Episodes

  • Parents and Teachers: The Real Classroom Drama
    Oct 6 2024

    What qualities does it take to make a parent easy or difficult to work with?

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    The dynamics of teacher-parent relationships can be dicey to say the least, and on this week's episode of Teachers Off Duty, our hosts Gabe Dannenbring, Bri Richardson, and Jess Smith are going to go over the trials and tribulations with dealing with parents.

    From defining boundaries to learning to say “no”, trying to collaborate with our students' parents can get quite difficult, but we have some tips and tricks to nailing your next parent-teacher conference.

    For example, apparently it’s a teacher's job to make sure their students are regular? The amount of times we’ve been asked to check our students' poops for problems is absolutely insane! Talk about a crappy job amiright?

    It's important to remember at the end of the day we should all be working together to make sure we make the best situation for our students to grow and learn. Our hosts finish off their conversation by pointing out how absurd it is that teachers and parents can be at odds with each other, because we’re truly on the same team.

    Jump right to it!

    3:50 - Working with Parents

    7:58 - Personal Experiences of Overwork

    7:00 - Parent-Teacher Relationships and Perspectives

    16:20 - Challenges of Communication

    23:00 - Dealing with Difficult Parent Requests

    32:00 - Embarrassing Parent-Teacher Conferences

    42:30 - Setting Boundaries

    45:00 - Balancing Parent Expectations and Teacher Workload

    54:30 - Teamwork Between Teachers and Parents

    So don't worry too much, you have plenty of time before that parent teacher conference, so sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of Teachers Off Duty.

    Teachers get your perks!! This episode is brought to you by:

    Brisk Teaching | Head to https://www.briskteaching.com and download Brisk Teaching for free today.

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    Teachers Off Duty - a Bored Teachers podcast

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    57 mins
  • Ghosts in the Classroom: Teachers Share Their Creepiest Haunted School Stories
    Sep 29 2024

    As R.L Stein once said, viewers beware, you're in for a scare…

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    Our hosts Gabe Dannenbring, Bri Richardson, and Jess Smith celebrate Halloween on this week's episode of Teachers Off Duty by diving into the world of ghost stories, haunted schools, and eerie encounters in the classroom.

    Do you believe in the paranormal? Because we do, and we share our strategy on how we would react to some of the most spine-tingling spectral situations you could imagine. It's all in good fun... unless you’re afraid of ghosts!

    Kids have the craziest imaginations, and as teachers we get to hear all the terrifying tales that they end up coming up with. Apparently anything can be haunted these days, we recently heard a story about a possessed pottery wheel named Patrick? We don't know what our students think is so scary about a pottery wheel, but it's definitely an entertaining idea.

    Jump right to it!

    9:39 - The Harry Potter Debate

    16:55 - Do You Believe in Ghosts?

    24:36 - Ouija Board in Class?

    28:06 - Spooky Stories & Haunted Schools

    38:19 - The Swing Set Ghost

    So get prepared to sleep with your lights on, because we're getting pretty spooky on this week's episode of Teachers Off Duty.

    Teachers get your perks!! This episode is brought to you by:

    MintMobile | New customers get 3 months of unlimited premium wireless for just $15 a month by going to https://Mintmobile.com/TOD.

    Brisk Teaching | Head to https://www.briskteaching.com and download Brisk Teaching for free today.

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    Teachers Off Duty - a Bored Teachers podcast

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    53 mins
  • Staff Meetings That Never Should Have Happened: Nightmare Stories!
    Sep 22 2024

    So, why do we need to do a dance party in the staff meeting again?

    Grab your tickets for the Bored Teachers Comedy Tour here: https://bit.ly/TODBTCT

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    You’d think staff meetings would be boring but strap in for these ridiculous stories! Our hosts Gabe Dannenbring, Bri Richardson, and Jess Smith are about to spill the tea on some of the funniest stories from the most bizarre staff meetings they've attended on this week's episode of Teachers Off Duty.

    As teachers we deal with too many shenanigans to count, even in our staff meetings; from a principal making teachers run in a "flock of geese" formation (whatever that means), to staff meetings that unexpectedly turned into singalongs or dance parties, they've seen it all!

    By the way - beware of those “anonymous” surveys. You won’t believe what one principal made his teachers do after receiving negative feedback. We don’t want to give too much away, but it’s pretty petty.

    Jump right to it!

    8:31 - Worst Staff Meeting Experiences

    12:01 - Therapy and Boundary Setting for Teachers

    13:31 - Cahoots and Gamifying Staff Meetings

    16:31 - Teachers Quitting Dramatically

    19:01 - Funny Games at Staff Meetings

    23:31 - Fights at Staff Meetings

    We promise we won’t be as boring as your usual staff meeting as you join us for this week's episode of Teachers Off Duty.

