Episode 8: Teaching and Learning During COVID in NYC
04/10/25 • 53 min
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 wasn’t just about pivoting to Zoom—it 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 failures, the eerie silence of empty classrooms. But we also talk about the grit, the creativity, and the small, quiet victories—like the student who turned on their camera for the first time, or the day a class full of muted icons finally laughed in unison.
We explore how the pandemic didn’t just test our ability to teach—it forced us to reimagine what learning could look like, and what school even meant. From digital access disparities to the emotional weight of teaching through trauma, this episode captures both the cracks in the system and the light that somehow got through.
This one’s for the teachers who taught through tears, through masks, through screen fatigue—and who found new ways to connect, inspire, and hold space when the world felt like it was falling apart.
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 wasn’t just about pivoting to Zoom—it 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 failures, the eerie silence of empty classrooms. But we also talk about the grit, the creativity, and the small, quiet victories—like the student who turned on their camera for the first time, or the day a class full of muted icons finally laughed in unison.
We explore how the pandemic didn’t just test our ability to teach—it forced us to reimagine what learning could look like, and what school even meant. From digital access disparities to the emotional weight of teaching through trauma, this episode captures both the cracks in the system and the light that somehow got through.
This one’s for the teachers who taught through tears, through masks, through screen fatigue—and who found new ways to connect, inspire, and hold space when the world felt like it was falling apart.
Previous Episode
Episode 5: Are We Okay? (Spoiler: Probably Not)
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.”
Next Episode
Episode 7: Remember When… (Memorable Moments & Movie Magic)
In this episode of Playing Teacher, we talk about the moments that stick—the 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 moments—big or small, funny or moving—aren’t just one-off stories. They’re what give the work meaning. And much like scenes from iconic films, they become part of our shared consciousness, shaping how we connect, how we teach, and how we remember.
From epic fails to unexpected victories, we draw parallels between the classroom and the big screen. Because whether you’re quoting Dead Poets Society, The Goonies, or Ferris Bueller, there’s something powerful about how movies and memories intertwine. They help us build language, build relationships, and build meaning—especially with kids who need more than just content; they need connection.
This one’s for the teachers who carry a mental highlight reel—and who know that sometimes, the best way to reach a student is through a well-timed movie quote or a shared laugh that becomes legend.
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