Teachers Off Duty

Get ready to party with the Teachers Off Duty podcast crew and former teacher turned national advocate for educational justice, Dr. Deonna Smith! This week we are sharing our best, saddest, and most outrageous stories from school birthday parties. From backpack-based cake disasters to uninvited guests, we have seen it all - and are not afraid to spill the beans. But birthday's aren't all fun and g...

We are back in action with special guest Ms. M to navigate the wacky and random world of student excuses. From "the dog ate my entire backpack" to fake tears that would gain Oscar nominations, we have seen and heard it all. But which ones are worthy of a passing grade, and which ones deserve detention? Listen in as they break down the good, the bad, and the hilarious excuses that have crossed thei...

Get ready for a special episode of Teachers Off Duty as we hand over our platform and pass the mic to three black educators, advocates, and leaders to talk about teaching while black and issues black teachers face in the classroom. Taking over as hosts, Deonna Smith, Alfred 'Shivy' Brooks, and Ms. M have a very important and very necessary conversation to kick off the first weekend of Black Histor...

This week, we share our funniest, cringeworthy, and most heartwarming stories from Valentine's Day in the classroom and beyond. From the student who delivered a locker full of flowers to the wrong locker to a parent's unwanted romantic gesture, these tales of love, laughter, and the more-than-occasional awkward moment in the classroom will have you laughing, groaning, and maybe even shedding a tea...

You are in for a treat as we're joined by special guest, Ms. M of @ms.m_closet, to tackle the world of buzzwords for teachers. From the latest teaching acronyms like STEM, PBIS, and RTI to the special terms that only teachers understand, like "differentiation" and "formative assessment", we're diving into the lingo that can make teaching feel like learning a new language. We also have some fun sha...

With recent school shootings fresh on everyone's minds, we dive into the crucial topic of school safety and how we can take action. We discuss where the responsibility for preventing school shootings lies and suggest practical ideas for additional precautions schools can implement to keep students and staff safe. Tune in to this important conversation! *Watch the full episode and more on our YouTu...

What's more difficult, preparing for needing a substitute teacher or actually being a substitute teacher? From the chaos of trying to figure out a classroom's routine to the "unique" personalities of each class, substitute teaching can be a wild ride. So whether you're a seasoned sub, just starting out in the world of substitute teaching, or you're franticly trying to figure out how to take a day...

Are you tired of the same old, boring New Year Resolutions? Look no further, because we are here to spice up your teacher resolution game. Join Lauran, Tell, and Gabe, as they discuss the most meaningful and ridiculous resolutions teachers have made (and hopefully kept). From promising to only work contract hours to vowing to never use the word "syllabus" again, no resolution is too out there. So...

We are getting that warm, fuzzy feeling that only comes with wearing holiday-themed pajamas in a hot podcast studio! In this special holiday episode, we talk family and classroom holiday traditions, gifts from students, and the crazy amount of pressure teachers face this time of year. To end the show, the hosts and their families take part in a white elephant gift exchange that will have you rolli...

In this special episode, we focus on teacher spouses with actual real-life accounts from Lauran's husband, Jordan, and Tell's husband, Jason. We outline work-life balance, commonly occurring issues for teachers, classroom decoration decorum, and more. Jason and Jordan tell us exactly what it's like to be married to a famous teacher influencer and talk about everything from random fan interaction t...

Your favorite TikTok teacher, Gabe Dannenbring is back, and this time it's for keeps as he joins as a permanent host! Kids can be your harshest critics, so this week we are throwing Gabe directly in the fire by recalling his worst student roastings. From the obvious to the things that even you don't like about you, we cover it all. Still feeling the heat, we end the show with a quick-roast challen...

Some things that our school board and/or admin make us do are just unnecessary and take time away from teachers actually being able to teach. From professional development, lesson plans, committee meetings, and everything in between. Tune in and join our teacher rant with teacher-comedian Eddie B! To end the show, we play a game of somewhat personal game of Never Have I Ever with some not-so-tasty...

