The Inspired Athlete

Welcome to the Inspired Teacher Podcast! In this episode, we look at the story of General Dan Sickles at Gettysburg—a leader who made a bold move that helped slow down the enemy, but came at a huge cost to his own men. Was it brave or reckless? We dig into that question and connect it to a powerful message from Admiral William McRaven's book The Wisdom of the Bullfrog. As teachers, we know we can'...

Welcome to the Inspired Teacher podcast! I'm beyond excited to share this episode with you—it's the first-ever interview on the show! After over a year of planning, I finally sat down with none other than Jake Miller of Educational Duct Tape. We talk about everything from shared friendships and classroom strategies to cellphones and what keeps us inspired. Fair warning: I accidentally recorded wit...

Welcome to the Inspired Teacher Podcast! Last week, we talked about Admiral William McRaven's advice to take things one step at a time—and this week, we're building on that by asking an important question: what are we actually growing toward? Growth without direction isn't just unproductive—it can be harmful. In this episode, I break down Dr. Joe Dispenza's three components to excellence that he s...

Welcome to the Inspired Teacher podcast! In this episode, I share a powerful lesson from Admiral William McRaven's Navy SEAL training that can transform how we handle the tough days in teaching. When my son faced a challenging injury, I found myself caught up in the anxiety of "what if" thinking - something we've all experienced as educators when facing difficult students, overwhelming workloads,...

Welcome to The Inspired Teacher Podcast! I'm so glad you're here. In today's episode, we're diving into the power of language in a conversation I'm calling "Words Are Important." This topic was sparked by a recent training I attended on Restorative Practices, where we spent a lot of time reflecting on how the words we choose can either build connection or create distance. Around the same time, I s...

Welcome to The Inspired Teacher Podcast! This week's episode is a real-life reflection on those long, draining May days when exhaustion runs deeper than just being tired—it comes from how we react to the daily challenges of teaching. I share a recent moment when I found myself overwhelmed by student behavior and how a simple line from a meditation—"respond, rather than react"—helped reframe my thi...

Welcome to The Inspired Teacher Podcast! You know that person who always has the best story, knows the best restaurant, and never misses a chance to prove they know more than you? Yeah... don't be that person. In this episode, we're digging into the power of intellectual humility—why admitting "I don't know" can be one of the smartest things you do as an educator. Inspired by a sharp quote from Ch...

Welcome to The Inspired Teacher Podcast! In this episode, I'm diving into my winding journey with journaling—from Ryan Holiday's Daily Stoic Journal to blank Moleskines and even a couple rounds with Permission to Pause . While I've loved parts of each, I often find myself craving something new. That's when I stumbled upon a simple, effective journaling protocol shared by Andrew Huberman. Originall...

Welcome to the Inspired Teacher Podcast! Today, I want to be honest about something I think a lot of us struggle with—this constant drive to grow, improve, and be "better." It sounds noble, right? But if you're anything like me, that mindset can sometimes become exhausting. I've always been an all-in kind of person—wrestling taught me to push hard, and teaching just reinforced it. But recently, a...

Welcome to The Inspired Teacher Podcast! Today's episode starts with a confession—I used to hate lunch duty. Even worse, I was asked to help clean up afterward, and I'll admit it: I was kind of a jerk about it. I was annoyed, even angry, and felt like it was beneath me. But here's the thing—what began as a begrudging task has become one of my favorite parts of the day. There's something unexpected...

Welcome to The Inspired Teacher Podcast! Lately, the weather here in southeastern Pennsylvania  has been just about perfect, and I've been making a point to enjoy it—with no earbuds, no distractions, just fresh air. It's been good for the soul, but it also got me thinking about how easy it is to let external things—like the weather, a tough class, or a flopped lesson—dictate our mood. In this epis...

Welcome to The Inspired Teacher Podcast! Today, I'm reflecting on how my relationship with time has changed—from lingering in hallways with friends to rushing through the day just to get home. Inspired by Oliver Burkeman's Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals , I explore the idea that time is a network good—something that gains value when shared with others. In my effort to be producti...

