Teach Me, Teacher

#407 Is This Era of Teaching Dead? with Pam Ochoa (pt.1)

This week on Teach Me, Teacher, Jacob sits down with lifelong educator and friend Pam Ochoa — former cohost of the Craft & Draft podcast — who has stepped back into the high school classroom after retirement. Why now? What pulled her back? Together, they wrestle with big questions facing the profession: * Where has quality professional development gone? * Has the era of student voice and choice quietly faded? * And what happens to schools when the champions of that work leave? Jacob and Pam dig into real data from schools where student voice and choice once thrived — and examine what happened after they stepped away. The results are sobering. This is an honest, sometimes uncomfortable conversation about leadership, sustainability, and whether we're losing something essential in today's classrooms. If you care about student agency, teacher autonomy, and the future of the profession — this episode is for you.

A Closer Look at Student Behavior with Ms. Chyna (Greatest Hits)

Hello everyone! I wanted to talk about behavior and better ways we can respond as teachers. To do so, I brought on the amazing Ms. Chyna, a behavioral special education teacher, otherwise known as @especiallysped [https://www.instagram.com/especiallysped/?hl=en] on Instagram. In this talk, we set the stage for how we should be thinking about behavioral issues in the class, and then move on to discuss ineffective and effective ways to deal with such problems. But most importantly, we discuss why humanizing our interactions with our most challenging students can be the real difference.

#406 Rest in Peace, Cyanna Boone

Hello everyone. What we do as educators has meaning, and the lives that we interact with and that affect us are just as powerful as what we offer them. Unfortunately, one of my previous students lost her life [https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/fort-worth-stop-six-park-shooting-arrest-two-killed/] in the last few weeks, and I wanted to take the time to give my respects, solid her impact, and share her wonder with the audience.

#405 Education Needs to Evolve with Dr. Anindya Kundu (pt.2)

I am thrilled to welcome back sociologist and education thought-leader Dr. Anindya Kundu for a powerful conversation about what it truly takes to lead schools and communities toward meaningful change. You may remember Anindya from our earlier discussions on systemic inequality and student agency [https://teachmeteacherpodcast.com/2020/06/15/168-systematic-inequality-with-dr-anindya-kundu-pt-1/]. In this return visit, we go deeper into why traditional models of leadership no longer serve our schools — and how we must evolve our approaches to meet the challenges of today's educational landscape. If you missed part one, check it out here first. [https://teachmeteacherpodcast.com/2026/01/19/404-whos-to-blame-for-the-state-of-education-with-dr-anindya-kundu-pt-1/] Anindya's new book, Transforming Educational Leadership: Non-Traditional Narratives to Promote Equity in Uncertain Times [https://www.amazon.com/Transforming-Educational-Leadership-Non-Traditional-Narratives/dp/0197750559/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ZWY3CHGVC2ON&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.TO0UQBZmPQgu-OUyOF8Qw2U_5F-DL3TSkRpaG6IcQeDGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.lpxxWXVoFN4kA6Hf4kbY3yUEIXg8ilNdorMY9iUCtNY&dib_tag=se&keywords=anindya+kundu&qid=1768846857&sprefix=anindya+kundu%2Caps%2C131&sr=8-1], offers a compelling roadmap for rethinking leadership in education by elevating the voices and experiences of students, educators, families, and leaders who are leading in new ways. Drawing from narrative research and sociological insight, he challenges the idea that leadership is something done topeople and reframes it as a collective practice. In this conversation, we explore: * Why educational leadership must move beyond managerial efficiency * How stories from multiple stakeholders help us understand what real leadership looks like in unsettled times * How we got to where we are today with the lack of trust in public education Whether you're an educator, administrator, parent, or advocate, this episode will challenge how you think about leadership and inspire you to engage in the higher-order work of transforming systems, not just coping with them.

#404 Who's to Blame for the State of Education? with Dr. Anindya Kundu (pt.1)

I am thrilled to welcome back sociologist and education thought-leader Dr. Anindya Kundu for a powerful conversation about what it truly takes to lead schools and communities toward meaningful change. You may remember Anindya from our earlier discussions on systemic inequality and student agency [https://teachmeteacherpodcast.com/2020/06/15/168-systematic-inequality-with-dr-anindya-kundu-pt-1/]. In this return visit, we go deeper into why traditional models of leadership no longer serve our schools — and how we must evolve our approaches to meet the challenges of today's educational landscape. Anindya's new book, Transforming Educational Leadership: Non-Traditional Narratives to Promote Equity in Uncertain Times [https://www.amazon.com/Transforming-Educational-Leadership-Non-Traditional-Narratives/dp/0197750559/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ZWY3CHGVC2ON&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.TO0UQBZmPQgu-OUyOF8Qw2U_5F-DL3TSkRpaG6IcQeDGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.lpxxWXVoFN4kA6Hf4kbY3yUEIXg8ilNdorMY9iUCtNY&dib_tag=se&keywords=anindya+kundu&qid=1768846857&sprefix=anindya+kundu%2Caps%2C131&sr=8-1], offers a compelling roadmap for rethinking leadership in education by elevating the voices and experiences of students, educators, families, and leaders who are leading in new ways. Drawing from narrative research and sociological insight, he challenges the idea that leadership is something done to people and reframes it as a collective practice. In this conversation, we explore: * Why educational leadership must move beyond managerial efficiency * How stories from multiple stakeholders help us understand what real leadership looks like in unsettled times * How we got to where we are today with the lack of trust in public education Whether you're an educator, administrator, parent, or advocate, this episode will challenge how you think about leadership and inspire you to engage in the higher-order work of transforming systems, not just coping with them.