Episodios

  • Quick Announcement

    Quick Announcement
    Jan 5 2026
    New episodes will resume next week. We can't wait to see you in 2026. Thanks! -The Teacher's Lounge
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    1 m
  • Why Teachers Are Hamsters on a Wheel | Music, Burnout & Race in Schools | Teacher’s Lounge | Ep. 55

    Why Teachers Are Hamsters on a Wheel | Music, Burnout & Race in Schools | Teacher’s Lounge | Ep. 55
    Dec 29 2025
    !!WARNING - Santa Ana winds got us early and knocked out the power - its a short sweet episode - but we will finish what we started, until then (drum roll) - Welcome back to The Teacher’s Lounge — still technically a podcast, still live, and still one snapped sword-swing away from being edited in post. In Episode 55, the lounge pulls up an extra chair as Kip (8th grade English teacher & musical mastermind) joins the crew for one of the most honest conversations we’ve had yet. We get into: * Why teaching can feel like running endlessly on a hamster wheel * The reality of loving students but knowing the job won’t love you back * Time, burnout, and why teachers aren’t financially built to “win” * Music, rhythm, and why kids remember songs better than math * Being more than a stereotype as a teacher * Race, segregation, redlining, and uncomfortable truths inside schools * Why schools avoid tough conversations until something explodes This episode is funny, uncomfortable, thoughtful, and exactly what happens when teachers talk **after the bell rings** — when the admin isn’t listening. Pull up a chair. This one matters. --- 00:00 – Intro & welcome back 00:01:50 – Is teaching burnout inevitable? 00:02:11 – Why Kim plans to leave teaching (eventually) 00:03:28 – Teaching hypocrisy & telling kids to dream big 00:05:13 – Is teaching actually bad for your body? 00:06:11 – Kim’s music industry past 00:07:05 – Learning through rhythm & beats 00:08:05 – Being more than a stereotype to students 00:09:02 – Race, segregation & LA schools 00:11:11 – Racism, accountability & classroom reality 00:13:35 – Admin “nose blindness” & microaggressions 00:15:36 – Assimilation myths & generational poverty 00:16:31 – Integration & uncomfortable truths 00:17:28 – Test scores, race & dangerous narratives --- #teachersloungepodcast #teacherpodcast #TeacherLife #EducationComedy #TeachingCulture #teacherburnout #SchoolStories #EducationPodcast #ClassroomReality #TeachingInAmerica #TeacherTalk #publiceducation #FacultyLounge --- If this episode made you laugh, pause, or quietly say “yeah… that’s real”: 👉 **Like** the video so more teachers find the lounge 👉 **Subscribe** for weekly conversations they don’t let us have on campus 👉 **Comment** — especially if this episode hit close to home 👉 **Share** with a teacher who’s questioning year 21 This space exists because teaching is hard — and pretending it isn’t helps no one. ---
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    18 m
  • Teachers Are Held Together by Coffee, Comfortable Shoes & Pure Survival | The Teacher’s Lounge Ep.54

    Teachers Are Held Together by Coffee, Comfortable Shoes & Pure Survival | The Teacher’s Lounge Ep.54
    Dec 22 2025
    If you’ve ever dragged yourself to class like a zombie, contemplated a vow of silence, or prayed “please don’t let me get sick before break,” this episode is for you. Welcome to the lounge — we’re at capacity, but spiritually, there’s room for you. --- ⏱️ Class Schedule 00:00 – Intro & welcome back 00:01 – Surviving the final stretch before Christmas break 00:02 – Directing kids in theater is controlled chaos 00:03 – “1,000 babies and 1,500 electrical outlets” 00:05 – Why the last two weeks feel painfully slow 00:06 – Calling parents like a telemarketer 00:07 – Teachers doing Verizon-level customer service 00:08 – Electives = children’s TV host energy 00:09 – Kids showing up late & classroom chaos 00:11 – Texting parents without losing your sanity 00:13 – Payday parents & lawsuit culture 00:16 – ChatGPT officially gets detention 00:18 – Gold Star: the most comfortable teacher shoes 00:22 – Air Max 90s vs dress shoes vs Chuck Taylors 00:27 – Shoes that literally hurt your back 00:30 – Gifts from students (and subtle bribes) 00:34 – Candy cane corruption & political analogies 00:38 – The most impressive teacher gift ever 00:40 – Viral teacher talk & fear of getting sick 00:44 – Holiday break plans: doing absolutely nothing 00:47 – Holiday send-off & teacher solidarity --- 📢 If this episode made you laugh, nod aggressively, or whisper *“yep, that’s accurate”* — do us a favor: 👉 **Like** the video (it tells the algorithm we’re not alone) 👉 **Subscribe** so you don’t miss future lounge sessions 👉 **Comment** with your worst pre-break story or shoe recommendations 👉 **Share** with a teacher who’s one cough away from snapping This show exists for teachers, parents, and anyone who’s ever survived a school hallway in December. - #teacherpodcast #teacher #stories #humor #education #comedy,
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    48 m
  • Navigating Burnout In the Seasons of Life with Dr. O-Ep. 53

