From slow-claps to GLEAM: grade-level rigor, real talk, and a rainbow pumpkin

What happens when two middle-school teachers and their favorite guest crack open UnboundEd’s GLEAM (Grade-Level, Engaging, Affirming, Meaningful) and ask the big question: “Who’s doing the thinking?” Chandler, Russell, and Melissa Robinson-Eagles (aka Mrs. Russell) get candid about teaching at grade level, scaffolding without watering down, and making learning feel sincere and not performative. There’s campus solidarity, rock-paper-scissors seating charts, sub-plan bribery, classroom jobs that actually work, and the world premiere of Steve, the very gay pumpkin.

Cool in School:

• Staff unity + a school-board slow-clap moment that turned into full-district solidarity
• This year’s calmer cohorts (puppies ????, feral cats ????, and old cats ????‍⬛, you’ll get it)

Teacher Tips (you can steal tomorrow):

• Seating fix: neighbors RPS—loser moves (student ownership without drama)
• Classroom jobs + team tubs: pencils, chargers, workbooks, and clean endings to every period
• Sub-plan toolkit: a plug-and-play template + strategic bribes for smooth days

Good in Life:

• New cats, audiobook obsessions, and sports banter (no comment on certain playoff heartbreaks)
• Meet Steve the pumpkin. Proof that joy belongs in lesson planning

Gleam, but make it real:

• Grade-level first, smart scaffolds second
• Affirming beyond name-drops that build a classroom culture kids actually feel
• Meaningful is the mountain: from pink-tax math to community resource mini-units

If this episode got you rethinking rigor and relevance, share a recent Big-E moment from your class and tag us!

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We didn’t fix education today, but we made it GLEAM, Glitter and Sparkle.

Ever wondered what would happen if two teachers actually got to rebuild the entire education system? Chandler and Russell throw out grades, bring back recess, and design the perfect school from scratch. Complete with hoodie weather, Mariners magic, and just a touch of chaos. From Hogwarts halls to AVID calls, this is the episode where they fix it all (you’re welcome).

Cool in School: Contexto — the viral word-guessing game that made students scream like they won the lottery

Teacher Tips: Secret Student Alarm & ClassroomScreen.com — two tools that make teaching (and sanity) easier

Good in Life: Hoodie weather, Mariners in the postseason, and seeing former AVID students thriving

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We rebuilt education before lunch. You’re welcome, humanity.

In this episode, Chandler and Russell explore what happens when artificial intelligence strolls into the classroom...without a hall pass. From AI schools with HUGE tuition tags to ChatGPT lesson planning hacks, they tackle how technology can amplify teaching without replacing teachers. There’s laughter, practical advice, and a healthy reminder that while bots can help, real intelligence still runs on coffee and classroom chaos.

Highlights:

Cool in School: Stop-motion animation with Google Slides, student-made mini films, and a timer trick that keeps class on track.

Teacher Tip: Using ChatGPT as your lesson-planning sidekick—without losing your voice or your semicolons.

Good in Life: Reconnecting with former students and rediscovering the joy of doing absolutely nothing (with puzzles, banana pudding, and baseball).

Tech Talk: From Alpha Schools and Photomath to Canva AI and MagicSchool—what works, what flops, and how to keep humanity at the center of the algorithm.

If this episode got you thinking about your own adventures with artificial intelligence, share your “AI in the classroom” story and tag us!

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Stay nerdy—deuces, meow.

Joy is contagious in this one. Chandler and Russell swap the moments that keep teachers going from admin who have your back to the everyday magic of the classroom. We celebrate student wins (EL breakthroughs, creative math, and kids who finally beat the teacher at Speed), shout out the WNBA’s Valkyries, and share legendary tales such as: the “ship” incident, the haunted orange wall, and the Great Sticker Heist. Come laugh, nod along, and refill your tank.

Highlights:

• Cool in School: supportive admin that change the daily vibe
• Teacher Tip: do art with your kids + stay fresh via induction/mentoring
• Good in Life: WNBA joy, Giants geekery, and firsts on field trips
• Stories: rallies that build culture, EL growth, playful pranks, and kids who change how we teach

If this episode brought you a smile, share your own “joy in teaching” story and tag us!

Follow, rate, and subscribe so you don’t miss Episode 12 on AI. Stay nerdy—deuces, meow.

When the job swings from rally-day highs to “why am I doing everything?” lows, teacher mental health matters most. We unpack secondary trauma, SEL overload, and the pressure to be everything to everyone—then pivot to doable fixes: permission to set limits, simple play breaks kids actually remember, and low-lift tools (hello, sheet-protector “whiteboards”) that cut stress without cutting learning. Leave with a lighter plan to protect your time, say “not my fight,” and keep the joy in the job because teachers are humans first.

In this episode, Chandler and Russell dive into the wild world of assessments—where grades don’t always measure learning, zeros pack way too much power, and bias sneaks in faster than a kid guessing C on every multiple-choice question. From standards-based grading to standardized testing, floaty potatoes, and why letter grades are the worst alphabet soup, we unpack what assessments are really doing (and not doing) for our students. Along the way, we share classroom stories, teacher tips, and a few laughs about the absurd ways tests get used. At the end of the day, we’re asking the big question: what’s the point of all this testing anyway? Spoiler: it’s definitely not for the kids.

What makes professional development inspiring, and what makes it fall flat? Chandler and Russell break down their PD wish list and share how to make sessions actually useful for teachers. They also talk about why the best learning often happens at conferences, which ones are worth the trip, and how to bring those ideas back to your school. Also, you’ll get tall tales of imaginary plant parts, epic hydraulic shelf stretcher missions, the mystical power of the “virtual queue,” ukulele jams that deserve their own halftime show, and the fine art of bolding your own fine print because taking care of you is just as important as taking care of others.

What makes professional development inspiring, and what makes it fall flat? Chandler and Russell break down their PD wish list and share how to make sessions actually useful for teachers. They also talk about why the best learning often happens at conferences, which ones are worth the trip, and how to bring those ideas back to your school. Also, you’ll get tall tales of imaginary plant parts, epic hydraulic shelf stretcher missions, the mystical power of the “virtual queue,” ukulele jams that deserve their own halftime show, and the fine art of bolding your own fine print because taking care of you is just as important as taking care of others.

Chandler and Russell are one foot in their classrooms and one foot still in summer break. In this episode, they talk all things back-to-school—from classroom setup to personal goals. Classroom prep is all about taking care of “Future You,” but let’s be real—Past You wasn’t always helpful. They unpack what’s working, what’s not, and what they hope to pull off this year—without burning out by October. If you’ve ever mixed up Canvas and Canva, you’re not alone. This one’s for the tech-loving, anxiety-ridden, back-to-school brained educators doing their best. Featuring: AI tools, classroom chaos, and a reluctant tribute to Google Classroom.

In this chaotic and cathartic summer check-in, Chandler and Brian catch up on all the things: new dogs, new houses, minor power tool injuries, and major feelings about the year that nearly broke us.

Come for the cross-eyed rescue pup and cat soundboard—stay for the real talk on group work, burnout, and why restorative justice matters more than ever.

It's part therapy, part comedy, and all summer vibes (with a few F-bombs and a stapled dress thrown in for good measure).

At its core, this episode is about choosing connection over conflict, laughter in the middle of burnout, and why we’re still fighting to stay in a profession we love even when the cracks in the system feel too wide to fix because the kids still make it worth it.