In this episode, we're joined by special and hilarious guest  @Eddiebcomedy  ! We share the most uncomfortable parent-teacher conferences we've ever had... From parents not believing actual camera footage of their child assaulting another kid, to the helicopter parent asking their child's teacher to text her every time her precious angel poops at school. To end the show, we try the weirdest and gr...

The conductor of the Hot Mess Teacher Express podcast, Jess Smith joins us for this special episode. We reveal some of our never-told-before classroom secrets in a hilarious game of Never Have I Ever (The Teacher Version)! From failed math lessons to parent-teacher conferences bloopers, watch to the end for some solid laughs before the next few days before Thanksgiving break consumes you! Check ou...

In this episode, we go through what a day in each of our lives looks like as teachers, influencers, and human beings. We talk about what it was like before social media changed our lives and what it's like now. Stay tuned to the end for some laughs as Tell puts makeup on Gabe without looking! Check out our MERCH !  Subscribe to our newsletter ! Become a Patreon member to access exclusive bonus con...

In this episode, we get into some of the most ridiculous classroom management strategies you've ever heard. Joined again, by Gabe Dannenbring (@g_unit24), we finish off the show with a fun game of "Lemon Be Honest"! Check out our MERCH !  Subscribe to our newsletter ! Become a Patreon member to access exclusive bonus content! New comedy skit series episodes just posted! See omnystudio.com/listener...

Gabe Dannenbring (@g_unit24 on TikTok) joins us for this special Halloween episode, disguised as Gomez Addams. We talk about Halloween growing up, Halloween in our classrooms, and finish it off by rating some terrible Halloween candies.  Check out our MERCH !  Subscribe to our newsletter ! Become a Patreon member to access exclusive bonus content! New comedy skit series episodes just posted! See o...

Today's episode is a discussion about what in the literal f**k is happening in classrooms these days and what is driving teachers away more than ever before.  Check out our MERCH !  Subscribe to our newsletter ! Become a Patreon member to access exclusive bonus content! New comedy skit series episodes just posted! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joined again by Greg from @gregisms, in this episode we talk about funny stories we have from running into the parents of our students outside of school.  Check out our MERCH !  Subscribe to our newsletter ! Become a Patreon member to access exclusive bonus content! New comedy skit series episodes just posted! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Special guest, Greg Kata from @gregisms, joins us this week to talk about "Sunday Scaries", that moment on Sundays when you start to stress about the new school week ahead. We talk about how we tackle them and share what other teachers do to try and combat them too.  Check out our MERCH !  Subscribe to our newsletter ! Become a Patreon member to access exclusive bonus content! New comedy skit seri...

Despite all the horror stories we share about teaching each month, in this episode, we talk about some of the best parts, and what we love about being an educator! Check out our MERCH !  Subscribe to our newsletter ! Become a Patreon member to access exclusive bonus content with hilarious games! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Hispanic Heritage Month! We're joined again by Sofia Bella (@iamsofiabella) whose family comes from Mexico and Cuba, Tell Williams whose mother is from Puerto Rico, and Lauran Woolley who also has some hispanic family background! We talk about the controversy behind use of Hispanic, LatinX, and Latina/Latino, we do a tasting a bunch of Sofia's favorite Mexican candies, and talk about  Nationa...

Season 3, let's gooooo! In this episode, we discuss some of the funniest things students have said in our classrooms with special guest and internet star, Sofia Bella (@iamsofiabella)!  Check out our MERCH !  Subscribe to our newsletter ! Become a Patreon member to access exclusive bonus content with hilarious games! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this last episode of season 2, we have a fun discussion about teachers' pets and interesting classroom pets. Which host do you think was the teacher's pet as a student? Check out our MERCH !  Subscribe to our newsletter ! Become a Patreon member to access exclusive bonus content with hilarious games! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are certain things students say and do that really grind teachers' gears! In this episode, we all share which ones get under our skin the most.  Check out our MERCH !  Subscribe to our newsletter ! Become a Patreon member to access exclusive bonus content with hilarious games! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.