Teaching through Emotions: psychological strategies and resources for educators

God knows I am no fundraiser. Actually, neither is my guest, Erin McQuade-Wright — at least, not anymore. Erin used to be a fundraiser for non-profits and even has a podcast called The Brave and Balanced Fundraiser (which shares psychodynamic wisdom on how to survive that difficult job). But now she’s a coach who helps people of all types live vital lives. (Her company is called Vitalist Coaching.) In this episode, Erin and I talk about our areas of overlap (hint: it’s a large region) and revel in our delight in talking about emotion work, healthy relationships, and the wisdom of psychodynamics.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss* Personality Types: Enneagrams and their usefulness in learning about ourselves* Somatic Knowing: Brain vs. body knowledge and the half-life of an emotion* Emotional Lives: How much emotion is allowed in a classroom? How can we manage big emotions? How can we turn difficult feelings into freedom and space to be real?* Definition of Self-Care: How dealing with negative emotions helps us fill up so we can be present and resilient* Nourishment Barriers: How are you resistant to joy and why is that bad for you?* How Does Burnout Work for You? Are you singing the burnout song with a chorus of colleagues? Connect & ShareGot a story to share? How are you managing your emotions at this point in the school year? I’d love to hear! Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!Or send me an email! [email protected] the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe External linksEnneagramHear

As y’all probably know, I’m a big fan of caring in education. But, thanks to today’s guest, Rachel Branham, a veteran Teacher Support Group participant who’s now working in higher education, we get to consider the downsides of caring, too. What if you’re not a particularly “squishy” person? What if you don’t want to be “in the shit” with your students all the time? What does caring look like for you? How does a natural inclination to detach serve you and your students?Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.This is such a fun and stimulating conversation! Applicable to anyone who, well, cares. I hope you enjoy it!Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss* Caring vs. Controlling: Sliding along the continuum between “squishy” teaching and detachment.* Alienation from Big Emotions: When students are joyous or chaotic, feeling outside of their world and not knowing what to do about it.* Students’ (and Teachers’) Psychological Needs: Do all students need or want to be seen? How can teachers love students who are causing them pain?* Setting Boundaries: When and how do you tamp down exuberance when students are “coloring outside the lines”? Where are those “magical lines” in the first place?Connect & ShareGot a story to share? How do you balance care with detachment? How do you find and navigate the “magical line” between them? I’d love to hear! Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!Or, if you’re a millennial and hate using the phone (like Rachel), send me an email! [email protected] the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribeExternal linksRadical Love: Rethinking care and professional love in the classroom<a target="_blank" href="h

How can it be that teachers all over the country want to be observed? How can it be that observations of their teaching bring teachers joy? Today I’m conversing with Craig Randall, founder of Trust-Based Observations and expert in the art of supporting teachers in improving their practice. We go “pretty dang deep,” as Craig put it. Which is good, because classroom observations are super important and are too rarely done well.Until now!Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss* Building Trust: The wisdom of focusing on accumulating “trust marbles” before offering suggestions for improvement* Strengths-Based Observations: The importance of battling the deficit mentality and emphasizing teachers’ strengths* Coaching vs. Fixing: How to short-circuit the typical fix-them orientation* The History of Teacher Observation: How we got here (hint: It’s partly A Nation at Risk’s fault!)Connect & ShareGot a story to share? Tell me a story of a disastrous observation! Or tell me about one that made you glow with confidence and happiness. Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribeTeaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.External linksTrust-Based Observations (the book)Trust-Based Observation (the website)[email protected]: Eye-Movement Desensitization and ReprocessingCreditsFounder

In my experience, most teachers — hell, most people — don’t want to admit they hate anyone. “Hate,” they say, “is a strong word.”As if there’s a problem with strong words. (Like “love,” for example.)Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.But people do hate. And when they hate irresponsibly, when they refuse to process that feeling and assume it has more to do with the object of their hatred than with themselves, they can do grave damage.In this episode, Joe and I talk with a wonderfully open, self-aware teacher, storyteller, and entrepreneur who also happens to be a good friend of mine, Hari Kumar. It’s a great story about hate, teaching, self-correction, and hope.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discussTeacher Sarcasm: Why it might be a red flag for teacher burnoutTeaching Philosophy: Hari’s four pillars of teaching, a pedagogical frameworkCat Shit vs. Bullshit: Which one does a teacher want?Embracing “Almostness”: What to do with not knowing and how it can transform your student relationshipsTeaching Community: Thinking about the support systems teachers needConnect & ShareGot a story to share? What do you hate? I’d love to hear! Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribeExternal linksbell hooks Teaching to Transgressbell hooks Teaching CommunityThose Who Can’t Teach AnymoreCreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisCo-Host: Joe JohnsonProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionAudie

This one’s for the leaders.In this episode, I talk with a most amazing psychotherapist and “Leadership Whisperer,” Jerry Fromm. Jerry does organizational consulting, which means he helps people figure out (as I put it) what the hell is happening psychodynamically within their walls — or within their societies! or countries! since he works with individuals and groups domestically and internationally as well. He does quite remarkable work and tells lots of fascinating stories in today’s conversation, stories that will make teachers and school leaders think differently about themselves and the school cultures they’re a part of.Many schools are rethinking their cultures. But I promise you: Jerry’s perspective will make you think in a way you could never have imagined.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.We discuss* The Clinical Is Missing: A simple and amazing definition of “clinical” makes Jerry’s (and TTE’s) psychodynamic work relevant to schools.* The Sentient Level of Organizations: How, in the psychological dynamics of systems, contagious unprocessed feelings define the school culture.* Playing Roles: Managing the “invitations flying around” all organizations to fit with others in familiar ways.* Different Types of Organizations: What are narcissistic organizations? What are dependent organizations?* The Power of Pictures: What drawing a picture of your organization with you in it can reveal.External LinksFor information on Group Relations Conferences and Leading from Experience, go to The Center for the Study of Groups and Social Systems.To get in touch with Jerry, email him at [email protected], I’m biased: I am certain that teaching is spiritual. Not because teachers need to be religious but because the tasks of teaching human beings require heart-based skills: faith, care, love, “unconditional positive regard for difference” — skills that do not necessarily come naturally all the time and therefore demand care and attention themselves.In this episode, I explore this question and others with Mark Longhurst, an inspiring pastor, writer, and publications manager for Richard Rohr’s <a targe