    Navigating Burnout In the Seasons of Life with Dr. O-Ep. 53
    Dec 15 2025
    Welcome back to The Teachers Lounge — the podcast where burnt-out educators, comedians, and deep thinkers sit down to ask the *big questions*… and occasionally roast the education system while doing it. It's our 53 episode and if you've made it this far we have a very special guest -- we’re joined by the one and only Dr. O — minister, theologian, former professor, editor-in-chief, and all-around spiritual heavyweight — for a wide-ranging conversation that starts with teacher burnout and somehow (naturally) ends up in African mystical Christianity, initiation rituals, divine consciousness, and why religion keeps getting it wrong. Today we chat about: * Why teaching burns people out * How academia eats its own * Why being human might be the whole point * And why the education system gaslights teachers harder than admin PD buzzwords Plus: stories from Nigeria, Chicago, Claremont, Venice, and the kind of wisdom you only get after **56 years of teaching humans**. If you’ve ever felt exhausted, disillusioned, or like the system is broken — this one’s for you. --- The syllabus to today's episode: 00:00 – Intro & welcome back 01:06 – Introducing Dr. O 01:26 – Teaching as a lifelong calling 01:51 – Ministry, churches, and spiritual mentorship 04:53 – Becoming a college professor 05:56 – Academia burnout & entitled students 07:38 – Being underestimated in higher education 09:13 – Teachers as counselors, therapists, and emotional dumpsters 10:23 – Why calling matters (and why burnout happens) 11:15 – The four types of people in ministry 12:32 – Education jargon & gaslighting teachers 13:38 – Being watched, judged, and misunderstood 14:00 – Why religion focuses on “don’ts” instead of healing 15:08 – Thick skin, public roles, and codependency 16:02 – Leaving academia with no backup plan 17:38 – Professors eating each other alive 18:16 – Resigning with tenure on the table 18:55 – The elevator moment that changed everything 19:44 – From professor to publishing executive 20:10 – Teaching millions without a classroom 21:09 – Why modern religion turns people off 24:36 – Why the Protestant Bible is shorter 30:48 – Caste systems, racism, and history 32:24 – Meditation, levitation & early Christians 36:02 – Personal experience vs religious coercion 41:37 – Divinity and humanity 45:33 – “God became human” explained 46:42 – Humanity struggling to like itself 50:32 – Speaking with intention 52:09 – Believing in humanity 56:01 – Alignment with who you are 01:00:13 – “It’s not them, it’s me” (teachers, listen) 01:06:01 – The question every religion must answer 01:08:29 – Human choices & cosmic consequences --- #teachersloungepodcast #teacherpodcast #burntoutteachers #educationhumor #teacherlife #podcastclips #deepconversations #faithandculture #africanhistory #christianity #unfiltered #spiritualitypodcast #burnout #religionandculture #parents #comedians --- If this episode hit home, like the video, drop a comment, and subscribe so you don’t miss future conversations that start in a classroom and end somewhere spiritually unhinged. Share this with: * A teacher who’s exhausted * A friend who hates religion but loves questions * Or someone who still thinks PD acronyms solve everything 🌐 Website: www.aactev8.com 📸 Instagram: @activateinternational
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    1 h y 28 m
  • Returning From Break Is a Trap | Teachers Lounge Podcast | Ep 52

