Front of the Class
Episodes
A Strategic Approach to Teacher Career Growth with Sarah Emma Alexander
16 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send us Fan MailAfter working in the high-intensity world of hedge funds, Sarah Emma Alexander made a life-changing pivot into international teaching ...
Using AI to Deepen Learning with Ronald Lethcoe and Dionna Faherty
02 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send us Fan MailAt Clover Park Technical College in Washington state, educators Ronald Lethcoe and Dionna Faherty are building digital resource librar...
Building Student Leaders with Paddy Bailey
19 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send us Fan MailPaddy Bailey is an elementary teacher in upstate New York who believes physical education can have an impact beyond games and competit...
The Future of Education with Moreland University Founder Dr. Emily Feistritzer
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send a textLocated in Washington, D.C., Dr. Emily Feistritzer has spent more than six decades shaping the field of education. From leading high school...
Students’ “Behavior is a Form of Communication” with Megan Elniff
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send a textMegan Elniff is a fifth-grade science teacher at a Greek immersion school in North Carolina where the Socratic method is central to learnin...
“Choose to Include Every Student” with 2026 Arizona Teacher of the Year Tiffani Jaseph
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send a textTiffani Jaseph is a veteran educator with 16 years of experience and a clear purpose: meeting each student’s individual needs. A former g...
Teaching Real-World Skills with 2026 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year Joel Coyne
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send a textHow do you prepare high school students for the realities of work, collaboration, and leadership before they enter college or the workforce...
“Go Slow to Go Fast” with 2026 North Dakota Teacher of the Year Frannie Tunseth
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textFrannie Tunseth is the 2026 North Dakota Teacher of the Year and a math and reading interventionist serving grades 4-8 in a small rural ...
"Seeing the Whole Student” with Dr. Michael Lehan
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textDr. Michael Lehan spent 6 years playing in the NFL before navigating the education world as a principal, superintendent, head of school,...
Safe Places & High Expectations with 2026 Nevada State Teacher of the Year Ali Snabon-Jun
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textAli Snabon-Jun, the 2026 Nevada State Teacher of the Year, has spent 20 years teaching music in the Clark County School District in Las ...
Building Student Trust with 2026 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year Toni Fink
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textNamed the 2026 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year, Toni Fink has spent her career teaching in Milwaukee Public Schools, the largest and most ...
Business to Education with 2026 Vermont Teacher of the Year Linda Alvarez
08 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBefore becoming a teacher, Linda Alvarez built a successful career in the corporate sector — honing leadership, communication, and pro...
Helping Students Find Their Voice with 2026 Rhode Island Teacher of the Year Sarah Dully
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textSarah Dully has built her career on helping young people articulate their ideas with confidence and clarity whether they’re crafting c...
Making Learning Magical with Megan Philbrook
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textAs the 2026 New Hampshire Teacher of the Year, Megan Philbrook focuses on filling her classroom with curiosity and creativity for the fi...
"Everything is Communication” with Dr. Jenna DiEleuterio
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textDr. Jenna DiEleuterio is the 2026 Delaware State Teacher of the Year and a middle school reading specialist in the Brandywine School Dis...
Bathtubs, Books, and Building Relationships with Tammy Irminger
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textTammy Irminger has spent 20 years in education, from teaching third, fourth, and sixth grade to serving as a librarian at MacArthur Elem...
Building Community and Career Alignment with Kimberly Henderson
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textAfter 25 years in education, Kimberly Henderson knows that where you teach and who you teach alongside can shape every part of your care...
Setting High Expectations with Rachel J.
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textRachel J. is a first-grade teacher in an urban Iowa district, where more than half of her students are learning English as a second lang...
Motivational Mondays and Lasting Lessons with Orlando Rodriquez
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textOrlando Rodriquez’s journey from college baseball player to special education teacher in Surprise, Arizona, is one of perseverance and...
“I Didn’t Want to Stop Teaching” with Kyle Letot
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textFrom growing up dreaming of space exploration to building a 10-year teaching career across two continents, Kyle Letot’s journey is one...
Seeing Light Bulbs Go On with Dr. Susanne H. Thompson
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textDr. Susanne H. Thompson has a background spanning higher education leadership, building administration, superintendency, and more that h...
Earning Buy-In from Student-Athletes and Parents with Hakeem Young
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textHakeem Young is a math teacher and a head football coach at Spanaway Middle School in Washington state. He’s also an assistant footbal...
Creating Meaningful Relationships with Amanda Heilman
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textFrom teaching on a military base at Fort Leavenworth to her current role as a fourth-grade teacher in rural Gardner, Kansas, Amanda Heil...
Building Inclusive Learning Communities with Dana Specker Watts, Ph.D.
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIf learning communities are not truly inclusive, then they are not really meeting the needs of everyone — that’s the core belief tha...
Lifelong Learning with Gregg Pait
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWith more than 20 years of experience across rural, urban, and international schools, Gregg Pait has seen almost every challenge educati...
“Not Being Afraid” with Ayoko Vias
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textAfter more than two decades in project management and administration, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted Ayoko Vias’ career and left her ...
