Friends, you already loved Maria Edwards, Judy Menist, Rachel Scott, and Toby Lowe, but just wait. Their vulnerability, wisdom, and depth of stories in this particular podcast episode recorded on Friday the 13th (just the day before Toby got married) will undoubtedly move you.  Part therapy session, part love story, part call to action, episode 2 in  “Can We Talk?”  reflects on the very real, very timely topic of teacher burnout.  What is it? What produces it? How do we help ourselves and our colleagues when we find ourselves there?  

Listen to the whole conversation, or pick and choose from the show notes below:

2:35-7:26:  Maria had the advantage of entering her teaching career armed with tools for avoiding teacher burnout: find a community, connect to your personal “why” for teaching, don’t hesitate to ask help from mentors, choose to teach at the RIGHT place that fuels you, accept that every day is a different-new day, embrace the constant change that surrounds teaching., and enjoy the performative aspects of teaching.

7:30-8:20: Toby recalls his feeling of belonging when first invited to SA and the impact it made.

8:43-12:40:: Judy reminds us that community and having a passion for what you do isn’t enough to guard against burnout . . . and why fireworks and campfires provide powerful analogies for a sustainable teaching career. 

14:05-16:32: Judy’s story of burnout which stemmed from not feeling trusted as a professional and the constant pendulum swing of “this is how you are supposed to teach.” She reminds us, “It’s easy to get [to a place of burnout], and you’re there before you realized what caused you to get there.”

16:35 -17:20: Why burnout isn’t always directly tied to long working hours working.

17:20-18:42; 22:20-28:34; 29:59-30:15: If you can only listen to one section of the pod, listen to these snippets in which Toby shares vulnerably about his own personal experiences with burnout. 

18:43- 21:01: Rachel’s story: burnout by boredom ironically cured by the challenges covid presented 

21:02-22:07: If you’ve seen one case of burnout, you’ve seen one case of burnout; there is no monolithic experience or cure.

28:35-29:57: Why it’s doubly difficult to do “mindfulness” as a teacher . . . and why teaching pushes all of us into anxiety.

31:48-34:30: Judy issues a strong call to administrators to pause, read the room about how faculty are feeling, and take the time to ask faculty for their professional opinions. 

34:45-36:20:  You know how north campus students have to fill out a survey and list their “trusted adult” on campus?  Well, we think we should have to do that as faculty as well; asking help is most definitely a superpower. 

Have you noticed that kids just aren’t as tough as they used to be? Do you wonder why so many hands come up with so many questions the minute you assign a task?  Did you read that recent article about how elite college students no longer even have the sticktoitiveness to read a full book? Do you wish your students could persevere a little longer, bounce back a little faster? Today’s episode: “Can we Talk About Building Resilience?” is going to address just that.  Hosts Toby Lowe, Rachel Scott, and Julie Rust were lucky to be joined by special guest UMMC Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow, Dr. Peyton Thigpen,  as well as our three incredible school counselors: Courtney McGee, Shedrick Rogers, and Chelsea Freeman.

1:12-3:30: Toby introduces the theme of resilience by telling a success story about a fifth grader he taught, asking “what was it about this kid that made her decide ‘I’m going to give this a try’?

5:55-6:25: Courtney McGee, Lower School Counselor, introduces resilience and how it fits into CARES (cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self control) programmatic model.

7:16-9:00: Shedrick Rogers, Middle School Counselor, argues that kids are more resilient than we often give them credit for; perhaps we need to have more patience that we are not the end point in their journey.   

9:40-11:25: Chelsea Freeman, Upper School Counselor, campaigns for getting more comfortable with discomfort in her homage to Damour’s book, The Emotional Lives of Teenagers.

12:49-14:10 : Dr. Peyton Thigpen encourages educators that the adults that had the most impact on us as children most likely challenged us to do hard things: “I’m not going to take your worst work; I know you have more potential than that.” 