On the face of it, having a Teaching Assistant or any adult in the classroom is a boon, right? The more adults, the more expert help students can get, the better.In theory, yes.In practice, having a TA or an adult helper can feel like having too many chefs in the kitchen. Because it’s another person to manage — and that person is more likely to have ideas of their own about how to teach and manage students. Ideas that might not dovetail completely with the lead teacher’s. Which means more work for the lead teacher to either orient that adult every day or clean up after them. Or both.In this episode, Joe and I talk with Sarah, a university Spanish teacher whose school has gifted her with a TA every semester for the past 10 years — and she’s still figuring out how to make the best use of the resource.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.We discuss* Mentoring TAs: Figuring out how to teach a teacher while simultaneously teaching students* Sharing Expertise: Co-teaching as a unique source of information and wisdom* Bridging Cultural Gaps: Managing a TA’s discomfort with your teaching style or philosophy* Overcoming Student Anxiety: Planning ways to encourage students to make use of a TA effectivelyIt’s a really fun conversation! With a surprising axiom at the end that everyone should heed.Got a story to share? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisCo-Host: Joe JohnsonProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionAudience Development: Andreea Coscai of PodVisionMusic: Tom Burris/Jabbering

In this episode, I’m joined by Carol Garboden Murray, director of the Wimpfheimer Laboratory Nursery School at Vassar College. She is a lifelong lover of the youngest children, ages 0 - 5, and thinks a lot about what it means to teach and care for them. Early childhood education, care, and love are very dear to my heart. I know that teachers of young children have special skills and talents that teachers at all levels should consider and adopt. I hope this interview inspires you to think about and adopt them for yourself!Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:- Caring for vs. caring about: Why “caring about” social justice or education is easy, but the actual, physical labor of fostering healthy development is where the real work happens.- The neuroscience of caring: How high-level empathy is a blend of neurological functioning and intuitive, creative practice.- Limits of caring: An honest look at what happens when caregiving stops being “beautiful” and starts being exhausting.- Professional Love: Defining a radical framework for love in the classroom that goes beyond “niceness.”External LinksCarol’s WebsiteCarol’s book, Illuminating Care: The Pedagogy and Practice of Care in Early Childhood CommunitiesMentioned in this episodeTTE episode with Sarah Becker: Pre-school teachers have it right: Professional LoveCaring: A Feminine Approach to Ethics and Moral Education by Nel NoddingsThe Real Wealth of Nations by Riane EislerThe Chalice and the Blade by Riane EislerA Different Voice by Carol GilliganAwakening the Inner Eye: Intuition in Education by Nel Noddings with Paul J. Shore<a target="_blank" href="https://www.northshire.com/book/978

I don’t think I have ever thought about the role of the ego in teaching. Until now! Thanks to an old student who wanted to talk with me about her ego, Joe and I dig into the tension between having self-regard (and being a little self-righteous) and maintaining amicable professional relationships.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Joe and I discuss* Redefining Ego: Why the ego’s “bad rap” might be holding you back* Managing Self-Righteousness: Practical tips for keeping professional relationships right — when you’re right, goddammit.* Validating Expertise: How to handle the frustration of colleagues’ not appreciating the value of what you know.* Teacher Objectification: Unpacking the emotional toll of being treated like a punching bag for all of society’s woes.Needless to say, everybody has an ego, so this episode is relevant to everybody. Teachers and non-teachers alike!Speaking of ego, I love this quote about TTE from Frank Racioppi of Ear Worthy:“I love that show. It’s one of the shows that does good in this world.” Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.External LinkThe Emperor’s BladesGot a story to share? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisCo-Host: Joe JohnsonProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionAudience Development: Andreea Coscai of PodVisionMusic: Tom

In a departure from the typical TTE conversation, I talk in this episode with Felicia Keller Boyle about her two podcasts, The Bad Therapist Show and What Your Therapist Thinks (if you’re already looking up the latter podcast, you are joining thousands of others who listen religiously). So we’re talking podcasting but, actually, we're talking about emotions. We’re therapists, after all.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.We discuss:* Money Guilt: Why women in helping professions struggle with “the emotion of earning” and how to move through it.* Holding Space for Success: How Felicia managed the emotional weight of What Your Therapist Thinks hitting the top of the charts.* Fear as a Teacher: Strategies for taking action when your nervous system is telling you to stay small.* Visibility and Vulnerability: Managing the pressure of being the one therapist who speaks out.Listen all the way to the end of this episode to hear Felicia’s challenge. She and I would love to hear your results! Leave a comment if you’re comfortable sharing.For my non-teachers out there: Check out What Your Therapist Thinks! Relevant to absolutely everybody!And PLEASE please please please: Fill out the TTE survey! I truly need to hear from you what you like, don’t like, want more of, want less of. Include your email address so you can be eligible for the drawing on Valentine’s Day that will get you a free TTE Tee or mug. It shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes of your time. Thank you so much in advance!!!External linksThe Bad Therapist ShowWhat Your Therapist ThinksThe Bad Therapist coaching pageJeremy EnnsGuanyinConnect & ShareGot a story to share? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 a

In this episode, Joe and I unpack the story of a teacher who was so fed up with a student who was a huge “pain in the ass” that she wanted to quit. Right then and there. And I’ll be damned if she didn’t turn that relationship around in the most dramatic way.Joe and I talk about the difficult circumstances surrounding this teacher’s and this student’s situation and the hypotheses she and I came up with that helped her return to school and dig into their relationship. It’s kind of a miraculous story imho.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:- Students and Negative Attention: Understanding the "cry for help" behind super irritating or provocative actions.- The "Nefarious Savior": How to support a struggling student without falling into a self-serving hero complex.- Classroom Aikido: How to use a student’s "negative" energy to redirect toward connection.- The Fine Line of Caring: Finding the sweet spot between emotional over-investment (burnout) and detachment.Connect & ShareGot a story to share? What is the "meowing" in your life right now? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158.Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]And there's more…I’m so eager to hear from you that my team and I have put together [a survey](https://forms.gle/i8LjC1DDJH4jypLC7!) to get a mid-season formative assessment from my listeners. I really want to hear what you like, don’t like, want to hear or read, etc. Please take a few minutes to give me your honest feedback! I’m a therapist, so I can take the truth.As incentive, anyone who responds will have their email address put in a nice hat from which I will pull a winner — of a TTE “Stay in Your Effin’ Garden” T-shirt! I myself have one (as you might imagine), and I love it. Soft, perfect fit, extremely useful message. Get to that survey as soon as is humanly possible — we’ll pull the winner on Valen

