Homeroom Attendance

Edward DeShazer

You know that look teachers give each other in the hallway? The one that says everything without saying a word? That's what this show is. Homeroom Attendance is the podcast for educators who are done with the watered-down professional development and ready for real talk about what it actually takes to show up, lead well, and build a culture that doesn't burn people out. Every episode, host Edward DeShazer brings lived experience, practical tools, and honest conversation straight to the teacher lounge. Whether you're a classroom teacher, a school leader, a counselor, or an administrator, there is something here for you. No Pinterest PD. No corporate buzzwords. Just the kind of conversation educators actually need. Each episode delivers a clear takeaway, a mindset reframe, and one action step you can use today or tomorrow. Because the best professional development doesn't make you feel talked at. It makes you feel seen. Pull up a chair. Attendance is being taken.

  1. MAR 22

    The Final Bell For Teachers Ed Podcast

    The Teachers Ed Podcast ends today and it’s personal. I’m not dropping an announcement and walking away; I’m sitting with you for an honest thank you, a clear apology for the times I went quiet, and the real reason I can’t keep building this the old way. Educators do not have extra time, extra energy, or extra patience for things that don’t serve them, and I’ve felt the weight of that every time you pressed play after a long day. I take it back to March 2020, when schools shut down overnight and teachers were handed laptops and told to figure out remote learning through a crisis nobody trained us for. That’s when I started recording at my kitchen table because we needed something real: not a district memo, not a lifeless professional development deck, but a place to talk about the pressure, the joy, the exhaustion, and the purpose of teaching. That mission stays, but the structure has to change if I’m going to serve you with consistency and care. So here’s the shift: Teachers Ed is ending, but nothing disappears from your feed. We’re rebranding and evolving into Homeroom Attendance, launching late April from a brand new Homeroom Media studio. Expect better sound, a bigger table, more guest voices, more in-person conversations, YouTube video episodes, and an education news segment designed to inform you and help you do the job while feeling better doing it. The promise is simple: you are not the problem. This show exists to help you navigate the systems that are. Stay subscribed, share this with a teacher or school leader who needs it, and when Homeroom Attendance launches, come listen and leave a review so more educators can find the room. www.EdwardDeShazer.org

    10 min
  2. 11/23/2025

    From Silos To Strong School Teams

    Ever feel like your team works in the same building but on different islands? We unpack how schools move from silos to strong, connected teams that share the load and multiply results. If you care about culture, teacher wellness, and student success, this conversation gives you clear next steps without the fluff. We start by naming why collaboration feels so hard: relentless workloads, unclear roles, and a lack of psychological safety. Proximity isn’t partnership. We explore how fear shuts down creativity, why celebrating solo stars can erode trust, and how connection before correction unlocks honest feedback and shared problem solving. You’ll hear a vivid story about Belgian horses that shows what happens when people pull in sync: two trained together can move far more than the sum of their parts. That’s the promise of a diverse team built on respect—strategists, dreamers, challengers, nurturers, optimizers, motivators, and analyzers working in rhythm. Then we get practical. We outline five steps to make collaboration real: protect time within the school day, model vulnerability so asking for help is safe, clarify roles and goals to remove friction, celebrate team wins loudly to reinforce the right behaviors, and address conflict early so it strengthens trust instead of cracking culture. Along the way, we share language you can use with your staff and simple structures that make collaboration sustainable, not another meeting. We also preview what’s ahead: building deeper trust, repairing broken teams, and managing difficult personalities with respect and accountability. If you’re a passionate educator who’s tired and wants to see your school pull more weight together, this one’s for you. Listen, share it with a colleague, and tell us where your team gets stuck. Subscribe for Part 2 next week, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and help more educators find tools that lift the load. www.EdwardDeShazer.org

    20 min
5
out of 5
23 Ratings

About

You know that look teachers give each other in the hallway? The one that says everything without saying a word? That's what this show is. Homeroom Attendance is the podcast for educators who are done with the watered-down professional development and ready for real talk about what it actually takes to show up, lead well, and build a culture that doesn't burn people out. Every episode, host Edward DeShazer brings lived experience, practical tools, and honest conversation straight to the teacher lounge. Whether you're a classroom teacher, a school leader, a counselor, or an administrator, there is something here for you. No Pinterest PD. No corporate buzzwords. Just the kind of conversation educators actually need. Each episode delivers a clear takeaway, a mindset reframe, and one action step you can use today or tomorrow. Because the best professional development doesn't make you feel talked at. It makes you feel seen. Pull up a chair. Attendance is being taken.