This week, Jon speaks with Brian and Mariel Calnan. Brian recently became an Instructional Technology Specialist after spending several years as a math teacher, and Mariel recently became a 5th grade teacher after spending several years as a middle school special education teacher. They're also married to one another! Jon, Brian, and Mariel talk about what it’s been like for Brian and Mariel as a family of educators and how becoming parents has affected their teaching, they discuss their experiences of recently transitioning to new roles in their respective schools, and Brian and Mariel share the story of how they met and started dating.

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 Peter Chase, a German teacher and residential faculty member at The Pennington School. Peter and Jon discuss the role that humor plays in Peter's teaching and the roots of that in Peter’s own experiences and behavior as a student. They also talk about the misconceptions Peter encounters as it pertains to being a foreign language teacher and how he approaches teaching German in a way that's both accessible and applicable to his students. Peter also reflects on his experience as a residential faculty member and recalls the moment when he realized that living on campus was truly an essential aspect of both his and his family’s life.

Read about "Welcome to the Teachers' Lounge" on The A.V. Club!

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 with Josh Campbell, a middle school history teacher at a Montessori school in Memphis, TN, a storyteller and podcast host, and the Creative Director for Spillit, a live storytelling event based in Memphis. Jon and Josh discuss the role that storytelling plays in Josh’s life and in his approach in the classroom, Josh explains the Montessori philosophy of education and why he believes it’s so effective and important, and Josh talks about how he became a more effective student and learner in college and beyond—and he reflects on why he didn’t feel as much of a sense of ownership over his education back when he was in high school.

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

Listen to "The Dad and I Podcast"

Listen to "The Pink Tower"

Listen to "Spillit"

Check out "The Koppelkast"

Jon speaks with Randy LaCasse, a music, band, and chorus teacher at Raymond High School in Raymond, New Hampshire--and one of Jon's former (and favorite) high school teachers. Jon and Randy talk about Randy's belief in treating his students like they’re his family, Randy's experiences as a student and how he learned to accept and implement criticism, and how he’s tackled the challenges of developing and building a Music program throughout his time as an educator. Randy also shares some of his memories of having Jon as a student and talks a bit about what Jon was like 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 Christine Garrison, a high school art teacher at a public high school in Oregon. Jon and Christine discuss her passion for teaching public school--and why she returned to public school teaching after spending some time in independent schools. They also talk about Christine's frustrations with the opportunity gap that she witnesses as it pertains to many of her students’ ability to pursue post-secondary education. Christine also shares how difficult it can be to truly adopt a growth mindset as a teacher while accepting the possibility of failing in front of students.

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

Check out Christine's art website!

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Jon speaks with Courtney Jackson, a Humanities teacher, soccer and basketball coach, and residential faculty member at The Loomis Chaffee School. Jon and Courtney unpack Courtney’s decision to take a break from teaching and attend back-to-back grad school programs, they discuss Courtney’s belief in the importance of saying “No” every now and then in order to ensure that teachers aren't spreading themselves too thin, and Courtney shares some thoughts on how educators can best equip themselves to empower and attend to the needs of LGBTQ+ students.

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

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Jon’s guest this week is John “JB” Bouton, an English teacher at Proctor Academy—and Jon’s former colleague, mentor, and department chair at The Pennington School. John and JB discuss JB’s rich and dynamic journey through his adolescence and through his career as an educator, as well as JB’s belief in the inherent complexity of his student’s lives and how he tries to be mindful of that as he interacts with them in the classroom. Jon and JB also unpack the idea that educators should bring who they are to the classroom and allow that to inform their teaching.

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

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Jon's conversation this week is with Russell Weatherspoon, a religion teacher at Phillips Exeter Academy. Jon and Russell discuss Russell's path to education (which features a lengthy pitstop as a firefighter), as well as Russel's continued passion for firefighting as a form of service (in ways both different from and similar to education). They also talk about Russell's belief that education is partly as conveying and passing on a sense of awe at the mystery of life, and Russell shares how he makes his students feel heard and seen by attempting to experience life as they know and experience it.

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

Check out "Ode to Your Plants," a poem by Jon recently published on apt: http://apt.aforementionedproductions.com/2018/07/ode-to-your-plants-by-jon-lemay/

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This week, Jon speaks with John Barton, an architecture professor and Resident Fellow at Stanford University, director of Stanford’s Architectural Design Program, and an architect in private practice. John discusses how he challenges the power imbalances that can exist between students and instructors in the classroom, as well as how he’s reimagined the way Architecture classes are structured in order to make them more student-centered. John also shares why he believes each classroom should be a place of joy and collaboration, and how he tries to ensure that his students are remaining healthy and happy while learning.

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

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This week, Jon speaks with Debbie Fermo, one of Jon’s colleagues in the English department at The Pennington School, a former professor at the United States Naval Academy, and a former commander in the Navy. Debbie and Jon discuss the preconceptions Debbie encounters from both students and colleagues regarding her military background, as well as the importance of fostering relationships with students and having difficult conversations around the topics of kindness and equity.

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

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