Think back to the last time you heard someone talking about Jon Snow, Danerys Targaryen, or Tyrion Lannister? Binge-watching the final season with your eyebrows permanently raised and wondering if you missed a PD session on plot twists? Maybe you were dodging spoilers like arrows at the Battle of the Bastards, or rewatching the Red Wedding to confirm that, yes, it was that traumatic. Or maybe you were listening to a trio of edu-podcasters drawing some fiery parallels between Westeros and the world of professional learning.

Whatever the case may be, let's hop back on the dragon and soar into all the political intrigue, power plays, and unexpected character arcs of Game of Thrones—to revisit the connections we made back in 2021.

This rerun I’m bending the knee to one of our most iconic episodes: "Pop Culture Playground: Game of Thrones”, which originally aired June 17, 2021. Four winters (and summers) have come and gone, and this one still rules the realm. It’s my chosen favorite to revisit and share with my fellow Guildmates and listeners. Whether you're a seasoned dragon rider or a “sweet summer child”, give it a listen. Warning: side effects may include insight, inspiration, and the sudden urge to shout, “King in the North!”

Because some episodes don’t just play the game—they win it.

We are now reflecting on one of our favorite offbeat mashups: that time we explored What We Do in the Shadows, the mockumentary about New Zealand or Staten Island’s most lovable vampire roommates. The movie and later developed TV show actually sucked us into some pretty powerful reflections on teaching and learning. From Colin Robinson’s energy vampire tendencies—to Laszlo’s chaotic charm and Nandor’s eternal quest for finding his why, we found ourselves asking: What does it really mean to lead, to learn, and to live… forever… in the classroom? So let’s take time unearthing What We Do in the Shadows of the classroom and see what’s changed since we last aired.

We have covered some pretty intense shows in our pop culture playground series - including the global phenomenons game of thrones and tiger king. But I think some of our most interesting and insightful educational connections have come from a vampire movie AND its companion series in spite of its bloody violence, crude sexual content, and language. Thankfully, it’s bloody hilarious too. Our What We Do In The Shadows minisode first aired August 23rd, 2023.  

Enjoy!

Where were you the last time you heard the names Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin? Binge watching the surprise mega hit “The Tiger King” during the pandemic? Maybe catching the sequel a few years after or Carole dancing to Eye of the Tiger on Dancing with the Stars ? Or maybe listening to a few first-year education podcasters having a little fun connecting with listeners during summer break? Whatever the case may be, welcome back   - we’re setting our sights on all the craziness of the Tiger King and the connections we made back in 2021 between the world of edu & learning and the world of tiger cub selfies and expired Walmart baloney.

We’re shifting gears in our reflection series and about to throw the spotlight on our mini episodes. Back in the summer of 2021, we were still wondering how we’d emotionally, mentally or physically recover from the chaos of that first year of “pandemic teaching”. Almost as much as we were wondering at the time if a one, Carole Baskin, actually fed her husband to a tiger. To get right into it  - and avoid lawsuits -  let’s jump into an episode full of connections and laughs that we really needed back in June of 2021.

In the 2008 pop anthem “Circus”, Britney sings “There's only two types of people in the world…5he ones that entertain, and the ones that observe”; however, in this season 1 throwback episode, we asserted that those in the observe camp likely are caught in the Apathy Zone. 

In this episode, we considered research about zones of optimal learning and also more Toxic zones that keep people’s heads slippin’ under with anxiety and yes, apathy. When it comes to learning, we all better work, not just sit back and watch. If you like your discussions of social psychology and learning theory balanced with song lyrics and red pleather jumpsuits, you’re in the right spot.

The episode slash dance party you are about to hear was released on May 27, 2021, and the Guild had just as much fun preparing for it as we did recording it. With solid evidence on anxiety and apathy from Harvard Business school and how this entangles with all things Britney Spears, we had hours of pop lyrics to study in order to flex our metaphorical moves. I knew we had to revisit this one, if for no other reason than so we can say “Oops We Did it, Again.” So let’s all hit this Baby, One more time.

Even if navigating change sometimes feels like trying to herd cats, it's important to remember as Leslie Knope says ,"every obstacle is an opportunity to prove how awesome you are.” Feeling part of a community, as we know, is so vital for student and educator success - and given the stresses, trials, and victories that come with being in the field of education and leadership, change is going to happen. So, how do we maintain those relationships and not fall into a metaphorical pit as when change or transitions come our way? The question is as prevalent now as it was nearly 3 years ago.

So before GLG takes a running leap and learns to fly towards what’s ahead” let’s reflect on “Network Connectivity Problems” - and what we can do to keep our connections “Leslie Knope & Ann Perkins” strong…

It’s fitting that we are returning back to our February 3rd, 2022 episode in this second set of our featured episodes on belonging and leadership. In this episode, entitled Network Connectivity issues, we shared with our listeners how we as a guild maintained our connection and commitment to creating as we went through the first of several major shifts. 

Because unlike Ron Swanson, we are always interested in caring about people…even if we haven’t worked with them for three years. 

Stay tuned!