Episode 5: Are We Okay? (Spoiler: Probably Not)

04/09/25 • 58 min

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 your mental health—not in a clinical, diagnostic way, but in the way teachers actually talk about it: the “I think I laughed and cried at the same time today” kind of way.

We also get real about the culture of self-sacrifice in education, how humor becomes a survival skill, and the fine line between being dedicated and being depleted. Along the way, we unpack whether teaching draws in people who are a little offbeat to begin with—or whether the system itself slowly erodes your sanity.

It’s funny, it’s therapeutic, and it’s a reminder that taking care of yourself is not a luxury—it’s a requirement if we’re going to keep showing up for kids and for each other.

This one’s for the teachers who’ve ever looked in the mirror during their prep and whispered, “Am I okay?”—and for anyone who’s ever answered, “Not really... but I’m still here.”

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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.

It’s funny, it’s therapeutic, and it’s a reminder that taking care of yourself is not a luxury—it’s a requirement if we’re going to keep showing up for kids and for each other.

This one’s for the teachers who’ve ever looked in the mirror during their prep and whispered, “Am I okay?”—and for anyone who’s ever answered, “Not really... but I’m still here.”

Support the show

Previous Episode

Episode 1: The "Expert" Teacher

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“Ok, if it’s so easy you teach my class..please show me the way.” Ah, the fantasy of every teacher. Imagine a scenario where you’re told to change roles and write up your supervisor who wants to show you how it’s done...you know because they were once an “expert teacher.” But what if it bombs? Matt and Rob relive this once in a teacher’s lifetime experiment and discuss better alternatives to how teachers are evaluated. More importantly, who is qualified to make these evaluations?

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Next Episode

Episode 6: I Did It My Way: Authenticity in a System That Doesn’t Always Want It

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In this episode of Playing Teacher, we talk about something every educator feels at some point—what it means to be yourself in a school system that often prefers you to color inside the lines. Whether it’s pushing against outdated norms, teaching in ways that aren’t “in the handbook,” 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 people like.

We unpack the moments when being authentic can make you unpopular—with administrators, with coworkers, or with the “system.” And we reflect on the quiet courage it takes to keep showing up as yourself, even when the easier route would be to conform.

From hallway politics to unconventional lesson plans, from dress code subversions to the subtle art of staying out of faculty cliques, we explore how hard—and how vital—it is to do it your way. As Frank Sinatra said, regrets, I’ve had a few... but then again, too few to mention.

This one’s for the teachers who’d rather be real than be liked. Who show up, speak up, and shake things up. And who know that sometimes, doing it your way is the only way to stay sane, stay passionate, and stay in the game.

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