<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Chalk & Change]]></title><description><![CDATA[A gentle wellness and lifestyle blog centered on emotional regulation, nervous system care, and sustainable self-growth—without hustle or burnout.]]></description><link>https://www.teachingwithchalkandchange.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2026 03:46:12 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.thesammanthanicole.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Burnout Isn't a Personal Failure - It's a Nervous System Signal]]></title><description><![CDATA[For a long time, I thought burnout meant I wasn't trying hard enough. That if I were more disciplined, more motivated, or better at "self-care," I wouldn't feel this exhausted all the time. I told myself I just needed to push through - because that's what capable adults do, right? Except, burnout doesn't come from laziness. It comes from living too long in survival mode, from doing too much for too long. Burnout Doesn't Always Look Dramatic We often imagine burnout as a breaking point - a...]]></description><link>https://www.thesammanthanicole.com/post/burnout-isn-t-a-personal-failure-it-s-a-nervous-system-signal</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6979642e042aa3bcbc74ead7</guid><pubDate>Fri, 06 Feb 2026 01:15:06 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Sammantha Gilbert</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What Special Education Taught Me About Adult Wellness]]></title><description><![CDATA[Before I ever started thinking about wellness in my own life, I was learning about it in the classroom. As a special education teacher, I’ve spent years supporting children whose nervous systems require more care, flexibility, and understanding than the world often offers. In that space, regulation is never optional — it’s foundational. What I’ve come to realize is this: the principles we use to support children don’t stop being relevant when we grow up. We just stop being offered the same...]]></description><link>https://www.thesammanthanicole.com/post/nervous-system-awareness</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69584ecc7098baf60221b692</guid><pubDate>Thu, 22 Jan 2026 01:00:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/518ac3_7349c01675114eedb5ff2584fe5bb31b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Sammantha Gilbert</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What I Believe About Wellness]]></title><description><![CDATA[These are my 6 core beliefs about wellness, through a holistic lense.]]></description><link>https://www.thesammanthanicole.com/post/what-i-believe-about-wellness</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6953470523e37bb9569aee24</guid><pubDate>Thu, 08 Jan 2026 01:00:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/518ac3_99491eb3106049a58274517534e12f72~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Sammantha Gilbert</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Explaining Neurodiversity to Staff, Students, and Families - Without the Jargon]]></title><description><![CDATA[Making Sense of What It Means, Why It Matters, and How to Celebrate It In education, we throw around a lot of terms—IEP, accommodations,...]]></description><link>https://www.thesammanthanicole.com/post/explaining-neurodiversity-to-staff-students-and-families-without-the-jargon</link><guid isPermaLink="false">681972f18522ecfd421bed68</guid><pubDate>Mon, 30 Jun 2025 16:20:13 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Sammantha Gilbert</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[7 Things I Wish I Knew in My First Year of SPED]]></title><description><![CDATA[Lessons, Laughs, and a Lot of Lamination If you’re in your first year of special education, let me start with this: You’re doing better...]]></description><link>https://www.thesammanthanicole.com/post/7-things-i-wish-i-knew-in-my-first-year-of-sped</link><guid isPermaLink="false">681974998522ecfd421bf1b4</guid><pubDate>Fri, 13 Jun 2025 13:57:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/518ac3_c612f9127a354ceba6296809c5a2f4cb~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Sammantha Gilbert</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[From Chaos to Calm: Creating a Regulation Space that Works]]></title><description><![CDATA[Working with special education preschool, my students often express some big feelings and have trouble regulating them. It can be a daily...]]></description><link>https://www.thesammanthanicole.com/post/from-chaos-to-calm-creating-a-regulation-space-that-works</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6817723bf547f5de526b5d98</guid><pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2025 22:50:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/518ac3_7696cd88ccb44b0b8e1ffa37875285af~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Sammantha Gilbert</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Engaging Activities to Help Students Learn and Remember Their Names]]></title><description><![CDATA[One thing I’ve learned as a second-year special education teacher? Names are a BIG deal! Our students light up when they see their name,...]]></description><link>https://www.thesammanthanicole.com/post/engaging-activities-to-help-students-learn-and-remember-their-names</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6812e5be80e2422fe50dd58e</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2025 03:12:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/518ac3_807a90080cad4045bfda60182b9dbae7~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_800,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Sammantha Gilbert</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>