Playing Teacher

Epsiode 26: From the Classroom to the Central Office: A Conversation with Dr. Neill Alleva

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2393069/fan_mail/new] In this episode, the Playing Teacher team sits down with Dr. Neil for a wide-ranging conversation about education, leadership, and the relationships that shape a career in schools. The discussion moves from the early days of teaching and school culture to PBIS implementation, staff hiring, school leadership, and the realities of guiding a school community through difficult moments, including the COVID era. Along the way, the group reflects on mentorship, memorable colleagues, professional growth, and the kind of human-centered leadership that leaves a lasting mark on students, teachers, and entire school systems.  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2393069/support]

Episode 25: Stats, Laughs, and Staff Bathroom Scandals

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2393069/fan_mail/new] In this milestone 25th episode of Playin’ Teacher, the crew looks back at the podcast’s growth, biggest episodes, and where listeners are tuning in from around the world. What starts as a stats check quickly turns into something bigger: a reflection on how the show has evolved from a more traditional education podcast into something looser, funnier, and a lot more rooted in friendship, storytelling, and shared teacher chaos. The team talks Season 2 plans, debates whether the show now belongs in comedy, society and culture, or education, and announces their first guest for the new season: Dr. Neil. Along the way, there’s discussion of standout past episodes, title changes, acting updates, and one unforgettable school story that closes the episode in truly unhinged fashion. If you’ve been here since the early episodes or you’re just jumping in, this is a perfect snapshot of what Playin’ Teacher has become: part teacher talk, part life update, part comedy spiral. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2393069/support]

Episode 24: Desk Jockeys: The Hidden Politics of Classroom Furniture

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2393069/fan_mail/new] In Episode 24 of Season 1, the Playing Teacher team explores the surprisingly loaded topic of desks in schools. From bizarre desk drawer discoveries to classroom desk placement strategies, the conversation moves from humorous teacher stories to serious questions about school resources, furniture inequities, and how physical space shapes instruction. The team discusses how different educators use their desks, why some teachers avoid sitting at them, and how classroom layout affects observation, management, and student relationships. They also reflect on underused school equipment, storage-room mysteries, and the broader resource gap between classroom teachers and administrators. What seems like a simple conversation about desks becomes a revealing look at school culture, teacher identity, and the politics of space in education. The episode also serves as a natural checkpoint as the team nears the end of Season 1 and starts thinking ahead to Season 2. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2393069/support]

Episode 23: AI in the Classroom: Tool, Threat, or Teacher?

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2393069/fan_mail/new] Episode 23 of Playing Teacher tackles one of the biggest questions in education today: What happens when classrooms become dominated by screens, software, and artificial intelligence? Robert, Matthew, and Brugge discuss the post-COVID explosion of digital learning tools, the unintended consequences of assessment platforms like iReady and IXL, and the growing concern that students are spending more time interacting with software than with teachers. The conversation also dives into AI's rapidly expanding role in education, from writing assignments to personalized tutoring, and asks a critical question: If AI can complete many school tasks instantly, what should students actually be learning? The episode argues that the solution isn't banning technology, but redesigning education around deeper thinking, real-world experiences, and human connection. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2393069/support]

Episode 22: The Aging Educator: Sweet Spots, Second Winds, and the Retirement Countdown

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2393069/fan_mail/new] What actually happens in a teacher’s final years in the classroom? In this episode, Matt, Robert, and Jeannine dig into the lived reality of the aging educator—not as a comparison to younger teachers, but as its own unique phase of an education career with its own pressures, patterns, and unexpected strengths. We unpack the idea of the teacher “sweet spot” (and whether it’s defined by years, confidence, freedom, or mastery), the concept of a professional second wind, and what it looks like when veteran educators shift their pace, mindset, and classroom identity as retirement gets closer. Along the way, we explore the archetypes we’ve all seen in schools: the teacher who resists change, the one counting down to retirement, and the one who still brings wisdom and stability to the building—even when everything around them is shifting. We also talk curriculum evolution over time (the lesson bank problem), how experienced teachers keep their best “hooks” while adapting to new standards, and why teaching sometimes resembles entertainment: same show, new audience… every single year. Plus: a quick detour into reality TV game dynamics (Traitors), schools running on fumes when admins are out, and the ongoing question—do educators ever reach a permanent “comfortable routine,” or does the job always demand reinvention? Topics include: * The “sweet spot” in a teaching career * Veteran teacher archetypes and end-of-career shifts * Confidence, burnout, and finding a second wind * Curriculum drift: stable lessons vs constant change * Teaching as performance, engagement, and iteration * Retirement mindset, identity, and adaptability If you’ve ever wondered how teaching changes after 15, 20, or 30+ years in the system—this one hits home. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2393069/support]