About Me
My name is Heidi Warren, daughter of Beatrice (Bea) Warren (née von Stryk) and William (Bill) Warren. My maternal grandparents, Anna Ursula von Stryk (née von Reibnitz) and Hans Heinrick von Stryk, carried with them a legacy of resilience, tradition, and integrity. On my father’s side, my grandparents Margaret Warren (née Dawson) and Louis Warren brought grit, humor, and a deep connection to the land into our family tapestry. The threads of their lives continue to shape who I am.
I was raised in the Northwest Territories, where the rhythms of the land shaped my way of being. I was taught to listen deeply—to people, the land, and the sacred within. This upbringing, rooted in story and presence, continues to guide my work as an educator, leader, and coach. I support others in reconnecting with purpose, navigating challenges with compassion, and fostering sustainable well-being.
Grounded in research, resilience-focused and trauma-sensitive practice, and heart-centered coaching, I help educators see behavior as communication and create connected, resilient learning environments—starting from within.
Element I
Element One: Positionality and Interpretation
This element includes my Positionality Paper, which explores the personal, professional, and academic experiences that shape my identity as an educator and leader. It highlights how self-awareness, emotional regulation, and a commitment to sustainable well-being influence my approach to education.
The accompanying Artifact Interpretation examines the paper as a representation of my learning, making clear connections to the core values of the Master of Education in Educational Leadership program—particularly ethical leadership, equity, and relational practice. Together, these pieces reflect my evolving understanding of leadership grounded in curiosity, compassion, and connection.
Element II
Element Two: Literature Reviews and Interpretation
This element brings together three literature reviews that explore the interconnected themes of emotional regulation, sustainable well-being, and compassion-based practices in education. These papers examine the impact of educator well-being on student success and highlight research-informed strategies that support transformational change in schools.
The accompanying Artifact Interpretation offers a synthesis of key insights and reflects on how this body of research has shaped my development as an ethical, compassionate, and courageous educational leader. Together, these works deepen my understanding of how to lead and advocate for school cultures grounded in connection, co-regulation, and sustainable professional growth.
Element III
Element Three: Inquiry, Self-Discovery, and Ethical Engagement
This element includes a reflective academic piece that traces the evolution of my inquiry throughout the Master of Education program. What began as a focus on student resilience shifted toward a deeper understanding of educator well-being, co-regulation, and transformational leadership.
The accompanying Artifact Interpretation explores how this inquiry process—grounded in autoethnographic journaling, ethical reflection, and diverse ways of knowing—supported both personal transformation and professional growth. Together, these components illustrate how sustainable well-being begins with self-awareness and how leading with authenticity can influence systemic change in education.
Element IV
Element Four: Living and Leading Sustainable Well-Being
This element showcases a collection of creative and reflective artifacts that embody my evolving understanding of sustainable well-being and transformational leadership. These pieces—including personal journal reflections, a published blog post, a co-written song, and a proposed professional development/PLC/coaching framework—demonstrate how lived experience, land-based wisdom, and research-informed practice intersect in my journey as an educational leader.
The professional development framework is presented as a proposal for cultivating sustainable educator well-being through inquiry, relational practice, and connection to place. Alongside the other artifacts, it reflects my belief that well-being is not a checklist or one-time initiative, but a continuous, relational process rooted in self-awareness, equity, and compassionate leadership.
Together, these artifacts affirm that transformational change begins within and expands through shared stories, co-regulation, and courageous, community-centered leadership.
Journal Reflections
Visual Representations of Journal Reflections
Leadership as a Relational & Sustainable Process
This image was taken at Kluane Lake on the traditional territory of the Kluane Lake First Nation. It is one of my favourite places in the Yukon. I was camping alone with my dogs, watching an awe-inspiring sunrise. In this moment, I felt inspired and at peace, deeply connected to myself, my dogs and the earth all at the same time. As I stood near the lake, looking at the mountains, the sunrise and my dogs I felt deeply grounded, a sense of strength and my heart was full of love. It was if the land was reflecting visually what I felt in my body, heart and spirit. The photograph reflects the transformation in my leadership and well-being journey – from external, urgent interventions to a slower, more embodied, reflective approach.
