How to Embrace the Emotional Labor of Teaching

Teaching is more than just delivering content—it requires constant emotional effort. Faculty are often expected to stay positive, patient, and supportive, even when managing challenging student behaviors or navigating personal stress. This emotional labor, though rarely acknowledged, can take a significant toll on well-being, job satisfaction, and overall effectiveness. Whether teaching online or in person, many educators find themselves overwhelmed by the hidden pressures of staying emotionally “on” for the sake of their students.

In this 20-Minute Mentor, Ashley Harvey, Professor at Colorado State University, shines a light on the emotional demands of teaching and offers strategies to navigate them more effectively. Through evidence-based insights and reflective exercises, Dr. Harvey helps you recognize your emotional triggers—those “hot buttons”—and reframe your reactions in healthier, more constructive ways. She introduces the student transformation perspective as a powerful alternative to the “students these days…” mindset, providing tools to cultivate more energizing, compassionate beliefs that support both your well-being and your teaching impact.

After viewing this Magna 20-Minute Mentor, participants will be able to: 

• Recognize the presence and impact of emotional labor in their teaching practice 
• Analyze personal reactions to challenging student behaviors 
• Reflect on the underlying beliefs that influence their emotional responses 
• Apply reframing techniques to cultivate more authentic positive emotions 
• Differentiate between student decline and transformation perspectives 
• Develop strategies to reduce emotional exhaustion and enhance teaching satisfaction 

TOPICS COVERED 

• Defining and validating the concept of emotional labor in teaching 
• Exploring the impact of emotional labor on faculty well-being and job satisfaction 
• Identifying common student behaviors that trigger emotional strain 
• Examining implicit beliefs about students and their challenging behaviors 
• Practicing reframing techniques to promote authentic, positive emotional responses 
• Contrasting the student decline perspective with the student transformation perspective 

AUDIENCE

This program will benefit:

• Faculty (full-time and adjunct) 
• Online instructors 
• Teaching and learning center staff 
• Department chairs 
• Faculty developers 
• Program directors 
• Graduate teaching assistants

Product Code: PM25YA