Back in Action! AI Tools to Beat Burnout & Have More Fun in the Classroom Artwork

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

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Stay curious. Keep thinking. Keep showing up.

All Episodes

What Teachers Have to Say

Back in Action! AI Tools to Beat Burnout & Have More Fun in the Classroom

February 04, 2025 • Jacob Carr and Nathan Collins

0:00 | 46:59

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We’re back! Our real-talk educator dynamic duo, Jake & Nathan are back in action: complete with career and life updates and a return to form discussing real life uses of AI tools to beat burnout and have more fun in your classroom tomorrow!

Visit https://www.mrcarrontheweb.com/ and sign up with your email for Jake’s newsletter to receive a PDF guide on when students should and should not use AI in the classroom.

Resources discussed in the episode:

Jake’s ELA Edition Edu-Protocols Book

Adam Grant’s Re-Thinking Podcast with Sam Altman on the future of AI and humanity

Artificial Intelligence tools mentioned in the episode that you should familiarize yourself with:

ChatGPT — for the left brain!

Claude.ai — for the right brain!

Google Notebook LM — create AI podcasts on demand of learning materials? What?!

Brisk — ultimate instant feedback hack

SchoolAI — use “Spaces” to easily create content-focused chat bots with full back channel, student overview, and NO student account needed

MagicSchool — SO MUCH stuff on here!

Learning Genie — new soon-to-be EduProtocol-embedded lesson plan partner

Reach out to us on What Teachers Have to Say SpeakPipe to get in on the conversation with what YOU have to say, teachers!