    Returning From Break Is a Trap | Teachers Lounge Podcast | Ep 52
    Dec 8 2025
    Welcome back to The Teachers Lounge Live — the only podcast where exhausted teachers and comedians try to survive the week without rage-quitting, rage-eating, or rage-baiting middle schoolers. Matt and Chris break down the emotional rollercoaster of returning from Thanksgiving break, why teachers age like bananas, why sleep hits different after 30, and why Los Angeles is scientifically proven to remove 12 years from your life. They also talk about: • Middle school chaos • Admin who *actually* deserve a gold star • Why every teacher secretly doubles as a security guard, therapist, busboy, hostage negotiator, and sometimes… Shakespeare director • Whether teachers should date other teachers (the answer is unhinged but honest) • Their most viral Teacher Talks of the week • Why kids think glue is a beverage • Why 16 boys in every class want to reenact historical assassinations Make sure to drop your questions in the comments so we can read them *on-air* next episode — **as long as they’re school appropriate** (we say that phrase 900 times a day, so don’t make us say it again). --- You can skip chapters - but don't skip class: 00:00 – Intro & welcome back 00:08 – “We are LIVE!” + teacher intros 00:29 – Why being a teacher matters (…apparently) 00:49 – Teachers = stressed, viewers = stressed, everyone = stressed 01:11 – “This podcast is AA for teachers” 02:11 – Post-Thanksgiving chill… kind of 02:33 – The luxury of teaching 10–12 kids at once 02:52 – Shoutout to missing co-host Zo (tech week chaos) 03:13 – Fashion roast: Zo is always best dressed 03:30 – Matt’s squeaky retirement sneakers from Shoe Carnival 04:05 – Teacher mood cycle: Mon = good → Thu = furious → Fri = in love 04:44 – Why teachers need Olympian-level sleep 05:24 – “One McChicken can ruin your whole week after 30” 05:51 – Chris admits his ACTUAL age (47) 06:13 – Detention of the week: Our middle-school selves 07:12 – Why middle-school boys reenact every assassination 07:31 – Matt deserved detention for being “annoying, not mean” 08:15 – Small-town fame & childhood chaos 08:38 – Did young Matt do well academically? (…kinda) 09:31 – When high school flips a switch and you discover reading 10:29 – “Every book is a self-help book if you read it right” 12:08 – Russian literature teaches psychological self-defense 13:10 – Viewers join in — live chat shoutouts! 14:02 – Chris: “I was voted Most Talkative” 15:20 – Gold Star of the week: *Good admin* (yes they exist) 16:22 – Why admin gets blamed for everything 17:13 – Worst subbing experience of Matt’s life 18:12 – Best subbing experience: admin who actually helped 19:19 – What good admin *actually* looks like 20:14 – Checking in with the live chat 20:34 – Viewer Q: “Have you always been this stressed?” 22:08 – Why living in Los Angeles shaves years off your life 23:38 – How does anyone live to 100 in L.A.? 24:18 – Chris on managing stress like a Stoic philosopher 25:15 – Matt’s reality: “I’m a security guard trying to teach Shakespeare” 26:33 – Why drama class = pure chaos 27:17 – Rage-baiting: The new middle-school sport 27:57 – The Great Gum Debate 29:00 – Why adults who’ve never taught don’t get it 30:25 – Next viewer question: “Would you date another teacher?” 31:09 – Matt on proposing + dating comics 31:56 – Chris’s rule: “Not if they work at my school” 33:08 – Why breakups + same workplace = chaos 34:03 – Dating teachers at UTLA meetings (Chris’s new plan) 34:28 – Why teacher-teacher relationships *can* actually work 35:11 – Why dating in the same creative field is complicated 35:53 – Teaching couples vs comedy couples 36:12 – Dating someone outside the teacher bubble 38:26 – Highlighting this week’s top Teacher Talks 39:05 – Why Zo’s teacher talks are taking off 40:12 – Sketch comedy & stand-up clips coming soon 41:15 – Remember: they *are* actually funny 42:04 – The balance between honesty & humor 42:29 – Favorite Teacher Talks of the week 43:23 – Matt’s rant on educational jargon 44:05 – Chris’s “How many days till winter break?” talk 44:22 – Can you get work done the last week before break? 45:25 – Final sign-off & reminders --- #teacherpodcast #teacherhumor #comedians #middleschoolteachers #teacherlife #educationcomedy #teachertalks #classroomchaos #teachersupport #livepodcast #comedypodcast #teachertok #educatorlife --- If this episode made you laugh, cry, or briefly consider a career at Shoe Carnival, smash that LIKE button, drop your wildest classroom moment in the COMMENTS, and hit SUBSCRIBE so you never miss a meltdown. Share this with a stressed-out teacher friend — it might save a life. Or at least their sanity. ---
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    46 m
  • Teacher Confessions: Friendship Breakups, Book Fair Crimes & Identity Crises | Ep. 51

