The Broken Copier

This is a conversation between two teachers who noticed the same thing early into this school year: it feels heavier than usual.After Adrian Neibauer wrote a piece in his newsletter around this idea, he joined The Broken Copier to reflect collaboratively with Marcus about how the school year is going, what is creating the “heaviness” they both are feeling, and moving forward what a lighter, more-hopeful path could look like for their respective classrooms.Links to follow-up with Adrian’s work:* “The Redress of Teaching” (mentioned many times in this conversation)* Adrian’s Newsletter (the Substack to follow Adrian’s work—subscribe!)Thanks, as always, to:Alberto Lugo, one of Jim’s former students, for writing and recording original intro music; Tom Csatari for allowing us to use his band’s recording of “Woodstock” from their 2020 album, Garden; and Courtney Milavec for graphic design.Find Tom’s work at uncivilizedtom.com, and on Instagram @banduncivilized.Find Alberto’s work at djsynchro.weebly.com, and on Instagram @djsynchro.Email us here with feedback or any other questions as well: thebrokencopier@substack.com.Thanks for listening (and tell your friends)! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebrokencopier.substack.com

With the school year underway, the word “assessment” is front-and-center in many classrooms—so what can we do as teachers to shift our thinking and practices around assessment to be more responsive to and uplifting for students?In today’s conversation, high school math and science teacher Melissa Dean joins to talk all things assessment—sharing her own surprising journey into the classroom, how she aspires towards a better, more-authentic type of assessment in her classroom, and why she is so enthusiastic about the ongoing work of teaching pedagogy as a veteran teacher.(In other words: if you’re a teacher and like to nerd out listening to other teachers talking about teaching—this is a conversation for you!)To follow more of Melissa’s work:* Her own Substack Unravelling: deanofmath.substack.com* Her book Unravel School: Reimagine Classrooms, Reinvent Assessment, & Revive Learning: https://www.amazon.com/Unravel-School-Reimagine-Classrooms-Assessment/dp/199056612XThanks, as always, to:Alberto Lugo, one of Jim’s former students, for writing and recording original intro music; Tom Csatari for allowing us to use his band’s recording of “Woodstock” from their 2020 album, Garden; and Courtney Milavec for graphic design.Find Tom’s work at uncivilizedtom.com, and on Instagram @banduncivilized.Find Alberto’s work at djsynchro.weebly.com, and on Instagram @djsynchro.Email us here with feedback or any other questions as well: thebrokencopier@substack.com.Thanks for listening (and tell your friends)! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebrokencopier.substack.com

In his newly-released book Learning Environment, Jared Fox writes, “I found that incorporating my passion for the natural world into the classroom was always worthwhile.” This is fitting, as the book explores the many ways that the classroom environment itself can be reimagined—including beyond the physical walls of the classroom!—and in doing so reminds us how necessary it is to pursue a “passion-driven pedagogy” as teachers. In today’s conversation, Jared and Marcus go back and forth about a variety of topics: the best Magic School bus book; Jared’s early experiences exploring outside his physical classroom and what he learned in those explorations; how to make interdisciplinary learning happen tangibly; and even a discussion about where AI might fit into all of this. To follow more of Jared’s work and potentially get your own copy of his book:* His website: www.jaredfox.education* His book: www.jaredfox.education/learning-environment-the-bookThanks, as always, to:Alberto Lugo, one of Jim’s former students, for writing and recording original intro music; Tom Csatari for allowing us to use his band’s recording of “Woodstock” from their 2020 album, Garden; and Courtney Milavec for graphic design.Find Tom’s work at uncivilizedtom.com, and on Instagram @banduncivilized.Find Alberto’s work at djsynchro.weebly.com, and on Instagram @djsynchro.Email us here with feedback or any other questions as well: thebrokencopier@substack.com.Thanks for listening (and tell your friends)! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebrokencopier.substack.com