The Power of Reflection & Inquiry
This photo was taken one evening in 2021 on the shores of Kluane Lake, on the traditional territory of the Kluane Lake First Nation. This image captures an incredible reflection of the blue sky, white clouds, and mountains on the still water. The green rocks at my feet grounded me, reminding me of the connection to the land as I looked out over the cold, deep water. This moment reinforced the importance of stillness, reflection, and inquiry in leadership – being firmly grounded while embracing vast and unknown possibilities.
Land, Nature, and Ancestral Wisdom
The image on the left is of a full moon at 4am in March 2022 on Kwanlin Dün First Nation Territory. This moment filled me with humility and connection as I gazed at the moon, stars and glittering snow. The land holds wisdom and stories that can only be learned in the moonlight, reinforcing the idea that leadership and knowledge extend beyond traditional spaces.
The image below is me skinning my first muskrat at camp, hosted by knowledge holders Ruth and David Johnny, on the traditional territory of the White River First Nation. Patrick Johnny guided me through this process that day – he has since passed, but I often remember and honour the teachings he shared with me. Learning from elders and engaging in traditional practices deepened my understanding of leadership as a reciprocal and relational practice.
Leadership and Transformational Change
This photo was taken on the traditional territory of the White River First Nation along the Alaska Highway in 2023. I remember being in awe of the dark and ominous cloud in contrast with the beauty of the rainbow and green trees. It reminded me of how scary change can be, yet how necessary it is for growth. The rainbow is a guide, leading us through darkness, just as leadership requires trust in transformation. Both the storm and the rainbow are needed – just like discomfort and resilience in leadership.
Learning Journey
Original Song Written and Produced by: Heidi Warren and Remy Rodden
Blog
Element V
Element Five: Implications, Transformation, and Commitment
This final element explores the broader implications of my learning, offering recommendations for educators, leaders, school communities, and systems to move toward sustainable well-being. Through personal reflection, professional insight, and lived experience, I share how my understanding of leadership has evolved—from individual self-care to relational, regulation-responsive, and land-connected practice.
This piece also includes a personal letter to my future self, a commitment to show up with compassion, curiosity, and courage. It is a reminder that transformational change begins within—and grows through presence, deep listening, and connection to self, others, and the land.
Implications and recommendations
Along this journey, I have come to understand that sustainable well-being is not an individual pursuit but a collective responsibility. This realization has direct implications for educators, school leaders, policymakers, and professional learning communities. My research and reflections challenge the traditional structures of education that prioritize achievement and productivity over well-being and offer more wholistic, regulation-responsive, culturally inclusive, and relationship-driven approach (Neff, 2023; Siegel, 2020; Porges, 2011)
Key Recommendations:
For Educators – well-being is not another item on a to-do list; it is an ongoing practice that begins with self-compassion. By engaging in reflective practices, co-regulation, and mindfulness, we can cultivate classrooms where we – and our students – feel emotionally safe and able to engage our whole selves for whatever is needed. I have personally found that integrating daily reflective pauses, breathwork, and mindful practices has made a tangible difference in my ability to stay present and engaged.
For Educational Leaders – Professional development must shift from one-time self-care initiatives to integrated, ongoing models of well-being. Coaching, PLC’s, and land-based, regulation-responsive approaches should be embedded in leadership structures. During my work as a leader and providing professional development and learning I have seen – and experienced myself – that when educators feel supported and heard, they are more able to take risks and invest in their own well-being.
For School Communities– Policies and operational procedures must prioritize educator and learner regulation as a foundation for learning. If the goal is engaged, resilient learners, we need to first create environments where educators feel regulated, supported, and valued (Barthel, 2024; Siegel, 2020). My experience integrating school wide wellness has reinforced that even small structural changes – like embedding regulation and mindful practices in daily classroom routine and staff meetings – can have a profound effect on working to normalize these practices for well-being throughout school communities.