In this episode, I sit down with Jesse Dukes, producer of the magnificent podcast on AI in schools called The Homework Machine. We discuss the findings his podcast team lays out about the complicated ins and outs of a “drunk guy” (as I put it) who has “crashed the party” (as Jesse and The Homework Machine puts it). Jesse (not the drunk guy) is so articulate and so sensitive to the information his team’s research gathered and reported that listening to him talk is just plain enjoyable! Whether you care about AI in schools or not!But you should care.This is a super important and complicated issue. Please listen. It’s food for thought we really need to digest.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:The “Drunk Guy”: Why AI feels so intrusive and chaotic right now.More Than Tech: Unpacking the “disruptions” hitting schools (it’s not just the bots).The District: The shocking reality of how school districts are (or aren’t) handling the AI wave.The Kids: How students are actually using and responding to AI, and why their perspective might just give you hope.Feeling hopeless about the future? Jesse’s advice is simple: “If you want to feel hopeful, talk to a teenager.” If you’re not an educator but if you’re a parent, a boss or just someone trying to keep up, this episode will give you a grounded perspective on navigating an increasingly artificial world.External linksRand report: “AI Use in Schools Is Quickly Increasing but Guidance Lags Behind”Stanford article: “Cheating: The AI Elephant in the Classroom”Teaching Systems Lab, MITTeach Lab podcastThe Homework MachineConnect & ShareGot a story to share? What’s your experience with AI in the classroom? in your kids’ lives? in your own life? Add to the crucial conversation about the social and educational impacts of this insidious technology. Leave us a message about it. 413.239.4158. We’d love to play it on the air, confidentially if you pre

It’s a good thing when parents are involved in their children’s educations. When parents establish routines for getting homework done. When parents attend Back-to-School nights, parent-teacher conferences, and student performances. When parents contact teachers with concerns or questions about their children’s experiences at school.But it’s a bad thing when parents go all nuclear on their children’s teachers. In this episode, Joe and I chew on a teachers’ story of a parent who decided the right thing to do one night, right around dinner time, was to send an angry, accusatory email to their child’s teacher. Sound familiar? I fear it does to too many of you. In which case, this episode is for you!Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.We discuss:* Ghost Moose: What on earth a ghost moose is, and what it can teach us about unseen stressors and human behavior.* Bad Behavior: The psychological, unconscious explanations for why parents act out.* The Gift of Anger: Why a passionate (read: “pissed-off”) parent is actually a gift to your teaching practice.* Staying Connected Anyway: Practical strategies for how to effectively communicate with people you desperately want to hate.For my non-teachers out there: This episode is helpful for parents whether you have a child in school (and might be tempted to go ballistic on a teacher someday) or don’t (and might be tempted to go ballistic on someone else someday). Or if someone has gone ballistic on you! There’s good stuff for everyone in this episode.Connect & ShareGot a story to share? Have you ever successfully defused a terrifying parent? Or did it go spectacularly wrong? I’d love to hear your stories. Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]Credits<

In this episode, I’m joined by physics and math teacher Stephanie Watroba. You’ll get to hear her dramatic journey through burnout — what it was like, why it happened, and how she got through it. She went from Teacher of the Year to burnout and depression to “the best year of school that I’ve ever done.” It’s an informative and intense conversation.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:- Daily Burnout: Understanding that exhaustion isn't a straight line, and how to recognize the shifts in your energy.- The Psychology of the Teachers' Lounge: What negative talk among staff reveals about systemic stress and the need for support.- The Internal Critic: How high-achieving teachers use self-criticism as fuel until it leads to burnout.- Warning Signs: Identifying the red flags before they spiral into depression.- "Making Friends" with Burnout: Why fighting your burnout doesn't work, and how Stephanie learned to listen to her burnout as a signal for change.It’s not just teachers who experience burnout, of course. This episode is for everyone who gets depleted and cannot care for themselves when they’re not meeting their own and others’ high expectations. Stephanie’s experience and insights are universally valuable.About Stephanie: Ms. Stephanie Watroba started working at Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter Public School in 2013 as a physics teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics with a minor in Mathematics from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and is a proud member of Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics honors society. She has held the titles of math team leader, science team leader, and teacher of the year in her prior years at BART. She currently teaches physics, calculus, and pre-calculus. In her spare time, she enjoys video games, dungeons and dragons, horseback riding, and ballet.Connect & ShareGot a story to share? Does Stephanie’s story resonate? What’s your story of burnout? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158.Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisCo-Host: Joe JohnsonProducer: Jullian Androkae of <a target

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.comI’m on a roll with the boys-and-men-in-trouble theme here. My last rant dropped two weeks ago, on November 7th. It was about a bunch of youngish Republicans (all over 30 years old, apparently) who texted each other racist, misogynistic, anti-Semitic and generally hate-filled messages with evident glee. Today’s rant is about school-age boys and their rel…

Here is a guarantee: You will never hear an interview like this one anywhere else. Because it’s a family affair! A Holiday Family bonus episode of TTE! In which my beloved daughter and I chit-chat about basically the things that matter the most to us.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:* The Soul in Teaching: What it means to live (and teach) in a rigid system while staying in touch with your soul.* The Sin of Schooling: An interesting definition of “sin” and how traditional education encourages it.* The Benefits of Hating: Why feeling hatred isn’t inherently wrong.* The Divine Nature of Teaching: How spirituality shows up in the messy, everyday moments of teaching.And much, much more. Listen to the very end where Mae gives us an assignment and I invite you to share your work right here in the comments:For my non-teachers out there: The topics in this episode aren’t limited to teaching. I mean, souls? sin? hatred? the divine? Who wouldn’t want to listen in? If you do, thank you. As always.Note: A regular TTE podcast episode will not drop next Thursday because it is, of course, Thanksgiving. The next regular episode will appear in your inboxes the following Thursday, December 4th. And it’s a(nother) good one! About burnout! Be sure to tune in!Have a loving Thanksgiving.Connect & ShareGot a story to share? Has a system ever asked you to compromise your soul? Or have you had a moment of “organismic learning” where everything just clicked? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisCo-Host: Joe JohnsonProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionAudience Development: Andreea Coscai of PodVisionMusic: Tom Burris/Jabbe

This episode is really fun because the teacher whose story we wrestle with, Donna, is actually in the virtual studio with us! What you get to hear is a simulation of a (very small) Teacher Support Group where Joe and I ask the types of questions we would ask in a real TSG and work with the data Donna’s answers provide. Listening will bring you into the world of TSGs, where teachers and I get to unpack difficult experiences with curiosity, compassion, and perspective-changing psychodynamic insights! Wahoo!!!Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:- The Anatomy of Sarcasm: What is a student actually saying when they use sarcasm? (You won’t want to miss Joe’s analogy)- Transference in the Classroom: How students use teachers as proxies for their parents and why their anger might not actually be about you.- Healthy Detachment: Why detaching from hurtful experiences doesn’t mean you “don’t care”.- The "Bulletproof" Teacher: Should teachers be expected to have thick skin?- The Urge for Revenge: The human desire to "get back" at a difficult student and how to redirect that energy.Connect & ShareGot a story to share? Has a student’s sarcasm ever gotten to you? Do you have a story you’d like us to unpack in an episode? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158.Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisCo-Host: Joe JohnsonProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionAudience Development: Andreea Coscai of PodVisionMusic: Tom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