    Teacher Confessions: Friendship Breakups, Book Fair Crimes & Identity Crises | Ep. 51
    Dec 1 2025
    Welcome back to The Teacher’s Lounge, the only show where classroom chaos meets unhinged comedy, and somehow we all leave feeling better about our lives. In Episode 51, the crew dives into: • Zoe’s “kid with 35-year-old energy” • Chris’s ongoing identity crisis between “Christopher” and “Chris” • Matt’s self-esteem getting destroyed by middle schoolers • Sneaky Book Fair bandits • What teachers REALLY fight about • And the question: **Why are students eating school lunch like Olympic speed-eaters?** Plus — the group breaks down the psychology of *friendship breakups*, why the talent-show era is the peak teacher-life arc, and how much teachers lie when they’re 3 hours deep into rehearsals. If you’re new: welcome to the chaos. If you’re returning: welcome home. --- 00:00 – Intro & welcome back 02:06 – Matt gets roasted by students 04:16 – Kids who look grown but act 7 04:57 – “He’s built like a Marvel character but cries like a toddler” 05:44 – The danger of being TOO honest as a teacher 06:05 – Teacher guilt when you correct the wrong kid 08:36 – The Book Fair crime ring begins 11:38 – Why teacher directions always sound like threats 12:14 – Talent show ERAS — “This is my peak!” 16:09 – Why teachers lie during rehearsals 17:00 – Kids sprinting through lunch like they’re in a contest 18:05 – Gold Star!!! 18:47 – Kids dumping best friends over pencils 19:28 – Adult friendship breakups are REAL 20:16 – Zoe’s “What’s the lesson?” moment 21:37 – Listener Q&A: “Should I move schools?” 22:44 – Teacher burnout mental math 23:28 – The wisdom: if your community sucks, LEAVE 25:27 – Trauma bonding in the teacher’s lounge 26:18 – When coworkers trauma-dump at 7 a.m. 27:11 – School lockdown drill story 29:55 – Outro and thank you --- #teachersloungepodcast #teachercomedy #teacherlife #teacherproblems #MiddleSchoolTeachers #BookFair #ClassroomStories #Teaching2025 #teacherhumor #SchoolLife #EducatorStruggles #comedypodcast #FriendshipBreakups #TalentShowDrama #EastCoastHumor #teacherburnout #classroomchaos #teachersoftiktok #teachersupport #podcastclips --- If this episode made you laugh, cry, or look at a child and think “you’re 35,” then do us a favor: 👉 **LIKE the video** 👉 **SUBSCRIBE to the channel** 👉 **DROP a comment** with the funniest thing a student has ever said to you 👉 **SHARE this episode** with a teacher who deserves a break Teachers deserve joy — thanks for letting us be part of yours. ---
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    49 m
  • Teaching in 2025: The Kids, The Chaos & The Salmon in the Dark | Teachers Lounge Podcast - Ep 50

    Teaching in 2025: The Kids, The Chaos & The Salmon in the Dark | Teachers Lounge Podcast - Ep 50
    Nov 24 2025
    Welcome back to The Teachers Lounge Podcast, where the teachers are tired, the stories are real, and the tote bags are getting bigger by the week. This episode is pure chaos in the best way: the crew talks teacher fashion evolutions (from Dockers to Crocs), the *old-man children* known as “Gordons,” parents who take kids on vacation mid-semester, and why eating salmon straight from the can might be a cry for help…or just a normal Tuesday. Catch us live each week! We also dive into teacher cliques, test retakes, why perseverance beats talent every single time, and Chris’s wild story about playing against **Kobe Bryant** in the state championship. Yes. *Kobe Bryant.* Plus: the group debates the eternal question — *do schools need more funding, or more accountability?* If you’re new here, hit **LIKE**, **SUBSCRIBE**, and join the fastest-growing teacher comedy community online. We’re here to vent, laugh, and remind you you’re not crazy — the kids really ARE like this. --- You can skip chapters, but not classes: 00:00 – Intro & welcome back 00:55 – The Matt vs. Matthew identity crisis 02:01 – Signs a teacher has fully given up 03:49 – The tote bag conversation—your final teacher form 05:18 – Kids will commit crimes for Jolly Ranchers 06:33 – Eating salmon in the dark = teacher burnout peak 09:28 – Do teachers hang out before breaks? 12:27 – Enter the Mr. Jones Era 14:12 – Detention pick 16:45 – Gold star 18:09 – Gordon: the introverted lighthouse keeper 19:36 – Mildreds vs. Gordons 23:25 – Classroom archetypes explained 29:09 – Teaching lowering IQ — the brain drain segment 30:27 – Do test retakes raise scores? 31:24 – Perseverance over intelligence 34:32 – Playing against Kobe Bryant 38:25 – Great coaches vs. the Bobby Knight types 41:28 – The magic (and chaos) of 7th grade 49:17 – Funding vs. accountability discussion 52:16 – Sketch videos on the way 53:10 – The mission of the show 54:09 – Standup shows coming soon 54:27 – Outro and thank you --- #teachercomedy #teacherlife #educator r #middleschoollife #jollyranchers #teachertok #classroomstories #comedian #teachers #teacherstruggles #podcastclips #teacherburnout #schoolfunding #podcast #classroombehavior #educationtalks --- If this episode made you laugh, shout “GORDON!” in the comments so we know you’re one of us. 👉 Hit **LIKE**, **SUBSCRIBE**, and **SHARE** this with a teacher who needs a laugh. 👉 Drop your wildest classroom story below — we might feature it in the next episode. We genuinely appreciate you. Teachers deserve joy, and we’re here to deliver it. ---
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    55 m
  • Middle School Mayhem, Bad Dads & ’90s Nostalgia | The Teacher’s Lounge Podcast Ep. 49

