February's always a challenging month for teachers - but for many of you, the frustration & discouragement goes even beyond that.

You might be seriously wondering if you can make it to May - or even questioning if you should keep teaching.

In this special episode, Pastor & author David Platt shares the encouraging & challenging truths you NEED to hear to battle discouragement, as well as advice on how to discern God's leading if you're considering quitting teaching.

This episode is part 1 of our miniseries about Banishing Discouragement & Loving Teaching Again. Check out the full series at www.teach4theheart.com/discouragement.

And join us for the free Love Teaching Again challenge at www.teach4theheart.com/love.

How can we set up our schedules so that we prioritize time for work, for rest, and also for our families & other important personal priorities? Join in as we explore how to use intentional scheduling to create wise boundaries and cultivate better work-life balance.

This episode is the final part of our series called How to Reduce Teacher Stress & Create Work/Life Balance. Check out the full series at www.teach4theheart.com/balance.

As we've examined ways to reduce stress and create some balance, a question has emerged - Should we do our best on everything?

This question brings up more questions, especially as believers. What does it mean to never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically? Is balance possible while still following biblical principles? Listen in as we answer these important questions.

This episode is part 4 of our series called How to Reduce Teacher Stress & Create Work/Life Balance. Check out the full series at www.teach4theheart.com/balance.

If we bravely admit we are doing too much, and decide to stop doing certain tasks, how can we be sure nothing important slips through the cracks?

Join us as we implement a new way of thinking for an exhausted and overworked soul.

This episode is part 3 of our series called How to Reduce Teacher Stress & Create Work/Life Balance. Check out the full series at www.teach4theheart.com/balance.

As teachers, we tend to have hearts that are primed to serve. As many of us know, a call to serve can easily end up feeling like pressure to do it all.

Listen in for tips when you need help coming to grips with the reality that doing it all is not possible.

This episode is part 2 of our series called How to Reduce Teacher Stress & Create Work/Life Balance. Check out the full series at www.teach4theheart.com/balance

The Bible is clear; because of the fall, our world is now short of the glory that God first intended, which means we tend to either overwork or be lazy. Very few of us have achieved a healthy balance.

Join us as we see what God says about work, rest, and balance in the light of the gospel.

This episode is part 1 of our series called How to Reduce Teacher Stress & Create Work/Life Balance. Check out the full series at www.teach4theheart.com/balance

Responding to Teaching Challenges with Faith & Hope: Episode 05

Do you ever struggle with the tension between trusting God & taking action?

Take a situation that you're worried about. You decide to trust God with it and ask Him to help. Does that mean you should just sit back and do nothing, waiting for Him to work?

Join us as we explore this important question and discover what it looks like to both trust God and move forward in faith.

This episode is part 5 of our series on Responding to Teaching Challenges with Faith & Hope. Check out the full series at www.teach4theheart.com/challenges.

Responding to Teaching Challenges with Faith & Hope: Episode 04

Whether the basic "busy and tired" of teaching has you overwhelmed or you're facing a season when things feel especially dark, you are in for a treat with this special interview with singer-songwriter (and former teacher) Ellie Holcomb.

Listen as Ellie shares how we can use God's Word to fight back the lies we too often believe and find hope in Him, no matter what we face.

This episode is part 4 of our series on Responding to Teaching Challenges with Faith & Hope. Check out the full series at www.teach4theheart.com/challenges.

Responding to Teaching Challenges with Faith & Hope: Episode 03

Where we find our worth can make all the difference between loving teaching and despising it. Why? Because when our worth is fixed on anything other than Christ, it's vulnerable, and everyday problems can become attacks on our very identity & self-worth.

Join us as we explore why fixing our identity & worth on Christ creates a sure foundation and enables us to respond to teaching challenges with hope rather than anxiety.

This episode is part 3 of our series on Responding to Teaching Challenges with Faith & Hope. Check out the full series at www.teach4theheart.com/challenges.

Responding to Teaching Challenges with Faith & Hope: Episode 02

Whether it's a huge trial like a cancer diagnosis or day-to-day struggles like that 5th-period class that you think might just be the death of you, we all face challenges & trials.

Knowing why we face these is vital to our ability to respond well. So, join us as we see what the Bible has to say about why difficulties exist and how we should think about them.

This episode is part 2 of our series on Responding to Teaching Challenges with Faith & Hope. Check out the full series at www.teach4theheart.com/challenges.

Responding to Teaching Challenges with Faith & Hope: Episode 01

When we face challenges, anxiety, fear & stress often well up. We worry about what will happen, we stress about what to do, and we often carry anxiety around in the meantime. Not only is this difficult for us to deal with, but it also hampers our ability to respond well - sometimes it even paralyzes us.

