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PODCAST

The Next Level Teacher Podcast

Brenna Nelson | The Next Level Teacher

Welcome to The Next Level Teacher Podcast—a show for educators ready to break free from burnout and step into a calmer, more confident classroom life.Hosted by a teacher, life coach, and resilience expert, Brenna Nelson, this podcast helps K–12 teachers manage stress, protect their energy, and find practical tools for emotional regulation, nervous system support, and mindset mastery.Each episode delivers simple, science-backed strategies for teachers who want more than just survival. You"ll learn

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All Episodes

8:33

127. Teacher Overwhelm: You Don't Have to Have it All...

The Next Level Teacher Podcast ·

2026/10/02

Teacher overwhelm doesn't mean you're doing something wrong.In this episode, I’m sharing a little of what my own September looked like—and the reminder I needed when I found myself feeling overwhelmed, out of sorts, and frustrated that I should have been able to handle it better.Because even when we have the tools, we’re still human. Life changes, teaching changes, and we’re constantly adjusting to new challenges and circumstances.If you’ve been feeling like you should have it all figured out by

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11:27

126. When Your Students are Annoying (ENCORE)

The Next Level Teacher Podcast ·

2026/09/25

When Your Students Are AnnoyingWhat do you do when your students annoy you?Let’s be honest: even if you love teaching and care deeply about your students, there are going to be moments when their behavior gets under your skin.Maybe a student constantly interrupts you. Maybe a teenager puts their head down every day. Maybe a student is always late, never has what they need, or waits until the last possible minute to ask for help.It’s normal to feel frustrated or annoyed by student behavior.But what

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11:54

125. You Don't Have to Be Calm to be a "Calm Teacher"

The Next Level Teacher Podcast ·

2026/09/17

You Don't Have to Be Calm to Be a Calm TeacherWhat if being a calm teacher doesn't actually mean feeling calm all the time?In this episode, we're challenging the idea that teachers need to have a perfectly regulated nervous system before they can respond well to challenging classroom situations. You are allowed to be frustrated, angry, overwhelmed, and even think, Are you kidding me right now? Being upset doesn't mean you've failed at classroom management—or failed at being a calm teacher.Instead,

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16:11

124. The Connection Between Teacher Stress and...

The Next Level Teacher Podcast ·

2026/09/11

Teacher Burnout, Stress & the Nervous System: How Teachers Can Interrupt the Stress CycleWhat happens when teacher stress and student stress feed into each other? In this episode, we’re exploring the connection between teacher burnout, classroom stress, student stress, and the nervous system—and what teachers can actually do to interrupt the cycle.Research from the University of British Columbia found a relationship between teacher burnout and students’ cortisol levels, offering an interesting

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14:08

123. How Strong is Your Mental Fitness, Teacher?

The Next Level Teacher Podcast ·

2026/09/03

Episode 123. How Strong is Your Mental Fitness, Teacher?What if becoming a better teacher isn't about making your classroom easier—but about becoming stronger at handling the hard parts?A few weeks ago, Brenna hit a new PR on her back squat. She had reached a weight she once thought was completely impossible. But she didn't become a different person overnight. She simply built her capacity through consistent practice, gradually adding weight and doing the reps.That got her thinking: What if we could

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15:56

122. Tough Teacher Truth: The First Week of School...

The Next Level Teacher Podcast ·

2026/08/27

Episode 122: The First Week of School Isn't Supposed to Feel GoodIf you're exhausted, overwhelmed, or already wondering whether you're doing something wrong during the first week of school, take a breath. The first week of school is supposed to be hard.In this episode of the Next Level Teacher Podcast, Brenna Nelson talks about the pressure teachers put on themselves at the beginning of a new school year—and how quickly a difficult classroom experience can turn into a story about what we think that

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5:56

121. Teacher Guilt Is Lying to You: Let Go of...

The Next Level Teacher Podcast ·

2026/08/21

Episode SummaryAs summer comes to an end, are you carrying guilt into the new school year?Maybe you feel guilty that you didn't get enough work done. Or you worked too much? Or that you didn't spend enough quality time with your family. Maybe you didn't rest enough...or maybe you rested so much that now you feel behind.If any of that sounds familiar, this episode is for you.In today's conversation, I'm sharing a simple mindset shift that has helped me stop carrying guilt for all the things I should

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9:18

120. Create Your Best School Year Yet: Stop Repeating...

The Next Level Teacher Podcast ·

2026/08/14

Episode SummaryWhat if the biggest thing shaping this school year isn't your students, your schedule, or your administration—but the thoughts you're bringing into it?As teachers, it's easy to carry last year's experiences into a brand-new school year without even realizing it. Our brains naturally look to the past for evidence about what teaching is like, but when we define our future by our past, we often end up recreating the same experience.In this episode, I'm sharing a simple mindset shift that

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5:45

119. The Most Important Back-to-School Prep for...

The Next Level Teacher Podcast ·

2026/08/07

Episode SummaryAs teachers, we spend hours preparing our classrooms before school starts—organizing supplies, planning lessons, decorating bulletin boards, and making sure everything is ready for our students.But there's one thing most of us never learned how to prepare:Ourselves.In this short episode, I'm sharing why I believe the most important back-to-school preparation has nothing to do with your classroom and everything to do with your mind and nervous system.You'll discover why two teachers

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4:39

118. Don’t Let Anyone Bully You Into Blue Cheese: The...

The Next Level Teacher Podcast ·

2026/07/31

Do you ever feel like you're supposed to be using the latest teaching strategy—even if it doesn't fit your classroom or your personality?From flexible seating and interactive notebooks to digital classrooms, morning meetings, and every new education trend that appears on social media, teachers are constantly being told what they should be doing.But what if the best teaching strategy is the one that actually works for you?In this short episode of The Next Level Teacher Podcast, Brenna Nelson shares a

