Teaching through Emotions: psychological strategies and resources for educators

Betsy Burris, PhD, MSW - Psychodynamic Coach & Education Expert

Teaching through Emotions is a Women Who Podcast award-winning podcast that provides a rare form of relief for educators. Hosted by Betsy Burris PhD, teacher educator and psychotherapist, the podcast looks at bad feelings and bad behavior as meaningful and useful. Through a psychodynamic lens, she unpacks how emotions influence student behavior and teacher mental health. If you’re struggling with classroom management, feeling the weight of burnout, or dealing with the "bad feelings" that come with high-stakes teaching, TTE offers the psychological strategies, tools, and resources you need to stay grounded. You also get to hear beyond-surface-level tips and unique takes during interviews with remarkable experts. Join us twice a month as we explore psychodynamic teaching, effective classroom management, strategies for teacher support and mental health, and authentic conversations about the guilt, judgment, and joy of teaching. Co-hosted by Joe Johnson, long-time Spanish teacher. 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. Transforming fear into success. Who doesn't want to?

    5D AGO

    Transforming fear into success. Who doesn't want to?

    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 week 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 links The Bad Therapist Show What Your Therapist Thinks The Bad Therapist coaching page Jeremy Enns Guanyin 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

    56 min
  2. JAN 22

    Meowing in class? What the hell do you do with that?

    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 axiom Share 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. 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

    54 min
  3. AI in schools? Ugh. It's here whether we like it or not.

    JAN 8

    AI in schools? Ugh. It's here whether we like it or not.

    God, I hate AI. And I love this interview. Jesse Dukes, producer of the magnificent podcast on AI in schools called The Homework Machine, discusses 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 * multiple “disruptions” in schools (not just AI) * how teachers are responding (and could be) to AI * the shocking reality of how districts are responding to AI * how students are responding to AI (you might be surprised) — and why For our non-teacher teachers: Hear Jesse’s wisdom: If you want to feel hopeful, talk to a teenager. Right on!! External links Rand report: “AI Use in Schools Is Quickly Increasing but Guidance Lags Behind” Stanford article: “Cheating: The AI Elephant in the Classroom” Teaching Systems Lab, MIT Teach Lab podcast The Homework Machine 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

    56 min
  4. Facing an angry parent? Here's how one teacher handled it

    12/18/2025

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

    12/05/2025

    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
  6. Meet my favorite student teacher: my daughter Mae!

    11/20/2025

    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
  7. Sarcasm stings. How can teachers defuse the impact?

    11/13/2025

    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
4.7
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Teaching through Emotions is a Women Who Podcast award-winning podcast that provides a rare form of relief for educators. Hosted by Betsy Burris PhD, teacher educator and psychotherapist, the podcast looks at bad feelings and bad behavior as meaningful and useful. Through a psychodynamic lens, she unpacks how emotions influence student behavior and teacher mental health. If you’re struggling with classroom management, feeling the weight of burnout, or dealing with the "bad feelings" that come with high-stakes teaching, TTE offers the psychological strategies, tools, and resources you need to stay grounded. You also get to hear beyond-surface-level tips and unique takes during interviews with remarkable experts. Join us twice a month as we explore psychodynamic teaching, effective classroom management, strategies for teacher support and mental health, and authentic conversations about the guilt, judgment, and joy of teaching. Co-hosted by Joe Johnson, long-time Spanish teacher. 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

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