Between Teacher and Self

Dr. Cathy White
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Education

Between Teacher and Self explores the relationship between who we are as people, who we become as teachers, and the experiences and systems that shape both. Over time, teaching can become intertwined with identity. We become the reliable teacher, the fixer, the one who can handle anything, the person everyone comes to, the teacher who always cares a little more or takes on a little more. Those identities can bring competence, purpose, connection, and success, but they can also shape what we believe we're allowed to need, refuse, question, or change. Hosted by educator and author Dr. Cathy White, Between Teacher and Self looks beneath familiar experiences in teaching to ask different questions: Why can setting a reasonable boundary feel like being a bad teacher? What happens when competence becomes part of your sense of self? Why can the same person thrive in one school and struggle in another? And how do you know which parts of your teaching identity are truly yours? This isn't a podcast about becoming a better, more productive, or more resilient teacher. It's a podcast about understanding the person inside the role, because the work shapes who we become and who we become shapes how we do the work.

Episodes

  1. Sep 27

    You’re Not Behind. Teaching Is Never Finished.

    Send us Fan Mail Do you ever feel like no matter how much you get done, you’re still behind? In this episode, I talk about why teaching can feel impossible to “finish” and how that constant unfinished work can start to feel like personal failure. I share a simple way I use to sort the workload into musts, shoulds, and coulds. I also talk about why it’s okay to rely on solid, basic teaching when your capacity is stretched. Every lesson does not have to be a banger. Every task does not deserve the same amount of you. I would love to hear from you! Tell me what resonated or what you would like to hear more about at betweenteacherandself.buzzsprout.com If you’re enjoying Between Teacher and Self, follow the show so new episodes appear automatically in your podcast app. You can also help more teachers find the show by rating or reviewing it and sharing an episode with someone who might recognize themselves in the conversation. Between Teacher and Self is hosted by educator and author Dr. Cathy White. 🌐 Learn more: drcathywhite.com The work shapes who we become, and who we become shapes how we do the work.

    You’re Not Behind. Teaching Is Never Finished.

  2. Sep 14

    Competence, Belonging, and the Bad Observation

    Send us Fan Mail Why can one bad observation stay with a teacher for years? Sometimes the problem isn’t the feedback itself. It’s what that feedback seems to say about who we are and whether we belong. In this episode of Between Teacher and Self, I explore how competence can become tied to belonging, why some criticism hits harder than others, and what happens when feedback starts to feel like a verdict on your identity. We’ll look at: Why the source of feedback mattersHow to separate the information from the verdictWhy relying on one source of competence can leave you vulnerableWhat it means to stop putting yourself on “permanent probation”If you’re still thinking about an observation, evaluation, or comment that shook your confidence, this episode may help you understand why. If you’re enjoying Between Teacher and Self, follow the show so new episodes appear automatically in your podcast app. You can also help more teachers find the show by rating or reviewing it and sharing an episode with someone who might recognize themselves in the conversation. Between Teacher and Self is hosted by educator and author Dr. Cathy White. 🌐 Learn more: drcathywhite.com The work shapes who we become, and who we become shapes how we do the work.

  3. Aug 30

    Redefining the “Good Teacher”: From Guilt to Grounded Choices

    Send us Fan Mail How examining our inherited rules helps us choose balance over burnout. In this episode, Dr. Cathy White unpacks the heavy guilt so many teachers feel when they choose their own needs over their work. Using a simple story about canceling a non‑required student meeting to walk her dog on a beautiful spring day, she explores how “shoulds,” internalized rules, and inherited ideas of what a good teacher does can quietly drive us toward burnout and self‑erasure. Dr. White explains the difference between healthy reflection and guilt‑driven rumination, introduces the idea of social “defaults” borrowed from Adam Grant’s Originals, and shows how unexamined norms in education keep teachers stuck in cycles of overwork and sacrifice. She offers a practical set of reflective questions to help you separate your values from other people’s expectations, recalibrate your standards, and reclaim your power to define what being a good teacher means for you at this stage of your life. Three Questions to Ask When You Feel Guilt or Shame What rule (spoken or unspoken) did I just break?Where did I learn that rule?Do I still believe that rule?Reflection Prompts When you last felt guilt or shame about a work decision: What rule did you feel you had broken?Where did that rule come from?Do you still believe it?What are three “shoulds” you carry about being a good teacher? Which of these genuinely align with your values?Which might just be inherited defaults?Considering your current capacity, role, and life circumstances: What needs to stay the same in your standards for yourself?What might need to loosen or change—at least for this season?Where might you be reinforcing harmful norms—by judging yourself or others for setting boundaries or saying no?What’s Coming Next: When Administrators’ Judgments Hit Your Identity Resources Free Values Map: tools.drcathywhite.com/values Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World Ground Before Growth Substack If you’re enjoying Between Teacher and Self, follow the show so new episodes appear automatically in your podcast app. You can also help more teachers find the show by rating or reviewing it and sharing an episode with someone who might recognize themselves in the conversation. Between Teacher and Self is hosted by educator and author Dr. Cathy White. 🌐 Learn more: drcathywhite.com The work shapes who we become, and who we become shapes how we do the work.