14:11-17:10: Shedrick argues for the importance of consistently high expectations for youth in all areas: academics, social life, etc.

17:11-20:03:  So how do we actually help youth that are uncomfortable in the struggle? The good news is many of these skills can be taught, having social support and connection is vitally protective, and our school counselors have myriad tools to share.  

20:04-22:52: How can we best support the youngest students in our lives? Courtney and Peyton advocate for giving youth insight for recognizing their emotions, sharing language for naming them, and modeling strategies for coping.  

22:55- 29:38: Toby asks the million dollar question: how does all this resilience stuff take on a different note when it comes to us parenting our own kids? (Note: Julie found some solace in an episode of Hidden Brain featuring an interview with psychologist Peter Gray entitled “Parents: Keep Out!”)

29:40-31:05: Why we need to be the thermostat rather than the thermometer when it comes to our interactions with youth. 

31:10-39:00: Guests sagely address our first teacher-generated question: With attention spans and the ability to maintain sustained focus decreasing, specifically in upper middle school grades, how can we help students understand that they can, in fact, learn how to focus even at the age of 13?  

39:20-43:35:  Our second teacher-generated question elicits the comforting advice of “don’t change a thing; the conditions you are creating are the perfect recipe for building resilience!”

 My AP World History class is the first AP that students can take in the HS. The curriculum, set by the College Board, is extremely rigorous and fast paced. It's not unusual to have students crying in my office mid-September, but by the end of October, they seem to get their "sea legs" and begin to see improvement. I start the year advising them to work hard and trust the process. I continuously encourage them and teach skills along the way, but I still have meltdowns. What can I do better in the early days to help students understand that it's a marathon, not a sprint, and that their grades WILL improve? (Some have never earned B's or C's before and you'd think it was the end of the world!). Thanks!

45:02-47:45 : The episode ends on a “yay rah go teachers” note.  Because you all are awesome, and by simply building connections with students, you are building up their resilience. 

Do you teach? Do you work at a school in any capacity? Do you have kids of your own? Do these offspring of yours attend (or have they attended) the same school that pays your paycheck? If you have selected yes to just one of these questions, this episode is for you. But if you selected yes to more than one . . . well this episode may hit some very familiar notes (and I wish we could have invited you on as a guest.)  Join host Taylor Davis and guests Anna Frame and Lea Crongeyer for an exploration of the intersection of parenting and working as a school professional. 

2:58-3:20: Inquiring minds must know; what does a child call their parent when they are actually teaching them in a classroom setting? 

4:22-6:57:  How being a teacher and being a parent are sometimes very different and sometimes very similar; also we discover Lea has basically taught every kid in the world. 

7:05-8:14: Why Anna Frame is a lot less fun as a mom than a teacher; and the interplay of high expectations and “not MY kid!”

9:45-13:33: A surprise side effect of being a teacher momma: we never want to infringe on our kids’ teachers’ time or stress them out in any way.  

13:38-14:55: The added entanglements for mommas who are not only teachers at the same school but also ALUMNAE! 

14:56-16:30: “The balance of challenges and blessings” when your own kid is in the exact same grade you teach; the things we miss but also the insights we glean.

16:40-17:20: Julie’s surprise reveal that Lea Crongeyer is the real reason she ended up working at St. Andrew’s.  (When I was considering the job she texted me, “it is one of the most precious gifts of my life to have taught at the same place my kids go to school.”)

17:28-20:25: Julie’s biggest point of tension in these dual roles of administrator/teacher and momma is also incredibly generative.

20:26-21:16: Lea drops some major wisdom: “So parenting you do so much of it with your heart you have to have a lot of self control as a teacher . .. you can’t be momma bear at school”; and Taylor points out sometimes we have too many “inside” insights. :) 

21:16-23:20: Anna shares the good side of all this: we have a cheat code for what to talk to kids about in the car; also that year Lea let Taylor wake up  her own kid from nap.

