'High Five to Thrive' Empowers Teachers to Thrive One High Five at a Time and Stay Connected to Their Purpose

In their new book, “High Five to Thrive,” veteran educators provide a guide to empower teachers to reignite their passion for their work.

ORLANDO, FL, UNITED STATES, June 2, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In their new, transformative book, “High Five to Thrive,” veteran educators Donita Grissom, Viki Kelchner, and Debbie Simões provide a guide to empower teachers to reignite their passion for their work by embracing their sense of purpose, developing healthier mindsets, prioritizing their mind-body harmony, and forging stronger relationships. “High Five to Thrive” focuses on teacher wellbeing inside and outside of the classroom deriving from evidence-based practices and the authors’ decades of experience inside the classroom.

A recent Gallup Panel Workplace Study found that 44% of K–12 educators say that they are “always” or “very often” feeling burned out at work, making them the group of workers with the highest burnout rate. In the aftermath of the Covid 19 pandemic, teacher retention became a hot topic because of the unexpected shifts in teaching modes, the pressures to quickly adapt to new technologies, and the challenges in managing their own health concerns. At the same time, the teacher shortage adds to the stress and workloads of teachers currently in the classroom. Grissom, Kelchner, and Simões were motivated to write “High Five to Thrive” to prevent and alleviate teacher burnout, increase teacher retention and ultimately student success with actionable strategies.

“We want ‘High Five to Thrive’ to be a resource to help teachers reaffirm their sense of purpose and service, which brought them to the profession while supporting their whole selves. This will equip them to create a classroom culture where everyone flourishes! At the same time, we want to make sure that professional fatigue does not impact teachers’ praxis and their mental and physical health,” Grissom said. “Our goal is to help foster resilience in teachers so they bring their best versions of themselves into the classroom and are effective instructors for their students.”

“The tools and assessments that we provide in ‘High Five to Thrive’ come out of our work as educational researchers and practitioners. We’re integrating what we have learned in the field to create a roadmap for the greatest impact in and outside of the school environment. We are losing good teachers, the foundation of every walk of life, the world’s future–we must work together to find ways to support educators, while developing lifelong learners,“ said Kelchner.

“Over the past three decades, I have been in countless classrooms and teacher professional development sessions across the country, where my goal has been to provide effective strategies that teachers can implement immediately to improve teaching and learning. ‘High Five to Thrive’ helps teachers take stock of their purpose and value, which is important in these uncertain times in our profession,” said Simões.

Donita Grissom, Ph.D. is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Central Florida and has a background in teacher education specializing in teaching English as a Second Language. Also, she is a Hope Science Specialist and Life Coach helping educators and leaders across the country strengthen goal-setting, critical thinking, and strategic planning skills. Her work focuses on rewiring thinking patterns to foster resilience, motivation, and sustainable success.

Viki Kelchner, Ph.D. is a Counselor Educator, a licensed professional counselor, and a certified school counselor. She has over 25 years of working experience in K–12 schools. Her expertise is in school based interventions for families and trauma informed practices.

Debbie Simões, M.Ed., is an experienced educator who has served as a teacher, principal, and director at a university lab school. As a professional education consultant and founder of Best Questers, she leads dynamic professional learning retreats and leadership development experiences for educators. Debbie brings deep expertise in school culture, instructional leadership, and educator well-being. She is passionate about helping people connect, feel seen, and recognize their value.

To learn more about “High Five to Thrive,” click here https://bestquesters.com/.

“High Five to Thrive" is the fifth title by Soro Publishing, a hybrid publishing company based in Southern California.

ABOUT SORO PUBLISHING

Soro Publishing is the most author-focused publishing solution. Soro Publishing is proud to commit to the Independent Book Publishers Association Hybrid Publisher Criteria. To learn more about Soro Publishing, visit soropublishing.com.

Adriana Maestas
A Call To Action, Inc.
info@acalltoaction.consulting

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