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9:47

117. The One Habit I Would Recommend to EVERY Teacher

The Next Level Teacher Podcast ·

2026/07/24

What if the most important habit you could develop as a teacher had nothing to do with lesson planning or classroom management?In this episode of The Next Level Teacher Podcast, Brenna Nelson shares the one daily habit she would recommend to every educator—whether you're a first-year teacher, a seasoned veteran, or somewhere in between.The answer might surprise you.It's not becoming more productive. It's not finding the perfect planner. And it's not squeezing in more self-care.It's learning how to

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12:30

116. The Hidden Pressure Teachers Put on Summer (And...

The Next Level Teacher Podcast ·

2026/07/17

Do you feel like summer break is supposed to "fix" everything?If you've ever caught yourself thinking...I need to make this summer count.I should be happier by now.I only have a few weeks left.I need to get my life together before school starts....you're not alone.In this episode of The Next Level Teacher Podcast, Brenna Nelson explores the hidden pressure many teachers unknowingly place on summer break—and why those expectations may actually make it harder to recover from teacher burnout.Instead of

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7:02

115. Permission to Rest

The Next Level Teacher Podcast ·

2026/07/10

Do you ever feel guilty for slowing down during summer break? You're not alone.In this episode, Brenna challenges the belief that you have to be productive every minute of your time off. She shares why rest isn't something you have to earn, how guilt can quietly steal the benefits of downtime, and why the thoughts driving your actions matter more than the actions themselves.Whether you're spending your summer organizing your classroom, pursuing personal goals, or simply catching your breath, this

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11:57

114. ENCORE - Three Thoughts Quietly Driving Teachers...

The Next Level Teacher Podcast ·

2026/07/03

🎧 In This Episode:Teacher burnout is at an all-time high, and while the statistics paint a bleak picture, the root causes are often deeper than workload or policy. In this episode, Brenna dives into the sneaky thoughts many teachers believe that unknowingly contribute to their burnout. These thoughts sound helpful on the surface, but they actually create emotional stress, anxiety, and exhaustion.What You'll Learn:🗬 Why even well-meaning thoughts like “I should be able to handle this” or “There’s

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9:13

113. How Teachers Can Feel More Joy - Raising the...

The Next Level Teacher Podcast ·

2026/06/26

Episode 113: How Teachers Can Feel More Joy: Raising Your Emotional Baseline After BurnoutSummer break gives teachers a much-needed chance to rest—but what if feeling better requires more than simply stepping away from the classroom?In this episode, Brenna explores why so many educators operate from a baseline of stress, overwhelm, and emotional exhaustion—and why joy can sometimes feel surprisingly unfamiliar.You'll learn how your brain becomes comfortable with familiar emotions (even uncomfortable

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12:45

112. How to Stop Overthinking: 3 Ways Teachers Can...

The Next Level Teacher Podcast ·

2026/06/19

Do you ever find yourself replaying worst-case scenarios in your mind?Whether you're worrying about the first day of school, a difficult administrator, job uncertainty, or something happening at home, your brain may be running its own version of a scary movie.In this episode, Brenna shares a funny story about accidentally watching one of the scariest movies of her life—and how it sparked an important conversation about anxiety, overthinking, and the mental habits that keep teachers stuck in

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7:56

111. Teacher Burnout Recovery: Why Your Identity...

The Next Level Teacher Podcast ·

2026/06/12

Teaching is a big part of who you are—but it shouldn't be the only part.In this episode, Brenna shares a fascinating story from the NBA Finals and introduces the psychological concept of self-complexity: the idea that having multiple meaningful roles and interests makes us more resilient when one area of life becomes difficult.If you've ever felt like a tough day, difficult year, or classroom challenge shook your entire sense of self, this episode is for you. Learn why cultivating interests,

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12:38

110. (ENCORE) How Laughter Can Help with Teacher Burnout

The Next Level Teacher Podcast ·

2026/06/05

In this episode of The Next Level Teacher Podcast, Brenna explores the science behind laughter and why humor may be one of the most overlooked tools for teacher wellness and burnout recovery.Teaching is emotionally demanding, and while laughter isn’t a cure-all, it is a powerful way to relieve stress, regulate your nervous system, and create stronger classroom connections. Backed by neuroscience, humor can help teachers feel lighter, calmer, and more resilient—even during the hardest seasons of

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11:23

109. One Strategy to Help Teacher Stop Overextending...

The Next Level Teacher Podcast ·

2026/05/29

Why do so many teachers feel emotionally exhausted, overwhelmed, resentful, and burned out by the end of the school year?In this episode of The Next Level Teacher podcast, Brenna explores the powerful concept of “powerful yeses” and “powerful nos” inspired by Dr. Benjamin Hardy and his book The Science of Scaling.Teachers are often conditioned to say yes to everything:➡️ extra responsibilities,➡️ late-night emails,➡️ emotional labor,➡️ people-pleasing,➡️ overextending themselves,➡️ and constantly

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9:26

108. Burned Out Teacher? Why Your Emotions Make Sense...

The Next Level Teacher Podcast ·

2026/05/22

It’s May. The testing is endless. The behaviors feel bigger. Your patience feels thinner. And many teachers are wondering how they’re supposed to keep doing this year after year.In this episode of The Next Level Teacher podcast, Brenna shares an honest and compassionate conversation about teacher burnout, emotional exhaustion, nervous system overload, and the thought patterns that keep so many teachers feeling stuck at the end of the school year.If you’ve been thinking:“I’m failing.” “I can’t keep

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127 results

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