23:40- 25:26: Being a momma-teacher makes you have so much grace and empathy for your kids’ teachers and other cheat codes that can give us a leg-up on our parenting partners.

25:31-26:38; 28:18-29:58: When your kid gets in trouble, sometimes [a different kind of] the swooping in is helpful; also why Julie loves student-led conferences.

26:48-27:33: Listen here to find out which of our children was NOT a good napper and required an elaborate ticket system to stay put!

30:25-31:40: Josh Brister finally gets on the mic to drop wisdom about how parenting has impacted his view of the parent/teacher relationship; also our podcast’s most dramatic moment in the  history of its existence!

31:41-32:46; 34:24-35:00: Not only do we give teachers more grace when we are in our parenting role, we give parents more grace in our teaching role; now we know how hard it is!  

32:47- 34:23: How parenting shifts our view of the value of writing qualitative comments to parents.

35:00-35:50: Sometimes we are very, very bad parents.  True confessions.

Hosts: Jessica Parker-Farris / Matt Luter

Guest: Michelle Portera

Recorded/Edited by Josh Brister

• (0:53-2:36) Episode Intro - Matt shares multiple resources that suggest loneliness is not a new conversation, although perhaps an unexpected and ironic one within the educational field given that educators are largely surrounded by others all day long
  • (2:36) Matt introduces himself, Jessica, and Michelle (Josh is quietly present and recording! Thank you, Josh!) 

• (3:44) Question 1:  How do you sense or experience loneliness in your profession, either in yourself or in others?
  • (4:10) Michelle has sensed loneliness in her 1st grade students; we all want to be seen and understood, including our kiddos; her assistant Rachel Scott does a great job noticing their students’ needs.

• (19:57) Question: Do you feel that loneliness is something systemic about today’s world and culture? Do you feel it’s something that spans beyond teaching roles and into other ones? (Say maintenance staff? Admin? Students?) 

• (20:13) The chicken or the egg? Loneliness now a nation-wide discussion, Matt questions the exact roles COVID-19 and digital tech both played (and perhaps still play) in preventing togetherness. 

• (28:25) Question 5: What do you feel has helped you feel a stronger sense of connection/belonging and to your SA community?

• • Reiterating a few successful strategies mentioned like prioritizing and daily snippets of connections, Matt shares his own need to have strong and nourishing friendships outside of work.

• Question 6: What do we feel St. Andrew’s does really well to help folks feel connected and maybe where is there room for growth? 
  • (34:31) Michelle and Jessica agree St. Andrew’s does a great job of prioritizing celebration; Michelle also feels incredibly connected through her multi-grade level meetings.

(44:02) We conclude that we doubt we solved teacher loneliness, but Jessica feels hopeful that, just by taking the time to have this small, quiet conversation about our shared experience of teacher loneliness, can bring us all together. We are not alone in our loneliness! 

This week, join host Hannah Williams-Inman as she speaks with middle school educators Paul Buckley and Maria Edwards about experiences teaching as an introvert/extrovert. 

• (0:00-2:35) TEAM Intro and Episode Intro - Teaching as an introvert vs extrovert, and the way that may change the vibe and feeling of our day to day life here at SA.

• (2:45-3:10) - Can you figure out, based on this conversation, who is our introvert and who is our extrovert?

 Sure, we’ve all experienced the very public job/side of teaching: how a teacher lectures or constructs a lesson.  But what about those more veiled parts of the job of teaching that no one sees? What stories can we share about invisible parts of teaching across a range of grade levels?  And what costs and benefits lurk in these often-hidden parts of our work?  Join Toby Lowe, Hannah Woodward, and Saana Watson for an in depth discussion on these themes.  

Show notes:

• (3:55-5:15) A glimpse into Saana’s spookiest time at St. Andrew's! (To learn more,  read this blog!)

