Teaching through Emotions: psychological strategies and resources for educators

Betsy Burris, PhD, MSW - Psychodynamic Coach & Education Expert
  • 4.3 (12)
  • Self-Improvement
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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. Resistant to Joy? How to welcome and transform negative emotions

    May 28

    Resistant 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 has a podcast called The Brave and Balanced Fundraiser (which shares psychodynamic wisdom on how to survive that difficult job). But now she’s a coach who helps people of all types live vital lives. (Her company is called Vitalist Coaching.) In this episode, Erin and I talk about our areas of overlap (hint: it’s a large region) and revel in our delight in talking about emotion work, healthy relationships, and the wisdom of psychodynamics. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. We discuss * Personality Types: Enneagrams and their usefulness in learning about ourselves * Somatic Knowing: Brain vs. body knowledge and the half-life of an emotion * Emotional Lives: How much emotion is allowed in a classroom? How can we manage big emotions? How can we turn difficult feelings into freedom and space to be real? * Definition of Self-Care: How dealing with negative emotions helps us fill up so we can be present and resilient * Nourishment Barriers: How are you resistant to joy and why is that bad for you? * How Does Burnout Work for You? Are you singing the burnout song with a chorus of colleagues? Connect & Share Got a story to share? How are you managing your emotions at this point in the school year? I’d love to hear! Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode! Or send me an email! betsy@teachingthroughemotions.com 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 links Enneagram HeartMath Institute Vitalist Coaching 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

    1h 22m
  2. To Care or To Detach? Finding the emotional balance in teaching

    May 14

    To 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 now working in higher education, we get to consider the downsides of caring, too. What if you’re not a particularly “squishy” person? What if you don’t want to be “in the shit” with your students all the time? What does caring look like for you? How does a natural inclination to detach serve you and your students? 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 such a fun and stimulating conversation! Applicable to anyone who, well, cares. I hope you enjoy it! Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. We discuss * Caring vs. Controlling: Sliding along the continuum between “squishy” teaching and detachment. * Alienation from Big Emotions: When students are joyous or chaotic, feeling outside of their world and not knowing what to do about it. * Students’ (and Teachers’) Psychological Needs: Do all students need or want to be seen? How can teachers love students who are causing them pain? * Setting Boundaries: When and how do you tamp down exuberance when students are “coloring outside the lines”? Where are those “magical lines” in the first place? Connect & Share Got a story to share? How do you balance care with detachment? How do you find and navigate the “magical line” between them? I’d love to hear! Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode! Or, if you’re a millennial and hate using the phone (like Rachel), send me an email! betsy@teachingthroughemotions.com 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 links Radical Love: Rethinking care and professional love in the classroom Pedagogy Basics: What educators can learn from early childhood teachers Dream Keepers: Comic Edition 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

    1h 1m
  3. Teacher Observation Strategies: Can evaluations actually bring joy?

    Apr 30

    Teacher 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 conversing with Craig Randall, founder of Trust-Based Observations and expert in the art of supporting teachers in improving their practice. We go “pretty dang deep,” as Craig put it. Which is good, because classroom observations are super important and are too rarely done well. Until now! Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. We discuss * Building Trust: The wisdom of focusing on accumulating “trust marbles” before offering suggestions for improvement * Strengths-Based Observations: The importance of battling the deficit mentality and emphasizing teachers’ strengths * Coaching vs. Fixing: How to short-circuit the typical fix-them orientation * The History of Teacher Observation: How we got here (hint: It’s partly A Nation at Risk’s fault!) Connect & Share Got a story to share? Tell me a story of a disastrous observation! Or tell me about one that made you glow with confidence and happiness. Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode! 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 Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. External links Trust-Based Observations (the book) Trust-Based Observation (the website) craig@trustbased.com EMDR: Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing 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. Actively Hating Students: How to rebalance your classroom

    Apr 16

    Actively 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 strong words. (Like “love,” for example.) Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. But people do hate. And when they hate irresponsibly, when they refuse to process that feeling and assume it has more to do with the object of their hatred than with themselves, they can do grave damage. In this episode, Joe and I talk with a wonderfully open, self-aware teacher, storyteller, and entrepreneur who also happens to be a good friend of mine, Hari Kumar. It’s a great story about hate, teaching, self-correction, and hope. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. We discuss Teacher Sarcasm: Why it might be a red flag for teacher burnout Teaching Philosophy: Hari’s four pillars of teaching, a pedagogical framework Cat Shit vs. B******t: Which one does a teacher want? Embracing “Almostness”: What to do with not knowing and how it can transform your student relationships Teaching Community: Thinking about the support systems teachers need Connect & Share Got a story to share? What do you hate? I’d love to hear! Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode! 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 links bell hooks Teaching to Transgress bell hooks Teaching Community Those Who Can’t Teach Anymore 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

    1h 10m
  5. Toxic School? Diagnosing narcissistic organizations and changing school culture

