Be A Funky Teacher Podcast

Episode Summary In this episode, I talk about how creativity is being misunderstood in a world where students can generate polished work quickly. Just because something looks creative doesn’t mean it came from real thinking or original ideas. I explain that creativity is rooted in the process—wrestling with ideas, revising, and making something your own. It’s often messy, imperfect, and takes time...

Episode Summary In this episode, I talk about why ethics cannot be outsourced, especially in a time when students have access to powerful tools that can generate answers and complete work quickly. Just because something can be done doesn’t mean it should be, and that’s where ethics comes in. I explore how ethics is not about the tools students use, but about the choices they make. Students are con...

Episode Summary In this episode, I talk about the growing challenge of teaching critical thinking in a world where students can generate answers instantly. Just because something looks complete or correct doesn’t mean real thinking has taken place, and that distinction matters more than ever. I explore how critical thinking requires struggle, time, and processing. When everything becomes fast and...

Episode Summary In this episode, I talk about the difference between having access to information and actually understanding it. We are living in a time where students can find answers instantly, but that doesn’t mean they know what to do with those answers or how to make sense of them. I explore how the real shift in education is no longer about what students know, but how they think about what t...

Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on the story of Elijah under the broom tree and what it means for teachers who are feeling burned out. After a powerful moment of faith, Elijah finds himself exhausted, overwhelmed, and ready to give up. That moment hits close to home for educators. I talk about how burnout doesn’t always come from failure. Sometimes it comes right after big wins, when ev...

Episode Summary In this episode, I introduce a Saturday Story from the Leadership Kit focused on the value of effort and the skill of giving your best, even when it’s not perfect. I share a story called It Still Counts , where a student struggles with finishing work because it doesn’t feel “good enough.” I talk about how students often get stuck trying to be perfect, and how that can actually stop...

Episode Summary In this episode, I talk about how much is changing in education right now—new tools, new systems, new conversations—but I come back to something that hasn’t changed. Relationships still sit at the center of learning. I reflect on how students learn best when they feel known, seen, and connected. When students trust you, they engage differently. They take more risks, stay with chall...

Episode Summary In this episode, I talk about how learning is often being treated like a system—something to optimize, speed up, and make more efficient. But I think we have to be careful not to lose what learning actually is at its core. I reflect on how learning is not just about processing information. It’s emotional, relational, and deeply human. Students experience frustration, excitement, co...

Episode Summary In this episode, I take a step back and revisit a big question—what is school actually for? It’s easy to get caught up in lessons, standards, and assessments, but I think it’s important to pause and remember the deeper purpose behind the work we do every day. I talk about how school is about more than academics. Yes, content matters, but it’s not the whole picture. Students are lea...

Episode Summary This episode explores a shift in education thinking—moving away from memorization—and challenges the idea that memorization is outdated or unnecessary. It reframes memorization as a valuable part of the learning process rather than something to eliminate. The episode explains how memorization builds a foundation for thinking. Without background knowledge stored in memory, it become...

Episode Summary This episode challenges a long-standing belief in education—that the goal is to cover content. It shifts the focus toward a deeper question: whether content was ever truly the point of teaching and learning. The episode explores the difference between memorizing and understanding. While students may be able to recall information, true learning happens when they can explain, connect...

Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector and what it teaches about humility in leadership. This story challenges me to look beyond actions and really examine the posture of my heart. I talk about how easy it is in education to drift into comparison—comparing classrooms, students, results, and even ourselves. Without realizing it, that can turn...

Episode Summary In this Saturday Story, I share a Leadership Kit story focused on effort and what it means to keep trying. This week builds on the idea that effort isn’t always easy, and sometimes the hardest part is choosing not to quit. I walk through the story “One More Rep,” where a student is ready to give up after repeated frustration but is encouraged to try just one more time. That small d...

Episode Summary In this episode, I talk about the push toward speed in learning and why faster is not always better. It can feel productive when things move quickly, but I’ve been thinking a lot about how speed can create the illusion of understanding without real learning taking place. I get into how real understanding actually takes time. It requires processing, reflection, and sometimes struggl...

Episode Summary In this episode, I talk about the growing shift toward automation and why that raises an important question for us as educators—what still requires human judgment? While automation can make things faster and more efficient, teaching has never been about autopilot. I’ve been thinking about how teaching is really constant decision-making. We adjust in real time based on what we see,...

Episode Summary In this episode, I talk about something that I think is really important right now—tools are not the same as wisdom. We are surrounded by tools that can generate answers quickly, but that speed can create the illusion that understanding is happening when it really isn’t. I’ve been thinking a lot about how access to information is not the same as learning. Students can produce work...

Episode Summary This episode shifts the focus from what AI can do to something just as important—what it cannot do. While AI is fast, efficient, and impressive in many ways, understanding its limitations is critical for educators navigating this moment. This episode brings clarity to that side of the conversation. AI cannot build real relationships. It does not know students, their stories, or wha...

Episode Summary This episode explores what AI actually does well in a time when opinions about it are all over the place. Some believe it will change everything, while others remain skeptical or unsure. Instead of reacting to the noise, this episode focuses on something more grounded—understanding what AI truly does so educators can respond with clarity and intention. AI is powerful in specific wa...

Episode Summary This special message pauses to recognize Easter and the meaning it holds. After a week of reflection during Holy Week, this moment points to something bigger—hope, renewal, and new life. Easter is a reminder that the story doesn’t end in struggle or sacrifice. It ends in resurrection. That message carries into our lives and into our classrooms, grounding us in something deeper as w...

Episode Summary This Sunday School for Teachers episode centers on the story of Zacchaeus and the powerful idea of being truly seen. It reflects on how Jesus noticed one individual in a crowd and how that single moment completely changed the direction of his life. Being seen is more than just attention—it’s recognition, value, and connection. Zacchaeus was labeled, judged, and overlooked by others...

Episode Summary This Saturday Stories episode introduces a Leadership Kit story centered on the value of effort and the skill of working hard. Through a simple classroom moment, students see how small decisions—like continuing to work after others stop—can make a meaningful difference. The story highlights that effort is not always loud or dramatic. Often, it shows up in quiet, consistent actions...

Episode Summary This episode focuses on the growing sense of overload teachers are experiencing with constant new ideas, tools, and expectations. While many of these ideas are valuable, the volume and pace can make everything feel like noise. There is a difference between useful information and overwhelming input. When too much comes in at once, it becomes harder to think clearly, prioritize, and...

Episode Summary This episode focuses on how fear is quietly influencing decisions in education right now. With increasing pressure, urgency, and expectations, it can become easy for teachers to react instead of respond with intention. There is a growing sense of uncertainty, and that often leads to fear—fear of falling behind, not knowing enough, or not keeping up. That fear can begin to shape cla...

Episode Summary This episode explores the idea that while AI and new tools feel like a major shift in education, change itself is not new. It reframes the current moment by connecting it to the long history of schools adapting to new expectations and innovations. There is a real sense of pressure right now, with constant conversations about AI and how quickly things are evolving. That can create u...

Episode Summary This milestone Episode 200 reflects on a journey that was never just about recording podcast episodes. It reveals the intentional work behind the last 10–11 weeks and how each episode was part of building something much bigger. Behind the scenes, there was a deeper purpose—each week built around themes, each day connected, all leading toward something that wasn’t announced until no...