Yep, I’m biased: I am certain that teaching is spiritual. Not because teachers need to be religious but because the tasks of teaching human beings require heart-based skills: faith, care, love, “unconditional positive regard for difference” — skills that do not necessarily come naturally all the time and therefore demand care and attention themselves.In this episode, I explore this question and others with Mark Longhurst, an inspiring pastor, writer, and publications manager for Richard Rohr’s Center for Action and Contemplation. Together, we explore how to view teaching (and parenting) not just as a task list, but as a spiritual practice.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:Flowing with Chaos: How to stay grounded when the classroom (or home) feels out of control.The “Holy Ordinary”: Why the most mundane moments hold the most spiritual weight.Detachment for Connection: The paradox of detaching from our “teacher identity” to develop healthy attachment with students.Somatic Teaching: The importance of bringing a “settled body” into the classroom.Sacred Spaces: The benefits, and perils, of viewing your classroom as holy ground.External Linksthe holy ordinary by Mark Longhurst (Substack)The Holy Ordinary: A Way to God (Book)My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa MenakemFierce Love: A Bold Path to Ferocious Courage and Rule-Breaking Kindness that Can Heal the World by Dr. Jacqui LewisConnect & ShareGot a story to share? Where are you on your spiritual journey? How do you notice and celebrate the holy ordinary in your everyday life? How do you make your classroom a sacred space? Leave us a message! 413.239.4158. This is an underappreciated perspective on teaching (and living). We’d love to share your wisdom!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [

Have you ever sat in a staff meeting that felt like a total waste of time? Just endless complaining and blame? What if that chaos wasn’t just “bad behavior” but a clue to the entire school’s dysfunction?This episode takes us back to a Teacher Support Group I led over a decade ago at a school steeped in chaos. What seemed like an unproductive, blame-filled space was actually an unconscious mirror of the school’s deep dysfunction—a fascinating concept called parallel process. Joe and I examine how systemic issues infiltrate individual classrooms and what teachers can do to cultivate a healthy learning environment against incredible odds.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:The “Parallel Process”: How your staff meetings and support groups unconsciously mirror the wider school culture.Recognizing Dysfunction: What actually makes a school’s “holding environment” chaotic?The Blame Game: Unpacking the gendered patterns of blame that show up when systems break down.Reclaiming Your Classroom: Empowering strategies to build a safe space for learning, even when the school around you feels like a dumpster fire.Work in a toxic office? For my non-teachers out there: The dynamics of group behavior, the impact of leadership, and the power of individual action within a dysfunctional system apply far beyond school walls.Connect & ShareGot a story to share? I know there is a lot of toxicity out there. Everywhere. But definitely in schools. If you’ve got an example to share, leave us a message about it. 413.239.4158. We’d love to talk about it on the air, totally confidentially, so other teachers can hear, at the very least, that they’re not alone.Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisCo-Host: Joe JohnsonProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionAudience Development: Andreea Coscai of PodVisionMusic: Tom Burris/<a target="_blank" href="https://jabberingtrout.com/

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.comHappy World Mental Health Day! Given that we’ve got 24 hours to focus on mental health the world over, I thought I’d offer a bonus episode for TTE’s paid subscribers. This one celebrates the day by sharing a story of an unbelievably dysfunctional school administration. A story that might sound sadly familiar to some of you.But it’s not just a story of dysfunction! This episode offers suggestions for busting through the bullshit in which mentally unwell administrators can steep their employees. You might have a wacko running your school, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do something.You’ll hear me* define “defensiveness” and “aggression” in ways that might surprise you* suggest ways to address accusations that are meant to shut you down* talk about scapegoats in schools* offer some advice to assholes

“Accountability.” It’s a buzzword that usually makes educators tense up, fearing punishment or judgment. But what if holding someone accountable was actually an act of care?In this episode, I chat with two phenomenal leaders from a unique Vermont town academy: Meg Kenny, Associate Head of School, and Jen Hyatt, Academic Dean. We hear about their journeys to senior administration, daily challenges, and the fine balance between accountability and human connection. Listen for a real conversation about how to build thriving school cultures.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:Culture over Compliance: How to cultivate real belonging, care, and trust in a school setting.“Bad” News: The power (and necessity) of giving honest, negative feedback without shame.Gender & Leadership: Navigating gender dynamics in school administration.Leading with Love: Why courage and presence are better tools than control.Hate Conflict? For my non-teachers out there, you can hear two good humans talk about having difficult conversations in effective, honest, caring ways.Connect & ShareGot a story to share? I know there is a lot of conflict-avoidance out there! Holding anyone accountable, holding the line, can be scary because we fear the consequences. People will consider us rude or bossy or controlling or mean. We won’t be liked. If you’ve had a negative experience with holding someone at your school (or any other place) accountable, leave us a message about it. 413.239.4158. Or share a positive experience you’ve had. We can play it on the air — confidentially — and maybe add a comment or two that might be helpful.Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]External linksBennington CollegeJoin me on Substack: Teaching Through Emotions.CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisCo-Host: Joe JohnsonProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionAudience Development: A

Do you feel guilty when you get annoyed at a fellow teacher or student? Do you label yourself as “too judgmental” when, actually, you just want personal space?In this co-hosted episode, Joe and I unpack a teacher’s struggle with feeling “too judgmental” after her classroom space was taken over. We explore how what seems like simple annoyance can reveal critical needs. We describe how a teacher moved beyond self-blame to embrace her emotions as signals that allowed for more intentional, connected teaching.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discussPsychology of Boundaries: Why personal space in a busy classroom isn’t just a preference, it’s a psychological need.Reframing “Judgment”: Why we mislabel valid annoyance as a character flaw.Failure: How to view conflict as data instead of a disaster.Overcoming Self-blame: The power of asking for what you need rather than internalizing the problem.Beyond the classroom? You don’t have to be a teacher to enjoy this episode! Too many of us turn our legitimate annoyance against ourselves. Hearing how someone (who happens to be a teacher) reframed her negative experience into open-hearted understanding is good for everyone!Connect & ShareGot a story to share? Ever had a moment when you might have misunderstood your feelings? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158. Joe and I can unpack it confidentially in one of our episodes and maybe, maybe offer a different and helpful perspective!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisCo-Host: Joe JohnsonProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionAudience Development: Andreea Coscai of PodVisionMusic: Tom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://www.teachingthroughemotions.com/

