Playing Teacher
đď¸ What is a teacher, really? And whatâs it actually like inside a New York City school? Welcome to Playing Teacher, where veteran educators Matt and Robâwith over 40 years of combined experience teaching in NYCâpull back the curtain on the myths, realities, and moments that make education unforgettable (for better or worse). From the mysterious teacherâs lounge to the myth of âsummer off,â they explore what really happens when the classroom door closes. This isnât a shiny brochure version of school. Itâs the real deal: đ§ Learning vs. schooling. â¤ď¸ What kids actually carry with them. đĽ How teachers and counselors survive systems built to burn them out. And when weâre lucky enough to have her, weâre joined by Beanieâschool counselor, educator, and recurring co-hostâwho brings powerful insight, grounded compassion, and the kind of perspective only someone who's worked both inside and around the classroom can offer. đĽ 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 mattersâthis is your hallway pass to the inside.
Episodes
Tech trouble, Mario cosplay, workplace mishaps, and way too many stories about falling down.
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In this episode, Robert, Matthew, and Brugge dive into a chaotic mix of muted microphones, Halloween go-kart adventures, deodorant disasters, acting auditions, and the everyday physical hazards of working in schools. From stepping in dog poop to tripping in crowded hallways, the team shares honest (and hilarious) stories ...
Every NYC teacher has a horror story â but this one starts with a parking meter.
In this episode, Matthew, Brugge, and Robert tackle the ultimate urban educator struggle: finding a parking spot in New York City. From 4:30 AM commutes to warehouse parking hacks, $200 lots, and alternate-side madness, the trio shares hilarious, relatable stories about how teachers navigate one of the most stressful parts of their day â g...
Overview
In this milestone episode, the hosts celebrate reaching 500 podcast downloads and reflect on personal experiences that reveal how trust, credentials, and communication shape everyday life â from healthcare visits to professional identity. The discussion balances humor and insight as they explore the quirks of the healthcare system, telehealth mishaps, and the nuanced meaning of titles like âDoctorâ in both edu...
A glitchy start becomes a candid systems-level conversation about age dynamics and professional identity across schools and clinics. After wrangling audio issues, the team unpacks how age and experience shape credibility, communication, and decision-makingâfrom first-year teachers to veteran administrators, from protocol-driven residents to diagnostically agile physicians. They trace the âhidden curriculumâ that gover...
In this episode, Matt, Rob, and Brugge share candid reflections on the challenges of maintaining health and balance as educators. The conversation spans from their high school experiences to their ongoing efforts with weight loss, diet programs, and creative fitness routines, whether itâs sprinting empty hallways, dusting off a pogo stick, or sticking to intermittent fasting. Along the way, they reminisce about potluc...
Getting hired in the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) isnât just about what you knowâitâs often about who you know. In this episode of Playing Teacher: The Podcast, we pull back the curtain on the hiring process in the largest school system in the country. From the nerve-wracking interviews to the networking that makes a difference, we explore the good, the bad, and the ugly of how teachers land jobs in ...
In this episode of Playing Teacher, Robert, Matthew, and Brugge dive deep into the bittersweetâand sometimes hilariousâworld of teachers leaving their jobs and the hidden realities behind the classroom door.
They talk about:
- The emotional chaos of packing up years of teaching memories into giant bags
- The secret hideouts teachers swear by to survive the school day (side lab supremacy, anyone?)
- Epic hide-and-seek strate...
In this unforgettable episode of Playing Teacher, Rob, Brugge, and Matthew take us behind the scenes of one of the most chaotic rituals in education: the school field trip.
It all begins with a subway disasterâMatthew describes watching a class trip unravel on public transit, complete with unsupervised elementary students and overwhelmed teachers. That story kicks off a deep (and hilarious) dive into the real logistics...
In Episode 13 of Playing Teacher, we pull back the curtain on one of the most absurd realities of working in education: calling out sick. From planning sub folders while mid-fever to writing emergency plans in a NyQuil haze, we explore the ridiculous, guilt-ridden, and occasionally hilarious world of teacher absences.
