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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.
👥 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
Episode 4: Roll Film: Cinema, Memory, and Metaphor in the Classroom
In this episode of Playing Teacher, we pull back the curtain on a not-so-secret weapon in our teaching toolbox: cinema. Whether we were screening something in our makeshift movie theater during lunch or showing a film to an entire class, movies weren’t just a break—they were world-builders.
But this episode isn’t about the obvious curriculum tie-ins (you won’t hear us talking about “let’s watch October Sky during the space unit”). Instead, we explore how film can plant vivid experiences in kids’ minds—scenes, emotions, and stories that become internal reference points. These are the seeds that later bloom into understanding when we reach for analogies, metaphors, or that elusive “aha” moment in science class.
Movies, when used well, help create a shared cultural language in the classroom. They give us shortcuts to explain complex ideas (“remember how The Matrix slows time?”), and more importantly, they give our students memories that feel real—even if they happened on screen.
This episode is a love letter to the big screen and a reminder that sometimes, the most powerful teaching tool is the one that dims the lights and starts with a flicker.
