We're heading back to school on a Friday after New Year's Day - and if you're feeling the pressure to have everything perfectly planned for spring semester, this episode is for you.
Host Leah Cleary shares her honest mid-year reflection: what sustainable teaching strategies she's keeping (student annotation, AI grading assistants), what she's adjusting after learning some hard lessons (spoiler: get help from your media specialist), and what she's adding to protect her energy (intentional mornings instead of racing out the door).
This isn't about "new year, new you" nonsense. It's about simple, sustainable changes that make your job more manageable and make you more effective for your students.
Perfect for teachers looking for practical spring semester planning tips without the toxic productivity pressure.
Resources mentioned:
Winter break is here, but many teachers feel pressured to be productive instead of resting. In this episode of If Teachers Ruled the World, host Leah Cleary shares her honest experience of winter break and gives teachers permission to actually rest.
Learn why teacher self-care during break is essential, not selfish. Discover how to manage the pressure to "catch up" on everything you've put on hold. Understand why your teaching brain never fully disconnects (and why that's okay). This episode addresses teacher burnout recovery and work-life balance with practical, compassionate advice for exhausted educators.
Perfect for teachers struggling with winter break guilt, educator mental health, and the constant pressure of lesson planning and grading. Check out the show notes at leahcleary.com.
Sometimes you don't have a choice about lecturing before winter break. The content requires direct instruction, and there's no time for elaborate activities. So how do you keep students awake when everyone's brain is already checked out?
In this episode, educator Leah Cleary shares two student engagement during lectures strategies she's using exam week: the think pair share strategy with dry erase boards and synopsis expansion, plus the buzzer trick she learned at the Georgia Ed Tech Conference. These aren't revolutionary teaching before winter break techniques—they're practical December classroom management tools for when you have to lecture and nobody wants to be there.
Leah walks through exactly how to use active listening strategies like CrowdBuzzer to gamify attention with freshman, explains why dry erase boards make thinking visible during think-pair-share, and shares formative assessment techniques that work in 5-10 minute chunks. Plus, she connects to quick exam review strategies for getting through this week.
This is survival mode teaching. Pick one strategy, try it Monday, and get to winter break.
Read the blog post: https://leahcleary.com/10-total-participation-techniques/
Get free review resources: https://leahcleary.com/free-resource-library-landing-page/
Survival mode teaching isn't about being perfect—it's about making it to winter break with learning intact. In this episode, educator Leah Cleary shares the gallery walk teaching strategy she's using to keep her 60 AP World History students engaged during the most exhausting week of December.
Leah walks through her Revolutions Gallery Walk, explaining how it serves double duty as both AP World History review activities and primary source analysis activities for upcoming DBQ work. She gets honest about why movement-based learning works when teaching before winter break feels impossible, shares her accountability strategies for hallway management, and offers practical December teaching strategies for teachers who are running on empty.
This episode is for any teacher who needs one manageable strategy to survive this week. No Pinterest perfection required—just real, practical student engagement strategies from a veteran educator who's in the trenches with you.
Download the free Revolutions Gallery Walk: https://leahcleary.com/free-resource-library-landing-page/
Read the full blog post with 10 engagement techniques: https://leahcleary.com/10-total-participation-techniques/
Why do your students have a right to education but not healthcare? It started with a WWII wage freeze in 1942 that accidentally created employer-based healthcare—while education became a public right way back in 1785. In this Teacher Reality Check, we explore the historical divergence between these two systems: how the 1915 health insurance proposal failed when doctors feared losing income and autonomy (the same things that happened to teachers), why labor unions opposed universal healthcare, and what these "accidents of history" mean for the students in your classroom today. Featuring research on the Land Ordinance of 1785, the Stabilization Act of 1942, AMA opposition to healthcare reform, and the practical implications for educational equity. No advocacy—just implementation questions about how these systems actually work for teachers and students.
Topics: education policy, healthcare history, WWII wage controls, teacher pay and autonomy, public education entitlement, employer-based healthcare, educational equity, 1915 health insurance proposal, AMA opposition, teacher professional status
Veteran teacher Leah Cleary shares 5 practical EdTech conference takeaways that save time and support students. Learn about AI tutors that give every student one-on-one help (Magic School AI, School AI, Brisk), Canva's upgraded forms for real-time feedback, and a game-changing clipboard shortcut. Includes Benjamin Bloom's research on why AI tutoring matters for growing class sizes. Free tools, step-by-step tips, classroom-tested strategies for busy teachers.
