Be A Funky Teacher Podcast

Episode Summary In this Saturday Stories episode, I continue building shared leadership language through story. This week’s focus is listening to others, and the skill students are practicing is getting rid of distractions. Through the story “Jaden Puts It Down,” I explore how leadership sometimes looks like something simple — closing a screen and choosing to be present. I walk through a classroom...

Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on what it truly means to keep becoming as a teacher instead of trying to arrive at some final, polished version of myself. After years in education, I’ve realized that growth doesn’t end. It unfolds in layers. I share how early in my career I chased perfection and confidence, believing there was a point where I would finally feel fully prepared. Instead,...

Episode Summary I talk about how most teachers do not stop being themselves all at once, but slowly edit who they are in order to survive, comply, or avoid standing out. That gradual self-editing often comes from caring deeply and wanting to do the right thing, but it takes a real toll over time. I reflect on what it feels like in those quiet moments when you hesitate to respond naturally in the c...

Episode Summary Teaching on autopilot can feel efficient, especially during busy or overwhelming seasons, but over time it creates distance between teachers and students. In this episode, I reflect on why I refuse to teach that way and how autopilot quietly takes something from both educators and kids. Autopilot often begins as self-protection, helping teachers survive heavy workloads and constant...

Episode Summary Teaching often exists in a constant tension between what systems demand and what students actually need. This episode reflects on the challenge of balancing compliance with connection and why that tension shows up for so many educators. Teaching with heart can feel risky in environments that reward visibility, pacing, and checklists. Slowing down, responding with empathy, or choosi...

Episode Summary This episode reflects on what it truly means to be a funky teacher beyond personality, performance, or style. Being funky is about how we show up on heavy days, uncertain days, and moments when teaching feels overwhelming. Early in my career, I thought there was a “right way” to teach, and without realizing it, I started smoothing the edges of who I was. Over time, it became easy t...

Episode Summary In this Sunday School for Teachers episode, I reflect on the parable of the Good Samaritan and what it means to love beyond convenience as an educator. Faith is not something we reserve for Sundays; it shows up in how we notice, respond, and care for others throughout the school week. The story challenges assumptions about who is expected to act with compassion and reminds us that...

Episode Summary In this episode, I introduce a new Saturday series called Saturday Stories, a collection of short leadership stories designed for use with students. These stories are part of the Leadership Kit, a resource built to help teachers develop shared leadership language through real moments kids recognize. I share the first Saturday Story, Aaliyah Notices , which focuses on the value of l...

Episode Summary In this episode, I talk about a truth many educators feel but don’t always say out loud: for some kids, school is the safest place they have. It’s where routines exist, adults are steady, and expectations are clear. I reflect on how breaks can be exciting for many students but emotionally complicated for others. When school pauses, the structure and predictability some kids rely on...

Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on how students are constantly observing more than we often realize. They notice fairness, tone, consistency, and how adults respond under pressure long before they process academic content. I share how students read emotional cues to decide whether a classroom feels safe, calm, and predictable. These signals shape trust, behavior, and willingness to enga...

Episode Summary Teaching rarely unfolds exactly as planned, and I explore why adaptability is one of the most important skills educators can model. I reflect on how unexpected challenges test leadership, patience, and professionalism in real time. I share a real classroom experience that illustrates how quickly conditions can change and why safety and student well-being must guide decisions. When...

Episode Summary The first day back after a break carries more weight than many educators realize. I reflect on why what students feel when they walk through the door matters more than how much content is covered that day. I share small but meaningful moments of gratitude that highlight how adult relationships, support, and trust shape classroom culture. Those moments remind me that safety and conn...

Episode Summary Coming back after a long break brings a mix of excitement, heaviness, gratitude, and anxiety that I know many teachers experience but rarely talk about. Returning to school is emotionally complex, and those feelings are completely normal. I reflect on personal moments from break, including time with my family and the gratitude that helped ground me before returning to school. Those...

