What If Better Teaching Started With Favorites

ChangED

ChangED
What If Better Teaching Started With Favorites
Jun 15, 2026 Season 3 Episode 21
Andrew Kuhn, Tony Mirabito & Patrice Semicek

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A sports podcast tradition turned into a surprisingly powerful education move: we’re drafting Mount Rushmores. Four favorites, no ranking, no stress and a whole lot of personality. We start light with snacks, because nothing reveals your inner child faster talking about your snacks.  The laughs are real, but so is the underlying skill: getting people to talk, listen, and connect without the pressure of being “right.”

From there we level up to games and you can hear how the same simple prompt opens the door to strategy, collaboration, and friendly competition. We swap favorites and then we translate it to practice: why “favorites” prompts work as classroom icebreakers, advisory activities, indoor recess planning, and SEL routines that help students find common ground fast.

We also take time to reflect on season three, what we’re proud of, and what we’re protecting next: our mental health and sustainability. Finally, we talk about what could make season four even better, including more fan interaction, a bigger online presence, and experimenting with video, live formats, and even esports shoutcasting energy.

Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next, share this with an educator who needs a low-lift community builder, and leave a review if the show helps you. What’s on your Mount Rushmore right now?

Want to send us a show idea or just say hi?  Email us at: thechangedpodcast@gmail.com! 

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