It is so fun to talk with kindred spirits! That’s what the inaugural episode of TTE’s Season 3 is: an interview with Jim and Story Leonard, founders of Coaching@Altitude and two extraordinary coaches who share a lot of wisdom and insight into the lives and worlds of school administrators (and, therefore, of teachers, students, and schools).Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:- The Boardroom: Why working with School Trustees and Boards can be emotionally draining and how to maintain distance during difficult meetings.- Energy Management: Managing your personal battery. How to identify which interactions are charging you and which are not.- Toxic School Cultures: How empathy can actually fuel toxicity if leaders are too scared to set boundaries.- Leading Through Conflict: Managing conflict between staff, parents, and administrators without taking the emotional hit yourself.- Senior Administration: Advice for those who feel the pressure to hold everyone else’s emotions.Even non-teachers will enjoy this discussion. Because managing relationships, being our best selves especially under conditions of stress, and getting life-changing support are relevant for everyone! I hope you like it — and…welcome to a new school year and TTE’s Season 3!!External LinksCoachability: The Leadership Superpower: thecoachableleader.comSaboteurs assessment: www.positiveintellience.com/saboteurs/Marita Fridjhon, relationship systems intelligence: crrglobal.comShirzad Chamine, positive intelligence: positiveintellience.comCoaching@Altitude: coachingaltitude.comGot a story to share? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.</p

Season 3 of Teaching through Emotions, a Women Who Podcast award-winner, begins in two weeks! Get ready for thought-provoking interviews, mind-bending discussions of difficult teaching moments, and pithy stories about teacher successes made possible by the invaluable psychodynamic perspective.And, starting this season, we’re eager to hear from you! Give us a call at 413.239.4158 and leave a message telling your own terrible teaching story. We’d love to put your voice on the air! And we’d love to think through your experience in hopes that it might help you and other teachers who are dealing with similar situations. That’s what we’re about here at TTE: working together to help teachers feel better. We can’t do it without you!We’re really excited about Season 3. To get a sense of all that you’re in for this year, listen to the trailer!CreditsFounder and host: Betsy BurrisCo-host: Joe JohnsonProducer: Jullian AndrokaeAudience development: Andreea CoscaiMusic: Tom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

Ever considered visualizing your entire teaching day before you even get to school? Thinking it can make it so! Ohm, baby!Joe and I cooked up this special episode just for you, dear listeners, as you move into another wonderful and stressful school year. We know that the first day back can be… well, lots of things. That’s why we cut right to it, offering quick, actionable ways to get your mind right, manage the classroom, and even understand those tricky student dynamics before the school year gets rolling. We’ve pulled some great ideas from our teaching friends, mixed in our own thoughts, and kept it short and sweet.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:* First Day Activities: Creative classroom icebreakers.* Self-Care Strategies: How to protect your energy during the high-stress transition back to school.* Managing Anxiety: Practical ways to handle the dread and Sunday scaries of the back-to-school season.* Psychodynamic Classroom Insights: Identifying the hidden emotional patterns and shenanigans in student-teacher dynamics.Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.For my non-teachers out there: Get some good tips on how to approach any new beginning. Self-care, planning, managing dread, applying psychodynamic wisdom — it’s all relevant to all of us all of the time!Got a story to share? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionAudience Development: Andreea Coscai of PodVisionMusic: Thom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with othe

But first: Introducing the TTE podcast as a winner of the 2025 Women Who Podcast Award!!We here at TTE are thrilled at this honor!! Especially since Season 3 is about to drop (September 4th) and we’re excited about all the great new content we’ll be sharing throughout the school year.And now for today’s terrific episode:I have always pooh-poohed Disney, mostly because of its wildly unrealistic (and interchangeable) animated princesses. But this podcast episode has, amazingly, caused me to reconsider.That’s because of an inspiring conversation from the Arts Educators Save the World podcast that we’re sharing today. It features L. Steven Taylor, who plays Mufasa in Broadway’s The Lion King, and Dr. Lisa Mitchell, Director of Education for Disney Theatricals. They discuss the profound impact of the Disney Musicals in Schools program.They share* how Disney Musicals in Schools trains teachers to put on a full-fledged (free) Disney musical* how students respond to the program, including performing for Broadway actors!* online resources available to support musical theater in schools* future visions for the Disney Musicals in Schools initiativeThe whole point of the Arts Educators Save the World podcast is to give listeners a peek into the profound impact mentors — that is, teachers — can have on students. In every episode, interviewers Erica, Alek, and Douglas find a student-mentor pair and interview them. On top of being interesting, each episode gives us all a chance to hear what teachers so rarely hear but so fulsomely deserve: how deeply influential they have been on students who went on to succeed in their chosen professions. (In this case, the arts.)Give it a listen!For my non-teachers out there: Hear how creative experiences can build confidence and collaboration among young people, far beyond academic subjects. And how easy and rewarding it is for adults (like teachers) to learn new tricks, like how to mount and direct a Disney musical!External LinksDisney Musicals in SchoolsArts Educators Save the World podcastCreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian AndrokaeAudience Development: Andreea CoscaiMusic: Tom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.(Me around the time of this interview. I haven’t changed a bit.)The interview took place in 2018, but it still perfectly captures the work I do and the reasons for it.We discuss:- Why Education: What called me into the world of education and what keeps me there.- Why Teachers and Administrators: Why I shifted my focus toward teachers and administrators for systemic change.- Schools as Holding Environments: Winnicott’s concept of “healthy holding environments” and how it applies to modern school culture.- Why My Book: The origin story of my book, The Feeling of Teaching and the message I needed the world to hear.- Ideal School: What my “ideal school” looks like.Leave a commentUhh! It’s all about me, but really it’s about my work. My great hope is that more and more teachers learn about and understand this work so they can get the support I know makes such a big difference in educators’ and students’ lives. If you feel like you or someone you know or your entire school needs help in teaching through their emotions, get in touch with me!Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.ShareExternal linkBetter Leaders Better SchoolsGot a story to share? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionAudience D

There are some good podcasts out there about education, but this one takes the cake. And the prize. (It has won a Top of the Rockies award from the Society of Professional Journalists and was nominated for an Ambie Award, which celebrates excellence in podcasting.) For your listening pleasure this summer, we’ve teed up Episode 5 of Those Who Can’t Teach Anymore. You’ll hear Charles and the people he interviewsdiscussing* the downsides of standardized testing* the upsides of process over product* the “tourist problem” in education* the intense irony of policies governing teachers and teaching* one of my favorite quotes ever, spoken by a state legislator (it’s in the intro)I chose this episode because, while I listened to it the first time, I kept saying, “Yes!!” “Right on!” and “Absolutely!!” So many of the points Charles and his guests make resonate with me, so I know they’ll resonate with you, too.I love this podcast on its own merit, but full disclosure here: Charles lives in Wyoming, and his podcast is centered on Wyoming. And Wyoming, dear readers, runs through my blood, as my father grew up there. Charles himself has visited the gas station and convenience store in Centennial where my dad actually lived and worked! (FYI, it’s called The Friendly Store now.) So I share this awesome episode with a heart full of fondness and pride.I hope you enjoy it!Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.External linksThose Who Can’t Teach Anymore Season 1Those Who Can’t Teach Anymore Season 2CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian AndrokaeAudience Development: Andreea CoscaiMusic: Thom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

