10. Mental Health: Play More, Carry Less

This week, we're traveling through time to explore how education has changed from the one-room schoolhouse to the age of artificial intelligence. Were schools really better back in the day? Have expectations for students changed? And why does it seem like every new educational advancement comes with another responsibility for teachers? From factory-style classrooms and Scantrons to Oregon Trail, school shooter drills, and AI lesson planning, we unpack the good, the bad, and the downright exhausting parts of teaching across generations.Cool in School:• Russell celebrates his eighth-grade AVID students with some spectacular Spider-Man-inspired class shirts• Chandler embraces staff picture day with monocles, mustaches, and a healthy disregard for boring school photosTeacher Tips (you can steal tomorrow):• Shut out the noise! Focus on your students, your classroom, and the things you can actually control• Turn your scribbly sketches into polished classroom posters with a little help from AI❤️ Good in Life:• Russell celebrates a surprisingly promising start for his favorite sports teams, even if baseball isn't quite what it used to be• Chandler makes a shocking baseball announcement: she's traded her Giants loyalty for the Dodgers• Five living houseplants, mostly upright leaves, and the undeniable satisfaction of keeping something green aliveWere schools really better in the good old days? Turns out, it's complicated. We explore how the roles of teachers and students have evolved, from strict classroom authority and memorization to collaboration, inclusion, and individualized learning. Along the way, we consider what's improved for students, what's gotten harder for teachers, and whether the education system can keep adding responsibilities without adding meaningful support.We also talk about teacher pay, special education, standardized testing, the rise of digital classrooms, parent communication, student accountability, and why AI might finally give teachers a little breathing room. Plus, Russell confesses to burning a report card, Chandler reminisces about a magical fourth-grade teacher, and we tackle the question nobody knew needed answering: Are you a Subaru lesbian, a Home Depot lesbian, or a fancy gay?If this episode made you nostalgic for the Oregon Trail, rethink the good old days, or appreciate just how much teachers juggle, tag us and share it with an educator who needs a laugh.Follow, rate, and subscribe so you don't miss the next episode.✨ Stay nerdy, stay kind, and keep building classrooms where everyone belongs. ✨

This week we’re back after a very accidental year-long hiatus, and apparently all we needed was a little time off to remember how to podcast. We’re talking screen time in schools: how much is too much, whether minutes are even the right thing to measure, and why “ban it” might be the least interesting answer. From LA Unified’s new screen-time limits to YouTube bans, EdTech subscriptions, doom scrolling, AI lesson planning, and three completely unnecessary chickens, we dig into what intentional technology use actually looks like in a classroom.Cool in School:• Chandler enters her “Year of No” and starts protecting time for what actually matters• Russell experiments with a classroom where learning matters more than grades and percentages• Student reflection, ownership, and conversations about what kids actually know• Reclaiming classroom joy by focusing less on numbers and more on growthTeacher Tips (you can steal tomorrow):• If something isn’t working, stop and reset — even on day 174• Put the worksheet on the wall and get kids moving instead of sitting through another page❤️ Good in Life:• AI as a thought partner — doing the busy work so teachers can reclaim some actual life• A birthday built around biking, massage, In-N-Out, vegan sushi, comedy, and Snoopy LEGOsHow much screen time should students actually have at school? Turns out, there isn’t one magical number. Instead, we make the case for looking at active vs. passive use, quality vs. quantity, taking real breaks, and teaching students how to use technology responsibly instead of assuming they can’t handle it.We also talk teacher autonomy, the cost of EdTech, apps slowly putting everything behind a paywall, why YouTube can actually be an educational tool, and why education has a habit of adopting technology first and asking the important questions later. If this episode made you rethink screen time — or made you question whether the plural of hippopotamus is hippopotamuses or hippopotami — tag us and share it with a teacher who needs to hear it.Follow, rate, and subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode.✨ Stay nerdy, stay kind, and keep building classrooms where everyone belongs. ✨