    Redefining the “Good Teacher”: From Guilt to Grounded Choices

  4. Trailer

    Between Teacher and Self Trailer

    Send us Fan Mail If you’re enjoying Between Teacher and Self, follow the show so new episodes appear automatically in your podcast app. You can also help more teachers find the show by rating or reviewing it and sharing an episode with someone who might recognize themselves in the conversation. Between Teacher and Self is hosted by educator and author Dr. Cathy White. 🌐 Learn more: drcathywhite.com The work shapes who we become, and who we become shapes how we do the work.

  5. Aug 16

    When Being Good at Your Job Becomes Who You Are

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when being a good teacher stops being something you do and starts becoming part of who you are? For years, I knew I was good at my job. I could teach, lead, present, solve problems, and handle difficult situations. Then I spent a year in an environment that slowly made me question all of it. In this first episode of Between Teacher and Self, I explore how competence becomes part of teacher identity, and what can happen when the feedback loop that once reinforced that identity suddenly changes. We’ll look at why one difficult school, a new administrator, a career transition, or even a new grade level can make an experienced teacher feel unexpectedly unsteady. We’ll also talk about the difference between skills, which can change depending on the environment, and values, which provide a much more stable foundation for who we are. You can still care about being a good teacher. The goal is to make sure teaching isn’t the only place your identity has roots. A question to think about after this episode: If you woke up tomorrow and were suddenly no longer good at teaching, who would you still be? If you want to explore that question more deeply, download the free Values Map to identify the values that belong to you and not just to your role as a teacher. 👉 Download the Values Map: tools.drcathywhite.com/values If this episode resonated with you, follow Between Teacher and Self so you don’t miss the next episode, where we’ll ask: Who decided what a “good teacher” looks like, and how much of that definition actually belongs to you? If you’re enjoying Between Teacher and Self, follow the show so new episodes appear automatically in your podcast app. You can also help more teachers find the show by rating or reviewing it and sharing an episode with someone who might recognize themselves in the conversation. Between Teacher and Self is hosted by educator and author Dr. Cathy White. 🌐 Learn more: drcathywhite.com The work shapes who we become, and who we become shapes how we do the work.

    When Being Good at Your Job Becomes Who You Are
  • 1 Trailer
    4 Episodes

Trailer

About

Between Teacher and Self explores the relationship between who we are as people, who we become as teachers, and the experiences and systems that shape both. Over time, teaching can become intertwined with identity. We become the reliable teacher, the fixer, the one who can handle anything, the person everyone comes to, the teacher who always cares a little more or takes on a little more. Those identities can bring competence, purpose, connection, and success, but they can also shape what we believe we're allowed to need, refuse, question, or change. Hosted by educator and author Dr. Cathy White, Between Teacher and Self looks beneath familiar experiences in teaching to ask different questions: Why can setting a reasonable boundary feel like being a bad teacher? What happens when competence becomes part of your sense of self? Why can the same person thrive in one school and struggle in another? And how do you know which parts of your teaching identity are truly yours? This isn't a podcast about becoming a better, more productive, or more resilient teacher. It's a podcast about understanding the person inside the role, because the work shapes who we become and who we become shapes how we do the work.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Cathy White
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Between Teacher and Self
  • Show Website
    Between Teacher and Self