Bullies make Judy Kajander come unglued.

Their aggression reminds the YES Prep Public School counselor of her own childhood, when she lived in an alcoholic home and endured bullying at school. In her 30 years in education, Kajander has been quick to defend young victims of bullying, but less likely to examine the needs of the bully.

When Kajander learned about a startup nonprofit called FuelEd, created to help train educators on social and emotional skills, she saw an opportunity to help herself and other educators learn how to better overcome their own past experiences while on the job. She invited FuelEd founder Megan Marcus to offer her inaugural training at the Houston charter school system.

"Most schools are so focused on testing, there's no time," Kajander said. "This is so innovative. I've never seen a program quite like this."

In the three-day session, more than two dozen YES Prep counselors and teachers learned the importance of self-awareness and self-care, a few of the areas the nonprofit's founder has identified as struggles for today's teachers.

Motivating students

Education schools train teachers on course content, classroom management skills and test-taking strategies, but not on the relationship-building skills that can help them better connect with students.

That connection is the best motivator for children and can make a huge difference on their performance and their passion for school, said Marcus, who pinpointed the shortcoming while earning a master's degree in psychology from Pepperdine University. Psychologists are taught to leverage personal relationships, but teachers are not, she realized.

Marcus, 26, further developed the concept working on her master's in education policy at Harvard University. Great teachers inspire their students to dream and develop as humans.

"I am a steam engine with this idea," said Marcus, who will officially launch FuelEd next month in Los Angeles.

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Program helps teachers with personal development