Although many teacher education programs claim to prepare teachers for social justice, there is a critical gap in research exploring how new teachers enact their ideals of social justice in the classroom, and how their ability to do so relates to their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. For her dissertation, Ilana Nankin facilitated a community of practice during the 2014-15 school year to support eight of the pre-service teachers she had taught in teacher education as they transitioned into diverse early childhood and elementary classrooms throughout the world. This participatory action research study, informed by teacher research and narrative inquiry, created space for these eight teachers to share their vulnerable stories and to actively work together to explore and implement new ways to enhance their pedagogy. She found that, across the board, the teachers' physical, mental, and emotional well-being declined dramatically during their first year--and that this decline in well-being had a negative impact on their ability to enact their ideals for social justice teaching. When stress levels were high, and well-being low, teachers often fell short of the "good intentions" they had set for themselves before entering the classroom. On the other hand, when teachers began implementing wellness practices and supporting one another's well-being, they were better able to fulfill their intentions for teaching, and their students' social-emotional and academic outcomes improved. The critical connection between teacher well-being and teaching inspired Ilana and her community to start Breathe For Change, a movement to enhance the health and well-being of teachers, students, and school communities that is now positively impacting thousands of educators, children, and families throughout the United States. Teacher well-being is directly related student social-emotional and academic outcomes, yet it is under-prioritized in today's education system. It is essential that we, as an educational community, listen to teachers' stories and provide teachers with the support they need to take care of themselves so they can effectively teach our students. In doing so, we have the potential to change the world, one teacher at a time. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]