Rural teachers are typical emotional laborers who face high levels of emotional demands. Owing to the unique environment of rural community, their emotional labor is particularly influenced by multiple interconnected factors, leading to varying degrees of emotional labor challenges. Ecological system theory, which emphasizes the interaction between individual development and environmental factors at various levels, provides a strong theoretical foundation and framework for examining the emotional labor challenges faced by rural teachers. The study finds that rural teachers currently face a variety of challenges related to emotional labor. Interaction with direct stakeholders lead to alienation of emotional labor norms. Imbalanced relationships among stakeholders result in emotional labor conflicts. Unfavorable external conditions increase the emotional labor burdens. Cultural value conflicts heighten emotional labor challenges. Strategies to alleviate rural teachers' emotional labor challenges include: establishing collaborative mechanisms among stakeholders to enhance synergy, improving relationships between entities to strengthen coordination; improving support network construction to provide stronger assistance; and promoting the reconstruction of rural culture to foster system support.