Teaching through Emotions

Betsy Burris
  • 4.6 (11)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Teaching through Emotions is a Women Who Podcast award-winning podcast that provides a rare form of relief for educators. Rare because it looks at bad feelings and bad behavior as *meaningful* and *useful*. We share stories of real-life terrible teaching moments, sprinkled with commentary and a ton of empathy, then show you how to transform those moments into happy endings. You also get to hear interviews with remarkable people about their unique takes on education. Created and hosted by Betsy Burris, PhD, teacher educator and psychotherapist. Co-hosted by Joe Johnson, long-time Spanish teacher. Episodes come out every two weeks. Get full access and become a paid subscriber to Teaching through Emotions at [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]. Listen to build up your psychodynamic muscles by hearing about other brave teachers’ wins when they thought nothing, NOTHING, would change. www.teachingthroughemotions.com

  1. Facing an angry parent? Here's how one teacher handled it

    DEC 18

    Facing an angry parent? Here's how one teacher handled it

    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 hate This 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! Credits Founder and Host: Betsy Burris Co-Host: Joe Johnson Producer: Jullian Androkae of PodVision Audience Development: Andreea Coscai of PodVision Music: 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

    52 min
  2. Burned out yet? Here's how one teacher dealt with it.

    DEC 5

    Burned out yet? Here's how one teacher dealt with it.

    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 burnout 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. * 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. * Credits Founder and Host: Betsy Burris Co-Host: Joe Johnson Producer: Jullian Androkae of PodVision Audience Development: Andreea Coscai of PodVision Music: Tom Burris/Jabbering Trout Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe

    50 min
  3. Boys and Emotions

    NOV 21

    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 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…

    2 min
  4. Meet my favorite student teacher: my daughter Mae!

    NOV 20

    Meet my favorite student teacher: 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 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 is 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: 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. Credits Founder and Host: Betsy Burris Co-Host: Joe Johnson Producer: Jullian Androkae of PodVision Audience Development: Andreea Coscai of PodVision Music: 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

    53 min
  5. Sarcasm stings. How can teachers defuse the impact?

    NOV 13

    Sarcasm stings. How can teachers defuse the impact?

    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 superheroes Not 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 at 413.239.4158. Thanks for listening, as always. Credits Founder and Host: Betsy Burris Co-Host: Joe Johnson Producer: Jullian Androkae of PodVision Audience Development: Andreea Coscai of PodVision Music: 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

    43 min
  6. Is teaching spiritual? You bet your ass!

    OCT 30

    Is teaching spiritual? You bet your ass!

    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. How can teachers (hell, and parents and other caregivers) develop and sustain these skills amidst the chaos of everyday life? 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. We talk about teaching, parenting, and just living as a spiritual practice, how seeing the “holy ordinary” in daily classroom moments can activate deeper meaning and aliveness for teachers and students. 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 * Flowing with the chaos of parenting and teaching * Detaching from identities to promote healthy attachment * The benefits and perils of viewing the classroom as a sacred space * Embracing the quest for aliveness in teachers and students * The importance of “settled bodies” in classrooms For my non-teachers out there: The “holy ordinary” is everywhere! Where can you tune into it in your own lives? What keeps you from it? Got a story about your own holy ordinary? Send me your thoughts: (413) 239-4158. If you found something valuable here, consider leaving a rating or review wherever you get your podcasts. And share this episode with your friends! All of it really helps. External Links the 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 Menakem Fierce Love: A Bold Path to Ferocious Courage and Rule-Breaking Kindness that Can Heal the World by Dr. Jacqui Lewis Credits Founder and Host: Betsy Burris Co-Host: Joe Johnson Producer: Jullian Androkae Audience Development: Andreea Coscai Music: 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

    46 min
  7. Can teachers change a toxic school?

    OCT 16

    Can teachers change a toxic school?

    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. 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 * how the group’s dynamic echoed the school’s wider culture of chaos * what makes school holding environments chaotic * a gendered pattern of blame * empowering strategies for teachers to cultivate healthy classroom cultures 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. Have a story about your school’s culture, or a time you navigated chaos? Share it with me: 413.239.4158. If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving a review or rating on your podcast app. It helps us reach more teachers! External Links teachingthroughemotions.com Credits Founder and Host: Betsy Burris Co-Host: Joe Johnson Producer: Jullian Androkae Audience Development: Andreea Coscai Music: Tom Burris/Jabbering Trout Thanks for reading Teaching through Emotions! This post is public so feel free to share it. 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

    53 min
  8. Can a school get any more dysfunctional than this?

    OCT 10

    Can a school get any more dysfunctional than this?

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.teachingthroughemotions.com 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 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

    5 min
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Trailer

4.6
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Teaching through Emotions is a Women Who Podcast award-winning podcast that provides a rare form of relief for educators. Rare because it looks at bad feelings and bad behavior as *meaningful* and *useful*. We share stories of real-life terrible teaching moments, sprinkled with commentary and a ton of empathy, then show you how to transform those moments into happy endings. You also get to hear interviews with remarkable people about their unique takes on education. Created and hosted by Betsy Burris, PhD, teacher educator and psychotherapist. Co-hosted by Joe Johnson, long-time Spanish teacher. Episodes come out every two weeks. Get full access and become a paid subscriber to Teaching through Emotions at [www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe]. Listen to build up your psychodynamic muscles by hearing about other brave teachers’ wins when they thought nothing, NOTHING, would change. www.teachingthroughemotions.com

Information

  • Creator
    Betsy Burris
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    41
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Betsy Burris
  • Show Website
    Teaching through Emotions

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