Teaching through Emotions: psychological strategies and resources for educators

"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

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

“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

In this episode, I talk with 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.We talk about:* grades as handcuffs to products; how can we honor our students’ (and teachers’) processes?* the calamity of students who (for good reasons) simply chase the grade* the passivity that has taken over so many students and teachers* the question of who tells the story of student learning and how that story gets told* ways teachers can grow beyond grades in their own teachingWould you go grade-less or move beyond grades? Would you find it helpful or more challenging for your classroom?For my non-teachers out there: listen to a compelling vision of what your schooldays could have been like!External Links:Explore resources and stories at: growbeyondgrades.orgFind my podcast and writing at teachingthroughemotions.comTeaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Feel free to share this episode as well.Credits:Founder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian AndrokaeMusic: Tom Burris 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 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 to hear about* different types of neglectful parenting and the surprising ways they can manifest in a classroom* the joys — and limitations — of “revenge fantasies”* the perils of fusing one’s reputation as a teacher to the behavior of one’s students* how to turn wrath into calm, effective action* the type of support that can help teachers “drain the swamp” and bring their better selves back to the classroomI’d love to hear your story of a class’s abominable behavior towards a sub or anyone else! Just click on Share a Story on my Substack home page and write to your heart’s content. It’s totally confidential! And maybe we can work together to come to a completely unexpected understanding of your situation.Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Credits:Founder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian AndrokaeMusic: 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 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.)Joe and I discuss* why students might get “insufferable” in the first place and what they might be communicating* how to prevent obsessive self-blame that can lead to insomnia* what makes for a healthy “holding environment” in a classroom* how actions teachers regret might actually be signs of strength* how to talk frankly with students about classroom dynamicsI love this story, and I hope you do, too. If you’ve had a similar (or different!) experience, click Teaching through Emotions at the top of this page and then click Share a Story. You’ll get to me directly and confidentially.Got a thought you’d like to share? Please leave a comment!Know a teacher who could benefit from this teacher’s success story? You know what to do: share this episode and please leave a review!And, finally, subscribe to the show in your podcast app and on Substack: https://teachingthroughemotions.substack.com 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 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.* We retell the outrageous lengths our cheater went to.* We share the teacher’s visceral responses to the cheater.* We wonder where the cheater’s True Self is.* We clarify what the teacher’s contributions are and how she can change them.* We tell how the story ended after the teacher did some emotion work on the problem.* We suggest axioms teachers can take away from this example.Have you had a similar experience? Or maybe a different experience you’d love to share? Please leave a comment. Maybe I’ll contact you to do a podcast episode about YOU!Subscribe to my podcast and newsletter at teachingthroughemotions.substack.com, where you’ll find more stories and insights like this. Credits:Founder and Host: Betsy BurrisProducer: Jullian AndrokaeMusic: 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 talk about* navigating the guilt of making money and why women in particular can struggle with it* behind the scenes of how What Your Therapist Thinks reached the top of the podcast charts* managing the pressure of having a crazy successful podcast* strategies for overcoming fear and doing the things that scare you most* Felicia’s specific challenge to help you build your psychodynamic muscles this weekListen 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 EnnsGuanyinCreditsFounder 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 one’s from a while back about 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.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 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.This story is relevant to non-teachers, too, in that it encourages openness to but also curiosity about behavior that might seem weird but might actually be an unnervingly pointed cry for help. Which some of us are in positions to respond to — without being nefarious saviors!We discuss* nefarious saviors* furries and Joe’s and my amazingly limited knowledge of them* why students might actually court negative attention* doing aikido with super irritating students* the fine line between caring too much and not caring enough* Joe’s awesome alliterative axiomShare your thoughts! Leave a comment! Share this episode! Share a story of your own with us! 413.239.4158. We love hearing from you!And there's more…I’m so eager to hear from you that my team and I have put together a survey 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!!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 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 teachers go all nuclear on their children’s teachers.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.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!We discuss* what a ghost moose is* possible explanations for reprehensible Mama Bear behavior* why passionate (read “pissed-off”) parents are a gift* how to engage with people you want to hateThis episode is helpful for parents, too, 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.I would love to hear about a time when you had to deal with an irate person who was spewing on you. Leave a comment! Leave a voice memo on the TTE hotline! 413.239.4158. Be in touch!Thanks so much for listening.Happy holidays, everyone!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

From Teacher of the Year to burnout and depression to “the best year of school that I’ve ever done.” In this conversation, you’ll hear the story of physics and math teacher Stephanie Watroba’s dramatic journey through burnout — what it was like, why it happened, and how she got through it.It’s an informative and intense conversation.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 talk about* the ebb and flow of daily burnout* a possible meaning of negative talk in the teachers’ lounge* the role of the internal critic in burnout* warning signs of burnout* how to “make friends” with burnoutIt’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.* 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. *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

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 talk about* living attached to your soul* how school teaches us to sin* why hatred isn’t bad* how the divine works* what organismic learning isAnd 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:If you’re not a teacher and you look at the list above, you’ll agree that this conversation is relevant to everyone. I mean, souls? sin? hatred? the divine? organismic learning? 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.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.Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.We talk about* what sarcasm might mean (you won’t want to miss Joe’s analogy)* how students can use teachers as proxies for their parents* the “amazing” value of detaching from hurtful experiences* whether or not teachers should be “bullet proof”* managing the desire to get revenge* how teachers can be superheroesNot a teacher? This episode is for you, too. If you’ve been hurt by sarcasm yourself, our conversation with Donna will turn your head around.Got your own stories of student sarcasm? Of the surprising hurt? Of your effective — or, better yet, ineffective — response to it? Let us hear it! Call the TTE hotline at413.239.4158.Thanks for listening, as always.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

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)We talk about* working with senior administrators in independent schools (relevant for public school leaders, too)* working with school trustees!! (God, boards can be so difficult)* the energy model* combating toxic school cultures* managing interpersonal conflictEven 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.comCreditsFounder 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 other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

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.Know a teacher? They might appreciate your sharing these tips with them!You’ll hear about* creative approaches to the first day* self-care on and after the first day* what to do with dread* what psychodynamic shenanigans to look forTeaching 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!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