What Teachers Have to Say
What Teachers Have to Say is a podcast about teaching, AI in education, instructional practice, and teacher identity. Hosted by Jacob Carr and Nathan Collins, it centers real classroom experience, system pressures, and how AI is reshaping learning.
No performative edu‑influencer culture. No toxic positivity. Just honest conversations about what’s actually happening in schools.
What This Podcast Covers
- AI in education and classroom use
- Teaching strategies and instructional design (EduProtocols)
- Teacher burnout and system design
- Student skill development and transfer
- EdTech tools and practical workflows
Who This Podcast Is For
- K–12 teachers
- Instructional coaches and leaders
- Pre‑service teachers
- Educators exploring AI and EdTech
- Anyone tired of surface‑level PD
Who We Are
Jacob (Jake) Carr
EdTech Coach for a County Office of Education, author, and speaker on AI in education. 15+ years across K–12 (grades 1–12) in diverse settings. Brings a philosophical lens, connects classroom practice to systems, and pushes conversations deeper before landing on something usable.
Nathan Collins
High school English teacher, dual‑enrollment instructor, and Personalized Learning Teacher in a rural hybrid model. Grounds the show in current classroom reality, student data, and practical constraints. A measured counterbalance to big ideas.
What We Explore
AI in Education — A structural shift, not a novelty. Learning, assessment, and independence in an AI‑rich world.
Burnout as a System Problem — Not a personal failure. We name the incentives that reward unsustainable work.
Instructional Routines That Work — Repeatable structures that lower planning load and raise thinking, repetition, and collaboration.
Skills That Transfer — Thinking, communication, adaptability. Not just content.
The Format
Long‑Form — Monthly flagship episodes with deep dives, interviews, and debates.
Short‑Form — Field notes, solo reflections, headlines, and listener voicemails between major episodes.
Your Voice Matters
Leave a SpeakPipe voicemail with a question, win, or rant. We feature listener voices in episodes.
Beyond the Podcast
The companion newsletter goes deeper: AI in education, teaching strategies, and teacher identity. Free, weekly, and practical.
FAQ
What is it about? Teaching, AI in education, and real classroom conditions.
Who hosts it? Jacob Carr and Nathan Collins.
Is it AI‑focused? Yes, always tied to real practice.
How often? Monthly flagship + shorter episodes between.
Where to listen? Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms.
Subscribe and Follow
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- Newsletter
Stay curious. Keep thinking. Keep showing up.
What Teachers Have to Say
Breaking the Cycle: Cruel Optimism in Teaching with Hans Tullman
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Can you be excellent at your job without letting it consume your life? The education system thrives on unpaid teacher labor, but at what cost?
In this episode, we discuss cruel optimism—the idea that if teachers just work harder, they can fix systemic issues. Spoiler: They can’t. More hours don’t equal better teaching, and burnout isn’t a badge of honor.
Hans Tullman kicks off the discussion with a hard truth: the system depends on teachers working for free. Jake unpacks how setting boundaries, leveraging AI, and using EduProtocols can help teachers reclaim their time—without sacrificing excellence.
Key Takeaways:
🔹 Cruel Optimism—Pushing through systemic problems won’t fix them, it just keeps them going.
🔹 More Hours ≠ Better Teaching—A well-rested teacher is more impactful than a burnt-out one.
🔹 Unpaid Labor—Other professions wouldn’t tolerate it. Why should teachers?
🔹 Set Boundaries—Excellence doesn’t require self-sacrifice. Protect your time.
🔹 AI & EduProtocols—Work smarter, not harder. Reduce workload & focus on what really matters.
🔹 School Leaders—Admins must redefine what “excellence” looks like and actually protect teacher time.
Join the Conversation!
Got thoughts? Rants? Questions? Leave us a voicemail!
📞 SpeakPipe:
https://www.speakpipe.com/whatteachershavetosay
Resources Mentioned:
🎤 Hans Tullman – hanstullman.com
📚 Cruel Optimism by Lauren Berlant
⚡ EduProtocols & AI Tools – Reduce your workload & increase efficiency
🔥 Final Thought: You can be an excellent teacher and have a life—in fact, you’ll be a better teacher because of it.
👉 Share this episode with a teacher who needs to hear it!
🔗 Follow us on social media & keep the conversation going!
Got a question? We'd love to answer it! Leave us a voicemail on SpeakPipe: https://www.speakpipe.com/whatteachershavetosay
Want more EduProtocols from Jake? Check out his book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and more.
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