School Reunion with Ben Tuval

Ben Tuval
  • 5.0 (22)
  • Comedy Interviews

During the COVID lockdowns in 2021, Ben Tuval interviewed his K-12 teachers. Now he's back — revisiting his teachers and expanding to comedians and other creatives. Old teachers, new guests, new conversations. School Reunion returns April 6, 2026 — wherever you get podcasts. Follow Ben on Instagram @benhtuval for his comedy. [concept art by Gripless] [music: "Evan Finds the Third Room" by Khruangbin]

  1. 4d ago

    13. 5th Grade: Scott Bedley Returns

    Scott Bedley is a veteran elementary school educator with 31 years in the classroom, currently teaching 4th grade in Irvine, CA, as well as Ben’s fifth grade teacher (2006–2007 academic year). The two reconnect after five years apart, catching up on careers, grad school, and how education has changed. Ben asks Scott about AI in the classroom, burnout, and the philosophy behind three decades of teaching. Along the way come stories about the Solar Decathlon, Global School Play Day, and one particularly cringe-inducing Valentine’s Day poem. Discussed in this episode: 0:00 — Intro / Catching Up 1:56 — The Valentine’s Day Poem (& Why Writing Matters) 2:56 — AI, Writing, and What the Next Generation Might Miss 4:04 — Chromebooks, One-to-One Devices & Finding the Right Balance with New Tech 7:38 — How Long Does It Take to Feel Good at Your Job? (Comedy vs. Teaching) 8:48 — 31 Years In: “The Longer You’re In It, The More You Realize You Don’t Know” 12:38 — The Solar Decathlon Story (& the Student Who Got Into Harvard) 15:38 — Taking Risks in the Classroom 17:34 — AI and Raising Humans 19:09 — AI Tools in Action: MagicSchool, Snorkel & Gemini “Gems” 23:06 — Slang, Skibidi Toilet, and Embracing (Not Banning) What’s Cringe 24:20 — Managing It All: Burnout, Boundaries & Staying a “Creator” 27:11 — Creators vs. Drones: Staying Fulfilled in the Job 29:22 — You Can’t Get to Everything: Teaching Kids to Love Learning 31:31 — Why Education Is Emotional But Content Isn’t (MATH = Mental Abuse to Humans) 37:18 — Global School Play Day: Fighting the Decline in Unstructured Play 40:42 — Letting Kids Make Their Own Choices 42:15 — Ben’s Path: From A&E Networks to K-State and the Classroom 44:00 — Comedy, Family & Finding Meaningful Work 45:37 — Angels, Ducks, and Returning to California 48:10 — Closing Thoughts & Old Memories (Plus a Teacher’s Teacher) 50:04 — Wrapping Up Scott also co-hosted an education podcast with his brother Tim. Check out The Bedley Bros for conversations with authors, teachers of the year, and more. Global School Play Day is a grassroots movement, started by educators including Scott, that gives kids a day of unstructured, child-led play to push back against the decline in play. Learn more and find out how to take part at globalschoolplayday.org. Follow Ben on Instagram here. To advertise on the show, please contact @BenHTuval on Instagram or through the Contact/Press form on Ben’s website.

  2. Jul 6

    12. 3rd Grade: Hope Benzie Returns

    Hope Benzie is a longtime elementary school teacher in the Irvine, CA education community, as well as Ben's 3rd grade teacher (2005–2006 academic year). The two reconnect in person for the first time in decades, catching up on life, family, and the winding roads that brought them both to where they are now. Ben asks questions about the teaching profession as he transitions to becoming a teacher himself, and old memories, hard-won wisdom, and plenty of laughs come up along the way. Discussed in this episode: 0:00 — Intro 0:56 — Catching Up 4:50 — The Thanksgiving Play & "Turkeys on Strike" 7:30 — Comedy vs. Teaching: Surprising Parallels 9:36 — How Kids' Knowledge Has Changed (Social Media, Coddling & Resilience) 17:26 — "Everybody Has Feelings": Classroom Empathy 101 21:44 — How Parenting Has Changed Since COVID 27:35 — Handling Difficult Parents (& Losing Their Cool) 31:55 — What Hope Remembers About Ben 34:18 — Moving as Teenagers: Shared Culture Shock Stories 41:50 — Hope's Soft Retirement & What Led Her There 48:02 — Standup, Public Speaking & Speaking From the Heart 59:42 — Outro  Follow Ben on Instagram here. Ben is performing at ⁠Guy Reuven⁠’s show July 8 at 7PM at Broadway Comedy Club in NYC. (Guy is genuinely one of the funniest guys doing it right now.) Tickets can be purchased ⁠here⁠ or at tinyurl.com/bwaycomedy.  To advertise on the show, please contact @BenHTuval on Instagram or through the Contact/Press form on Ben's website.

