The Old School

As snow and temperatures fall on North Texas and nearly the entire eastern half of the country, your two intrepid hosts battle the conditions within their warm, cozy offices to deliver an episode on winter. The hosts focus on such conditions as seasonal affected disorder on one end of the spectrum but also the fact that some of the coldest countries in the world are also at the top of the happines...

Your two favorite podcast hosts tackle one of the touchiest subject they've ever discussed - a midlife crisis. In the course of the discussion, there is a great deal of digging into the myths associated with these phases of life, the symptoms and the extent of this condition. Much of what people know is a distortion created by media but the psychological evidence paints a different picture and the...

The two loveable hosts welcome back the great Dr. Alex Fingers to discuss the idea of collecting things. From sports cards and comics as kids to music and more refined items as adults. Why do we collect things? How does it help us emotionally, socially and how does that help in other aspects of our lives? It is not just hoarding things - though it can certainly go in that direction. Rather, it is...

Your two loveable hosts, in the midst of bowl games and the soon-to-begin NFL playoffs, talk about being a sports fan. The two attempt to draw out its positives but also the increasing number (of late) of negatives. What is acceptable? What should not be acceptable? Are fans using their status as paying customers to forget about social norms and mores? The hosts, while going down a few rabbit hole...

The Old School Podcast welcomes Mr. Ferrell Yeokum to discuss classroom management and his new book, Mastering Classroom Discipline for New Teachers: A Practical Guide to Create an Orderly Classroom, Prevent Disruptions and Improve Student Performance . The three educators discuss the forces within the classroom, within the school and outside the school that can impact a well-run classroom and the...

This week on the podcast, Mr. Miller reports live from the most magical place on Earth — and no, he’s not entirely sure how he got there. Join us as we unpack his family’s whirlwind trip to Disney World, including stops at EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and the infamous international pub crawl — all while trying to make sense of what Disney has become in the 21st century. Spoiler: this is not your grandda...

Your two favorite hosts are back as we discuss the nature of building and fixing things. With Mr. Miller's recent foyer into woodworking and carpentry, the two gentlemen discuss some of the ideas of famed woodworker Nick Offerman and expound upon that to touch on topics of self-efficacy, the happiness index and blue zones. The hosts expertly weave the seemingly disparate ideas while discussing the...

Your two favorite hosts are back to talk about the advantages of taking the hard road. What are the lessons, what is the value of not seeking the easier path but one filled with potholes and detours. Often, it is these things that define a person and their ability to endure. The Old School endeavors to tease out some of the lessons that can be learned and the dangers in seeking the easier path. Ad...

Your two loveable hosts go back to their bailiwick and speak to the dynamic Dr. Ericka Johnson who details her journey from teacher to education consultant and the traits needed to be a good leader. We cover the full scope of the education experience, as seen by Dr. Johnson throughout her career as an educator. It is an interesting and thoughtful conversation that you will enjoy. If you want to fi...

Building on the previous episode on dinner parties, Dr. Steven Bourgeois and Ross Miller tackle other bygone ideas, these stemming from the 1970s and whether we are better off without them or should we bring them back. There is a bit of reminiscing as the hosts think back to days gone by and share some laughs along the way.

Your two favorite podcasters tackle a dying art - the dinner party. The hosts discuss the qualities of a good dinner party, drawing on the experiences growing up in a socially active household as well as their own efforts. They then segue into dissecting what has happened to the art - what are the reasons they are not as prevalent as they used to be. Additionally, what has been lost with the lack...

Your two favorite podcast hosts tackle the notion of resiliency and the ability to stay focus in the face of leisure and relaxation. The allure, the benefits and the drawbacks of dedication and commitment becomes the focus on the episode. The hosts evaluate their own behavior during their working years and compare it with others and other examples of dedication. They look at the words of wisdom fr...

Your two favorite hosts dive into a product of their times - albums. They discuss the nature of albums, how they were used and what we've lost or not from their disappearance. They have reemerged but has technology changed the way we consume music and is that a negative, neutral or a positive? 