    Teachers get your perks!! This episode is brought to you by:

    BetterHelp | Visit https://betterhelp.com/TOD to get 10% off your first month.

    Brisk Teaching | Head to https://www.briskteaching.com and download Brisk Teaching for free today.

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    Teachers Off Duty - a Bored Teachers podcast

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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Teachers Taking a Stand: Saying No & Setting Boundaries
    Sep 15 2024

    Can saying 'no' actually make you a better teacher?

    Grab your tickets for the Bored Teachers Comedy Tour here: https://bit.ly/TODBTCT

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    From saying "no" to overwork and underappreciated responsibilities, to discussing the harsh financial realities teachers face, our hosts Gabe Dannenbring, Leslie Rob, and Tyler Jackowski are FED UP.

    From dodging lunch duty like a ninja to telling yourself it’s OKAY to take a mental health day, our hosts Gabe Dannenbring, Leslie Rob, and Tyler Jackowski are FED UP with the everyday struggles of balancing work, life, and sanity.

    Leslie, Gabe, and Tyler share their funniest stories about first-year teaching nightmares, side hustles (yes, some of us have to work with our students... as bosses), and the art of avoiding unnecessary extra duties. Plus, we stir some drama on why coaching might not be as glamorous as it sounds and how learning to say “no” can actually make you a better teacher.

    Listen up as we break down the myth of summers off, why teachers should vent (but wisely!), and the best ways to embrace your teacher tribe. And don’t worry—we’ve got plenty of laughs to get you through those tough days.

    Tune in or we’ll assign you extra recess duty!

    Teachers get your perks!! This episode is brought to you by:
    Brisk Teaching | Head to https://www.briskteaching.com and download Brisk Teaching for free today.

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    Teachers Off Duty - a Bored Teachers podcast

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    55 mins
  • The Juiciest Student Drama We’ve Ever Witnessed!
    Sep 8 2024

    From breakups to viral TikToks, student drama isn't what it used to be…

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    Listen to the podcast anywhere you stream your favorite shows:

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/69pLuB4cKPCP8UG3eCImfP

    Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teachers-off-duty/id1602160612

    Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.beacons.ai/teachersoffdutypod

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    Welcome back to Teachers Off Duty! This week our hosts Gabe Dannenbring, Leslie Rob, and Tyler Jackowski spill the tea, and share their wildest classroom drama stories!

    We all know how dramatic our students can be, and it's been like that for years, however unlike previous generations, they now have a platform to share their drama right in the palm of their hands. With the high availability of social media and technology, drama in school has been heavily amplified, and almost impossible to escape. While students used to be able to break up with their school sweetheart, and only have her immediate friends talk about them, now kids are dealing with the entire school knowing every detail of a potentially messy breakup. So with all that being said, how do us teachers deal with all this drama? Tune in to find out!

    Nowadays, most of our social life has found itself on the internet, which is great for keeping up with long distance friends or sharing cat memes with your mother, but with all these positives there's always the flip side to it. We're talking about online bullying, and as social media influencers, we’ve dealt with our fair share of haters, and this week we're going to be sharing not only our negative experiences with people on the internet, but also how we've been able to deal with online negativity.

    Finally, we wrap up with a discussion on how drama spreads quickly on social media, and how it often leads to unintended consequences. We share our personal experiences of social media drama in the classroom, but most importantly we emphasize the importance of maintaining a positive and supportive community both online and in real life.

    Jump right to it!

    6:54 - Student Drama in the Classroom

    13:12 - Middle School Relationships and Breakups

    21:10 - Promise Rings and Teenage Love

    23:33 - April Fool's Laxative Prank

    25:30 - Teacher Relationships and Drama

    31:30 - Social Media's Impact on Student Drama

    38:42 - Bullying and Positivity in Social Media

    So tell your friends because we just posted some spicy drama on this week's episode of Teachers Off Duty.

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    52 mins
  • The Most Ridiculous Teacher Dress Codes You’ll Ever Hear!
    Sep 1 2024

    Can wearing all black really make you a criminal? Some schools seem to think so!

    Can wearing all black really make you a criminal? Some schools seem to think so! Grab your tickets for the Bored Teachers Comedy Tour here: https://bit.ly/TODBTCT

    Check out our new MERCH! https://shop.boredteachers.com

    Listen to the podcast anywhere you stream your favorite shows:

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/69pLuB4cKPCP8UG3eCImfP

    Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teachers-off-duty/id1602160612

    Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.beacons.ai/teachersoffdutypod

    Get Teachers Off Duty Premium to access EXCLUSIVE content at: https://teachersoffduty.supercast.com/

    _________________________________

    Welcome back to Teachers Off Duty! This week our hosts Gabe Dannenbring, Leslie Rob, and Tyler Jackowski share their most bizarre dress code stories!

