Inspire & Innovate: A Podcast for Educators St. Andrew's Episcopal School

Do you teach? Do you work at a school in any capacity? Do you have kids of your own? Do these offspring of yours attend (or have they attended) the same school that pays your paycheck? If you have selected yes to just one of these questions, this episode is for you. But if you selected yes to more than one . . . well this episode may hit some very familiar notes (and I wish we could have invited you on as a guest.)  Join host Taylor Davis and guests Anna Frame and Lea Crongeyer for an exploration of the intersection of parenting and working as a school professional. 
 
2:58-3:20: Inquiring minds must know; what does a child call their parent when they are actually teaching them in a classroom setting? 
 
4:22-6:57:  How being a teacher and being a parent are sometimes very different and sometimes very similar; also we discover Lea has basically taught every kid in the world. 
 
7:05-8:14: Why Anna Frame is a lot less fun as a mom than a teacher; and the interplay of high expectations and “not MY kid!”
 
9:45-13:33: A surprise side effect of being a teacher momma: we never want to infringe on our kids’ teachers’ time or stress them out in any way.  
 
13:38-14:55: The added entanglements for mommas who are not only teachers at the same school but also ALUMNAE! 
 
14:56-16:30: “The balance of challenges and blessings” when your own kid is in the exact same grade you teach; the things we miss but also the insights we glean.
 
16:40-17:20: Julie’s surprise reveal that Lea Crongeyer is the real reason she ended up working at St. Andrew’s.  (When I was considering the job she texted me, “it is one of the most precious gifts of my life to have taught at the same place my kids go to school.”)
 
17:28-20:25: Julie’s biggest point of tension in these dual roles of administrator/teacher and momma is also incredibly generative.
 
20:26-21:16: Lea drops some major wisdom: “So parenting you do so much of it with your heart you have to have a lot of self control as a teacher . .. you can’t be momma bear at school”; and Taylor points out sometimes we have too many “inside” insights. :) 
 
21:16-23:20: Anna shares the good side of all this: we have a cheat code for what to talk to kids about in the car; also that year Lea let Taylor wake up  her own kid from nap.
 
23:40- 25:26: Being a momma-teacher makes you have so much grace and empathy for your kids’ teachers and other cheat codes that can give us a leg-up on our parenting partners.
 
25:31-26:38; 28:18-29:58: When your kid gets in trouble, sometimes [a different kind of] the swooping in is helpful; also why Julie loves student-led conferences.
 
26:48-27:33: Listen here to find out which of our children was NOT a good napper and required an elaborate ticket system to stay put!
 
30:25-31:40: Josh Brister finally gets on the mic to drop wisdom about how parenting has impacted his view of the parent/teacher relationship; also our podcast’s most dramatic moment in the  history of its existence!
 
31:41-32:46; 34:24-35:00: Not only do we give teachers more grace when we are in our parenting role, we give parents more grace in our teaching role; now we know how hard it is!  
 
32:47- 34:23: How parenting shifts our view of the value of writing qualitative comments to parents.
 
35:00-35:50: Sometimes we are very, very bad parents.  True confessions.

Hosts: Jessica Parker-Farris / Matt Luter
Guest: Michelle Portera
Recorded/Edited by Josh Brister
(0:53-2:36) Episode Intro - Matt shares multiple resources that suggest loneliness is not a new conversation, although perhaps an unexpected and ironic one within the educational field given that educators are largely surrounded by others all day long(2:36) Matt introduces himself, Jessica, and Michelle (Josh is quietly present and recording! Thank you, Josh!) 
(2:36) While meeting with TEAM early on, we began a conversation about under- discussed truths, and the topic loneliness came up.

