In the season finale, Jordan Pridemore and Tayler Pawlak reflect on The Holdovers—a story about the people who remain when everyone else leaves. They explore what the film reveals about teaching, loneliness, and the moments when school becomes more than instruction, asking what it means to show up for students when there’s nothing to fix—only something to hold.

No one mourns the gifted.

In this episode, Jordan Pridemore and Tayler Pawlak ask what happens when giftedness is misunderstood, unsupported, or outright rejected? Using Wicked as the lens, they explore how schools handle high-ability learners and what it really takes to support brilliance, nonconformity, and student potential... for good.

From Autonomy to Assimilation, this episode explores what The Faculty gets right about how underfunding and compliance cultures ‘infect’ schools, and how psychological safety, teacher autonomy, and student voice inoculate them.

What can Mean Girls teach us about classroom culture, leadership, and the role of teachers in shaping student experiences? In this episode of Teach for the Stars, we break down the iconic high school comedy through an educator’s lens. From the “Plastics” and the Burn Book to Ms. Norbury’s teaching style, we explore how cliques, bullying, and ineffective interventions reflect real challenges in schools today. Using research on bullying prevention, teacher leadership, and school climate, we ask: Who are the effective educators in Mean Girls, and who misses the mark? And most importantly, what can real teachers take away from this Hollywood version of high school?

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This week on Teach for the Stars, we’re breaking down Lean on Me, the 1989 biopic where Morgan Freeman plays bat-wielding principal Joe Clark, a man on a mission to “save” a failing high school with tough love, locked doors, and the occasional yelling match. But was he a hero, or a cautionary tale? Join Tayler and Jordan as they explore the myth of the lone reformer, the dangers of saviorism in school leadership, and what research actually says about turning schools around.

We aren't analyzing a movie teacher this week, just the two real ones behind the mic. Meet Tayler and Jordan, your hosts of Teach for the Stars, as they share their why, their work, and their favorite classroom moments.

What happens when a Hollywood action hero trades his gun for glue sticks? In this episode of Teach for the Stars, we revisit the 1990 cult classic Kindergarten Cop to examine the real-world role of police officers in schools. Join us as we explore the history of school policing, its intended goals, and the complex impact it has on school climate, student well-being, and equity.

What makes a great teacher? Billy Madison might not be the obvious place to look, but we’re breaking down the film to see what it gets right (and wrong) about the essential qualities of effective educators.

Tayler and Jordan are back, and this time, they’re heading to Hogwarts! In this episode, they dive into what makes Hagrid’s class the ultimate Career and Technical Education (CTE) experience. From hands-on learning to apprenticeship and expert mentorship, they explore what research says about the power of career-connected instruction and what educators today can learn from everyone’s favorite half-giant.

Welcome to Teach for the Stars, the podcast where pop culture’s most iconic teachers meet research-based best practices in public education. In today’s episode, we’re taking a closer look at Ferris Bueller’s Day Off to unpack what this classic comedy reveals (and misses) about the real-world crisis of chronic absenteeism.