In this episode of PodcastPD, hosts Chris Nesi and AJ Bianco take a deep dive into the wild world of Reddit’s teacher community — reacting to real posts from educators about burnout, parent conferences, grading policies, and the reality of work-life balance in education.

From heartfelt burnout confessions to debates about deducting points for missing names, Chris and AJ bring their signature mix of humor, honesty, and professional insight to each post. They also tackle questions about AI tools for teachers, new educator struggles, and what happens when “a rich guy wants to be a teacher.” Whether you’re a veteran educator, a new teacher, or just curious about what really happens in schools, this conversation is equal parts entertaining and enlightening.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Teacher burnout and finding balance in year four
• The role of AI in easing educator workload
• Effective communication during parent-teacher conferences
• Accountability vs. empathy in grading (the “no-name paper” debate)
• A millionaire’s dream: Should rich professionals become teachers?
• Tips for surviving the first year of teaching
• Using time management and boundaries to avoid burnout
• Community comments from live listeners and former students

Mentioned in Episode:

• Get PD certificates for listening
• Milestone Events

“From now on, you are my Elite Performance Coach. Your role is to help me optimize my daily habits, time management, and productivity like a top-performing leader in education. Ask clarifying questions to understand my goals, responsibilities, and schedule. Then, create realistic daily and weekly plans that prioritize focus, balance, and recovery. Hold me accountable with specific check-ins, and suggest tools or methods (like time blocking, reflection, or task batching) that align with my personality and workload. Keep your feedback direct, encouraging, and practical.”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of PodcastPD, Chris Nesi and AJ Bianco welcome Christina Hidek, veteran PTO leader and founder of PTO Answers, to discuss the power of effective parent-school collaboration. With over 15 years of experience building strong PTOs and supporting educators, Christina shares practical strategies for bridging communication gaps, strengthening trust, and creating meaningful partnerships between parents, teachers, and administrators.

From defining the difference between PTO and PTA to addressing challenges in high school parent engagement, this episode explores how school leaders can move beyond bake sales and truly leverage parent involvement to improve culture, communication, and community. Christina also offers actionable steps for principals and teachers to start, rebuild, or revitalize their own parent organizations.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Understanding the difference between PTA and PTO organizations
• Why strong parent partnerships are vital for student success
• How administrators can build and sustain relationships with PTOs
• Common pitfalls in school-parent communication—and how to avoid them
• Strategies for creating a healthy PTO culture and setting boundaries
• The evolution of parent involvement from elementary to high school
• How educators can foster inclusivity, transparency, and collaboration

Resources Mentioned:

• PTOAnswers.com
• The Principal’s Parent Group Playbook by Christina Hidek

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this milestone episode of PodcastPD (Episode 150!), Chris and AJ welcome longtime friend and educator, Kathy Kersznowski, author of The Educator's Guidebook for Teaching AI Literacy and Ethics. Kathy shares why AI literacy is the new literacy and how educators can navigate AI responsibly and confidently. She dives into the motivation behind her book, the importance of ethics, and why scenarios and discussions—not fear—are key to helping students use AI well.

Listeners will learn practical ways to introduce AI concepts in any classroom, discover strategies for modeling ethical AI use, and explore why transparency and discussion matter more than ever. Plus, Kathy reveals her favorite AI tools, tips for overwhelmed teachers, and the behind-the-scenes story of her book cover design.

• The inspiration behind Kathy’s book and why educators need AI literacy now.
• What AI literacy means and why it’s as critical as digital literacy.
• Scenarios and discussion prompts: engaging students in real-world AI dilemmas.
• How teachers can model ethical AI use in the classroom.
• Overcoming misconceptions and fears about AI.
• Graphic organizers and resources included in the book.
• Why transparency and modeling AI use is a game-changer for educators.
• Kathy’s personal favorite AI tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and more.
• The story behind the symbolic book cover design.

• Me Here, You There – Steve Somers’ legendary monologues and New York sports talk.
• The Mindset Advantage – JW Hillier on leadership, resilience, and personal growth.
• Teacher Nerdz Podcast – Educational conversations on maker spaces, STEM, global education, and more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.