PD or not PD?

I'm telling Mom!

In this very special, light-hearted episode, Chris and Rob are joined by a legendary guest of honor—Rob’s mom! For the first time, we get a parent’s perspective on what it’s really like when your children pack up and move across the world. From the initial worries of sending her kids abroad to becoming an international traveler herself, she shares her heartwarming and candid reflections on her children’s global adventures. Plus, she doesn't hold back on reminding Rob about some of his most infamous overseas "mishaps." * The Parent’s Perspective: The initial shock, worry, and ultimate pride of watching your children move overseas. * The Travel Bug is Catching: How having children abroad inspired Rob's mom to travel to places she never expected, including Azerbaijan, South Korea, Brunei, and volunteering in Africa. * Overseas Mishaps: A trip down memory lane regarding some of Rob’s less-than-ideal adventures (including that infamous Ukraine incident). * Cultural Differences: Comparing life, behavior, and school disciplines between the UK, South Korea, Myanmar, and China. * Golden Advice: Her inspiring words of wisdom for any parent whose child is about to move to a country they’ve never heard of. “Do lots of lovely, wonderful stuff, but be cautious... Just go for it. Enjoy it.” * Facebook: Search for "Mad Dogs and English Teachers" * Email: maddogsandenglishteachers@proton.me

The beautiful game

Cruising from the Pitch to the Classroom with Aaron Leaver With the World Cup finally kicked off, Chris and Rob are diving into that strange, post-exam twilight zone of the school year—you know, the two weeks where there's nothing left to do but we all still have to show up! But the real treat this week is our very first guest, Aaron Leaver. Aaron didn't take the traditional path into overseas teaching. He breaks down his incredible 12-year journey as a football coach, sharing what it’s really like to scout for Valencia CF in India, work with European giants like Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur, and navigate the sheer madness of moving to Beijing right in the middle of pandemic restrictions. We chat about the massive culture shocks of teaching PE online, the hilarious contrast between the "joked-around" persona of a locker room coach versus the decorum of an international school, and we put Aaron in the hot seat with some rapid-fire questions. Plus, Rob and Aaron bond over their shared love for field hockey (or tarmac hockey, depending on your surface), and Chris successfully avoids talking about football for as long as humanly possible. Connect with the Show: * Facebook: Search "Mad Dogs and English Teachers" * Email: maddogsandenglishteachers@proton.me Next week: Rob's mum, Elizabeth Alderton, joins the show to discuss the parent's perspective of raising kids who live halfway across the world!

A light at the end of the tunnel?

Episode 13: The Light at the End of the Tunnel? Are long terms wearing you down, or are you just desperately counting down the days until the final school bell rings? This week on Mad Dogs and English Teachers, Chris and Rob are diving headfirst into the chaotic "limbo period" of the international school year. As exam season winds down, they navigate the bizarre world of shifting schedules, lunar calendars, and the absolute headache that is the mysterious "Lent Day Debacle". Plus, the guys get real about the highs and lows of global travel. From the exhausting stress of airport connections to the post-Brexit visa struggles (thanks, Boris!), they debate whether the grass is actually greener overseas—or if it's just a different shade of tropical sun. In this episode: * Exam Limbo: Late-night IGCSEs and managing "unruly" students post-finals. * The Travel Fatigue: Why sometimes a staycation sounds better than another flight. * The Great Country Count: Rob totals up his staggering list of 91 visited countries. * Blast from the Past: A lesson in simple math courtesy of some frustrating "chuffin' pigeons". Grab a cold beer, kick back, and join the conversation about what it's really like to live and teach overseas! Connect with us: * 👥 Facebook: Search "Mad Dogs and English Teachers" * 📧 Email: maddogsandenglishteachers@proton.me Don't forget to follow and leave us a review if you enjoy the banter!

AI - Taking our jobs?

Join Chris and Rob for another lighthearted look at the trials and tribulations of teaching overseas. This week, the boys are diving deep into the school year's finish line and the looming robotic takeover of the classroom. * The Participation Award Debate: Rob is drowning in a sea of "Phoenix" and "Excelsior" certificates so that every student gets a prize, prompting a chat about whether everyone really deserves a trophy. * Teachers vs. AI: From grading essays in two minutes flat to planning history lessons on the Blitz, discover how Chris and Rob are using AI to slash their workloads—and whether it makes them massive hypocrites. * The Next Generation of Cheating: Chris catches students using suspiciously fancy vocabulary, while Rob details a 10-year-old who effortlessly generated an entire podcast script using AI. * University Confessions: The guys look back at their own hilarious university hacks, including Rob's infamous "white font" word count trick and a legendary story of a student accidentally plagiarizing a professor's own book. * Strange Encounters: Rob kicks off a brand new segment by explaining how he accidentally punched a bat in the face mid-air. * Face-to-Face Summer: Chris shares his plans to head over to Myanmar this July for a long-awaited, in-person podcast meetup. * Facebook: Search for Mad Dogs and English Teachers * Email: maddogsandenglishteachers@proton.me

PD or not PD?

Are you a "tired teacher" in the UK exhausted by the relentless cycle of "new" educational strategies that feel like the same old ideas in a shiny new wrapper? You aren't alone. This week on Mad Dogs and English Teachers, Chris and Rob dive into a listener email that strikes a chord with educators everywhere: the feeling that professional development has become a game of "snake oil" pedagogy. We discuss whether moving to an international school actually solves the problem or if "initiative fatigue" is a global phenomenon. In this episode, we discuss: * The Innovation Cycle: Why so many educational "revolutions" are just foundational theories with a new price tag. * School Accreditation: Rob breaks down the process of getting accredited by the Consortium of International Schools (CIS) in Burma and the "hoops" teachers have to jump through. * Teacher Appraisals & Portfolios: The reality of proving your worth through paperwork and "portfolios of evidence." * AI in the Classroom: How we are using tools like Gemini to streamline end-of-year reports and why prompt engineering might be the next big skill for teachers. Whether you're teaching in the Midlands or Mandalay, join us for a light-hearted look at the trials and tribulations of life in the staffroom. Connect with the show: * Email: maddogsandenglishteachers@proton.me * Facebook: Search "Mad Dogs and English Teachers" Don't forget to follow us on Spotify and leave a review if you're enjoying the pod!