(3:44) Question 1:  How do you sense or experience loneliness in your profession, either in yourself or in others?(4:10) Michelle has sensed loneliness in her 1st grade students; we all want to be seen and understood, including our kiddos; her assistant Rachel Scott does a great job noticing their students’ needs.
(5:40) Matt wonders how experiences might differ among teachers based on your division or particular role; Michelle feels connected to her 1st grade team; Jessica shares how her experience of connection shifted when she shifted from a kindergarten assistant to a lead elementary art teacher.
(8:28) Matt similarly shares being the expert/only person teaching a given topic can be isolating; has missed having someone to lean on/collaborate with possible challenges of autonomy.
(9:45) An ESL teacher for a time, Michelle agrees being the “lonely expert” can “mess with your confidence” and put you on the defensive rather than feeling connected with others.
(10:56) Matt shares that full autonomy of curriculum is perhaps a two-edged sword; Jessica mentions perhaps that’s another conversation: how much choice is too much not just for students but teachers as well?

(12:06) Question 2: If yes, when have you felt the most lonely? And do you think it was related to a personal situation or your role within the community? (12:58) Michelle shares her experience of being the “newbie” on her 1st grade team and its challenges; she wisely acknowledges that loneliness can be a making all of our own, like when negatively comparing yourself to others. 
(14:49) Matt shares the importance of connecting with others in a way that is personally nourishing or revitalizing, and ironically, that might mean spending time in a quiet room with only one other adult.
(16:45) Throughout the day Jessica hunts out brief moments of, as Michelle so nicely puts it, “teacher togetherness,” where she can have even a moment of connection with other peers or adults, and Michelle shares a prior experience where teachers were reprimanded for chatting in the halls with one another and its effects on morale. 

(19:57) Question: Do you feel that loneliness is something systemic about today’s world and culture? Do you feel it’s something that spans beyond teaching roles and into other ones? (Say maintenance staff? Admin? Students?) 
(20:13) The chicken or the egg? Loneliness now a nation-wide discussion, Matt questions the exact roles COVID-19 and digital tech both played (and perhaps still play) in preventing togetherness. 
(23:14) Michelle reflects being truly connected might require some intentionality and wise decision making.
(25:21) Jessica feels having shared teacher goals or objectives isn’t the same as feeling personally connected to each individual  within the community; once again, Michelle questions whether that is related to our own willingness to be vulnerable with others.
Jessica shares a tiny shift in her schedule allowed for small moments of connection with both co-workers and parents.
(28:25) Question 5: What do you feel has helped you feel a stronger sense of connection/belonging and to your SA community?
Reiterating a few successful strategies mentioned like prioritizing and daily snippets of connections, Matt shares his own need to have strong and nourishing friendships outside of work.
(30:08) Michelle and Jessica reflect on the

This week, join host Hannah Williams-Inman as she speaks with middle school educators Paul Buckley and Maria Edwards about experiences teaching as an introvert/extrovert. 
(0:00-2:35) TEAM Intro and Episode Intro - Teaching as an introvert vs extrovert, and the way that may change the vibe and feeling of our day to day life here at SA.
(2:45-3:10) - Can you figure out, based on this conversation, who is our introvert and who is our extrovert?
(3:20) Question 1: What is your favorite part of the school day? (3:40) Maria starts us off - she loves seeing her lessons come to life, especially when a lesson hits well in a (probably morning time) class. 
(4:50) We reflect on how the time of day completely changes the vibe of a class.
(5:30) Paul speaks about how he loves the calm moments of the day, taking a moment of peace, and maybe even a quick walk around campus.
(6:15) We love our outdoor campus!

(7:00) I forgot to introduce myself! Sidebar, it doesn’t take just an introvert to LOVE their planning period - I love mine too!
(7:50) Another sidebar - Maria remembers a conversation between the three of us before she had actually been hired. We knew she was a winner!
(8:25) Question 2: What part of the school day consistently stresses you out? (8:35) Hannah first - needing to be super flexible stresses me out, even though our environment and schedule at SA is typically so consistent and our days operate generally as expected, we still sometimes have to adjust on the fly. Such is life as a teacher.
(9:50) Paul shares - he feels stressed when lesson plans go awry, and he has to change things on the fly. He also shares that on a normal, regular day, lunch can be very stressful. It can feel draining, and it’s loud!
(11:25) Maria shares - she agrees that it’s stressful when a lesson plan flops, and being in year one of teaching is a lot of trial and error. Maria and Hannah both struggle with the way one lesson plan gone wrong can really flip the entire week/month/quarter on its head schedule wise.
(12:40) There is a unique struggle when classes are only 50 minutes.