Sometimes you read a book or watch a movie that is so chock-full of hyperbole you just roll your eyes and lean into it for entertainment value.  Sometimes that very same book or movie magically transforms before your very eyes into the truest representation of life you have ever seen. Roald Dahl’s (1988) novel, Matilda did that, with its captivating story about a young girl who encounters injustice with adults in her life at home and school with bravery, intelligence, and creativity.  And in our household anyway, the latest iteration of Matilda in musical form directed by Matthew Warchus (from a screenplay written by Dennis Kelly featuring song/lyrics by Tim Minchin) did it again, with a catchy set of musical numbers that had us singing for weeks.  I had the privilege of sitting down with two third graders who love the movie, Elizabeth Bensler and Alianna Rust, as well as their very own Dr. Egger, Head of Lower School to discuss what the musical might teach us about parenting, schooling, and growing up:

3:12-6:16: Meet our guests, and learn which one most closely related to the terrifying character of Mrs. Trunchbull!

6:51-10:00:  What is up with the dynamic between Matilda and her parents?   

10:29-12:45: What St. Andrew’s has in common with the terrifying Cruncham Elementary; (related sidenote: we need a statue of Dr. Egger in the front of the school).

13:15-17:10: What all of us think about growing up: from the perspective of sweet Bev Egger, to our third graders, to Dr. Egger and me; the pros/cons of having control but also having responsibility. 

17:40-20:48: We have a delightful time comparing Mrs. Trunchbull to Dr. Egger; spoiler alert: they have like nothing in common! 

21:10- 25:07: We gush with love for the character Miss Honey, and not just because she’s a nice teacher; because she’s got some solid skills. Also Elizabeth and Alianna dish on which of their teachers most remind them of Miss Honey.  

25:45-30:44: We explore the premise of the lyric “sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty”; interestingly sibling relationships come up quite a few times.

30:58-33:50- We close out with our favorite scenes from the show, featuring circus-school, throwing hammers, dancing on top of desks, and floating above the clouds. 

As we discovered in the first three episodes of this series, the world of motion pictures depicting educational realities isn’t all bad.  In fact, Mr Rogers, 8th Grade, and Abbott Elementary are so well-done, they strike more chords that resonate than outright clash with our realities. But we are going to end our season with two episodes that take a very different approach.  Hyperbole, absurdity, and “THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN” come to mind.  But even in these films that show less restraint and more –ahem– “artistic license,” we found much to discuss, dare I say even learn?  This week- the at-times problematic but wildly entertaining, School of Rock.  Rachel Scott (LS Tech Integration), Sara Clark (LS Library), and Daniel Roers (our amazing podcast recorder/editor finally steps out from behind-the-scenes) discuss:

• 1:18-2:56: The art of substitute teaching, and our first hint that Dewey Finn has absolutely no clue what he is getting into.

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood for Kim Sewell (PK4), Andrea Stallings (ECC Instructional Assistant), and Ruth Fletcher (Little Chapel) to delve deep with their educator and Momma hats into all things Mr. Rogers.  In their honest conversation, it becomes clear that the recent resurgence of interest around the show and man behind Mr. Rogers Neighborhood reflects some deep societal needs for connection, pausing, and emotional exploration.  Enjoy! 

2:35-4:13:  Ruth and Andrea discuss two very different vantage points on the impact of television on the lives of young children; should we be hopeful about its ability to foster play and creativity, or should we be concerned about its impact? 

4:14-5:50:  What provoked Mr. Rogers to utilize TV as a medium, and a peek into Kim’s evolution as a parent. 

5:55- 7:00:  The shows our guests’ children enjoyed when they were young, and their own personal early childhood relationship with Mr. Rogers Neighborhood growing up.

7:01-8:06: Why watching paint dry can be entertaining: the power of meditative television.

8:23-10:24: The “other type” of children’s show, and what chaotic or subversive television reveals about the intersection of consumerism and the world of TV, particularly in today’s streaming environment.

10:25-12:45: Wisdom for current parents of littles: watch what they watch, and turn on your “icky” meter.

