Schurtz and Ties: A podcast about education and culture

We are often inspired by the things we hear. Be it the news channels we play, the conversations we have with friends, the podcasts we listen to, or the music we play to and from work, whatever we constantly hear inspires the way we think and act. In this episode, Brian and Kasey share and discuss songs they believe should be on every educator's playlist. Songs that inspire, comfort, and remind us why we chose this difficult yet beautiful profession. Brian shares a story of when he sent an ALL-STAFF email with an unfortunate typo.

You can find the playlist on Spotify, here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1RG50HnSlkfsKb3PkeESko?si=hAICFvmwTeSo0r58Z8gskA

Bosses in movies and TV shows are often over-characterized and easily simplified. Which is why we love/hate them. Because we can relate to them. Or at the very least, we can relate them to our current or past bosses. This week Brian and Kasey talk about some of the worst bosses in movies and television, why they are who they are, and offer solutions on how to deal with incompetent, micromanaging, and narcissistic bosses. Brian discovers he is more like Michael Scott than he'd like to believe.

Daniel Pink, the author of Drive: The Truth Behind What Motivates Us, writes that all people are motivated by three things: Autonomy, Master, and Purpose. In this episode, Kasey and Brian discuss how this might look in the classroom, in our schools, and in our lives. Brian says "super important" a lot. 

The book, Drive: The Surprising Truth Behind What Motivates Us

The TED Talk

A condensed animated version of the TED talk. 

Are you in the right career, or is it simply the wrong building? In this episode, Kasey and Brian discuss the power of appreciation, having fun, and living with purpose, and how the absence or presence of them can guide us to making the next - and perhaps healthier- choice. 

Honeymoons are great. Be it the beginning of the year or after Christmas break, every school and classroom experiences a time when students are excited, teachers are energized, and the future seems bright! Then, it ends . . . What then? What do we as educators do when it's time to dig in and get to work? In this episode, Kasey and Brian discuss how to ensure the honeymoon phase is purposeful as well as how to keep the magic and passion of learning and relationships continues on throughout the rest of the year. 

Dot it for the kids vs Its the right thing to do

Perception is reality vs Truth is somewhere in the middle

It is what is is vs It is what you make of it

Kids these days vs Kids these days!

Date driven vs Data informed

Honor role vs On a role

In this episode, Kasey and Brian discuss how to encourage people to forge new paths.