Episode Summary

In this episode, I explore the critical distinction between caring and carrying. Teaching attracts people who care deeply — about students, growth, fairness, and outcomes. But over time, caring can quietly shift into carrying, and carrying is heavy.

Through real classroom scenarios, I unpack how teachers begin to internalize responsibility for things beyond their control. The mental replaying, the tight chest, the midnight redesigning of conversations — that shift from purposeful care to chronic overextension slowly drains energy.

I reflect on how grief clarified this distinction for me. When my mom passed away, I was reminded that love does not equal control. You can show up faithfully and still not carry everything. That truth reshaped how I view responsibility in teaching.

Ultimately, sustainable educators learn to influence without absorbing. We are a chapter in a student’s story, not the whole book. Boundaries protect compassion. Release preserves longevity. Students need your heart — but they also need your steadiness.

Show Notes

1. Caring versus carrying in education
2. The internal replay cycle teachers experience
3. How the body signals overextension
4. Grief and the illusion of control
5. “You are a chapter, not the whole book”
6. Boundaries as protection for compassion
7. Longevity requires release

Key Takeaways

1. Caring makes you effective; carrying makes you depleted
2. Overextension shows up physically and mentally
3. You can love without controlling outcomes
4. Boundaries protect compassion and patience
5. Sustainable teachers release what is not theirs to hold