Welcome to the Inspired Teacher Podcast! In this episode, I'm sharing a moment from right before spring break when I had a big plan for a Socratic Seminar… and then totally bailed on it. But here's the thing—I've got an awesome grade-level team, and one of our newer members keeps pushing us to try new things, which got me thinking. I want my students to talk. I like the noise. I want them talking...

Welcome to The Inspired Teacher Podcast! Last time, we talked about how important it is to surround yourself with the right people—but today, I want to flip that around a little. What about when  you feel like the one bringing the bad vibes? I'm pulling from James Sturtevant's book Teaching in Magenta: 100 Pathways to Joy and Well-Being for You and Your Students  to dive into this idea. I'll read...

Welcome to The Inspired Teacher Podcast ! In today's episode, I share a powerful reminder of why teaching is such a gift: getting to witness our students grow into the people they're meant to be—and sometimes, if we're lucky, cheering them on from the sidelines long after they leave our classrooms. I recently had the chance to watch one of my former students, Jordan Dissin, now a professional base...

Welcome to The Inspired Teacher Podcast! In today's episode, we're diving into an exciting and practical way to bring AI into your classroom—by turning it into a powerful, personalized tutor for your students. Inspired by a recent blog post from Edutopia, I'll walk you through an assignment I'm trying with my own students that encourages them to use AI to review and reinforce classroom content on...

Welcome to The Inspired Teacher Podcast! In this episode, "Be Mindful of Your Memories," we take a deep dive into how nostalgia and memory shape not only our emotions but our present-day realities, especially as educators. Sparked by everything from Rex Manning Day to some late-90s punk rock and a great Rich Roll conversation with memory expert Charan Ranganath, I've been reflecting on how our mem...

Welcome to The Inspired Teacher Podcast ! Today's episode is inspired by a powerful post from educator and podcaster Trevor Muir called "T he Participation Myth. " It hit me hard—in the best way—because it's all about shifting our focus as teachers from outcomes we can't control to the efforts we can . So often, we judge our lessons and even our worth as educators by how engaged every single stude...

Welcome to The Inspired Teacher Podcast ! Today's episode was planned on a pretty special day—my oldest son turned 15, which has me feeling all the things. It's true what they say: "time flies," but you never really  get it until you're watching your own kid grow up in the blink of an eye. And as I look around and realize this school year is three-quarters over—and that I'm wrapping up my 21st yea...

Welcome to The Inspired Teacher Podcast ! This past week was one of those where I was just loving life—engaging with students, enjoying the creative process of planning (especially with AI), and taking time off for wrestling. It's easy to feel happy when things are going well, but the real challenge is learning to cultivate that same joy regardless of circumstances. Today's message, inspired by Ja...

Welcome to The Inspired Teacher Podcast! Today, we're tackling a topic that many of us wrestle with—what happens when you don't always love your job? As someone who's spent decades immersed in wrestling, I know firsthand how identity can be tied to our work, and how challenging it can be when that work shifts or disappears. Inspired by a recent episode of The Connection with Marty Moss-Coane , we'...

Welcome to The Inspired Teacher Podcast! Today, we're diving into a powerful question: Will you meet your goals this year? Inspired by a recent Compete Every Day episode on the biggest mistakes people make when setting goals, we'll explore why keeping your goals to yourself might actually help you succeed, how an accountability system can keep you on track, and the role of energy, faith, and actio...

Welcome to The Inspired Teacher Podcast ! Today's episode is all about the power of doing the little things well and how that philosophy connects to restorative practices in our schools. I'm part of a restorative practices committee at my school and will soon begin training to become a trainer myself—something I'm both excited and humbled by. Honestly, I wasn't always on board with this approach....

Welcome to the Inspired Teacher podcast! In this episode, we delve into the timeless wisdom of Seneca, exploring his profound understanding of philosophy as the art of learning how to be a friend to yourself. As educators, we often pour our hearts and souls into nurturing our students, but it's equally essential to extend that same kindness and compassion inward. Join me as I reflect on the import...

Welcome to The Inspired Teacher Podcast ! Every year, my pre-season wrestling trip is a chance to recharge and reflect, and this year's visit to Ocean City, NJ, was no exception. From a thoughtful gift card from a student to battling nasty black bugs and relentless beeping, it wasn't all smooth sailing—but as we left, the ocean reminded me of its timeless lesson: it continues its work, no matter w...