Page-Turners, PD, and the Teacher TBR Pile

This week, the catch-up is equal parts cozy and chaotic. Katie recaps a birthday week full of office decorations, nonstop “people-ing,” and filming in classrooms where the flu and strep have officially been rebranded as the “pioneer plague.” She also meets a first grade teacher who gives full-on Miss Honey vibes. Meanwhile, Allyson updates everyone on life after reshuffling reading and math groups with no official curriculum—just bins, data, AI experiments, and a whole lot of flying-by-the-seat-of-her-pants teaching victories.

Then the crew dives into all things reading: the thrillers that keep them hooked (hello, Freida McFadden and brain-bending twists), the emotional gut-punch of Colleen Hoover, Holocaust and historical fiction that linger long after the last page, memoirs that move them, and the very real appeal of “smut” and escape reads after a long school day. They also get honest about professional development books—like The Growth Mindset Coach, Grit, Teach Like a Pirate, The Writing Revolution, and The Complete EdTech Coach—what actually inspires them, what feels like “one more thing,” and how much teaching has changed since they left college.

If your bookshelf is a confusing mix of murder, memoir, education, and romance, this episode is your reminder that reading can be both an escape and a tool—and that your TBR list is absolutely a form of self-care.