This is NOT how God would have us live, and it doesn't have to be our reality. Join us as we dive into how exactly we can trust God and experience the peace that He promises us.

This episode is part 1 of our series on Responding to Teaching Challenges with Faith & Hope. Check out the full series at www.teach4theheart.com/challenges.

We're excited to announce some changes here at the Teach 4 the Heart Podcast. Listen to discover what the new format will be like, and why we're changing things up!

Pocket phrases are an AMAZING classroom management tool - and they're incredibly easy to use! Listen to discover exactly what pocket phrases are and how to use them in your classroom.

Get the FREE training: How to Reduce Disruptions without Yelling, Begging, or Bribing at www.teach4theheart.com/free.

Don't miss the session Classroom Management that Fosters Respect at the Rise Up Summit this weekend! Sign up for free at www.riseupchristianeducators.com.

Do you ever feel pressure to be perfect? Listen as we consider what God does (and doesn't) call us to, where this pressure comes from, and how we can release it.

Don't miss this year's Rise Up Summit, our free online conference for Christian educators. Sign up at www.riseupchristianeducators.com.

It's difficult to help students learn when they simply don't want to. But how do we motivate them to want to learn? In this special podcast episode, taken from last year's Rise Up Summit, Dave Stuart Jr. shares valuable insights on how we can motivate our students to care about learning.

Dave Stuart Jr. will be back again at the Rise Up Summit this year with a follow-up to this session, focusing on the beliefs of Effort & Efficacy. Sign up for FREE at www.riseupchristianeducators.com.

Listen to an insightful clip from our upcoming Rise Up Summit session with Jasmine Holmes, author of Mother to Son: Letters to a Black Boy on Identity and Hope. In this clip, Jasmine shares why it's important to see our identity in light of the Gospel and how that enables us to engage in difficult conversations about race in a helpful way.

You won't want to miss the full session with Jasmine, available for free as part of the Rise Up Summit. Sign up for free at www.riseupchristianeducators.com.

Listen how talking level charts can help clarify your expectations and make it a whole lot easier to keep noise levels under control.

Get our FREE training How to Reduce Disruptions without Yelling, Begging, or Bribing at www.teach4theheart.com/free.

As teachers, we can so easily be overwhelmed by anxiety and stress. Join us as Crystal Kershaw shares Scriptural principles and practical strategies to help us overcome anxiety and teach with a sense of God's presence and peace.

Get notes & links at www.teach4theheart.com/190

Sign up for the free Rise Up Summit at www.riseupchristianeducators.com.

I don't have to tell you that teaching requires sacrifice and that balance and rest are important. But sometimes in our effort to do this right, we can pendulum swing ourselves into new danger. Listen as we discover two big pitfalls we want to avoid and how to find a Biblical balance of sacrifice & rest.

Join us in the Rise Up Summit, a free online conference for Christian educators! Sign up for free at www.riseupchristianeducators.com.

So many of you have been asking us to talk about pronouns - specifically, what to do when a student asks you to use their preferred pronouns rather than their biological ones. Well, today, we tackle that question. We also refer you to two past episodes that delve into this topic in much more detail. Here are the links for those:
Episode 125: www.teach4theheart.com/125
Episode 126: www.teach4theheart.com/126
(or scroll back through the podcast feed to these episodes)

You also won't want to miss a NEW interview with Jonathan Holmes at this year's Rise Up Summit. Sign up for free at www.riseupchristianeducators.com.

Does lesson planning take way too long and feel way too difficult? Or do you not even know where to start? Kelly Jackson of The Simply Organized Teacher joins us to unveil tips to create lesson plans easily and effectively.

As we look ahead to a new year, sometimes we try to hype ourselves up by thinking positive thoughts. But are positive thoughts enough? And should a Christian actually be thinking positive ALL the time? Join us as we discuss positive thoughts, grief, lament, and the one true Anchor for our hope.

Find out more about the Rise Up Summit at www.riseupchristianeducators.com.

Have you ever been told you're "too nice" of a teacher? What on earth does that mean? Listen as we discuss whether or not a teacher can be "too nice" and the real key to good classroom management (spoiler: it's not being meaner).

Want help creating your classroom management plan? Head to www.teach4theheart.com/respect

I don't have to tell you how stressful back-to-school can be. But we don't have to stay in a state of perpetual stress. In this episode, we'll explore how we should address both our thinking and actions to reduce stress and get ourselves ready for a great school year.

Get notes & links at www.teach4theheart.com/188.