Resources: Magic School AI, School AI, Brisk Teaching, Canva for Education, Eric Curts's blog
#EdTech #TeacherTools #AIforEducators #ClassroomTechnology #TeacherProductivity #CanvaForTeachers #StudentEngagement
Feeling inadequate when another teacher reaches your student in a way you couldn't? Veteran educator Leah Cleary gets real about teacher collaboration, burnout, and why trying to be everything to every student is hurting us. Learn practical collaborative teaching strategies, how to reframe asking for help as strategic teaching, and why the isolated classroom model needs to end. Perfect for teachers struggling with burnout or wondering how to build stronger support systems with colleagues.
Topics: teacher collaboration | reducing teacher burnout | collaborative teaching strategies | teacher wellness | professional learning communities | classroom support
Middle school teacher Kevin Romero shares why universal health care matters for student learning. From his classroom perspective, he explores how health care access impacts middle schoolers' ability to thrive academically. We discuss the history of employer-based insurance, why education became a right but health care didn't, and what teachers see when students can't access medical care. A honest conversation about health equity in schools and systemic barriers to learning.
Why do I have 30 students in my AP classes when Georgia law says I should have 21? In this Teacher Reality Check, I break down why class size legislation looks perfect on paper but falls apart in real schools. From Georgia's Strategic Waiver system (130 out of 132 districts ignore the caps) to NYC's struggle with 70,000+ overcrowded classrooms, this episode explores why money alone can't fix teacher shortages, scheduling realities, and retention crises. The uncomfortable truth: we're legislating the easy thing to count while ignoring who gets quality teachers and resources. If we're serious about smaller classes, we need to talk about teacher working conditions, not just mandates with impossible timelines.
Episode Topics: class size legislation, teacher shortage, education policy, school funding inequality, teacher workload, AP class sizes
Perfect for: Teachers dealing with oversized classes, education policy advocates, administrators navigating impossible mandates, anyone who wants to understand why education reform fails in practice
Drowning in essays? Discover practical AI teaching assistant tools that give you back your nights and weekends. In this episode, veteran teacher Leah Cleary shares how she grades 76+ AP student essays with timely, specific feedback using AI - without sacrificing quality. Learn about Custom GPTs for automated grading, free ChatGPT alternatives, and student-facing AI coaches like Magic School AI. Whether you have $0 or $20/month to invest, you'll get actionable strategies to reduce grading time while improving student feedback. Plus: why AI feedback makes students actually READ your comments and how to overcome perfectionism when using AI tools. Includes free Custom GPT maker download and example prompts. Perfect for overwhelmed teachers ready to work smarter, not harder.
Ever look out at your classroom and wonder if anything you're doing actually matters?
In this episode, I get real about why teaching hurts so much when we can't feel our impact, and what the research says about mission-driven teachers, burnout, and the emotional toll of caring deeply.
We’ll explore:
Why teachers are intrinsically motivated—and how that’s both our strength and our struggle
The science behind why bad lessons and critical parent emails feel so personal
What happens to mission-driven educators over the course of a long career
How to protect your heart without giving up the work that matters
If you’ve ever internalized a disengaged student, a failed lesson, or a harsh email as proof you’re not good enough—this episode is for you.
Because here’s the truth: you’re making an impact, even when you can’t feel it.
Should high school start later? In this episode of If Teachers Ruled the World, Leah interviews U.S. History, Economics, and Government teacher Joey Cleary, who teaches like he’s on stage, complete with set design, AI-generated daily images, and storytelling that brings history to life.
Joey shares real classroom data showing why later school start times matter: In his first-block class, 9 out of 14 students cheated on an assignment. In third block? Zero out of 19. Same teacher, same assignment—the only difference? Time of day.
They also dive into:
Joey’s journey from actor to teacher
How he makes history class engaging (with a little help from unicorns 🦄)
The classroom controversy over teaching flag burning
His dream school calendar (Thanksgiving through New Year's off, anyone?)