With a new school year just getting underway for some and about to begin for others, it is a time of hoping and imagining for what the classroom can become—but what happens when reality hits? How do you hold onto those initial hopes and imaginations as a teacher throughout the day-to-day grind of the school year?In this Kicking The Copier episode, Marcus makes the case for picking a date approximately six weeks into the school year to revisit those initial plans and imaginations. To consider how reality matches up—and then to recalibrate and reimagine, as necessary.As always, thanks to: Alberto Lugo, one of Jim’s former students, for contributing their music to The Broken Copier podcast—and also Tom Csatari for allowing us to use his band’s recording of “Woodstock” from their 2020 album, Garden.* Find Tom’s work at uncivilizedtom.com, and on Instagram @banduncivilized.* Find Alberto’s work at djsynchro.weebly.com, and on Instagram @djsynchro.* Email thoughts and feedback to thebrokencopier@substack.com, and if you want you can record your own thoughts at our Fanlist that might show up on a future episode! (Feel free to also just toss your response in the comments.)Thanks for listening! Share or leave a review if you’re willing, and take care of yourselves as educators as we finish out the school year! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebrokencopier.substack.com

In this current moment, there are perhaps few things more valuable for students than the ability to confidently and skillfully navigate conversations. So how do we make those conversations a reality in our classrooms?Today’s guest has some ideas. Not only is Joe Ferraro in his third decade of teaching, but he also has hosted three-hundred conversations on his podcast One Percent Better and now consults others on communication skills with his company Damn Good Conversations. In this episode, Joe shares how this value and priority of conversation shows up in his classroom while “talking shop” with Marcus heading into another school year.To follow more of Joe’s work, check these resources out:* His website: https://www.damngoodconversations.com* Two podcast episodes referenced in this episode (all available here!)* His interview with Mitch Albom * His podcast episode “Reverse Mentor”Thanks, as always, to:Alberto Lugo, one of Jim’s former students, for writing and recording original intro music; Tom Csatari for allowing us to use his band’s recording of “Woodstock” from their 2020 album, Garden; and Courtney Milavec for graphic design.Find Tom’s work at uncivilizedtom.com, and on Instagram @banduncivilized.Find Alberto’s work at djsynchro.weebly.com, and on Instagram @djsynchro.Email us here with feedback or any other questions as well: thebrokencopier@substack.com.Thanks for listening (and tell your friends)! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebrokencopier.substack.com

In this Kicking The Copier episode, Marcus shares his current thinking and plans for AI as a teacher heading into this new school year with six things he either is or is not going to do—at least for now. The goal of this reflection is not to suggest what the “right answer” is for any other classroom or context regarding AI. Rather, it is shared in hope that we can move toward more teachers sharing more experiences and perspectives in order to figure out collectively what the best path forward is for our students and schools with AI in our classrooms and schools. As always, thanks to: Alberto Lugo, one of Jim’s former students, for contributing their music to The Broken Copier podcast—and also Tom Csatari for allowing us to use his band’s recording of “Woodstock” from their 2020 album, Garden.* Find Tom’s work at uncivilizedtom.com, and on Instagram @banduncivilized.* Find Alberto’s work at djsynchro.weebly.com, and on Instagram @djsynchro.* Email thoughts and feedback to thebrokencopier@substack.com, and if you want you can record your own thoughts at our Fanlist that might show up on a future episode! (Feel free to also just toss your response in the comments.)Thanks for listening! Share or leave a review if you’re willing, and take care of yourselves as educators as we finish out the school year! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebrokencopier.substack.com