In this special season finale, I sit down with Charles Fournier, creator of the award-winning podcast Those Who Can’t Teach Anymore. Charles is a teacher — a really good, creative, passionate teacher, from what I can tell! — whose insights about what drives teachers out of the profession and what keeps them in are interesting and often surprising.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:* Respect for Teachers: Unpacking the lack of respect for teachers and how it impacts mental health.* The Emphasis on Numbers: The psychological pitfalls of trying to reduce students to test scores.* What Is Teaching?: The tension between teaching the curriculum and engaging in real human relationships.* A Pattern: A surprising characteristic shared by many teachers who survive burnout.External LinksThose Who Can’t Teach AnymoreTeaching TexasTeaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Connect & ShareGot a story to share? What is the one thing keeping you in the classroom or the one thing pushing you to leave? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisCo-Host: Joe JohnsonProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionMusic: Tom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

This one’s about me, folks! Joe and I dissect a story from long ago in which I caved to my conflict aversion — and then doubled back to engage with the conflict. Because it felt just too awful to continue to avoid it! In addition to sharing the surprising outcome of my conflict engagement,We discuss:- Self-Erasure: Why avoidance leads to disappearing in your own classroom and how to reclaim your presence.- Power Grabs: Identifying the subtle (and not-so-subtle) power grabs.- Repairing: Moving past apologies to repair, the secret sauce for long-term classroom success.- Parallels: How the dynamics between administrators and teachers are mirrored (often unconsciously) in the relationship between teachers and students.- Group Work: Why we all secretly hate group work.For my non-teachers out there: Engaging with rather than avoiding conflict is a sure-fire way to strengthen any relationship — if you go about it with authenticity and clear boundaries. This episode relates to you, too!Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Got a story to share? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionMusic: Thom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

In this episode, I’m joined by Arthur Chiaravalli, an educator at the heart of an organization called Grow Beyond Grades. Arthur shares his deeply personal journey away from traditional grading, revealing how it can undermine learning, sideline classroom relationships, and lead to passivity and apathy. He also talks about how freeing it is to deep-six grades while focusing attention on meaningful, collaborative assessment — that is, on truly human-centered teaching.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:Grades as "Product Handcuffs": How focusing on the end result takes away the beauty of the learning process for both teachers and students.Grade-Chasing: Why even high-achieving students suffer from a lack of genuine engagement because of their focus on the GPA.Students’ Passivity: How to re-spark a sense of agency in a classroom where "Will this be on the test?" has become the go-to question.Reclaiming the Narrative: Who gets to tell the story of a student's growth?Practical Steps to "Ungrading": How to start small and grow beyond grades in your own classroom.External LinksExplore resources and stories at growbeyondgrades.org.Connect & ShareGot a story to share? Would you ever go grade-less? I’d love to hear your grading horror stories or successes. Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and let’s keep this conversation going!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisCo-Host: Joe JohnsonProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionAudience Development: Andreea Coscai of PodVisionMusic: Tom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers

This is another episode in our inadvertent series on teachers who handle badly behaving classes in novel ways! This time Pamela brings her wrath at a class of all boys to a Teacher Support Group and, after exhibiting her own resistance to different interpretations, decides to try something she would never have tried if left to her own devices.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:* Neglectful Parenting: Understanding how different home environments manifest as disruptive school behavior.* “Revenge Fantasies”: Exploring the psychological relief, and the hidden traps, of wanting to punish difficult students.* Your Reputation: The perils of fusing one’s reputation as a teacher to the behavior of one’s students.* From Wrath to Calm Action: Practical psychodynamic techniques to transform teacher anger into productive classroom leadership.* Draining the Emotional Swamp: Finding the right professional support to recover from burnout and return to your better self.Got a story to share? I’d love to hear your story of a class’s abominable behavior towards a sub or anyone else! Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionMusic: Thom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

Thinking about self-care — and, importantly, figuring out how to be cared for — is always good for every teacher any time. In this episode, I talk with Deb Calderara, a teacher who knows what it feels like to be completely overwhelmed. After facing burnout, a serious health crisis, and the confusing and exhausting pandemic, Deb had to figure out how to find strength and keep going, both for herself and her students.This conversation is about navigating those impossible moments and discovering unexpected ways to care for ourselves when it feels like there's no room.We discuss:* Commitment: The exact moment Deb decided to leave the classroom and the realization that brought her back with a new goal.* Introspection: How internal regulation and mindfulness were literal lifelines during a medical emergency.* Teacher Health: Why green juice and yoga aren’t enough. We unpack holistic wellness that considers the emotional labor of teaching.* Student Behavior: How shifting our internal state can lead to surprising behavior changes in students.* From Survival to Coaching: How Deb now uses her experience to help other educators build sustainable careers.Taking care of yourself isn't selfish; it's truly the foundation of resilient teaching. Better yet, being cared for by trusted colleagues and others can make all the difference in the world. And students' most challenging behaviors? They're often vital data points about their world, waiting for us to create the space to see them.Got a story to share? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionMusic: Thom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

In this episode, Joe and I unpack a classroom story from Siobhan, a special ed teacher working with high schoolers who grapple with big emotions — by acting out in big ways. What happened when her students broke a deal they made? How did Siobhan handle it? (It wasn’t pretty, at first! But then it got, well, amazing.)Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:Decoding Student Behavior: Understanding what “insufferable” behavior is actually communicating about student needs.Teacher Self-Blame: How to stop the cycle of obsessive guilt and insomnia after a hard day in the classroom.Creating a "Holding Environment": The psychological secret to a stable, regulated classroom management style.Reframing Teacher Regret: Why the moments you regret might actually be signs of professional strength and growth.Navigating Difficult Conversations: How to talk frankly with your students about negative classroom dynamics and reset the energy.Got a story to share? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionMusic: Thom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

