Teacher Thrive: Episode 14: How to be in Control

Free Guides:

Examine your Thoughts

Who Are You, Really? 12 Prompts to Create Self-Awareness

Thoughts That Build Resilience

Weekly Time Blocking Planner

Boundary Setting Cheat-Sheet

Understanding Imposter Syndrome

Connect with the hosts:

Madel Mazzella:

Instagram: ⁠@madelmazzella

TikTok: ⁠@madelmazzella⁠

Website: madelmazzella.com

Kaitlyn Rapai:

Instagram: @the_teacher_burnout_coach

TikTok: ⁠@kaitlyn_rapai_coaching⁠

Website: ⁠kaitlynrapai.com⁠

In this episode; the hosts discuss how to be in control. Teachers are typically goal-oriented. We follow a plan and an objective every day when we deliver our lesson. But, things don’t always go as planned and, sometimes we find ourselves trying to control circumstances and other people.

Trying to affect such outcomes leaves us feeling frustrated because the truth is we simply cannot control other people’s actions or thoughts (including those of our students).

One of the most important things we can control is our thoughts and what we make things mean. We can control how we choose to respond to students’ misbehaving, for example. This doesn’t mean that we’ll always do it right, but it means that, with practice, you can be aware of how you want to show up when you face a difficult situation.

You can plan your response ahead of time when you know you’ll face a difficult situation so you can act in ways you intended to and not by default. This is especially important if your default reaction doesn’t come from your highest self.

When you can’t change the circumstances you’re facing we must change our mindset about that situation by choosing thoughts that serve us about that circumstance. This is hard to do because in order to protect us, our brain defaults toward negative scenarios. Once you open up to a different possibility, you come up with creative ideas that help you deal with the situation in a much more empowered way. You may even realize that the situation wasn’t as bad as we originally thought.

Don't forget to subscribe to Teacher Thrive on your favorite podcast platform to receive updates on new episodes. If you find this podcast valuable, please leave a review and share it with fellow educators who are seeking to thrive in their teaching journey.

Original Music by: Matthew Dotson

Cover Art by: Nate Rapai

[Disclaimer: Any views or opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of any educational institutions or organizations. This podcast is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes. The hosts are not licensed therapists and their opinion does not substitute the advice of a physician or other qualified professional]