Teachers Need Teachers

Kim LaPree, host of Teachers Need Teachers, says she has taught for 24 years, first as a band director and then as a middle school English teacher, and uses that experience to ask what grades are actually communicating anymore.

Kim LaPree uses Teachers Need Teachers to show how teachers can plan the next five to six months after winter break, with April standardized testing leaving her a little under three months to finish core instruction.

["Kim LaPree uses Teachers Need Teachers to explain why school politics matter for new teachers, tying them to classroom assignments, resources, and mental well-being.", "She maps the power players in a school district, from district leadership and principals to counselors, secretaries, PTA members, custodians, and parents, and says each group has different priorities like ADA money, fiscal responsibility, and parent complaints.", "The episode argues that favoritism, unwritten rules, and school culture shape who gets good classrooms, preferred grades, and better opportunities, especially when a principal functions like a district manager or when counselors steer assignments.", "LaPree recommends building relationships, attending lunches and showers, making data-driven requests, and staying neutral during conflicts so newer teachers can protect their jobs and improve their odds."]

["Teachers Need Teachers episode 141, \"End-of-the-year hacks for less stress,\" is Kim LaPree's April guide for getting through the final stretch before summer break.", "She gives 10 battle-tested tips, including reviewing core concepts instead of teaching new material, skipping long end-of-year projects, and using Kahoot or group work when students are checked out.", "LaPree also covers practical cleanup steps like packing classrooms, filing summer repair requests, and spacing out the return of student work.", "The episode closes on teacher survival advice: take personal days, protect sleep and food, vent with colleagues, and keep control over what actually can be controlled."]

["Teachers Need Teachers episode 140 argues that a Modern Classroom Project setup can keep learning moving while reducing the stress of repeating the same lesson five times.", "The host says she built the model after weeks of rethinking pacing, mastery checks, and unit design in response to absent students and failed assessments.", "Her workflow uses Google Classroom, Edpuzzle, unlisted YouTube videos, and a tracker that tells students exactly which lesson, worksheet, and app to open next.", "She compares last year's writing and test scores against the new model and says they stayed flat, while missing assignments dropped and the lack of Sunday scaries made the system feel worthwhile."]

Teachers Need Teachers host discusses five ways teachers can make assignments harder to complete through undisclosed AI assistance, including baseline writing samples and precise formatting requirements.

An interview with Kareem Farah about the modern classrooms project model for differentiation and reaching all learners.

The host discusses how teaching accelerates aging and offers strategies to slow it down, drawing parallels to the presidency.

The host celebrates episode 100 and expresses gratitude to listeners while promoting a sponsor.