Weathering a series of technological issues, your two tech-savvy hosts managed to encapsulate some of the brilliance that is Dr. Alex Fingers. It is a shorter episode than most but in the short time available, the hosts and Dr. Fingers take a look at a principal's job in setting the tone of a new school year and the three also speak on the nature of mentoring - one administrator to another.

The great Dr. Matt Post rejoins the Old School podcast to discuss the research that he and Dr. Bourgeois are conducting on the notion of character and virtue among undergraduates. This study seeks to identify what these students do or don't do that can be identified as virtuous but also why. Mr. Miller seeks to tease out what these two learned scholars have done over the last five years and what t...

After an unexpected break, brought on the thousands of miles and week-long ailments, your two intrepid heroes seek to come to a better understanding of the North - the stereotypes of the North and the promise that people have held about the North. Additionally, the hosts seek to draw comparisons with characteristics of the South - all of this not necessarily specific to the U.S. but with a more gl...

In the next installment of our state series, the Old School hosts take a look at Oregon - the home state of Dr. Bourgeois. The hosts take a look at the history, topography and the many cultural factors that make up this wonderful state. The hosts then end while waxing philosophically about what draws Dr. Bourgeois home often and won Mr. Miller's heart on his only trip to the Beaver State - Oregon....

Your two amicable hosts look into a topic that has plagued parents for centuries - what to do with the kids during the summer break. Since the hosts do not have the great minds of history to lean on, the listener will have to make do with The Old School as they consider and reflect on the various activities kids can partake in - where they are not checking their brain at the door. Not only do they...

Your two favorite hosts peal back the curtain to unveil the happenings in a school prior to and after the school day - as well as a few things during the day. From custodians, to early birds, administrators and secretaries, the hosts take you through the aspects of a typical day in American education that most people may be unaware of. In doing so, it is hoped that some light is shined on the hard...

Your two estimable hosts address the events of this week - the birthday of the United States of America. While plenty of people are commenting on the problems the country faces, and rightly so, Dr. Bourgeois and Mr. Miller decide to focus on the positive. During the episode, both hosts present the five reasons why they love this country so much. In doing so, they take the opportunity to highlight...

In the aftermath of Mr. Miller's surgery, your two friendly hosts discuss the operation as well as the notion of growing old. The two discuss limitations, changes in latitudes and attitudes (thank you Mr. Buffett) and what they see as the purpose and direction older people take and take on. Of course, though perhaps on the face, a dour topic, the two address it with their typical thoughtfulness an...

Your two gregarious hosts take a look at Mr. Miller's return to retirement - for the umpteenth time. There is also a discussion about the possibility of working in a lighthouse as part of a larger project - one that combines the loves, interests and abilities of our hosts. In the meantime, the two hosts tackle notions of work and loneliness as they work through the opportunities that lie ahead.  ...

Your two loveable hosts tackle a couple of stories coming out regarding schools, technology and the hijinks that follow. From AI teachers to the cumulative effect of technology on a student's ability to learn, the hosts look at recent developments in the U.S. The hosts also dive somewhat into a major (probably minor) programming note on a possible hiatus. The two stories the hosts refer to can be...

Your two favorite amicable hosts tackle the thorny and omnipresent problem of procrastination. Dr. Bourgeois and Mr. Miller explore the notion of procrastination, what causes it, ways in which it can be good or bad and how to address fixing the problem. In the process, experience, history, philosophy and problem-solving are used to address this and to examine the forces that make it seemingly wors...

Your two favorite hosts welcome Dr. David Baillargeon from the University of Texas at Arlington to discuss the importance and impact of the British Empire. Dr. Baillargeon focuses on what can be seen and studied with regards to British action in Myanmar (or Burma) and Malaysia. The three do a deep dive in what made the Burmese and Malay experience unique but also, the esteemed professor also highl...