Award-Winning Teaching Through Emotions Debuts Season 4 With Real Teacher Support Groups
The highly anticipated fourth season of Teaching Through Emotions, the award-winning podcast hosted by teacher educator and psychotherapist Betsy Burris, PhD, launches October 1, introducing listeners to an entirely new format that promises to resonate deeply with educators nationwide.
For the first time, the podcast will take listeners inside real Teacher Support Groups (TSGs)—intimate sessions that Burris has facilitated for educators over the past two decades. Each episode centers on one teacher’s complete journey: what’s troubling them, how the support group and Burris reframe the challenge, and the actionable plan that follows. What sets Season 4 apart is that Burris closes the loop with follow-up conversations, allowing listeners to hear how teachers’ stories resolve from beginning to end.
A Fresh Approach to Teacher Wellness
The show’s core philosophy treats “bad” feelings and “bad” behavior as data rather than problems—a perspective that has earned Teaching Through Emotions recognition from the Women Who Podcast Award in the Thought-Provoking category for two consecutive years (2025 and August 2026).
According to Burris, the impact of TSGs is transformative. “The work teachers do in TSGs is miraculous,” she explains. “They come in to our meetings feeling angry or frustrated or panicked, sure they know what’s going on in their difficult relationships, and they leave feeling calm, centered, and compassionate—and completely surprised at the complete change in the way they see things.”
Episodes will explore pressing classroom challenges including management struggles, teacher burnout, and the emotional toll of high-stakes teaching environments. Alongside real stories, listeners gain access to practical tools and the reassurance that they’re not alone in their struggles.
Strategic Timing Aligns With Global Awareness Days
Season 4’s October 1 launch arrives at a crucial moment in the academic calendar—just as the initial “honeymoon period” of the school year fades and everyday classroom pressures intensify. This timing proves particularly meaningful, with new episodes dropping ahead of World Teacher’s Day on October 5 and World Mental Health Day on October 10, underscoring the show’s commitment to educator wellness during a pivotal season.
Expanding Beyond the Podcast Feed
Burris extends her impact well beyond the podcast. She publishes weekly essays and practical teaching tools on her Substack and is the author of The Feeling of Teaching, offering educators a comprehensive ecosystem of support and resources.
The podcast’s visual branding, as shown in the Women Who Podcast Award image, reflects the emotional intelligence at the heart of the show—colorful, expressive, and unapologetically centered on the feelings that drive teaching and learning.
How to Access Season 4
New episodes of Teaching Through Emotions Season 4 begin October 1 on all major platforms including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Educators seeking deeper community engagement can subscribe for full access to the show’s community.
For those interested in learning more, the show maintains an educational focus while emphasizing that it is not a substitute for professional mental health care. All stories are shared anonymously with full participant consent, ensuring privacy while maintaining authenticity.
As teaching continues to evolve and educators face mounting pressures, Teaching Through Emotions offers a lifeline—one real teacher’s story at a time.
Source: Podwires Newsletter