Almost every teacher wants their classroom to be a place where discussion amongst students thrives. Yet the reality is, unfortunately, that classrooms do not always live up to that vision of what they can be in terms of academic, purposeful discussion on a regular basis.Today’s conversation is with Matt Kay, a veteran teacher and coach and also the author of a book on this subject: Prompting Deeper Discussions: A Teacher’s Guide to Crafting Great Questions. In this conversation, Matt shares more about the urgency within this present moment to elevate what discussions look like in our classroom along with reflections on his own experiences as a coach, teacher and leader.To follow more of Matt’s work and/or purchase his books:* Matt’s website* Prompting Deeper Discussions: A Teacher’s Guide to Crafting Great Questions * Not Light, but Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the ClassroomThanks, as always, to:Alberto Lugo, one of Jim’s former students, for writing and recording original intro music; Tom Csatari for allowing us to use his band’s recording of “Woodstock” from their 2020 album, Garden; and Courtney Milavec for graphic design.Find Tom’s work at uncivilizedtom.com, and on Instagram @banduncivilized.Find Alberto’s work at djsynchro.weebly.com, and on Instagram @djsynchro.Email us here with feedback or any other questions as well: thebrokencopier@substack.com.Thanks for listening (and tell your friends)! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebrokencopier.substack.com

In the previous episode, Jim and Marcus shared about their own experiences with Teach For America—both their motivation for entering into teaching through this program and then their experiences as corps members over their first two years of teaching in rural Arkansas.That led to this second part of the conversation, which this episode features: a back-and-forth about different critiques of Teach For America and the program’s impact on education more broadly, with Jim and Marcus considering how they feel about each critique given their own respective experiences as corps members along with their current perspective now as teachers still in the classroom. Thanks, as always, to:Alberto Lugo, one of Jim’s former students, for writing and recording original intro music; Tom Csatari for allowing us to use his band’s recording of “Woodstock” from their 2020 album, Garden; and Courtney Milavec for graphic design.Find Tom’s work at uncivilizedtom.com, and on Instagram @banduncivilized.Find Alberto’s work at djsynchro.weebly.com, and on Instagram @djsynchro.Email us here with feedback or any other questions as well: thebrokencopier@substack.com.Thanks for listening (and tell your friends)! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebrokencopier.substack.com

Jim’s back! And he wasted no time in recording a two-part episode that has been on the docket for some time: a conversation about Jim and Marcus’s experiences coming into teaching through Teach For America and then, in follow-up episode that will come out later this week, about how they feel about Teach For America’s broader impact on education. In this initial part of the conversation, both Jim and Marcus explain how they ended up joining Teach For America and what those initial years of teaching were like for them—what was good and also, of course, what was difficult. Later this week there will be a Part 2 of this conversation in which Jim and Marcus go back and forth about how they feel now looking back on their experience and Teach For America as an organization overall. (Spoiler: they don’t 100% agree!)Thanks, as always, to:Alberto Lugo, one of Jim’s former students, for writing and recording original intro music; Tom Csatari for allowing us to use his band’s recording of “Woodstock” from their 2020 album, Garden; and Courtney Milavec for graphic design.Find Tom’s work at uncivilizedtom.com, and on Instagram @banduncivilized.Find Alberto’s work at djsynchro.weebly.com, and on Instagram @djsynchro.Email us here with feedback or any other questions as well: thebrokencopier@substack.com.Thanks for listening (and tell your friends)! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebrokencopier.substack.com

What can a school be? This is a question that today’s guest Carla Meyrink has had to consider constantly since co-founding The Community For Learning in 1998, a school Carla and two others started in Santo Domingo to live out the values of education they believed were best for students.In this conversation, Carla shares about how The Community For Learning school began and the ways they continue to live out the value of community in all facets: student-centered classrooms built around inquiry; responsive professional development amongst teachers; and an ongoing, collective imagining of how school can be better going forward. (Note: there are a few snippets of wind chimes at points in this episode, so feel free to enjoy the summer-themed, very-organic background music!)In order to learn more about Carla and her work, you can follow her journey at her blog, The Teaching Experiment.Thanks, as always, to:Alberto Lugo, one of Jim’s former students, for writing and recording original intro music; Tom Csatari for allowing us to use his band’s recording of “Woodstock” from their 2020 album, Garden; and Courtney Milavec for graphic design.Find Tom’s work at uncivilizedtom.com, and on Instagram @banduncivilized.Find Alberto’s work at djsynchro.weebly.com, and on Instagram @djsynchro.Email us here with feedback or any other questions as well: thebrokencopier@substack.com.Thanks for listening (and tell your friends)! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebrokencopier.substack.com