Teaching through Emotions
Teaching through Emotions

Teaching through Emotions

Betsy Burris

Overview
Episodes

Details

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

Recent Episodes

Boys and Emotions
NOV 21, 2025
Boys and Emotions
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit <a href="https://www.teachingthroughemotions.com?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_7">www.teachingthroughemotions.com</a><br/><br/><p>I’m on a roll with the boys-and-men-in-trouble theme here. My <a target="_blank" href="https://www.teachingthroughemotions.com/p/wow-young-republicans">last rant</a> 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…</p>
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1 MIN
Meet my favorite student teacher: my daughter Mae!
NOV 20, 2025
Meet my favorite student teacher: my daughter Mae!
<p>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.</p><p><em>Listen now on </em><a target="_blank" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-through-emotions/id1589863153"><strong><em>Apple Podcasts</em></strong></a><strong><em>, </em></strong><a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1SHSUCix3g2TVeAUXlSFfg"><strong><em>Spotify</em></strong></a><em>, or </em><a target="_blank" href="https://pod.link/1589863153"><strong><em>wherever you get your podcasts</em></strong></a><strong><em>.</em></strong></p><p>We talk about</p><p>* living attached to your soul</p><p>* how school teaches us to sin</p><p>* why hatred isn’t bad</p><p>* how the divine works</p><p>* what organismic learning is</p><p>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:</p><p>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?</p><p>If you do, thank you. As always.</p><p>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!</p><p>Have a loving Thanksgiving.</p><p>Credits</p><p>Founder and Host: Betsy Burris</p><p>Co-Host: Joe Johnson</p><p>Producer: Jullian Androkae of <a target="_blank" href="https://pod.vision">PodVision</a></p><p>Audience Development: Andreea Coscai of <a target="_blank" href="https://pod.vision">PodVision</a></p><p>Music: Tom Burris/Jabbering Trout</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe</a>
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53 MIN
Sarcasm stings. How can teachers defuse the impact?
NOV 13, 2025
Sarcasm stings. How can teachers defuse the impact?
<p>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!!!</p><p><em>Listen now on </em><a target="_blank" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-through-emotions/id1589863153"><strong><em>Apple Podcasts</em></strong></a><strong><em>, </em></strong><a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1SHSUCix3g2TVeAUXlSFfg"><strong><em>Spotify</em></strong></a><em>, or </em><a target="_blank" href="https://pod.link/1589863153"><strong><em>wherever you get your podcasts</em></strong></a><strong><em>.</em></strong></p><p><p>Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></p><p>We talk about</p><p>* what sarcasm might mean (you won’t want to miss Joe’s analogy)</p><p>* how students can use teachers as proxies for their parents</p><p>* the “amazing” value of detaching from hurtful experiences</p><p>* whether or not teachers should be “bullet proof”</p><p>* managing the desire to get revenge</p><p>* how teachers can be superheroes</p><p>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.</p><p>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</p><p>413.239.4158.</p><p>Thanks for listening, as always.</p><p>Credits</p><p>Founder and Host: Betsy Burris</p><p>Co-Host: Joe Johnson</p><p>Producer: Jullian Androkae of <a target="_blank" href="https://pod.vision">PodVision</a></p><p>Audience Development: Andreea Coscai of <a target="_blank" href="https://pod.vision">PodVision</a></p><p>Music: Tom Burris/Jabbering Trout</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe</a>
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42 MIN
Is teaching spiritual? You bet your ass!
OCT 30, 2025
Is teaching spiritual? You bet your ass!
<p>Yep, I’m biased: I am certain that teaching is spiritual. Not because teachers need to be <em>religious</em> 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?</p><p>In this episode, I explore this question and others with Mark Longhurst, an inspiring pastor, writer, and publications manager for Richard Rohr’s <a target="_blank" href="https://cac.org">Center for Action and Contemplation</a>. 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.</p><p><em>Listen now on </em><a target="_blank" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-through-emotions/id1589863153"><strong><em>Apple Podcasts</em></strong></a><strong><em>, </em></strong><a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1SHSUCix3g2TVeAUXlSFfg"><strong><em>Spotify</em></strong></a><em>, or </em><a target="_blank" href="https://pod.link/1589863153"><strong><em>wherever you get your podcasts</em></strong></a><strong><em>.</em></strong></p><p><p>Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></p><p>We talk about</p><p>* Flowing with the chaos of parenting and teaching</p><p>* <em>Detaching</em> from identities to promote healthy <em>attachment</em></p><p>* The benefits and perils of viewing the classroom as a sacred space</p><p>* Embracing the quest for aliveness in teachers <em>and</em> students</p><p>* The importance of “settled bodies” in classrooms</p><p>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?</p><p>Got a story about your own holy ordinary? Send me your thoughts:</p><p>(413) 239-4158.</p><p>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.</p><p>External Links</p><p>the holy ordinary by Mark Longhurst (<a target="_blank" href="https://marklonghurst.substack.com">Substack</a>)</p><p>The Holy Ordinary: A Way to God (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.northshire.com/book/9781958972519">Book</a>)</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.northshire.com/book/9781942094470">My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies</a> by Resmaa Menakem</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.northshire.com/book/9780593233863">Fierce Love: A Bold Path to Ferocious Courage and Rule-Breaking Kindness that Can Heal the World</a> by Dr. Jacqui Lewis</p><p>Credits</p><p>Founder and Host: Betsy Burris</p><p>Co-Host: Joe Johnson</p><p>Producer: Jullian Androkae</p><p>Audience Development: Andreea Coscai</p><p>Music: Tom Burris/Jabbering Trout</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe</a>
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45 MIN
Can teachers change a toxic school?
OCT 16, 2025
Can teachers change a toxic school?
<p>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 <strong>parallel process</strong>. Joe and I examine how systemic issues infiltrate individual classrooms and what teachers can do to cultivate a healthy learning environment against incredible odds.</p><p><em>Listen now on </em><a target="_blank" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-through-emotions/id1589863153"><strong><em>Apple Podcasts</em></strong></a><strong><em>, </em></strong><a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1SHSUCix3g2TVeAUXlSFfg"><strong><em>Spotify</em></strong></a><em>, or </em><a target="_blank" href="https://pod.link/1589863153"><strong><em>wherever you get your podcasts</em></strong></a><strong><em>.</em></strong></p><p><p>Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></p><p>We talk about</p><p>* how the group’s dynamic echoed the school’s wider culture of chaos </p><p>* what makes school holding environments chaotic</p><p>* a gendered pattern of blame</p><p>* empowering strategies for teachers to cultivate healthy classroom cultures</p><p>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.</p><p>Have a story about your school’s culture, or a time you navigated chaos? Share it with me: <strong>413.239.4158</strong>. If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving a review or rating on your podcast app. It helps us reach more teachers!</p><p>External Links</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.teachingthroughemotions.com">teachingthroughemotions.com</a></p><p>Credits</p><p>Founder and Host: Betsy Burris</p><p>Co-Host: Joe Johnson</p><p>Producer: Jullian Androkae</p><p>Audience Development: Andreea Coscai</p><p>Music: Tom Burris/Jabbering Trout</p><p><p>Thanks for reading Teaching through Emotions! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">www.teachingthroughemotions.com/subscribe</a>
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53 MIN