God, I hate AI. And I love this interview. Jesse Dukes, producer of the magnificent podcast on AI in schools called The Homework Machine, discusses the findings his podcast team lays out about the complicated ins and outs of a “drunk guy” (as I put it) who has “crashed the party” (as Jesse and The Homework Machine puts it). Jesse (not the drunk guy) is so articulate and so sensitive to the information his team’s research gathered and reported that listening to him talk is just plain enjoyable! Whether you care about AI in schools or not!

But you should care.

This is a super important and complicated issue. Please listen. It’s food for thought we really need to digest.

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

We discuss

* multiple “disruptions” in schools (not just AI)

* how teachers are responding (and could be) to AI

* the shocking reality of how districts are responding to AI

* how students are responding to AI (you might be surprised) — and why

For our non-teacher teachers: Hear Jesse’s wisdom: If you want to feel hopeful, talk to a teenager. Right on!!

External links

Rand report: “AI Use in Schools Is Quickly Increasing but Guidance Lags Behind”

Stanford article: “Cheating: The AI Elephant in the Classroom”

Teaching Systems Lab, MIT

Teach Lab podcast

The Homework Machine

Credits

Founder and Host: Betsy Burris

Co-Host: Joe Johnson

Producer: Jullian Androkae of PodVision

Audience Development: Andreea Coscai of PodVision

Music: Tom Burris/Jabbering Trout

It’s a good thing when parents are involved in their children’s educations. When parents establish routines for getting homework done. When parents attend Back-to-School nights, parent-teacher conferences, and student performances. When parents contact teachers with concerns or questions about their children’s experiences at school.

But it’s a bad thing when teachers go all nuclear on their children’s teachers.

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

In this episode, Joe and I chew on a teachers’ story of a parent who decided the right thing to do one night, right around dinner time, was to send an angry, accusatory email to their child’s teacher. Sound familiar? I fear it does to too many of you. In which case, this episode is for you!

We discuss

* what a ghost moose is

* possible explanations for reprehensible Mama Bear behavior

* why passionate (read “pissed-off”) parents are a gift

* how to engage with people you want to hate

This episode is helpful for parents, too, whether you have a child in school (and might be tempted to go ballistic on a teacher someday) or don’t (and might be tempted to go ballistic on someone else someday). Or if someone has gone ballistic on you! There’s good stuff for everyone in this episode.

I would love to hear about a time when you had to deal with an irate person who was spewing on you. Leave a comment! Leave a voice memo on the TTE hotline! 413.239.4158. Be in touch!

Thanks so much for listening.

Happy holidays, everyone!

Credits

Founder and Host: Betsy Burris

Co-Host: Joe Johnson

Producer: Jullian Androkae of PodVision

Audience Development: Andreea Coscai of PodVision

Music: Tom Burris/Jabbering Trout

From Teacher of the Year to burnout and depression to “the best year of school that I’ve ever done.” In this conversation, you’ll hear the story of physics and math teacher Stephanie Watroba’s dramatic journey through burnout — what it was like, why it happened, and how she got through it.

It’s an informative and intense conversation.

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

We talk about

* the ebb and flow of daily burnout

* a possible meaning of negative talk in the teachers’ lounge

* the role of the internal critic in burnout

* warning signs of burnout

* how to “make friends” with burnout

It’s not just teachers who experience burnout, of course. This episode is for everyone who gets depleted and cannot care for themselves when they’re not meeting their own and others’ high expectations. Stephanie’s experience and insights are universally valuable.

* Ms. Stephanie Watroba started working at Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter Public School in 2013 as a physics teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics with a minor in Mathematics from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and is a proud member of Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics honors society. She has held the titles of math team leader, science team leader, and teacher of the year in her prior years at BART. She currently teaches physics, calculus, and pre-calculus. In her spare time, she enjoys video games, dungeons and dragons, horseback riding, and ballet. *

Credits

Founder and Host: Betsy Burris

Co-Host: Joe Johnson

Producer: Jullian Androkae of PodVision

Audience Development: Andreea Coscai of PodVision

Music: Tom Burris/Jabbering Trout

Teaching through Emotions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.