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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
How Much “You” Belongs in Your Classroom?
Two months away. Plenty of opinions saved up.Matthew, Robert, and Jeannine return to Playing Teacher with a new Ask Me Anything segment inspired by questions from future elementary teachers at NC State. The conversation moves from smart ...
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Summer Break? Do Teachers Deserve It?
We open with Matt realizing he doesn’t have a Summer playlist on Spotify, while Rob and Bruge realize they are too old to know who Lewis Capaldi is. After that, we dive into a deep talk about summer breaks. Should teachers get them?...
Episode 29: Caps, Gowns, and Grown-Up Drama: Graduation Behind the Curtain
Graduation is supposed to be about the students—but anyone who has worked in a school knows the ceremony often comes with a backstage show of adult politics, bruised egos, seating drama, award rivalries, and exhausted teachers trying to hold it...
Episode 28: The Best Bagel in Town: A talk with veteran teacher, Michelle Henriquez.
In Episode 28, we catch up with Ms. Henriquez, though longtime listeners will understand why she will forever be known to us as Slagle — which, yes, rhymes with Bagel.The episode begins with a 20-year-old grudge involving Rob, Matt, and ...
Episode 27: The Hidden Job Description: School Safety, Student Chaos, and Teacher Survival
In this episode, Matt, Rob, and Brugge pull back the curtain on one of the least-discussed realities of working in schools: teachers are not only instructors, they are also emergency managers, crowd-control specialists, traffic directors, socia...