We talk about:
- The unspoken Olympics-level effort required just to stay home
- Why "mental health...
đ Episode Description:
In this episode of the Playing Teacher Podcast, we debut a brand-new segment: đ¤ Teacher Headlines with Janine Brugge, where we explore whatâs really going on in the world of educationâboth the serious and the absurd.
This week, we take a hard look at the NYC Department of Educationâs failed initiative known as âInquiryâ or the â50-minuteâ planâan attempt to create time for professional developme...
In this episode of the Playing Teacher Podcast, we delve into the vibrant world of education, sharing personal anecdotes and professional insights that resonate with educators, students, and lifelong learners alike.
đŻ Episode Highlights:
- Field Day Reflections: We reminisce about their own Field Day experiences, discussing the joys and challenges of organizing such events, and the lasting impact they have on student...
đď¸ Playing Teacher Ep. 10 â Pacing, Pop Culture, and the 30-Second Reprimand
Description:
In this episode of Playing Teacher, Matt recounts a jaw-dropping moment when he was called out in front of students for returning to class 30 seconds late after using the bathroomâyes, 30 seconds. Jeannine and Robert reflect on how often teachers are denied even the most basic human grace. This leads into a dynamic, often hilariou...
In this episode of Playing Teacher, we unpack one of the most familiar â and controversial â strategies in elementary education: rewards and incentives. From treasure boxes and pizza parties to Dojo points and public praise, we examine how these practices shape student motivation, behavior, and identity in the classroom. Are we inspiring effort â or cultivating compliance? Are extrinsic rewards helpful ste...
In this episode of Playing Teacher, we talk about the moments that stickâthe scenes from our lives as educators that play in our minds like movies. You know the ones: the hallway showdown, the field trip fiasco, the spontaneous dance party, the kid who said something so profound you wrote it on a post-it and never threw it away.
We reflect on how these memorable teaching momentsâbig or small, funny or movingâarenât jus...
In this episode of Playing Teacher, we talk about something every educator feels at some pointâwhat it means to be yourself in a school system that often prefers you to color inside the lines. Whether itâs pushing against outdated norms, teaching in ways that arenât âin the handbook,â or simply showing up as your full, weird, passionate self, going against the grain can make you stand out⌠and not always in the way pe...
In this episode of Playing Teacher, we rewind to one of the most surreal, exhausting, and defining chapters in modern education: COVID in New York City. Teaching during the pandemic wasnât just about pivoting to Zoomâit was about surviving, adapting, and finding humanity in the chaos.
We talk candidly about what it meant to be an educator when the world shut down: the scrambled emails, the lost students, the tech failu...
In this episode of Playing Teacher, Matt, Rob, and Brugge crack open one of the most sacred and underrated parts of the school day: preps and lunches. More than just breaks, these windows of time were life-saving lifelines in the relentless hustle of NYC public school teaching. We reflect on how these moments offered space to breathe, plan, decompressâor just stare into the void with a slice of pizza in hand.
But it wa...
In this episode of Playing Teacher, we dive into The Hookâthat elusive, electric moment when a teacher pulls students in and makes them want to learn. Itâs the magic trick, the spark, the wink across the room that says, âThis is going to be good.â But hereâs the thing: itâs not in the lesson plan template, and it sure doesnât show up on most rubrics.
Too often dismissed as fluff or misunderstood by administrators and e...
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 werenât just a breakâthey were world-builders.
But this episode isnât about the obvious curriculum tie-ins (you wonât hear us talking about âletâs watch October Sky during the s...
Teaching, Sanity, and the Fine Line Between Passion and Burnout
In this episode of Playing Teacher, we ask the question that lingers behind every empty coffee cup, every hallway meltdown, and every wildly creative bulletin board at 2AM: Are we okay?
Spoiler alert: probably not.
We take a lighthearted but honest look at the emotional rollercoaster that is life in the classroom. We talk about the toll teaching can take on ...
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