    Apr 2

    Toxic 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 consulting, which means he helps people figure out (as I put it) what the hell is happening psychodynamically within their walls — or within their societies! or countries! since he works with individuals and groups domestically and internationally as well. He does quite remarkable work and tells lots of fascinating stories in today’s conversation, stories that will make teachers and school leaders think differently about themselves and the school cultures they’re a part of. Many schools are rethinking their cultures. But I promise you: Jerry’s perspective will make you think in a way you could never have imagined. 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 discuss * The Clinical Is Missing: A simple and amazing definition of “clinical” makes Jerry’s (and TTE’s) psychodynamic work relevant to schools. * The Sentient Level of Organizations: How, in the psychological dynamics of systems, contagious unprocessed feelings define the school culture. * Playing Roles: Managing the “invitations flying around” all organizations to fit with others in familiar ways. * Different Types of Organizations: What are narcissistic organizations? What are dependent organizations? * The Power of Pictures: What drawing a picture of your organization with you in it can reveal. External Links For information on Group Relations Conferences and Leading from Experience, go to The Center for the Study of Groups and Social Systems. To get in touch with Jerry, email him at gerard.fromm@austenriggs.net. 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 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 Connect & Share Got a story to share? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode! 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] 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

    1h 1m
  6. The Frustrations of Having a Teaching Assistant: Managing the benefits and drawbacks

    Mar 19

    The 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 better. In theory, yes. In practice, having a TA or an adult helper can feel like having too many chefs in the kitchen. Because it’s another person to manage — and that person is more likely to have ideas of their own about how to teach and manage students. Ideas that might not dovetail completely with the lead teacher’s. Which means more work for the lead teacher to either orient that adult every day or clean up after them. Or both. In this episode, Joe and I talk with Sarah, a university Spanish teacher whose school has gifted her with a TA every semester for the past 10 years — and she’s still figuring out how to make the best use of the resource. 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 discuss * Mentoring TAs: Figuring out how to teach a teacher while simultaneously teaching students * Sharing Expertise: Co-teaching as a unique source of information and wisdom * Bridging Cultural Gaps: Managing a TA’s discomfort with your teaching style or philosophy * Overcoming Student Anxiety: Planning ways to encourage students to make use of a TA effectively It’s a really fun conversation! With a surprising axiom at the end that everyone should heed. Got a story to share? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode! 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] 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

    1h 1m
  7. Radical Love: Rethinking care and professional love in the classroom

    Mar 5

    Radical 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 youngest children, ages 0 - 5, and thinks a lot about what it means to teach and care for them. Early childhood education, care, and love are very dear to my heart. I know that teachers of young children have special skills and talents that teachers at all levels should consider and adopt. I hope this interview inspires you to think about and adopt them for yourself! Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. We discuss: - Caring for vs. caring about: Why “caring about” social justice or education is easy, but the actual, physical labor of fostering healthy development is where the real work happens. - The neuroscience of caring: How high-level empathy is a blend of neurological functioning and intuitive, creative practice. - Limits of caring: An honest look at what happens when caregiving stops being “beautiful” and starts being exhausting. - Professional Love: Defining a radical framework for love in the classroom that goes beyond “niceness.” External Links Carol’s Website Carol’s book, Illuminating Care: The Pedagogy and Practice of Care in Early Childhood Communities Mentioned in this episode TTE episode with Sarah Becker: Pre-school teachers have it right: Professional Love Caring: A Feminine Approach to Ethics and Moral Education by Nel Noddings The Real Wealth of Nations by Riane Eisler The Chalice and the Blade by Riane Eisler A Different Voice by Carol Gilligan Awakening the Inner Eye: Intuition in Education by Nel Noddings with Paul J. Shore I and Thou by Martin Buber Carol mentions other thinkers without specifying publications. If you’re curious about any of them, get in touch and I’ll ask Carol for links. Connect & Share Got a story to share? Is "Professional Love" a term you've used in your school? Or does the idea of "Radical Love" feel a bit too intense for the classroom? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode! 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] 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

    1h 8m
  8. Ego in Teaching: What are the psychological benefits of having an ego?

    Feb 19

    Ego 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 I dig into the tension between having self-regard (and being a little self-righteous) and maintaining amicable professional relationships. 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 discuss * Redefining Ego: Why the ego’s “bad rap” might be holding you back * Managing Self-Righteousness: Practical tips for keeping professional relationships right — when you’re right, goddammit. * Validating Expertise: How to handle the frustration of colleagues’ not appreciating the value of what you know. * Teacher Objectification: Unpacking the emotional toll of being treated like a punching bag for all of society’s woes. Needless to say, everybody has an ego, so this episode is relevant to everybody. Teachers and non-teachers alike! Speaking of ego, I love this quote about TTE from Frank Racioppi of Ear Worthy: “I love that show. It’s one of the shows that does good in this world.” Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. External Link The Emperor’s Blades Got a story to share? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158 and we might feature your perspective in a future episode! 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] 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

    58 min
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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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