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Playing Teacher
🎙️ What is a teacher, really?
And what’s it actually like inside a New York City school?
Welcome to Playing Teacher, where veteran educators Matt and Rob—with over 40 years of combined experience teaching in NYC—pull back the curtain on the myths, realities, and moments that make education unforgettable (for better or worse). From the mysterious teacher’s lounge to the myth of “summer off,” they explore what really happens when the classroom door closes.
This isn’t a shiny brochure version of school. It’s the real deal:
🧠Learning vs. schooling.
❤️ What kids actually carry with them.
🔥 How teachers and counselors survive systems built to burn them out.
And when we’re lucky enough to have her, we’re joined by Beanie—school counselor, educator, and recurring co-host—who brings powerful insight, grounded compassion, and the kind of perspective only someone who's worked both inside and around the classroom can offer.
đź‘Ą Guests range from teachers, students, and administrators to learning scientists, former kids (yes, really), and other unexpected voices from the world of education.
Whether you're in the classroom, supporting from the sidelines, or just trying to make sense of how we learn and why it matters—this is your hallway pass to the inside.
Playing Teacher
Latest Episodes
Epsiode 26: From the Classroom to the Central Office: A Conversation with Dr. Neill Alleva
In this episode, the Playing Teacher team sits down with Dr. Neil for a wide-ranging conversation about education, leadership, and the relationships that shape a career in schools. The discussion moves from the early days of teaching and school...
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Episode 25: Stats, Laughs, and Staff Bathroom Scandals
In this milestone 25th episode of Playin’ Teacher, the crew looks back at the podcast’s growth, biggest episodes, and where listeners are tuning in from around the world. What starts as a stats check quickly turns into something bigger...
Episode 24: Desk Jockeys: The Hidden Politics of Classroom Furniture
In Episode 24 of Season 1, the Playing Teacher team explores the surprisingly loaded topic of desks in schools. From bizarre desk drawer discoveries to classroom desk placement strategies, the conversation moves from humorous teacher stories to...
Episode 23: AI in the Classroom: Tool, Threat, or Teacher?
Episode 23 of Playing Teacher tackles one of the biggest questions in education today: What happens when classrooms become dominated by screens, software, and artificial intelligence?Robert, Matthew, and Brugge discuss the post-...
Episode 22: The Aging Educator: Sweet Spots, Second Winds, and the Retirement Countdown
What actually happens in a teacher’s final years in the classroom?In this episode, Matt, Robert, and Jeannine dig into the lived reality of the aging educator—not as a comparison to younger teachers, but as its own unique...
