Empower Yourself as a Teacher: Strategies for Emotional Resilience

Guest post by Diane Manser

From a young age, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I loved everything about school, including my teachers, playing sports, and spending time with friends. When it was time to choose a career path, pursuing a degree in Education felt like a natural fit. My goal was to help students grow academically and personally. I aimed to build their confidence while inspiring a love for learning along the way.

Throughout my 19-year career teaching high school English in a suburban Philadelphia high school, I have experienced immense joy in being a teacher. However, like many educators, I have also faced emotional fatigue. This fatigue quietly accumulates over time from work overload, increasing demands, student behavior management, and the internal struggle to remain connected to my original passion for teaching.

My Journey to Reconnect with Teaching

My journey to reconnect with my enthusiasm for teaching started in a therapist’s office. It continued through various resources, including podcasts, books, and inspiration found on social media. The culmination of this learning is my recently published book, I Didn’t Sign Up For This: One Classroom Teacher’s Journey Through Emotional Fatigue to Personal Empowerment. In this book, I give voice to the unspoken emotional toll of teaching, a universally shared experience among educators.

The 4 R’s Framework: Becoming and Remaining an Empowered Teacher

One of the strategies that has helped shape me into an empowered teacher is what I call the 4 Rs Framework. This practical and restorative approach promotes empowered and renewed teaching. With a foundation in emotional awareness and a growth mindset, the 4 Rs have helped me navigate classroom challenges with clarity, confidence, and practical solutions. This framework offers a step-by-step process for reflecting on classroom incidents, resetting unhelpful patterns, recovering intentionally, and maintaining methods to create positive change.

R 1: Reality - Accepting Classroom Truths

Key Concept: Behavior is Communication

The first step is to acknowledge the truth of our classrooms—seeing reality as it is, not what we wish it to be. We must accept what is happening in front of us. Student behavior communicates messages that deserve our attention. When I catch myself thinking, “But that shouldn’t be happening,” I realize I’m closing myself off to potential solutions. A shift in perspective towards curiosity allows me to ask questions about what the student may express through their behavior. This shift builds empathy, reduces instinctive reactions, and paves the way for effective solutions.

⭐ Empowered Teaching Tip: Pause and ask yourself, “What is this behavior trying to tell me?”

R 2: Reset - Recognizing What Isn’t Working

Key Concept: Observe, Don’t Absorb

The reset phase emphasizes reflection. When things go awry in the classroom, I count backward from five, pause, and remind myself that the situation is not personal. I learned the phrase “Observe, don’t absorb” from a professional development speaker. In the Reset phase, I envision a wall between the problem and myself—not to detach but to observe before I absorb. Absorbing the problem can negatively impact my emotional state and lead to unhelpful reactions.

⭐ Empowered Teaching Tip: Not every problem is yours to carry. Observe patterns without taking on their emotional weight.

R 3: Recovery - Crafting the Next Best Plan

Key Concept: 10% Better May Be the New 100% Better

Recovery focuses on strategizing to create a new action plan. In my teaching years, I recognized times when I let problems persist, thinking they would resolve themselves or improve with minor interventions. While teachers manage their classroom spaces, we do not control everything. True empowerment starts with acknowledging ineffective practices and seeking new approaches—whether through resources, collaboration, clearer communication, or modeling behaviors. An improvement of even 10% is progress, moving us closer to solutions rather than exacerbating issues.

⭐ Empowered Teaching Tip: Ask, “What small step can I take today that will make things 10% better?”

R 4: Recalibration - Sustaining New Practices

Key Concept: Boundaries Create Balance

After determining my next best plan, which usually involves changes to how I manage problems or teach classes, I commit to adhering to these new protocols. Sometimes, being the teacher I want to be differs from being the teacher I need to be. This step requires revisiting methods and expectations to ensure they align with my classroom intentions. Clearly communicating boundaries and expectations helps protect my energy and mental clarity.

⭐ Empowered Teaching Tip: Protect your priorities by establishing clear boundaries and simplifying where possible.

The 4 Rs Framework is adjustable and provides a grounded, compassionate approach to navigating the emotional demands of teaching. By embracing reality, resetting patterns, recovering intentionally, and recalibrating with boundaries, educators can sustain both their impact and well-being.

Final Thoughts on Empowered Teaching

I hope this strategy helps you navigate challenges in your classroom. Email me at diane@teachingisemotional.com and share your experiences or how you are implementing this strategy in your classroom. Additionally, consider joining my private Facebook group, Teaching is Emotional. I’d love to welcome you to this incredible community!

About Diane Manser

Diane Manser is a devoted high school English teacher in Montgomery County, PA. She is the founder of Teaching is Emotional™, which encourages educational leaders, current teachers, and emerging teachers to support teachers’ emotional strength as they navigate a challenging profession. Diane loves to find joy in the simplest moments. She enjoys spending summer days at the beach with her children, relaxing with her husband over good TV, and reading anything nonfiction. You can discover more about Diane and her work at www.teachingisemotional.com, where you can get a sample of her book to see if it’s a good fit for you. Follow Teaching is Emotional™ on Instagram and TikTok, and for deeper discussions, join the private Facebook group, Teaching is Emotional.