🎙️ Episode 5: “Toxic Positivity Is Not Helping Anyone”

We’ve all heard it—“Good vibes only!” or “Just stay positive!”—but when you’re working in a school under real pressure, toxic positivity can feel like gaslighting. In this episode of Hall Pass, we’re calling it what it is: a harmful oversimplification that shuts down honesty, masks burnout, and demands emotional labor from teachers who are already at their limit.

Join Oliver as he breaks down why toxic positivity thrives in schools, how it silences real problems, and what we can do instead. We’ll talk about the power of emotional honesty, how to build a culture where it’s okay not to be okay, and how to spot the difference between encouragement and denial.

This one’s for every educator who’s been told to smile through the storm.

Spoiler: You’re allowed to feel the rain.