This week guest host Cristal Godina joins us as we tackle one of the most misunderstood (and most necessary) parts of teaching: classroom management. What it really is, why it’s not about control, and how consistency, routines, and relationships quietly do the heavy lifting. From Hogwarts metaphors to heckling audiences, filing cabinet fails to Otterbucks victories, we break down what actually works — and why yelling rarely does.Cool in School:• Otter Stores officially open — and kids cashing in hundreds• A Nerf bow, multipliers, and the most engaged math game ever• Global Issues projects giving students real voice and real purpose• Brain breaks that prove two minutes can save an entire class periodTeacher Tips (you can steal tomorrow):• Brain breaks on a wheel — hype included• Pencil accountability that actually stops pencil loss• Call-and-response, timers, and “ready position” routines• Rewarding the right behavior instead of chasing the wrong one❤️ Good in Life:• Celebrating new parenthood and baby milestones• Finding calmer ways to stay informed without spiraling• Prioritizing mental health — and physical health too• Real talk about hormones, aging, and giving yourself graceIf this episode made you rethink classroom management — or made you laugh while nodding aggressively — tag us and share it with a teacher who needs to hear it.Follow, rate, and subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode.✨ Stay nerdy, stay kind, and keep building classrooms where everyone belongs. ✨

This week we’re diving into one of the biggest game-changers on any campus: school culture. What it is, how it grows, and why it’s really just a fancy word for belonging. From rallies to hallway rituals, chicken-tender nicknames to Batman headbands, we get into the real stuff that makes a school feel like a community.Cool in School:• Leadership love from parents• A surprisingly perfect Chico State trip• Chill time at Berkeley that turned into joyful memories• Volleyball champs + nonstop campus celebrationsTeacher Tips (you can steal tomorrow):• Middle-school stations do work — train, don’t panic• The Unfair Game for instant engagement• Tape-tricked markers that never disappear againGood in Life:• Sharing a World Series win with family• Sharks hockey magic• Saying goodbye to a beloved cat — and celebrating 16 years of loveIf this episode got you thinking about culture (or just made you laugh), tag us!Follow, rate, and subscribe so you don’t miss our next episode.✨ Stay nerdy, stay kind, and keep building the culture you want to be part of. ✨

From slow-claps to GLEAM: grade-level rigor, real talk, and a rainbow pumpkin What happens when two middle-school teachers and their favorite guest crack open UnboundEd’s GLEAM (Grade-Level, Engaging, Affirming, Meaningful) and ask the big question: “Who’s doing the thinking?” Chandler, Russell, and Melissa Robinson-Eagles (aka Mrs. Russell) get candid about teaching at grade level, scaffolding without watering down, and making learning feel sincere and not performative. There’s campus solidarity, rock-paper-scissors seating charts, sub-plan bribery, classroom jobs that actually work, and the world premiere of Steve, the very gay pumpkin. Cool in School:Staff unity + a school-board slow-clap moment that turned into full-district solidarityThis year’s calmer cohorts (puppies ????, feral cats ????, and old cats ????‍⬛, you’ll get it)Teacher Tips (you can steal tomorrow):Seating fix: neighbors RPS—loser moves (student ownership without drama)Classroom jobs + team tubs: pencils, chargers, workbooks, and clean endings to every periodSub-plan toolkit: a plug-and-play template + strategic bribes for smooth daysGood in Life:New cats, audiobook obsessions, and sports banter (no comment on certain playoff heartbreaks)Meet Steve the pumpkin. Proof that joy belongs in lesson planningGleam, but make it real:Grade-level first, smart scaffolds secondAffirming beyond name-drops that build a classroom culture kids actually feelMeaningful is the mountain: from pink-tax math to community resource mini-unitsIf this episode got you rethinking rigor and relevance, share a recent Big-E moment from your class and tag us! Follow, rate, and subscribe so you don’t miss our next guest episode.We didn’t fix education today, but we made it GLEAM, Glitter and Sparkle.

