In this episode, Lauren talks to Phillip M. Holmes, an expert on building strong leadership and recovering from a toxic work environment. We discuss what makes a toxic workplace, poor leadership, why there is so much poor leadership in education, how to know if you can trust your coworkers, when to get out of a toxic work environment, and much more! 

For more information, visit Teachermisery.com or visit Phillip's website at highestgood.consulting. 

Lauren welcomes her sister Julie back to the podcast, where they discuss their dumb experiences as teenagers smoking weed, how much more potent it is today, the dangers of vaping, chronic hyperemesis syndrome, which Julie suffers from after too much THC built up in her system, differences in tolerance when it comes to edibles, the dangers of vape devices themselves, the time Lauren ate a “space cookie” in Amsterdam and wanted to die, how to get through to teens about the high potency of weed...

Please rate us 5 stars and visit teachermisery.com and teachermiseryshop.com! 

Here is a link to the NY Times article discussed in the podcast. 

We discuss where we’ve been the last few months, DeAndre’s new job teaching middle school, Lauren’s new job tutoring ESOL students, gossiping-ass teachers and admin., batshit crazy teachers, annoying classes you have to take to renew your license, being super teacher vs. the good enough teacher, pressure to be part of the school community, schools that actually have consequences for phones, and why schools are afraid of parents.

Lauren and DeAndre discuss all the threats schools are getting now and what police are doing about it, the states where it’s legal for teachers to carry guns, what it’s like teaching kids in their homes, grown-ass kids still wearing diapers and sucking on pacifiers, sex ed. in Florida is now abstinence only, kids watch porn at young ages now, how to explain sex to very little kids (or not), why it’s so important to teach kids about consent and looking out for each other at parties, life is too expensive, and kids don’t know how to cross the street!

Teaching with cancer; open house needs structure or parents will annoy the crap out of the teacher; is open school night even necessary? The benefits of teaching elementary kids and how memorable you are for them, the shooting at Apalachee High School and the warning signs that are always there; how much we wanted to help start mental health programs but didn’t get much support; how ineffective the drug and alcohol prevention programs are; we play a game where DeAndre guesses who said an insane quote: a parent or admin.

Lauren and DeAndre discuss the job search outside of teaching and the thoughts that creep in about finding a school with supportive admin. and decent student behavior to work at. Is this even a possibility or wishful thinking? Are we too damaged from past experiences and literal PTSD? We also share experiences from teaching in fancy private schools then we talk about the administrator who was blinded by a student and the school staff who thought dressing up as Mexican stereotypes was a good idea. 

On this episode, we talk to Bryan, a teacher with teaching experience both in secondary settings and post-secondary schools. As a queer teacher, Bryan has faced many challenges with acceptance and understanding while teaching in Los Angeles, Texas, and New York City. These experiences led him to create an organization and podcast called Teaching While Queer. The goal is to create safe schools and communities where every educator can teach, every family can belong, and every child can learn regardless of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. The podcast tells the personal stories of dozens of queer teachers and school staff members. You can find out more at teachingwhilequeer.org.

Lauren and DeAndre talk to Zohar, a teacher with multiple certifications, including Special Ed., who moved to NYC from the Middle East and ended up leaving before the end of her first year. The pressure and pace at the elite private school she taught at took a significant toll on her mental and physical health, and she found herself wondering if there was a way to make all the paperwork included in teaching easier. After being unexpectedly forced out of the country, Zohar decided to pursue the idea of AI specifically for teachers. After winning a scholarship to develop her product in Italy, she is ready to share Zozo, the teacher's AI assistant, with the world. 

Visit zozosolutions.com to learn more and use code TEACHERMISERY15 for 15% off! 

On this episode, Lauren and DeAndre talk to Dr. Irene Daria, a developmental psychologist and author of the new book I Didn't Believe Him. Irene is a reading specialist for children of famous stars such as Kate Winslet and Tom Brady. We talk about how she realized her younger son was not being taught how to read properly at one of the most elite private schools in NYC, leading her to research how children learn to read independently. What she discovered is shocking and quite alarming. According to Irene, the way most schools teach young children how to read is completely wrong, and many Special Ed. kids are misdiagnosed because of it. 

If you love our podcast, please rate us five stars, and visit teachermisery.com and teachermiseryshop.com. You can find out more about Dr. Irene Daria at stepstoreading.com. 

First, DeAndre and Lauren discuss the mix of feelings that come with a new school year starting and no longer being a teacher. Then Lauren shares ridiculous, dumb, insulting, baffling, and outrageous comments made by administrators to teachers, and DeAndre reacts hilariously! Look out pregnant women, childless teachers, and newly married teachers! There are some moronic comments coming your way!

Support us by rating us 5 stars, visiting teachermisery.com, see fun gifts at teachermiseryshop.com, and get the Teacher Career Change course (teachercareercoach.com) for 20% off using coupon code Teacher Misery!