Teaching through Emotions: psychological strategies and resources for educators

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 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? 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 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

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 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

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. ShoreI and Thou by Martin BuberCarol mentions other thinkers without specifying publications. If you’re curious about any of them, get in touch and I’ll ask Carol for links.Connect & ShareGot a story to share? Is "Professional Love" a term you've used in your school? Or does the idea of "Radical Love" feel a bit too intense for the classroom? 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/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

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 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 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 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 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 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 Valentine’s Day. Wow! What a love-ly gift!!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

"God, I hate AI." If that’s your first thought when you hear "ChatGPT” you are not alone. It’s like a drunk guy crashed a party, and no one knows how to get him to leave.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 response: The shocking reality of how school districts are (or aren't) handling the AI wave.The kids are alright: 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 prefer, so others can gain from your thoughts.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

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]CreditsFounder and Host: Betsy BurrisCo-Host: Joe JohnsonProducer: Jullian Androkae of PodVisionAudience Development: Andreea Coscai of PodVisionMusic: Tom Burris/Jabbering TroutThanks so much for listening.Happy holidays, everyone! 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 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 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

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/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 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: [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

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/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 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.The art of “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: 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

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 a 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.We discuss* The importance of personal boundaries in a busy classroom* Why we mislabel our annoyance as "being judgmental"* How conflicts are not “failures”* The power of asking for what you need rather than internalizing blameYou 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!Got a story to share about a moment you felt you might have misunderstood your feelings? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158. Joe and I can unpack it in one of our episodes and maybe, maybe offer a different and helpful perspective!If this conversation resonated, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. Your feedback helps others find us.Credits:Founder 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