Episode Summary This episode centers on the story of David and Goliath and what it reveals about faith that is bigger than fear. I reflect on this familiar scripture with a focus on trusting God rather than relying on strength, experience, or perfection. The moment David stands before Goliath is explored through the lens of teaching life, where fear, pressure, and feeling unseen can feel like dail...

Episode Summary This special message pauses the usual podcast rhythm to reflect on the end of the first semester and the weight educators carry into winter break. As Mr. Funky Teacher, Nicholas Kleve, I speak directly to fellow teachers about the mixed emotions that often surface at this point in the school year, including relief, exhaustion, gratitude, and reflection. Gratitude anchors the messag...

Episode Summary This episode flips the lens on connection in the classroom by focusing on why listening to student interests matters just as much as sharing our own. As Mr. Funky Teacher, Nicholas Kleve, I reflect on the idea that relationships grow strongest when connection moves in both directions and students feel genuinely known. Gratitude frames the conversation through appreciation for passi...

Episode Summary This episode explores the power of letting students see the human side of their teacher and why that connection matters so deeply. As Mr. Funky Teacher, Nicholas Kleve, I reflect on how sharing appropriate parts of who we are helps students see us as real people they can trust, not just a title at the front of the room. Gratitude grounds the conversation through appreciation for ti...

Episode Summary This episode addresses a heavy but necessary truth in education: the fear and responsibility teachers carry in a world shaped by school violence. As Mr. Funky Teacher, Nicholas Kleve, I speak openly about how safety concerns quietly follow educators into classrooms, hallways, and daily routines, even when nothing feels immediately wrong. Moments of reflection and gratitude help gro...

Episode Summary I share a grounding reminder in this episode that as Mr. Funky Teacher, Nicholas Kleve, I believe deeply matters for educators: you are not failing just because you cannot fix everything placed in front of you. Teaching has quietly carried impossible expectations, and I want to name that out loud for teachers who feel the weight of it every day. I reflect on gratitude as a way to s...

Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on the reality that while school breaks are joyful for many students, they can be difficult and even destabilizing for others. As Mr. Funky Teacher, Nicholas Kleve, I talk about why school often serves as a safe, predictable place where students feel seen, fed, regulated, and cared for. I share gratitude for the Ho-Chunk Tribe and the Winnebago community,...

Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on the story of Esther and what it means for teachers who find themselves in moments that feel uncomfortable, risky, or uncertain. As Mr. Funky Teacher, Nicholas Kleve, I explore how faith is not just something we talk about on Sundays, but something we live out Monday through Friday in our classrooms. I share personal reflections on gratitude, including...

Episode Summary In this episode, I talk about why kids don’t learn when adults are out of sync and how our energy sets the emotional tone of the classroom before any lesson even begins. I explain how students absorb who we are in the moment, not just what we say, and why our presence matters so deeply. I share three things I’m thankful for, including Post-its, comfortable room temperature, and pos...

Episode Summary In this episode, I talk about what students truly remember from their time in school and why it’s not the curriculum, worksheets, or benchmark tests that stay with them. I explain how students remember moments, emotions, and how they felt in our classrooms long after specific lessons fade. I share reflections on gratitude, including motivational books, festive Christmas shirts, and...

Episode Summary In this episode, I talk about why consistency matters more than noise when it comes to teacher leadership and how real leadership is rooted in steady presence rather than being the loudest voice in the room. I share how leadership shows up through reliability, follow-through, and doing the right thing even when no one is watching. I reflect on the educators I work alongside and the...

Episode Summary In this Episode 100, I celebrate “100 lessons that changed my teaching journey and made me Mr. Funky Teacher.” As Mr. Funky Teacher, Nicholas Kleve, I share the truths that have shaped me across 20+ years in education through kids, colleagues, mistakes, breakthroughs, and the heart work of teaching. I reflect on why I start every episode with three things I’m thankful for, and how...