In this episode of Digital Learning Today, host Jeffrey Bradbury interviews Diane Manser, an English teacher and author, about the emotional challenges of teaching. Manser discusses the importance of recognizing and addressing the emotional impact of teaching, as well as strategies for building relationships with students and colleagues. She also shares some technology tools she uses in her classroom, such as ThingLink and Padlet, to engage students and facilitate discussions. The episode concludes with the announcement that Manser will be joining Bradbury as a co-host on future episodes of the podcast.
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In This Episode …
Teaching is often viewed strictly as a content profession, but it is equally an emotional profession. Teachers can experience a range of emotions within their school day, including inferiority, defensiveness, reactions to student behaviors, fulfillment, enjoyment, internal rewards, and confidence. Additionally, teachers can walk into their work day carrying stress or worry, but needing to put on a brave face for the sake of a controlled teaching day.
Teachers may be positioned to be in charge, but they are not in control. Our students' behavior communicates something to us. We can implement strategies--student awareness, intrapersonal awareness, language choice--that will help us "lower the volume" on taking unfavorable situations personally.
The need for teachers to know themselves well on a deeper level, so they can be resilient in the classroom and maintain teaching with joy and confidence.
Conversation Takeaways
Recognize and address the emotional impact of teaching
Build relationships with students and colleagues
Use technology tools like ThingLink and Padlet to engage students
Diane Manser will be joining Jeffrey Bradbury as a co-host on future episodes
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Digital Learning Today
02:23 Introducing Diane Manser
09:36 Building Relationships with Students
14:14 Navigating the Roller Coaster of Emotions
23:12 Enhancing Student Engagement with Technology
About our Guest:
Diane Manser is a current 18-year high school English teacher in a suburban district of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Diane teaches ninth graders, and has just published a book about the emotional challenges of teaching called I Didn't Sign Up For This: One Classroom Teacher's Journey Through Emotional Fatigue to Personal Empowerment. Diane feels strongly that the education we receive as teachers, whether within our undergraduate programs, Master level programs, or professional development, should emphasize that teaching is an emotional profession just as it is a content profession, so teachers develop intrapersonal understanding to strengthen their...
Teaching Is Emotional, I Didn’t Sign Up For This! – A Conversation with Diane Manser | Digital Learning Today: Where Productivity Meets Innovation in the Classroom. podcast - Listen or read transcript on Metacast