Two teachers, two totally different styles, and one shared truth: Adolescent brains and early start times don’t mix.
🎧 Full episode and Joey’s infamous unicorn image: leahcleary.com/podcast
Delayed paychecks? Pink slips? The ESSER funding cliff may be to blame. In this Teacher Reality Check, Leah breaks down what happened when $190 billion in federal COVID relief for schools started drying up. And how sudden policy reversals in 2025 left states, districts, and teachers scrambling.
Hear how reimbursement freezes triggered budget crises, why Maryland and Illinois were hit hardest, and what experts predict for layoffs, salaries, and staffing through 2026.
Real numbers, real teachers, real impact. This episode connects the dots between education policy and what’s happening in your school right now.
Full show notes and resources at leahcleary.com/podcast
Two months into the school year and your desk already looks like a disaster zone? You’re not alone. In this honest and slightly chaotic episode, Leah shares her real-time journey of digging out from under a mountain of paper.
With many teachers shifting back to analog assignments due to AI concerns, digital organization systems are falling short. Even veteran educators are struggling to keep up. Leah is learning new systems from a much younger colleague and isn’t too proud to admit it.
🎙️ What’s inside:
The moment Leah realized her desk had become an archaeological dig
A simple drawer system that actually works (borrowed wisdom!)
Managing handouts across multiple preps and absences
The “parking lot” method for papers that don’t have a home
How to sync paper assignments with digital gradebooks
Budget-friendly storage finds from yard sale adventures
This episode isn’t about having a picture-perfect classroom. It’s about finding sustainable systems that work when you're juggling piles of paper and sprinting between classes.
Perfect for teachers who feel like everyone else has it together while you're still figuring it out. Spoiler: you're not the only one.
Feeling like you're constantly under fire as a teacher? In this episode, Leah gets real about the scrutiny educators face, from social media trolls to classroom self-censorship.
We’re talking about the real influence in kids’ lives (hint: it's not their teachers), why educators become easy scapegoats, and how to stay grounded when it feels like you can’t win.
🎙 Topics:
Why teachers are blamed during societal chaos
Classroom influence vs. public perception
Teaching critical thinking, not agendas
Finding solidarity when you're under attack
For every teacher who feels misunderstood...you’re not alone, and this episode is for you.
Former flight attendant turned paraprofessional Tracy Dixon shares what most won’t say out loud: Not every student is meant to do everything . And that’s okay.
From the cafeteria to the classroom, Tracy’s seen how student success looks different for everyone. She and Leah talk about failure, expectations, and why forcing kids into the same mold helps no one.
Perfect for teachers, parents, and anyone rethinking what success in school should mean.
What does the Department of Education actually do. And can an executive order really eliminate it?
In this Teacher Reality Check, Leah breaks down what the Trump administration’s executive order means for your classroom. Learn the truth about Title I and IDEA funding, DEI changes, and how much federal policy really affects your day-to-day as a teacher.
Perfect for educators who want clear, practical info, minus the panic.
About a month into the school year, routines can feel smooth and students may seem responsible, but that’s often when problems begin. In this episode of If Teachers Ruled the World, Leah Cleary shares common classroom management mistakes teachers make early in the year, why loosening structure too soon backfires, and practical strategies for maintaining classroom routines, preventing burnout, and strengthening relationships with students.
It’s the night before grades are due, and a flood of late work hits your inbox. You’re exhausted, but policy says you have to take it. Sound familiar?
In this episode, Leah shares how to protect your time without sacrificing professionalism. Or your sanity. You’ll hear real stories about saying no to administrators, turning down student requests (even good ones), and drawing the line so you can focus on what matters most: your classroom.
What you’ll learn:
Simple scripts for saying no politely but firmly
The difference between boundaries and professional courtesy
Why protecting classroom time makes you a better team player
How to handle last-minute work without losing sleep
If you’re already running on empty just weeks into the school year, this conversation is for you. Because if nobody else respects your time, you have to.
English teacher Laura French joins Leah to share a powerful story about a student passed through the system without mastering basic skills. And the impossible position it put her in as his high school teacher. Together, they unpack the pressures of graduation rates, CCRPI scores, and the emotional toll of policies that clash with classroom reality, while imagining what accountability could look like if teachers designed the system themselves.