Shows / Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental Health
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental Health
*Teaching Through Emotions* is an award-winning podcast that helps teachers *feel* better and *teach* better. Hosted by Betsy Burris, PhD, teacher educator and psychotherapist, the show treats "bad" feelings and "bad" behavior as data, not problems. Through real-life stories, Betsy unpacks how emotions inform both student behavior and teacher burnout. If you’re struggling with classroom management, feeling the weight of burnout, or dealing with the "bad feelings" that come with high-stakes…
Episodes
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental Health“How can I deal with first-day anxiety?” Teacher Anxiety and Managing a Classroom with Confidence
When I first worked as a therapist in a local public mental health agency, I tended to wake up around 4 a.m. every workday. With the jitters. Or, more…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental Health”How do I not take rude students personally?” Teachers Setting Boundaries and Managing Guilt
Ah, rudeness. Most college professors do not expect it from their students (or from anybody). The hierarchy in colleges and universities is pretty clear, and…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental Health”First week of school and I’m drowning. Is this normal?” Managing Teaching Overwhelm and Stress
Welcome to Season 4 of Teaching through Emotions, a podcast about teacher mental health! We are excited to drop the first episode just a few days before World…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthSeason 4 is here!
Season 4 of Teaching through Emotions is about to drop (on October 1st)! And it’s different. Really different. In past seasons, I’ve shared teacher stories…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthSpecial Bonus: How I made friends with negative emotions, with Ande Lyons
Listeners! Ande Lyons, a wonderful, sparkling woman, recently interviewed me on her podcast Don’t Be Caged by Your Age. Ande asked me some great questions…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthThe Stress of Having a TA: Managing expectations
My friend Sarah is a bad ass. She is an incredibly good teacher and is assiduously responsible. In our initial episode about the difficulties of having a…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthWhere's Your Joy? Try the Joy Lab.
I tend to ask of my clients the question “Where’s the anxiety?” It’s a useful question because anxiety can be at the root of all kinds of bad experiences that…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthWhat teachers in the US and Madagascar have in common.
My producer, Jullian Androkae, did something unusual and remarkable when he was 19 years old: He opened a library in Bekitro, his ancestral village in southern…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthRestorative Practices in Schools: Why aren't they working?
It is so frustrating to me — and I think to a lot of educators — that the practices schools adopt that are meant to solve all their problems end up fading…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthSummer TTE Throwback: Rethinking assumptions about our negative emotions
So something happens that irritates you and you berate yourself for being too judgmental, eh? It might be time to rethink that judgment. Teaching through…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthEnding The School Year: Reviewing the state of education + TTE updates!
We knew it was going to happen even if we couldn’t imagine it: The school year is coming to an end. And so is Season 3 of Teaching through Emotions. Teaching…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthResistant to Joy? How to welcome and transform negative emotions
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthTo Care or To Detach? Finding the emotional balance in teaching
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthTeacher Observation Strategies: Can evaluations actually bring joy?
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthActively Hating Students: How to rebalance your classroom
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthToxic School? Diagnosing narcissistic organizations and changing school culture
This one’s for the leaders. In this episode, I talk with a most amazing psychotherapist and “Leadership Whisperer,” Jerry Fromm. Jerry does organizational…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthThe Frustrations of Having a Teaching Assistant: Managing the benefits and drawbacks
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthRadical Love: Rethinking care and professional love in the classroom
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthEgo in Teaching: What are the psychological benefits of having an ego?
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthFrom Fear to Success: Another podcaster’s journey
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthThe Meowing Student: Understanding weird behavior in the classroom
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthAre Robots Winning? Managing teacher anxiety over AI in schools
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthAngry Parents? How teachers can handle conflict
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthFrom Teacher of the Year to Burnout: A healing story
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthPSA Preview: Boys and Emotions
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com I’m on a roll with the boys-and-men-in-trouble theme here. My…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthRedefining Emotions in the Classroom, with my daughter Mae
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthStop Taking it Personally: Detaching from classroom conflict
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthZen Mode: How teaching is a spiritual journey (and why it matters)
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthTotal Dumpster Fire: Can teachers actually change a toxic school culture?
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”…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthBonus: Can a school get any more dysfunctional than this?
Happy 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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthDon't Blame Me! The psychology of holding educators accountable without shame
“Accountability.” It’s a buzzword that usually makes educators tense up, fearing punishment or judgment. But what if holding someone accountable was actually…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthHandling Teacher Guilt: Are you being too judgmental of yourself?
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?…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthThe Empathy Trap: When is compassion dangerous for school leaders?
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthGet ready for Season 3!
Season 3 of Teaching through Emotions, a Women Who Podcast award-winner, begins in two weeks! Get ready for thought-provoking interviews, mind-bending…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthBack-to-School: Stress-free first day tips for teachers
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthIntroducing...Arts Educators Save the World
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthWahoo! The origin story of Teaching through Emotions
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthIntroducing...Those Who Can't Teach Anymore
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthTeacher Burnout: The psychology of why teachers leave (and why they stay)
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthThe Cost of Being Nice: How avoiding conflict ruins trust
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthUngrading: Why traditional grades sidetrack learning
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthStudents Disrespecting Subs: A teacher's guide
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthBeyond Self-Care: Teacher wellness is a systemic issue
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthTeacher Guilt: Why your "worst" moments are strengths
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthPedagogy Basics: What educators can learn from early childhood teachers
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthSetting Boundaries: How this teacher navigated a cheater's emotional manipulation
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthNew Season Trailer
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
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthFrom Control to Collaboration: A school leader’s journey to vulnerability
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthEmotions as Data: Why teacher support needs a systemic change
Today, Kristabel Stark joins the TTE classroom. She is a researcher specializing in teacher emotions and teacher burnout. Kristabel highlights how educators…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthMetabolizing Trauma: Psychodynamic support for withdrawn students
Today, Erica Young joins the TTE classroom. She’s an award-winning practitioner in the restorative classroom: a therapeutic environment designed for students…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthThe Burden of Leading: A lesson in letting go
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthConfused and Overwhelmed: Finding clarity in the chaos of teaching
Today, we’re in two teachers’ classrooms. In this episode, they make sense of their feelings of overwhelmedness and confusion. Seems as though feeling…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthEmotions as Relational Data: Turning classroom conflicts into “AFGO”
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthStudents’ Attachment Needs: Understanding outbursts and repairing connections
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthWorkplace Conflict: When you snap at another teacher
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthUnconscious Communication: The hidden language of your classroom
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthWhen Students Aren't Cooperating: Here’s how to shift the energy
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthCompassion for De-escalation: Understanding teacher vulnerability and student insecurity
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthThe "Squirrely" Class: Why it’s not your fault (or your students’)
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…
Teaching through Emotions: Teacher Mental HealthThe Psychology of Co-Teaching: How to fix a toxic partnership
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…