For the Educational System – A paradigm shift is needed: From burnout culture to sustainable well-being, from external compliance to internal transformation, from isolation to collective care (Flook et al., 2013). I have learned through my own leadership experience that creating a culture of sustainable well-being requires ongoing, intentional conversations, vulnerability, discomfort, and a willingness to challenge traditional models of success.
Education is not just about academic achievement – it is about human connection, emotional safety, and resilience. When we center well-being, we create conditions where both educators and students can thrive, learn, and lead with curiosity, compassion, and courage.
I used to think…and now I think…
I used to think that well-being was about individual self-care and that resilience meant pushing through and hanging on when things were difficult. I believed that if I could just manage my time better, work harder, or be more disciplined, I could achieve balance.
Now I think that sustainable well-being is relational, integrated, and deeply connected to things that ground us – like being out on the land. I have learned that well-being is not about perfection but about presence – the ability to regulate in the moment, to lean into discomfort with curiosity rather than judgement, to trust that growth is an evolving process (Barthel, 2024; Neff, 2023; Siegel, 2020) and that we are all whole and capable human beings just as we are.
One of the most profound shifts has been recognizing the role of land, connection, and co-regulation in well-being. Whether through time at camp, reflective journaling, skiing under a full moon, or doses of self-compassion, I have witnessed the power of slowing down, breathing, listening deeply, and honouring myself and those around me. The realization that learning and leadership are deeply intertwined with personal, relational, and environmental well-being has fundamentally shifted how I approach my work.
Meltwater wisdom
A reflection on trust, transformation, and co-regulation with the land.
This photo was taken on the traditional territory of the White River First Nation. It was taken in the spring of 2020 when the world was in crisis and slowed enough to be able to witness the world around us in a new way. The melting creek represents a profound shift in my understanding of well-being, connection, and in trust in the natural rhythms of life. It captures a moment of deep transformation – of witnessing the land hold loss, carry renewal, and weave the passage of time in a way I had never seen before. The mountain melt flooded the creek and carried more than just ice; it carried a message of release, of honouring what was, and of allowing change to unfold. Standing there, I felt an overwhelming mix of grief, gratitude, and an unshakable knowing that I was held by something greater. It was a moment of co-regulation with the land itself, a lesson in surrender, presence, and deep connection. Just as the river embraced the transition of seasons, I too was learning to lean into the flow of my own evolution – understanding that well-being is not about control or perfection, but about trust, reciprocity, and being present with what is.
Ancestral LIght
A sacred moment of connection, compassion, and celestial guidance.
The northern lights dance above like ancestral angels, a celestial reminder that I am never alone. Just as their light moves with grace and intensity, so too does the journey of well-being – fluid, ever changing and full of wonder. In moments of overwhelm, I will pause, breathe, and trust in the wisdom of the land, the ancestors, and the universe itself. This luminous presence in the sky is a message: I am held, guided, and I am enough. My path is about presence, showing up with compassion, curiosity, and love.
This photo was taken on a cold morning in December 2023 on the traditional territory of the White River First Nation.
To My Future Self:
Remember, sustainable well-being is not a destination – it is a practice. There will be moments when you feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or unsure. These moments will come, even with all this knowledge you have, it is part of the human condition. In those moments, pause, Breathe. Remember you are whole, resourceful, and loved.
You are not responsible for changing the world. You are responsible for how you show up, how you lead, and how you care for yourself in the process. Continue to lead with compassion, curiosity, and courage – knowing that real change starts with caring for yourself, your relationships, with deep listening, and with small, intentional actions that ripple outward.
Trust the wisdom of the land, of the ancestors. Keep learning from the people who have come before you and deeply listen to all voices that must be heard.
Infuse your being with love, compassion, with the magic that is the stardust we are all made of. We are all connected to the infinite web of existence.
Feel all of life – all of it – from blissful joy to the deepest grief. Know that you cannot just survive but thrive. You have the wisdom and support to navigate this life with compassion, presence, and love. Your work matters, your well-being matters, you matter. Continue to lead in a way that honours all parts of you.
With deep love and light,
Present self