classroom.
Stay calm.
Respond instead of react.
Engage every learner.
Create a sense of belonging.

But we don’t talk nearly enough about how the educator is doing while trying to do all of that.

Educators bring their own stress, beliefs, experiences, workplace challenges, fears, frustrations, and emotional load into the classroom every day. Whether we acknowledge it or not, how we show up affects how we teach, how we respond to behavior, how we build relationships, and what we believe is possible for our learners.

Maybe improving classroom culture doesn’t always begin with another classroom management strategy.

Maybe sometimes it begins with the adult.

This is the work we’re leaning into at Peay & Associates Consultant Group—supporting educators not only in what they do in the classroom, but in how they show up for themselves, their learners, and the work.

Because educator wellness, classroom culture, and student success aren’t separate conversations.

The inner work matters because it eventually becomes the classroom work. ❤️

And I’m excited about what we’re building next.

08/08/2026

There was a time when I believed that if I just worked harder, cared more, or stayed longer, I could change a broken system from the inside.

Then I came across the Milgram experiment.

The experiment showed how ordinary people often obey authority, even when their own conscience tells them something isn't right. It made me ask myself a difficult question:

How often do we, in education, continue to follow systems we know aren't serving every child simply because "that's the way it's always been done"?

That question changed me.

I realized I didn't want to spend the rest of my career accepting practices I knew could be better. I wanted to be part of creating something different.

That's why I founded Maya Angelou School of the Arts and relaunched Peay & Associates.

Not because I stopped believing in education.

Because I believe in it too much to stop asking hard questions.

I believe every child deserves to be known, challenged, supported, and inspired. I believe relationships should come before compliance, creativity should be valued, and learning should prepare students for life—not just tests.

Sometimes the most courageous thing we can do isn't follow the path in front of us.

It is time to build a new one.

I'd love to hear your thoughts after watching the video:
When do you think it's time to challenge the system instead of simply following it?

08/06/2026

"I have to turn myself in tomorrow."

When I read those words from a teacher on social media, my heart broke.

She wasn't talking about prison.

She was talking about going back to work on Monday.

Think about that for a moment.

Somewhere along the way, we've normalized educators feeling anxious before they even walk into their classrooms. Sundays have become less about rest and more about mentally preparing for another week of stress.

As a former principal, I understand that data matters. Accountability matters. Student outcomes matter.

But here's what I've learned:

Relationships are the foundation that makes all of those things possible.

When teachers feel supported, trusted, and valued, they show up differently for students. Yet too often, they're walking into meetings, professional development sessions, and environments that leave them feeling unseen rather than supported.

Teachers don't leave their personal lives at the school doors. They bring their whole selves into the classroom every single day.

My challenge to school leaders this year is simple:

Before asking teachers to pour into students, ask yourself how you're pouring into your teachers.

Culture starts with leadership.

Relationships build culture.

Everything else grows from there.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. How can we better support educators this school year?

08/04/2026

This year I have the opportunity to plan as a school founder and it hits different. I have the ability to adjust and create a system that actually works for my learners without worrying about fads, or the research which typically doesn't include the population of students that I serve. Maya Angelou School of the Arts was built different intentionally. It was built with everything that I know works, I took the guess work out of the equation and factored in my 25+ years in education. 📚🎒📔 - www.mayaangelouschoolofthearts.com

07/31/2026

Dr. Yolanda Peay ❤️

07/23/2026

07/16/2026