    Middle School Mayhem, Bad Dads & ’90s Nostalgia | The Teacher’s Lounge Podcast Ep. 49
    Nov 18 2025

    Welcome back to *The Teacher’s Lounge*, where three exhausted educators try to stay alive, stay sane, and laugh through the chaos that is middle school. Today’s episode dives into **asthma laughs, mucus Kleenex boss battles, bad dads, textbook company scammers, grading in 2025, big feelings, hood-side impersonators, ’90s nostalgia, father figures, and why kindergarteners ask 74 questions before lunch.** If you’ve ever: • been attacked by a rogue tissue, • argued with a 12-year-old Terminator, • wondered why textbook companies are basically cartoon villains, • taught drama to kids who refuse to pretend they’re shipwrecked, • or needed a hazmat suit during flu season… Then congrats — this episode is your emotional support animal. --- HIGHLIGHTABLE MOMENTS 00:00 – Intro & welcome back 00:29 – Middle schoolers as T-800 Terminators 01:09 – PTSD origins: kids with Takis dust 01:28 – Introductions (Chris, Matt, Joe) 02:10 – Sugar-raged after-school chaos 03:02 – Looking like a 30-year-old 5th grader 03:23 – Yu-Gi-Oh trades, Pokémon strategies & Lunchables addiction 03:45 – Kleenex of Doom sends Chris to hospice 04:39 – Teacher survival tip: never touch your face 04:59 – “Covid came from a middle school” theory 05:18 – Who’s going to detention? 15:35 – Gold Stars! 21:01 – Blockbuster nostalgia, Napster crimes & R&B classics 22:53 – GQ & hood R&B moments 23:12 – Thanking the listeners + mission of the show 23:40 – Pros & cons of grading in 2025 24:01 – Schools inflating grades vs. state test reality 25:35 – “The Conveyor Belt Education System” 26:24 – Drama class: pretend you’re stuck on an island! 27:36 – Audience question from Sally 28:20 – The GOOD side of modern grading: retakes 29:27 – The Rudy Effect 30:22 – Teaching perseverance vs. rescuing kids 30:39 – “Big feelings” in school—what’s real & what’s not 31:38 – Teachers’ health bar = Mortal Kombat 32:40 – Modeling emotional regulation 34:05 – Elementary big feelings vs. middle school big feelings 35:29 – Kindergarten questions & turtle favorite colors 36:23 – Full-circle question from AlphaJenny 37:10 – Teaching kids to think, not just memorize 38:16 – How was your week? (Part 1) 38:40 – Smaller class sizes = paradise 39:49 – Watching every pencil move 40:51 – Show rehearsals, book tour, long-distance drives 41:34 – Back in the gym arc begins 41:52 – What’s next: sketches coming soon 42:30 – Why The Teacher’s Lounge exists 43:15 – Closing thanks & much love --- #teachers #teachersloungepodcast #teacherhumor #teachertok #schoolstories #comedypodcast #middleteachers #educationreform #grading2025 #parentinghumor #classroomlife #podcasts2025 #90skids #teacherstruggles #teachersoftiktok #funnyteachersign #education #schoolcomedy #teachertalk #standupteachers --- HELP US OUT! If this episode made you laugh, gasp, or reconsider ever touching a classroom Kleenex again — **smash that Like button**, drop a comment about *your* wildest school story, and hit **Subscribe** so you don’t miss the sketches coming soon. Share this with a teacher who needs a laugh, a parent who needs a break, or a textbook company executive who needs to repent.
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    43 m
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