In this episode, I sit down with an old and dear friend, Sarah Becker, who has been teaching students and teachers and directing at the early childhood level for years. We discuss a topic that has always fascinated me (ever since I met Sarah and saw her in action): What do early childhood educators know that the rest of us don’t? What can teachers at the elementary through graduate levels afford to learn from early childhood teachers?Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:* Essential Foundations: The foundations of early childhood education and why they are essential for human development.* General Applications: How to successfully apply preschool strategies to older students (yes, even in high school and grad school!).* Project-Based Learning: The power of an innovative, project-based curriculum driven by student curiosity.* Professional Love: Unpacking this brilliant concept and its relevance to teachers’ safely and effectively caring for students.External Links:Prospect CenterProspect Center’s descriptive processemergent curriculumVivian Paley You Can’t Say You Can’t PlayTuvan throat singingmentalizationbeing alone in the presence of mother (another)Carol Garboden Murray Illuminating CareJools Page professional lovePaolo Freire and the banking metaphor of educationrestorative practice

In this first episode of the second season of Teaching through Emotions, my co-host Joe and I tell a story about a cheater in a class taught by someone who can’t stand cheating. Our psychodynamic take on the story might surprise you.Listen now on **Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or **wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:* The Need to Cheat: The outrageous lengths one student went to in order to cheat.* Dealing with Disgust: Validating the infuriating feelings that come with being manipulated.* Motivations: A psychodynamic look at what is hiding beneath the student’s behavior.* It Takes Two to Tango: Understanding the teacher’s unconscious contributions to the dynamic and how to shift them without taking on unnecessary guilt.Connect & ShareGot a story to share? Have you dealt with an outrageous cheater, or someone who tried to emotionally manipulate their way out of trouble? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisCo-Host: Joe JohnsonProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionMusic: Tom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

Today Julia, a former school leader, joins the TTE classroom. She recounts the evolution of her leadership style and why so many school cultures are in crisis. Finding herself overwhelmed by student chaos and employee turnover, Julia implemented a merit-demerit system to regain control. It became clear fairly quickly that this top-down approach suppressed student voice and damaged relationships. What happened next? Listen to find out!Listen now on **Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or **wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:* The Problem-Solver Trap: Julia’s early days as an administrator and why she initially felt the need to fix everything alone* The Paradox: How top-down, discipline systems can bring a short-term illusion of control while damaging long-term student-teacher relationships* Embracing Vulnerability: The terrifying step of admitting you don’t have all the answers* Accountability: Why real accountability isn’t found in a book but in the emotional intelligence of listening to the communityGot a story to share? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode! It’s quite possible I can help relieve you from unnecessary suffering. Only a click away.Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionMusic: Thom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

Today, Kristabel Stark joins the TTE classroom. She is a researcher specializing in teacher emotions and teacher burnout. Kristabel highlights how educators are constantly performing emotional labor and regulating their personal feelings, which can be hard work. As an expert, she switches the conversation from feelings as burdensome to data that educators can use.Listen now on **Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or **wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:* Teacher Isolation: Why the hero teacher narrative is harmful and prevents educators from asking for support* Systemic Change: Advocating for a school culture defined by collective vulnerability rather than self-sacrifice* Emotions as Data: A look at how educators can stop looking at their feelings as a burden and start using them as valuable information* Burnout: How the performance of professionalism can end in exhaustionGot a story to share? Ever been burned out? Tell me about it! Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode! It’s quite possible I can help relieve you from unnecessary suffering. Only a click away.Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionMusic: Thom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

Today, Erica Young joins the TTE classroom. She’s an award-winning practitioner in the restorative classroom: a therapeutic environment designed for students with severe social-emotional needs. She tells the story of Helen, a withdrawn student who “came back to life” as a result of Erica’s strategies — none of which are based on disciplinary measures.Listen now on **Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or **wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:* The Restorative Classroom: Moving away from traditional discipline to a therapeutic environment* Psychodynamics: Why standard reward systems often fail students with deep-seated trauma and how empathic attunement offers a better path* Teacher Strategies: A breakdown of complex psychoanalytic concepts such as metabolizing feelings and projective identification* Preventing Burnout: How providing teachers with theoretical training and collaborative, supportive spaces can save careers and student resultsGot a story to share? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode! It’s quite possible I can help relieve you from unnecessary suffering. Only a click away.Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionMusic: Thom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

Today we’re in my classroom! Like many people, I used to feel the urge to control and fix every difficult conversation. In this episode, you’ll hear what happened when I leaned back instead of leaning in: genuine curiosity and psychological findings.Listen now on **Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or **wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:* Wu Wei: Applying the ancient philosophy of non-doing* Control: How the need for control shuts down the growth we’re trying to encourage* Grandiosity vs. Curiosity: How to recognize when your professional boundaries are blurring and how to shift back* The Parallel Process: Why the way a leader holds space for teachers is exactly how teachers can eventually hold space for their students* Collective Wisdom: Trusting that the group or the classroom has the answers — if the leader provides the silence necessary to find themGot a story to share? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode! It’s quite possible I can help relieve you from unnecessary suffering. Only a click away.Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionMusic: Thom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

Today, we’re in two teachers’ classrooms. In this episode, they make sense of their feelings of overwhelmedness and confusion. Seems as though feeling overwhelmed has become a trademark of the teaching profession. And confusion? Why do our students do what they do (or not do what they don’t do)? So much that happens in classrooms these days doesn’t make sense!Listen now on **Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or **wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:* The Trademark of Teaching: The chronic feeling of being overwhelmed and why it has become so prevalent in the school system* The Power of Imagination: How a creative perspective can unlock new ways of looking at teaching and learning* Problem Solving: Examples of how to approach confusing student behaviors* Assumptions: The hidden beliefs we develop about students and how they can cloud judgmentGot a story to share? What overwhelms you? What confuses you? I’d love to hear! Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode. It’s quite possible I can help relieve you from unnecessary suffering.Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionMusic: Thom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

Today we’re in Jenny’s classroom. Her lesson was completely derailed after one student’s surprising accusation. It turned her regular day into AFGO (Another F*ing Growth Opportunity). Switching her mindset from looking at this as a personal failure to psychodynamic understanding changed everything for her and the classroom.Listen now on **Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or **wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:* Your Emotional Bedrock: Understanding your personal vulnerabilities to prevent stress and an identity crisis* The “Felt Sense”: Using your physical and emotional reactions to a student’s behavior to figure out their unmet needs* Contain the Anxiety: Learning how to provide the supports students need to feel secure enough to learnGot a story to share? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode! It’s quite possible I can help relieve you from unnecessary suffering. Only a click away.Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionMusic: Thom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

Today we’re in Leona’s classroom. She’s a science teacher with an unpredictable student. He has outbursts and she’s had it. Together, we unpack how she can repair their connection by reading his defiant reactions — and threat of violence — as a need for attachment.Listen now on **Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or **wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:* The Academic Trap: Why focusing just on content during a behavioral crisis can actually escalate student anxiety and lead to teacher burnout* Misinterpreted Cues: Differentiating between defiance and anxiety-driven outbursts* The Developmental Perspective: How looking at a student as their emotional age changes how we respond to conflict* Hostility: Understanding that anger might be a call for connection, not a personal attack* Repairing Connections: Practical steps for establishing a safe, productive relationship after a classroom blow-upGot a story to share? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode! It’s quite possible I can help relieve you from unnecessary suffering. Only a click away.Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionMusic: Thom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

