The Broken Copier

Welcome to The Broken Copier, a conversation about teaching.

Marcus and Jim are excited to get back into recording after taking some time to redesign a bunch of aspects about the podcast. We think we’ve got some good systems up and running, and we’re excited to learn and grow as the show evolves. In this episode, we took some time to discuss the new law in Arizona, which allows people to teach even without a bachelor’s degree. We discuss our personal reactions to this, as well as what it might take to create strong, sustainable pathways into the classroom that don’t play games with the only chance students have at their public education.

Thanks to @courtney.milavec for graphic design, @bowieroberts for writing and recording original intro music, and @uncivilizedtom for allowing us to use his band’s original song, “Woodstock,” from his 2020 album, Garden, available now on @spotify. Recorded with @Riverside.fm. Email thoughts, ideas, and feedback to [email protected] We hope to hear from you soon!

#podcasts #podcastshow #teaching #education #hobby #edtech #audio

Garden link: 

During teacher appreciation week, Jim published this essay called "Build the Compound." Marcus points out that compounds aren't exactly where young, idealistic, fresh new teachers want to spend their time, and for an essay in which the central thesis is that you should quit your job to be a classroom teacher, might not have been the smartest title choice. Jim agrees, and would like to take some time here to distance himself from the Marxist design aesthetics associated with compounds and other sorts of over-regulated government architecture. Still, they talk about this essay in this episode, and hopefully you like both!  

After a long hiatus from recording, Marcus and Jim are finally able to sit down and check in about how the school year is starting to wind down. They focus on some of the big picture reflections they've had coming out of this year, especially in regards to how students feel ownership and agency in the classroom decisions that impact their learning. Marcus attacks Jim for being too autocratic in his classroom, and not valuing what students think, say, or feel. They're still friends, though. 

Mr. P is back! After strenuous negotiation with our record label, Brandon was granted paternity leave from the pod to help care for his new baby girl! On behalf of the entire @realPDpod family, we'd like to say congratulations to the entire Piasecki family - especially to the newest big brother in our fanbase, Langston. In the midst of balancing teacher life with dad life, Jim and Brandon are finally able to sit down and talk a little shop. Brandon shares some insight into how he approaches all the fun 5th grade science questions he gets on a daily basis with the long term goals of his curriculum (you know, why not stop a lesson to talk about how you could walk on water?), and shares a little insight into a well-known struggle for many teachers: how to balance the demands of being both a parent and a full time teacher.

Marcus & Jim sit down to talk about The Great Education Resignation. Teachers are quitting mid year, creating viral social media content about how to transition out of the classroom, and we're just getting the sense that after this school year is over, a lot of teachers are going to leave their jobs. We talk through how that's impacting our classrooms right now, what we think some of the causes are, and what - if anything - we can do looking ahead. 

After a short brush with viral Twitter fame, Jim heard from all kinds of different people. One of them was Joseph Maffey, who didn't email about the infamous bus tweet, but rather to let Jim know that not only had he listened to the podcast, but that he actually liked it! The two teachers are finally able to connect and talk about their classrooms, what's been going on in Joseph's district around mask policy, when and how to teach fiction, and the age old question of how you can hold a teenager's attention long enough for them to read an entire book. Enjoy!

As many state legislatures are drafting and passing legislation aimed at requiring teachers to be more transparent about their curriculum, especially out of fears of indoctrination and the idea that teachers are "teaching Critical Race Theory," Marcus & Jim dive head on into a conversation about how they approach politics in the classroom. Should teachers talk about politics with students? When is it appropriate? What's the line between being authentic with yourself and allowing students to think for themselves? As always, feel free to reach out with feedback & follow us on TikTok & IG @realPDpod. Enjoy!

Jim and Marcus sit down with Dr. Chris Jones to talk about his run for Governor of Arkansas. After a viral campaign launch video that took Twitter by storm (currently with 5.3 million views), Dr. Jones has been clear that education in Arkansas is a top priority in his campaign. He's got a tough road ahead of him: he's running against Sarah Huckabee Sanders, former White House Press Secretary for President Trump, and daughter of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. But his calls for empathy, innovation, and systemic change are refreshing for two tired teachers. Dr. Jones shares about his journey in the classroom as a graduate of Morehouse College and MIT, as well as leading a 9th grade Algebra classroom of his own. He shares his vision for education in Arkansas, what he thinks the stakes are for this election, and the impacts that arguments about Critical Race Theory are having on students and teachers.

Jim and Marcus debrief the recent report from The Teacher Salary Project, "Teacher Salaries and Teacher Shortages: The View from the Classroom." They walk through their reactions and experiences around compensation in both rural and urban contexts, and discuss the role they think salary plays in teacher retention from both a systemic and personal lens. Since they recorded the episode on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, they also close with a reflection on how they approach talking about the day with their students, and how as white teachers they think about decolonizing and diversifying their own curriculum beyond single a single holiday or a single month.

Link to the report: https://www.teachersalaryproject.org/uploads/1/3/9/1/139153593/tsp-report-final.pdf

Marcus & Jimmy catch up after all the hustle & bustle of the holidays, and discuss how they're thinking about their jobs in the midst of some really serious questions emerging about the relationship we should have with work itself.