Ever wondered what would happen if two teachers actually got to rebuild the entire education system? Chandler and Russell throw out grades, bring back recess, and design the perfect school from scratch. Complete with hoodie weather, Mariners magic, and just a touch of chaos. From Hogwarts halls to AVID calls, this is the episode where they fix it all (you’re welcome).Cool in School: Contexto — the viral word-guessing game that made students scream like they won the lotteryTeacher Tips: Secret Student Alarm & ClassroomScreen.com — two tools that make teaching (and sanity) easierGood in Life: Hoodie weather, Mariners in the postseason, and seeing former AVID students thrivingIf this episode got you thinking about your dream school, share your “perfect school” story and tag us!Follow, rate, and subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode with our first guest, Russell's wifey!We rebuilt education before lunch. You’re welcome, humanity.

In this episode, Chandler and Russell explore what happens when artificial intelligence strolls into the classroom...without a hall pass. From AI schools with HUGE tuition tags to ChatGPT lesson planning hacks, they tackle how technology can amplify teaching without replacing teachers. There’s laughter, practical advice, and a healthy reminder that while bots can help, real intelligence still runs on coffee and classroom chaos.Highlights:Cool in School: Stop-motion animation with Google Slides, student-made mini films, and a timer trick that keeps class on track.Teacher Tip: Using ChatGPT as your lesson-planning sidekick—without losing your voice or your semicolons.Good in Life: Reconnecting with former students and rediscovering the joy of doing absolutely nothing (with puzzles, banana pudding, and baseball).Tech Talk: From Alpha Schools and Photomath to Canva AI and MagicSchool—what works, what flops, and how to keep humanity at the center of the algorithm.If this episode got you thinking about your own adventures with artificial intelligence, share your “AI in the classroom” story and tag us!Follow, rate, and subscribe so you don’t miss Episode 12 on AI.Stay nerdy—deuces, meow.

Joy is contagious in this one. Chandler and Russell swap the moments that keep teachers going from admin who have your back to the everyday magic of the classroom. We celebrate student wins (EL breakthroughs, creative math, and kids who finally beat the teacher at Speed), shout out the WNBA’s Valkyries, and share legendary tales such as: the “ship” incident, the haunted orange wall, and the Great Sticker Heist. Come laugh, nod along, and refill your tank.Highlights:Cool in School: supportive admin that change the daily vibeTeacher Tip: do art with your kids + stay fresh via induction/mentoringGood in Life: WNBA joy, Giants geekery, and firsts on field tripsStories: rallies that build culture, EL growth, playful pranks, and kids who change how we teachIf this episode brought you a smile, share your own “joy in teaching” story and tag us! Follow, rate, and subscribe so you don’t miss Episode 12 on AI. Stay nerdy—deuces, meow.

When the job swings from rally-day highs to “why am I doing everything?” lows, teacher mental health matters most. We unpack secondary trauma, SEL overload, and the pressure to be everything to everyone—then pivot to doable fixes: permission to set limits, simple play breaks kids actually remember, and low-lift tools (hello, sheet-protector “whiteboards”) that cut stress without cutting learning. Leave with a lighter plan to protect your time, say “not my fight,” and keep the joy in the job because teachers are humans first.

In this episode, Chandler and Russell dive into the wild world of assessments—where grades don’t always measure learning, zeros pack way too much power, and bias sneaks in faster than a kid guessing C on every multiple-choice question. From standards-based grading to standardized testing, floaty potatoes, and why letter grades are the worst alphabet soup, we unpack what assessments are really doing (and not doing) for our students. Along the way, we share classroom stories, teacher tips, and a few laughs about the absurd ways tests get used. At the end of the day, we’re asking the big question: what’s the point of all this testing anyway? Spoiler: it’s definitely not for the kids.