If Teachers Ruled the World

Leah Cleary

The podcast where real teachers get real. No Pinterest perfection. No out-of-touch theory. Just honest talk about what teaching actually looks like—failures, wins, and everything in between. Hosted by Leah Cleary, a 25-year classroom veteran who says what we’re all thinking. If you're burned out, doubting yourself, or sick of impossible expectations, you're not alone—and you're not broken. Let’s give teachers a voice. New episodes weekly. Finally, someone’s saying what teachers are thinking.

  1. 6d ago

    AI in Education: What Teachers Need to Know Right Now

    Schools are banning AI. But 86% of students are already using it (with or without teacher guidance). In this Teacher Reality Check, Leah makes the case that ignoring artificial intelligence in schools doesn't protect students. It just means they figure it out on their own, the same way they figured out social media. She examines the research on AI literacy and teacher training, tackles the deskilling argument head-on, breaks down the equity stakes of AI bans in under-resourced schools, and offers a clear framework for what ethical AI use actually looks like in the classroom. If you've been waiting for someone to say the nuanced thing about AI in education -- this is that episode. Check out the show notes here: leahcleary.com/ai-in-education

    18 min

  2. Jun 2

    The Tech Pendulum: Are We Solving the Wrong Problem in Education?

    The anti-technology movement in schools is moving fast -- 26 states have passed laws limiting or banning classroom devices, and 22 of those happened in 2025 alone. But is the backlash actually solving the right problem? In this Teacher Reality Check, Leah Cleary traces the full history of technology in education -- from the one-to-one device boom of the early 2010s, to what the pandemic did to classroom technology habits, to the legislative avalanche happening right now. Along the way, she unpacks what the research on educational technology actually says, explains why the phone ban conversation and the classroom technology conversation are not the same thing, and makes the case that when it comes to technology integration in the classroom, the problem was never the Chromebooks. It was always how we were using them. Plus: the one question every teacher should ask before assigning any tech-based task -- and a look ahead at the If Teachers Ruled the World summer series on edtech policy and practical classroom strategies. If you've been watching the anti-tech pendulum swing and wondering whether anyone is going to say the quiet part out loud -- this episode is for you. Be sure to check out the show notes here: leahcleary.com/technology-in-education

    19 min

  3. May 26

    Teacher Summer Advice: Rest, Reflect, and Let Go

    What's the best teacher summer advice? I asked nine of my colleagues on the last day of school. And what they said will stick with you all summer. From permission to fully unplug, to a two-part summer strategy for veterans, to one line of pure wisdom from our English department chair, this episode is teachers talking to teachers about rest, recharge, and letting go. Because teacher burnout recovery doesn't start with a plan. It starts with permission. If Teachers Ruled the World, Episode 45. Find the show notes here: leahcleary.com/teacher-summer-advice

    26 min

  4. May 19

    The Bookend: A Teaching Career Change After 25 Years in the Classroom

    Are you actively choosing your teaching career, or just never choosing to leave? In this episode, Leah Cleary talks about her own teaching career change after 25 years in the classroom. What led her to resign, why she is trading AP history and department chair for seventh grade ELA, and what teacher work life balance actually looks like when you finally choose your whole life over your resume. If you're navigating teacher burnout and career transitions, or just carrying a weight you can't quite name, this episode's your permission slip. Listen in.

    16 min

  5. May 12

    The Liminal Zone: End-of-School-Year Activities That Aren’t Just Busywork

    You've made it to the final two weeks. But if you teach AP, IB, or any high-stakes course, your students are already done with the real work. So what do you actually do with them now? In this episode, Leah Cleary introduces the concept of the "liminal zone" -- that in-between space where the course is finished but school isn't -- and considers what meaningful end-of-year activities actually need to accomplish. She shares the options she's weighing for her own classroom, the hidden cost of one popular post-AP project that most teachers don't think about, and why her favorite end-of-year tradition got taken away this year. Plus, a free resource in the show notes that reframes what it means to exist between worlds. Check that out at leahcleary.com. If you're searching for end-of-year projects for high school that aren't just busywork, this one's for you.

    13 min

  6. May 5

    The When Will We Ever Use This? Teaching Question: How to Balance Expectation and Reality

    Ever had a student ask "when will we ever use this?" and known immediately it wasn't really about curiosity? In this episode, high school teacher and 25-year classroom veteran Leah Cleary shares a real story about handling student pushback in real time, without losing instructional momentum or getting pulled into a debate you didn't plan for. If you're looking for honest, practical classroom management strategies for handling off-task students and navigating end-of-year behavior, this episode's for you. Because sometimes the best response isn't a lengthy explanation. It's knowing when to move on.

    11 min

  7. Apr 21

    The Flashcard Sort: A Smart End-of-Year Review Strategy That Actually Works

    It's the end of the year, and your students need to review. But re-reading notes isn't going to cut it. In this short episode, Leah shares a simple, low-prep sorting strategy that helps students stop memorizing random facts and start seeing the patterns that actually show up on exams. Whether you're prepping for AP exams, end-of-course tests, or your own final, this one's worth ten minutes of your time.

    11 min

  8. Apr 14

    Georgia House Bill 1084: What Teachers Can and Can’t Say (And Why It Matters)

    If you're a social studies teacher trying to figure out what you're allowed to say in the classroom, this episode is for you. Leah Cleary breaks down Georgia House Bill 1084, the Protect Students First Act, a divisive concepts law that prohibits teachers from teaching or advocating nine specific concepts related to race. But here's the contradiction: the same legislators who passed this education censorship law also approved the Georgia state standards that require teaching about slavery, Jim Crow, and the civil rights movement. In this episode, Leah traces the coordinated national campaign behind these laws, shares stunning RAND Corporation research on teacher self-censorship, and offers practical strategies for teaching controversial topics in school while protecting yourself professionally (including primary-source analysis, Socratic seminars, and airtight standards documentation). If fear of complaints is making you second-guess your teaching, you're not alone. And this episode will remind you that you can still do this job well.

    46 min
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About

The podcast where real teachers get real. No Pinterest perfection. No out-of-touch theory. Just honest talk about what teaching actually looks like—failures, wins, and everything in between. Hosted by Leah Cleary, a 25-year classroom veteran who says what we’re all thinking. If you're burned out, doubting yourself, or sick of impossible expectations, you're not alone—and you're not broken. Let’s give teachers a voice. New episodes weekly. Finally, someone’s saying what teachers are thinking.

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