Check out the trailer for Jon's new podcast, Pat & Jon on their Best Behavior, in which he and his friend Patrick Stanny talk about the pop culture that excites and intrigues them! Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to get the first few episodes when they drop on Wednesday, May 6th.

For the season finale, guest host Sarah Koppelkam (co-host of The Koppelkast) interviews Jon Lemay, an upper school English teacher at The Pennington School--and host of this podcast! Jon and Sarah talk about the dangers of comparing oneself to other educators, Jon tells a story about a time when one of his high school teachers called him out on some unfortunate behavior (in a kind and loving manner), and Jon shares what he tells himself when he's feeling frustrated or discouraged on bad days, weeks, or months of teaching. 

Host & Producer: Jon Lemay | Associate Producer: Emily Moler | Artwork: Katie Cooper | Music: "You Need a Visa" by Really From | 

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Check out The Koppelkast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Play!

This week, Jon speaks with Terrance Wilson, an upper school English teacher at Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis, TN—and Jon's former colleague and mentor from his time at Lausanne. Terrance and Jon discuss Terrance's first few teaching jobs (one of which involved Terrance literally competing for his students’ attention while a carnival was going on outside); Terrance talks about his identity as (in his words) an “intellectual late bloomer” and how that led him to teaching and impacts his approach in the classroom; and he shares his thoughts on the importance of choosing good material that engages students, allows them to connect it to their lives, and activates their curiosity about the world around them. 

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This week, Jon speaks with Ronnie Vesnaver, a middle school history teacher and one of Jon's friends and colleagues at The Pennington School. Ronnie highlights how her academic struggles during her early days as a student and her academic growth have impacted the work she does in the classroom; she and Jon discuss the importance of teachers sustaining their own emotional health in order to effectively serve both themselves and their students; and Ronnie talks about her work with sustainability initiatives and how she approaches cultivating an awareness and understanding within her students of what it means to be a responsible and sustainable consumer and global citizen.

Host & Producer: Jon Lemay | Associate Producer: Emily Moler | Artwork: Katie Cooper | Music: "You Need a Visa" by Really From | 

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Jon speaks with Gautam Dasgupta, a theater professor at Skidmore College—and one of Jon's own former professors. Gautam shares some stories about his winding path through academia, he discusses his belief that genuine passion and love of life trumps academic achievement and success, and he talks about how his childhood growing up in India led to a passion for the arts and the humanities in spite of pressure to pursue a life in the sciences. 

(Production note: There were some technical difficulties while recording, so the first few minutes of Gautam’s audio sounds a little echoey, but it gets fixed and sounds normal around six minutes into the conversation!) 

Host & Producer: Jon Lemay | Associate Producer: Emily Moler | Artwork: Katie Cooper | Music: "You Need a Visa" by Really From | 

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Jon speaks with Andrew Nieporent, a New Jersey-based music therapist and singer-songwriter who works with Jammin’ Jenn Music Therapy for Children. Andrew and Jon discuss the work Andrew does using music to reach students with neurological differences (particularly autism); Andrew shares how he uses his own experiences as someone with neurological differences to understand how to best serve the folks he works with; and they talk about the importance of recognizing students’ potential and appropriately challenging them to be their best selves and live their fullest lives. Andrew also talks about his new album Lackawanna Waiting Room, which you can listen to on all streaming platforms!

Host & Producer: Jon Lemay | Associate Producer: Emily Moler | Artwork: Katie Cooper | Music: "You Need a Visa" by Really From | 

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Jon speaks with Jamie Moore, a middle school history teacher and hall parent at The Pennington School. Jon and Jamie discuss Jamie’s experience of working at his alma mater and his desire to impact his students in a way that is similar to the impact his teachers had on him. They also talk about Jamie's journey as a learner and the way he navigated his own learning differences throughout his time as a student--plus they discuss the roll and importance of creativity, excitement, and engagement in the classroom.

Host & Producer: Jon Lemay | Associate Producer: Emily Moler | Artwork: Katie Cooper | Music: "You Need a Visa" by Really From | 

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Jon speaks with Kristin Ozana Doyle, a high school social studies teacher at Pembroke Academy in New Hampshire--and Jon's former teacher from his days as a student at Raymond High School. Jon and Kristin discuss what it was like for Kristin to go back and teach at her alma mater, Kristin shares how she came to the decision not to discuss her political views in her classroom and what informed that decision, and they discuss the experience of watching students grow and go on to live their lives beyond high school. Plus, Kristin and Jon share some memories of their time together in Raymond High School, and she shares what Jon was like as a student and what it was like to teach him back in high school.

Host & Producer: Jon Lemay | Associate Producer: Emily Moler | Artwork: Katie Cooper | Music: "You Need a Visa" by Really From | 

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Jon speaks with Jessica Douglass, a Teaching & Learning Specialist at Tower Hill School. They discuss the reason why many folks in education are using the term learning difference instead of learning disability (and why that language choice is important), Jess talks about her journey as a learner and why she has mixed feelings toward her status and identity as a straight-A student in high school, and Jess talks about the importance of restructuring schools and systems for a diverse group of students as it pertains to learning styles and differences, as well as gender, race, and other aspects of identity.

Host & Producer: Jon Lemay | Associate Producer: Emily Moler | Artwork: Katie Cooper | Music: "You Need a Visa" by Really From | 

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Jon speaks with Len Leib, a math teacher and one of Jon's colleagues at The Pennington School. Jon and Len talk about Len's transition into education as a second career and what led him to the career change, they discuss the role that love plays in Len's classroom and in his approach as a teacher, and Len shares some of the ways he brings math to life and makes it engaging and accessible for his students. 

Host & Producer: Jon Lemay | Associate Producer: Emily Moler | Artwork: Katie Cooper | Music: "You Need a Visa" by Really From

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Check us out on Facebook! Email us with and feedback or guest recommendations at [email protected]!