“Teachers should be like a mother, a second mother!”

Abstract Our narrative case study explores how Maya’s ecological factors shaped her teaching approaches and identity as an empathetic teacher. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1979), we analysed Maya’s narrative across micro, meso, exo, and macro-systems. The microsystem reveals how her interactions with students inform her pedagogical decisions. The mesosystem highlights her mother’s influence and support network on her practices. The exosystem reflects the small incentives Maya received and their external impacts. The macrosystem addresses the broader cultural context, including her refugee status and cultural norms in Pakistan and Thailand. Our findings indicate that Maya’s personal and social identities significantly shape her role as a teacher more than her professional identity. This underscores the need for training that supports refugee teachers in balancing emotional needs with teaching strategies. Our study calls for further investigation into teachers’ backgrounds and their impacts on refugee students’ academic and emotional well-being.