(13:50) “Just a quick sidebar…” figuring out how to effectively plan a class period (making sure you plan enough but not too much) is kind of the art of teaching, in a nutshell.
(15:25) Question 3: How do you feel at the end of a school day? (15:40) “Do you mean before or after my nap?” - Paul uses his after school time to rest, and restore, by enjoying some silence and taking his dog on a walk.
(16:35) Maria gives a lot during the school day, but she gives herself a boost with some energy drinks, so she can still be active and head to the gym after school!
(18:30) Boundaries! Work/life balance with our families and our own ability to recharge!
(18:50) What does it look like to turn off “teacher talk” at the end of the day, especially when we are with non-teachers?
(19:45) Hannah shares that at the end of the school day, she may be tired and more mellow, but is also kind of ready to expend a different kind of “after school” energy. 

(20:50) The big reveal! Who is our introvert?
(21:45) We are so clued into the way our kids are each day; do we have the same amount of awareness for ourselves? Do we keep a finger on our own pulses as well?
 

 Sure, we’ve all experienced the very public job/side of teaching: how a teacher lectures or constructs a lesson.  But what about those more veiled parts of the job of teaching that no one sees? What stories can we share about invisible parts of teaching across a range of grade levels?  And what costs and benefits lurk in these often-hidden parts of our work?  Join Toby Lowe, Hannah Woodward, and Saana Watson for an in depth discussion on these themes.  
Show notes:
(3:55-5:15) A glimpse into Saana’s spookiest time at St. Andrew's! (To learn more,  read this blog!)
(5:18-7:24)  Hannah’s ghostly disappearing/reappearing act at SA; imagine the possibility within three inch binders; Toby and Hannah as polar opposites on the first grade team
(7:32-11:01) Why work-life balance isn’t “one size fits all” and one hidden benefit of long work hours (shoutout to Mr. Chris!); also the very quotable: “Sure the work will still be there tomorrow, but so will all these children!”
(11:02-12:31) The irony of working ahead.
(12:50-14:52) Put plainly, differentiation just takes time. 
(14:53-16:15)  Toby used to chug Sunny D; and the ebb and flow of productivity.
(16:17-20:00) Why Toby’s SPOOKY invisible work is more about remaking systems;  also writing his own tests and homework
(20:02-20:17) Why we should all stop giving  planners like Hannah a hard time! “I’m not miserable! This makes sense to me!”
(20:18-22:32)  Why the timing of our invisible work matters 
(22:50- 24:20) Why teaching kindergarten is just like teaching any grade but with a bit more material-prep. 
(24:21-25:25) The glory and delight of how teaching takes up residence in your brain. 
(25:25-26:58) That one time Zander knocked over a water glass on my laptop while we were playing Headbandz and the gentle reminder of “maybe one thing at a time.” 
(27:03-27:42) Julie’s unpopular opinion:  grading papers is the best.
(28:18-29:22) Hannah has some good advice if you plan to work late; good news though: there are lots of good areas to sleep in lower school. :)  
(29:44-30:53) Another invisible teacher truth: we pay attention to our students’ social dynamics and care about the health of their friendships.

Sometimes you read a book or watch a movie that is so chock-full of hyperbole you just roll your eyes and lean into it for entertainment value.  Sometimes that very same book or movie magically transforms before your very eyes into the truest representation of life you have ever seen. Roald Dahl’s (1988) novel, Matilda did that, with its captivating story about a young girl who encounters injustice with adults in her life at home and school with bravery, intelligence, and creativity.  And in our household anyway, the latest iteration of Matilda in musical form directed by Matthew Warchus (from a screenplay written by Dennis Kelly featuring song/lyrics by Tim Minchin) did it again, with a catchy set of musical numbers that had us singing for weeks.  I had the privilege of sitting down with two third graders who love the movie, Elizabeth Bensler and Alianna Rust, as well as their very own Dr. Egger, Head of Lower School to discuss what the musical might teach us about parenting, schooling, and growing up:
 
3:12-6:16: Meet our guests, and learn which one most closely related to the terrifying character of Mrs. Trunchbull!
 
