If you are like many educators, you equate “being nurturing” with putting yourself last. Let’s retire that myth. Needing support does not make you weak—it makes you human. When you honor both sides—your care for others and your own needs—you model healthy boundaries and create a safer classroom for everyone.
Good news: you can practice “Nurturing & Needy” with five simple steps.
These steps include:
- Step 1: Ask for Support Unapologetically
- Step 2: Create a Calming Classroom Space
- Step 3: Offer Emotional Vocabulary to Students
- Step 4: Build a Support Team
- Step 5: Rest and Reset Regularly
Let’s look at each step in more detail…
Step 1: Ask for Support Unapologetically
Many teachers try to “push through” until they are spent. Usually, you can avoid that by requesting time, help, or resources before you hit empty. Clear asks prevent quiet burnout.
For example: Email your admin with one specific, time-bound request: “Could I have 20 minutes of coverage this Thursday to call three families?” Add a follow-up line: “This will help me prevent escalation and support learning.”
Step 2: Create a Calming Classroom Space
Environment affects nervous systems—yours and your students’. Usually, you can avoid daily overload by designing a few sensory cues that anchor calm.
For example: Add a plant, soft lamp, and a small “quiet corner” sign. Post three affirmations at eye level: I am steady. I am clear. I am kind. Keep clutter off one surface so your brain gets a visual exhale.
Step 3: Offer Emotional Vocabulary to Students
Students cannot regulate what they cannot name. Usually, you can avoid power struggles by teaching feeling words and quick regulation choices. That is true nurturing.
For example: Use a feelings chart and a “name it, choose it” routine: “I feel ___; I choose ___ (breath break, water, quick stretch).” Start class with a 20-second check-in (fingers 1–5 for energy), then proceed.
Step 4: Build a Support Team
Isolation magnifies stress. Usually, you can avoid that by forming a small circle—colleagues, family, or an online group—who can step in or cheer you on.
For example: Set up a weekly 10-minute “teacher triad” huddle: each person shares one win, one wobble, one ask. Capture action items on a shared note so support becomes a habit, not a hope.
Step 5: Rest and Reset Regularly
Exhaustion is not a badge of honor. Usually, you can avoid chronic depletion by scripting tiny resets you actually keep. Self-care is a form of classroom management.
For example: Protect two leave-on-time days. Build a 5-minute close-of-day: clear desk, set tomorrow’s top three, stage first materials. Before you leave, place a hand on your heart and say, “Thank you, body, for carrying me today.”
Neediness does not make you weak—it makes you honest. Nurturing does not make you soft—it makes you powerful. When you meet your own needs and care for students with intention, your classroom becomes steadier, kinder, and more effective.
I hope that you enjoyed reading this blog post, written especially for you. It was taken straight from my mind and heart as I felt vulnerable to share glimpses of my world with you. The article was polished and meticulously reviewed to make sure it was in the best possible light before it was published so that it may serve you well.
If you’re seeking additional resources or personalized support, feel free to reach out at www.insightfuleducation.org. Together, we can cultivate classrooms where you and your students feel empowered to learn and thrive, which is aligned with the NICE Teacher framework (Nurturing, Integrated, Courageous, and Encouraging).