  3. Jun 8

    11. Hollywood: Jeff Jablon

    Jeff Jablon is a screenwriter and men's stylist who spent a decade inside the Hollywood machine — from a talent agency mailroom, to working alongside A-list talent at one of the industry's top management companies, to working at a production company behind $30M+ films, to a crypto company collapse, to finding his footing today. Ben reconnects with Jeff in-person for the first time ever in LA and the two talk Hollywood, screenwriting, Celine Song, and what it actually takes to just do the thing. Discussed in this episode: 0:00 — Intro 0:57 — Jeff's Chess Teaching Gig ("A Hobby That Pays Me") 4:27 — LA Helicopters / How Long Jeff's Been in LA 6:47 — How Ben & Jeff Met 6:57 — On Being Creative vs. Pursuing Hollywood 9:57 — Jeff's Foray Into Standup 11:37 — Screenwriting as His True Passion 12:40 — Ben on Being a Cancer Survivor 15:12 — 10 Years in LA: Expectations vs. Reality 17:31 — The Hollywood Career Elevator Pitch 18:57 — The Producer Job That Did a Number on Him 22:11 — Life Coach, Crypto Collapse & Finding Suit Supply 23:57 — Why 32 Hours Beats 80 Hours 25:32 — The Two Scripts: "The Zoo" & a Romantic Comedy Feature 28:57 — Materialists, Celine Song & Modern Dating 32:57 — Aspiring for Big Picture Storytelling 37:57 — Depression, Marc Maron & LA vs. New York 44:07 — "Stop Listening to Advice and Just Do It" 45:35 — Outro Follow Ben on Instagram ⁠here⁠.  To advertise on the show, please contact ⁠@BenHTuval on Instagram⁠ or through the ⁠Contact/Press form on Ben’s website. ⁠

  4. Apr 27

    10. 2nd Grade: Roberta Sagud Returns

    Roberta Sagud is a retired elementary school teacher with over 30 years of experience in the Southern California education community, as well as Ben's second grade teacher (2004–2005 academic year). The two reconnect in person for the first time in decades — in Irvine, CA, where it all began — Ben asks questions about the teaching profession as he transitions to becoming a teacher himself, and old memories, life advice, and some laughs come up along the way. Discussed in this episode: 0:00 — Intro 1:04 — Does Roberta Remember Ben? 5:28 — Why Elementary Over High School 7:16 — On Husbands, Cameras & the Corporate World 18:47 — "By the End I Was a Psychiatrist, a Psychologist, and a Nurse" 21:48 — When Was Roberta Happiest in Her Career? 29:25 — Mental Health & Why Kids Need an Outlet 43:32 — On Finding the Right Person 56:59 — Advice for Going Into Teaching 1:08:36 — The Similarities Between Standup Comedy and Teaching 1:11:14 — Wrapping Up Follow Ben on Instagram here.  Ben is performing at Guy Reuven’s show May 20 8PM at Eastville Comedy Club in Brooklyn. (Guy is genuinely one of the funniest guys doing it right now.) Tickets can be purchased here.  To advertise on the show, please contact @BenHTuval on Instagram or through the Contact/Press form on Ben’s website.

  5. Apr 6

    9. Kindergarten: Sheila Jones

    Sheila Jones is a staple in the Southern California education community, as well as Ben's Kindergarten teacher (2001–2002 academic year). The two reconnect in person for the first time since then, Ben asks questions about the teaching profession as he transitions to becoming a teacher, and old memories come up. Discussed in this episode: 0:00 — Intro  1:05 — Catching Up / Old Memories  7:35 — Understanding Your Students (& Making Learning Fun)  11:43 — Life After the Classroom / Sheila's Retirement  19:41 — Did Sheila Always Want to Teach?  24:11 — The Hardest Part About Teaching  32:43 — How Kids & Parents Have Changed  39:43 — What's Missing From Education Today  41:35 — The Costume Story 😄  43:28 — Wrapping Up Follow Ben on Instagram here.  Ben is performing at Guy Reuven’s show May 20 8PM at Eastville Comedy Club in Brooklyn. (Guy is genuinely one of the funniest guys doing it right now.) Tickets can be purchased here. To advertise on the show, please contact @BenHTuval on Instagram or through the Contact/Press form on Ben’s website.

  6. Season 2 Trailer

    Still "School Reunion"

    School Reunion returns April 6, 2026. End of "trailer." Follow Ben on Instagram @benhtuval for his comedy. [concept art by ⁠Gripless⁠] [music: "Evan Finds the Third Room" by ⁠Khruangbin]

  7. 05/27/2021

    8. 11th Grade: Andrew Thompson

    Ben reconnects with his 11th grade US history teacher Andrew Thompson after 7 years without contact. Andrew shares something he’s never mentioned to a student before, how teaching can be surprisingly isolating (especially in year one), the importance of travel, and more.

  8. 05/20/2021

    7. 10th/12th Grade: Dr. Kirsten Russell

    Ben reconnects with his 10th grade history/12th grade AP comparative government teacher, Dr. Kirsten Russell, after 6 years without contact. Kirsten shares stories from her decades-long career prior to teaching, how her son became a source of motivation for her to transition into teaching, what living in China in the ‘80s was like, and more.

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Trailer

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About

During the COVID lockdowns in 2021, Ben Tuval interviewed his K-12 teachers. Now he's back — revisiting his teachers and expanding to comedians and other creatives. Old teachers, new guests, new conversations. School Reunion returns April 6, 2026 — wherever you get podcasts. Follow Ben on Instagram @benhtuval for his comedy. [concept art by Gripless] [music: "Evan Finds the Third Room" by Khruangbin]

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