This is a story of conflict between two colleagues — something that might be familiar to you, dear listener. And it’s a story of self-awareness, owning your shit, and repair. Things that might not be as familiar (though I hope they are). This story is about a teacher, but any human being can benefit from listening. How many of you have hung up on a colleague (or wanted to)? How many of you have been hung up on? (That would be me. Not pleasant.) It’s a jam-packed story.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:* Anxiety vs. Intentions: Why high stress can mess up your best intentions.* Grandiosity vs. Resentment: Understanding the psychological connection between feeling undervalued and experiencing workplace rage.* Emotional Voids: Identifying the void fillers we use when professional support systems break down.* Power Struggles: Why “power struggles” are rarely about what’s at hand.Got a story to share? I’d love to hear your story of a conflict with a colleague. They’re normal but can be so distressing! Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionMusic: Thom Burris/Jabbering TroutTeaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

Today we’re in Penelope’s classroom. She’s dealing with a disruptive student that she just can’t get a read on. We unpack how unconscious communication through students’ negative behavior can be a blessing in disguise and what to do with it.Listen now on **Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or **wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:* The Teacher’s Lounge: Why storytelling is a tool for navigating difficult emotions and preventing burnout* The Gift of Behavior: How negative student actions can be reinterpreted as gifts that signal deep-seated needs* Trauma vs. Understanding: Moving out of a reactive survival state into a space where you can apply psychological theory to classroom conflict* Reframing: Strategies to stop taking student outbursts personally and start seeing them as pleas for careGot a story to share? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode! It’s quite possible I can help relieve you from unnecessary suffering. Only a click away.Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionMusic: Thom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

Today we’re in Veronica’s classroom. Veronica is exhausted and ready to quit today. Her students are resistant to the book she’s teaching and she’s completely depleted of energy, disengaged and detached. How can she turn this around? What if the secret isn’t more control but a shift in how she looks at relationships?Listen now on **Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or **wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:* The Teaching Triangle: Understanding the three-way relationship that defines every learning environment* Aikido: How to stop resisting negative energy and instead flow with it* Relational Engagement: Why protecting yourself by checking out actually leads to faster burnout than leaning into connection* Harnessing Energy: Practical ways to use student resistance for deeper learningGot a story to share? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode! It’s quite possible I can help relieve you from unnecessary suffering. Only a click away.Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionMusic: Thom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

Today, we’re in Lawrence’s classroom. He’s a seasoned teacher whose instruction was being challenged by a student, Edward. Lawrence’s buttons were constantly being pushed! Which meant he got defensive and sarcastic. How did he turn this around? Listen to hear how Lawrence used his triggers to understand his underlying vulnerabilities, starting with a fear of not knowing.Listen now on **Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or **wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:* Identifying Triggers: How to recognize when a student’s behavior is mirroring a teacher’s hidden vulnerabilities* Making the Flip: A strategy to turn reactionary anger into compassionate understanding of a student’s underlying insecurity* Embracing Vulnerability: How admitting we don’t have all the answers can lead to more fulfilling and genuine teacher-student connections* Building Communities: Why having a safe space for educators to process intense emotional moments without judgment can really helpGot a story to share? Has your button ever been pushed by a student? I’d love to hear your story! Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode! It’s quite possible I can help relieve you from unnecessary suffering. Only a click away.Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionMusic: Thom Burris/Jabbering Trout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

Today we’re in Sally’s classroom. She loves hands-on learning and has a high tolerance for “squirreliness,” but what happens when squirreliness turns into outright chaos? One thing that happened for Sally was merciless self-blame that was so intense she actually considered quitting teaching. Sound familiar?Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:* Systemic Failure vs Guilt: Understanding why “squirrely” behavior can be a result of the environment instead of a teacher’s lack of skill or a student’s lack of character* Finding Common Ground: Strategies for aligning teacher expectations with student reality* Behavior Communication: Unpacking the “why” behind the fidgeting, talking back, and disengagement* Defining the Space: How to create a classroom that feels safe and predictable enough for high energy* Radical Empathy: Why emotional and structural “hugging” is the solution to a fractured classroomGot a story to share? As always, scan your body for sources of sadness, frustration, anger, and fear in your teaching. Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode! It’s quite possible I can help relieve you from unnecessary suffering. Only a click away.Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionMusic: Thom Burris/Jabbering TroutTeaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

Ever feel like you’re doing all the work in a co-teaching setup? Rachel, a passionate social studies teacher, struggles with Edmund’s “old-school” ways. His fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants approach leaves Rachel overcompensating and bubbling with resentment. What can she do to right the balance?Listen now on **Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or **wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:* Co-Dependency: Why fitting together too perfectly can actually create an unhealthy dynamic that prevents professional growth* Relational Patterns: Four different maladaptive relational patterns teachers can fall into* Understanding Grandiosity: What “negative grandiosity” means (and what “positive grandiosity” means. Hint: It’s not good)* The Relational Signal: Why resentment isn’t a “bad emotion” to be suppressed, but a data point warning you about imbalance* The Consequence: How “filling the void” actually prevents your partner from ever stepping up, letting them remain passive while you burn outGot a story to share? Team-teaching adds a layer of work to an already difficult job. When it’s not going well, it can be debilitating. If you’re grappling with a tricky team-teaching situation, leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionMusic: Thom Burris/Jabbering TroutTeaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

It’s mid-terms. Students are panicked; they need extra help. If you’re a college instructor, you open up more office hours so you can assuage students’ anxiety. Students sign up but don’t show up. GRRRRRRR!!!This episode features Robin, an extremely busy professor (like most teachers!) who got really mad when some students blew off the appointments they (voluntarily) signed up for. And didn’t contact her to explain why! How should she deal with this blatant inconsiderateness? What could she do with her insistent anger and disappointment? How did her Teacher Support Group help her turn it around?Listen now on **Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or **wherever you get your podcasts.We discuss:* The Trigger: Identifying exactly which boundary or value was poked when a student rolled their eyes or ignored an assignment* The Illusion of Authority: Understanding that demanding respect drives it away and how composure shifts the power dynamic in your favor* Reality Check: Remembering that student behavior is not an attack against your character* Filtering the Emotions: How to quiet the internal noise and swirl of emotions to find the real issueGot a story to share? If you’re feeling terrible about yourself because of stuff your students are doing (or not doing), I’d love to hear about it. Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode!Support the Show: If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Get full access to the community: [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionMusic: Thom Burris/Jabbering TroutTeaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_