6:51-10:00:  What is up with the dynamic between Matilda and her parents?   
 
10:29-12:45: What St. Andrew’s has in common with the terrifying Cruncham Elementary; (related sidenote: we need a statue of Dr. Egger in the front of the school).
 
13:15-17:10: What all of us think about growing up: from the perspective of sweet Bev Egger, to our third graders, to Dr. Egger and me; the pros/cons of having control but also having responsibility. 
 
17:40-20:48: We have a delightful time comparing Mrs. Trunchbull to Dr. Egger; spoiler alert: they have like nothing in common! 
 
21:10- 25:07: We gush with love for the character Miss Honey, and not just because she’s a nice teacher; because she’s got some solid skills. Also Elizabeth and Alianna dish on which of their teachers most remind them of Miss Honey.  
 
25:45-30:44: We explore the premise of the lyric “sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty”; interestingly sibling relationships come up quite a few times.
 
30:58-33:50- We close out with our favorite scenes from the show, featuring circus-school, throwing hammers, dancing on top of desks, and floating above the clouds. 

As we discovered in the first three episodes of this series, the world of motion pictures depicting educational realities isn’t all bad.  In fact, Mr Rogers, 8th Grade, and Abbott Elementary are so well-done, they strike more chords that resonate than outright clash with our realities. But we are going to end our season with two episodes that take a very different approach.  Hyperbole, absurdity, and “THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN” come to mind.  But even in these films that show less restraint and more –ahem– “artistic license,” we found much to discuss, dare I say even learn?  This week- the at-times problematic but wildly entertaining, School of Rock.  Rachel Scott (LS Tech Integration), Sara Clark (LS Library), and Daniel Roers (our amazing podcast recorder/editor finally steps out from behind-the-scenes) discuss:
 
1:18-2:56: The art of substitute teaching, and our first hint that Dewey Finn has absolutely no clue what he is getting into.
3:00-5:05:  Daniel takes a trip down memory lane about his first few weeks on north campus, and asserts that there has to be a point that every teacher wishes they could act a bit more like the main character: goofy, fun, sarcastic, relatable . . . 100% themselves.
5:07-7:15:  Sure inappropriateness abounds, but Rachel points out that “sometimes it was a little refreshing”; why being honest with our students and avoiding needless sugarcoating can be the best policy. 
7:16-9:28: Our guests discuss their fury at public shaming in schools via data walls, behavior charts, names on the board, etc.
10:41- 11:27:  How one scene got Sara musing on the challenges of teaching an ungraded co-curricular.
12:33-13:07: Why School of Rock is currently trending on TikTok.
13:08-14:31:  Inspiring kids to find their passions, but breaking so many rules in the process!
14:33-16:18: Why asking youth what makes them mad can be a powerful springboard in the classroom.
16:18-16:49: The value of teaching kids to advocate for themselves.
16:50-19:15: The scene of a “lesson plan gone wrong” that the guest found oh-so-relatable.
19:15-20:37: Admin are people too! That time Dewey goes to the bar with his principal.
20:38-26:49: Who knew School of Rock had so much to say on the impact of emotions in classroom spaces?! Also shout outs to Rev. Hailey and Chelsea and our school’s general commitment to all things social-emotional.
26:50-28:20: Can you learn everything you need to know through music?: the potential in interest-driven, project-based learning.
28:21-end: The guests end with the big disclaimer: unless you want to lose your job, do not take cues from the Jack Black character.  But if you want a great laugh at the end of a long teaching week and are willing to suspend your disbelief, check out School of Rock.