    We start off by covering some of the weirdest dress code rules we’ve encountered, from prohibitions on wearing tennis shoes without a doctor's note, to restrictions on the number of toes that can be shown, and even policies that prevent teachers from changing their hairstyles throughout the school year, we've seen it all. Even though we don't think about it, how we dress impacts our lives in major ways, but not only for our students though…

    Now when we talk about dress codes normally it’s pertaining to our students, but today we are going to be going into some dress codes for teachers! Apparently at some schools teachers are required to wear three-piece pantsuits; and we debate on whether professionality comes before the impracticality and financial burden that this outfit would put on its teachers. We also touch on the broader implications of these rules, such as the negative effects on teacher morale and the potential for dress codes to enforce outdated or discriminatory standards.

    Jump right to it!

    2:32 - Dress Codes and First Impressions

    6:36 - Spirit Week and Costume Fun

    11:08 - Ridiculous Rules: No Tennis Shoes

    15:06 - Footwear Frustrations and Ankle Rules

    29:15 - Denim Drama: No Jeans Allowed

    41:08 - Male Jewelry Ban and Expression Restrictions

    47:21 - The Black Clothing Ban and Mental Health Misconceptions

    So put on your best three piece suit, because teachers are getting dress coded on this week's episode of Teachers Off Duty.

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    53 mins
  • The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Moments in Teaching
    Aug 25 2024

    Teaching isn’t just about lesson plans…

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    Welcome back to Teachers Off Duty! This week our hosts Gabe Dannenbring, Leslie Rob, and Tyler Jackowski share the ups and downs of teaching!

    We can all agree that teaching is a really rewarding job, but with such satisfaction there are always some drawbacks. This week we’re talking about the emotional highs and lows that come with the profession, such as building relationships with students, handling anxiety, and dealing with safety concerns in schools.

    First we are going to share some stories that highlight the importance of maintaining high expectations for students while also recognizing the challenges they face, particularly those with traumatic backgrounds. It's extremely important for us teachers to find a good balance between being supportive and knowing when to seek professional help for students dealing with serious issues.

    Now with all this in mind, we have a responsibility of being a trusted educator, and we have to be ready for the emotional weight that comes with that. So this week we're going to talk about the importance of self-care for us educators, and the need to establish boundaries to avoid burnout. But don't worry, it's not all doom and gloom, because we finish off by sharing some of our proudest moments as teachers, including stories of student success and personal growth.

    Jump right to it!

    4:12 - The Importance of Building Student Relationships

    18:18 - Navigating Teacher Guilt and Stress

    22:56 - Handling School Lockdowns

    40:00 - Managing Administrative Challenges

    45:50 - The Weight of Being a Teacher Who Listens

    52:50 - Balancing Discipline and Compassion in the Classroom

    So get the tissues ready, because we're getting personal on this week's episode of Teachers Off Duty.

    Teachers get your perks!! This episode is brought to you by:

    Mint Mobile | New customers get 3 months of unlimited premium wireless for just $15 a month by going to https://Mintmobile.com/TOD.

    Better Help | Visit https://betterhelp.com/TOD to get 10% off your first month.

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    59 mins
  • Kids Really Do Say the Funniest Things!
    Aug 18 2024

    Find out how a Teacher's Quick Comeback Made a Student Rethink Everything!

    Get 30 days of Teacher Style Box for free by going to https://teacherstylebox.com and using promo code TOD30.

    Welcome back to Teachers Off Duty! This week our hosts Gabe Dannenbring, Leslie Rob, and Tyler Jackowski share their funniest classroom moments!

    We kick off this week's episode with some of the weirdest situations our hosts have found themselves in. For example our teachers have been put in a lot of positions that are quite ridiculous, like for example Tyler was put in charge of teaching a subject he had no clue about. Tune in to find out what he was forced to teach!

    Have you ever tried to look really cool for your students? We feel like most first year teachers struggle with finding that line with their students, and we're here to share our funniest stories of us trying to be cool with these kids. We also share what happens when students get a bit too comfortable and start to roast us; and might we add, these kids are starting to get pretty clever with some of their insults.

    Speaking of students starting to develop colorful language, we reminisce on some of the most amusing things we've heard and seen in the classroom. Whether it be probably the best (and inappropriate) shirt that Spencer's sells, or hilarious backhanded compliments, we’ve experienced it all, and we're sharing it all with you this week!

    Teachers, get your perks!!

    Acorns | head to https://acorns.com/TOD or download the Acorns app to start saving and investing for your future today!

    Jump right to it!

    2:46 - First-Year Teaching Struggles

    11:01 - The Reality of Student Teaching

    19:31 - Students say the darndest things

    34:01 - Navigating Gen Z and Alpha Slang

    So get ready to laugh and giggle because we can all relate to these situations on this week's episode of Teachers Off Duty.

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    53 mins