12:46-13:47: How our guests feel that adult cartoons and marvel movies have impacted young people.  

13:48-16:09: On the other hand, the good old days weren’t so perfect: reflections on Bugs Bunny and nursery rhymes and the importance of differentiating reality and imagination for youth.

16:13-17:50: What imagination as a coping mechanism looks like in a PK4 classroom.

17:51-20:42: Why the first thing Ruth’s 1st-4th graders are asked to do when they enter the classroom gives us hope that slower, more deliberate programming can still entertain children; also, Bluey might be the new Mr. Rogers.

20:45-23:25: Tools we can practice as parents of young children after a busy day to help us “live much fuller lives”; “I think that’s the whole point: we all need to slow down.”   

Raise your hand if you want to go back to middle school.  Anyone? Anyone? (Why is it so quiet in here all of a sudden?) If the thought of re-inhabiting your 13 year old skin makes you cringe, you should be warned, Bo Burnham’s portrayal of Kayla’s culminating middle school year in Eighth Grade might very well transport you right back.  But for those of us that work with youth in this age range, Eighth Grade might be the most impactful PD experience out there.  Why? By putting us smack dab in the center of the young protagonist’s hopes, insecurities, successes, and failures, the movie will do more than just elicit sighs of recognition– it may very well help you see all of your students in an entirely new light. Here to talk about the movie and their wonderful, awkward 8th grade selves are Toby Lowe (5th grade math), Hannah Williams-Inman (7th-8th grade Spanish), and Hollie Marjanovic (US Learning Facilitator).  

3:55-5:10: How Hannah’s 8th grade year represented a huge identity shift from shy to confident, much like Kayla, the protagonist in the movie.  

5:15-7:55:  How Hollie’s 8th grade grade year was fraught with all of the normal awkward things in 8th grade, but also compounded by transferring to a new school and a school-wide tragedy; and the role that safe and kind adults played.  

7:59-10:11: Why 8th grade was Toby’s least favorite year, and that strong sense waiting for life to start, trying to find your thing when you don’t yet know quite who you are. 

10:15-11:02: Why it can feel like a huge relief for us as faculty to remember how marginal teachers can be in the lives of students, at best “blundering idiots.” 

13:27-15:55: How Kayla’s middle school experiences contrast with the reality of our 5th-8th graders at St. Andrew’s; also Hannah drops some wisdom: “All 8th graders want to belong and feel like they don’t.  100% want to be part of something and don’t feel they are part of something yet.”  

15:57- 17:55: We zoom a bit more into Kayla, her need to make help videos, and why 8th grade is, as Toby puts it, “such a well observed movie.” 

17:56- 19:30: Toby recalls the “ visiting your friend’s huge mansion effect” from his own coming-of-age, and Hannah points out that adolescence is a project of comparison: “Should my life look like I’m having fun in this pool party with friends?” 

19:36- 21:48:  We gush about perhaps our favorite 8th grade character in the movie, the oh-so-lovable Gabe.

22:55-26:32: The good, bad, and ugly of when Kayla gets a glimpse into high school life, and does this have implications for our 5th-12th grade north campus? 

26:38-34:35: We talk the role that technology plays in the movie, our own relationships with devices, researched links to anxiety, and our cell phone policies at school.  

34:36-35:30: Reasons we think Kayla’s dad should win best dad ever. 

35:31-37:20:  The climactic end of the movie, time capsules, and Kayla seeing the light after a very fraught year of growing up. 

37:42-41:11:Toby asks us to muster up our past 8th grade girl perspective: “Is there really all that staring and boy anxiety?!” 

41:16-42:20: Why we just want to find every awkward kid and hug them and make them feel better.  Also, we are ALL still Kayla, even those of us in our forties.  

44:28-end: Hannah ends the episode with more words of insight: “It feels impossible that someone could look at you with all your mess, frizzy hair, and think that you are easy to love. It seems impossible! But we’ve all been there! And they are so easy to love.”