Building Teacher Confidence with Angie Haller
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textFor most teachers, confidence in the classroom doesn’t come overnight. It’s something that has to be built through experience, refle...
A Serious Love for Learning with Dominic Helmstetter
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWhen he used “99 Problems” in a lesson about search and seizure last school year, some of Dominic Helmstetter’s ninth grade govern...
Finding Joy in Everything Teachers Are with Jazzmyne Townsend
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a text"When it’s in you, it’s in you, and you can’t run from it." That’s what Jazzmyne Townsend’s mom told her as she avo...
18 Years of Teaching with Emily Chaskelson
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textEmily Chaskelson studied journalism as an undergraduate, honing her observation skills. So, when she noticed the difficulties created by...
Embracing the Unexpected with Kathy Schmidt
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textKathy Schmidt’s path to the classroom started in some unlikely places, from working in zoos and aquariums to traveling the world as a ...
The Ins and Outs of Teaching Abroad with Rainier Lee
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWhat does it take to teach across borders, and thrive while doing it? In this special topical episode, Rainier Lee shares insights from...
Creating Space to Learn and Laugh with Julie Rudlosky
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textJulie Rudlosky — an educator in Ohio — didn’t set out to become a classroom comedian, but after 15 years of teaching English, she’...
Leading with Empathy with Jenny Mitchell
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a text"One phrase can make a difference, and it can be positive or negative." Jenny Mitchell didn’t always plan to be a teacher. ...
“People Over Things” with Cole Cooper
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textCole Cooper didn’t take a straight path to education. From working at a pallet recovery plant at age 10 to working part-time and short...
Making it About the Students with Jake Knapp
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a text"Make it about the kids." That’s the guiding principle for Ohio high school teacher Jake Knapp, who believes that everythin...
Building Student-Centered Classrooms with Miya Hourani
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWhat happens when students say that your class is boring? For Miya Hourani, that’s not the end of the conversation — it’s the star...
Teaching Beyond Borders with David Wilson
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textDavid Wilson didn’t plan to become a teacher. In fact, his first teaching experience happened by chance when a friend asked him to cov...
“Hiring for Heart” with Savannah Steger
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textSavannah Steger, an educator in South Carolina, initially tried to ignore the childhood feeling that she would work in education — eve...
"It’s a Grind, But I’m Also Doing What I Love” with Carson Letot
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textHands-on and high-impact. That’s how educator Carson Letot approaches his work at a North Carolina community college, where students ...
Being “Agents of Our Future” with Rachel Davison Humphries
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a text"Is this the best way to make change in people's lives?" That's the question Rachel Davison Humphries faced in the ...
Searching for Teeth on the Playground with Neely Trull
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textNeely Trull's grandmother was a local celebrity — but maybe not the kind you would think. She spent 28 years working as an educat...
Character Building and Snowball Fights with Rainier Lee
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textHow can one meal change your life? Rainier Lee shares how trying Korean food led him from a life as a cultural anthropologist in the U.S...
‘The Job I Never Knew I Always Wanted’ with Michele Banks
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWhat do classroom mantras, self-care, and unexpected career twists have in common? They’re all part of Michele Banks’ inspiring jour...
Meant to Do This with Miya Hourani
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWhat happens when someone who never planned to be a teacher ends up changing students' lives around the world? In this inspiring an...
Working Alongside Educators with Courtney Thompson
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWith 7 years of experience as a classroom teacher in Georgia, Courtney Thompson shares her journey into a non-profit organization that a...
Finding the Thing that Lights You Up with Warry Bonney
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textFrom teaching K-12 in Fairfax County Public Schools (VA) and coaching wrestling to teaching in Saudi Arabia and educating teachers at Mo...
'A Fire Inside Us’: Pioneering Technology in Education with RJ Bialk
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textJoin RJ Bialk as he shares his inspiring journey from a marketing graduate to becoming the Chief Technology Officer of Deerfield Public ...
‘A Little Bit of Everything’: From Teacher to Principal with Dr. Alicia Abbey
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWondering about the journey from teacher to principal? Join us as we talk to Dr. Alicia Abbey, Principal at Morningstar Catholic School ...
Teaching in Your Zone of Genius with Rebecca Joyner
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textJoin Rebecca Joyner, a former high school science teacher in South Carolina turned curriculum writer. Discover her journey from the clas...
Keeping Teaching Fresh and Relevant with Nathan Cohen
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textDive into the world of education with Nathan Cohen, a seasoned 5th-grade teacher from Birmingham Public Schools in Michigan. With 24 yea...
Teaching by Day, Real Estate by Night with Leigh Harris
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textHow does a teacher who once hesitated to enter the profession find purpose, passion, and balance? In this episode, we sit down with Leig...
The Unexpected Path to Lifelong Teaching Career with Jason Piechowiak
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textTune in as Jason Piechowiak shares his inspiring journey from a long-term substitute teacher in Ohio to a seasoned middle school educato...
Traditional Teaching, Homeschooling, and Thriving on TPT with Lauren
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textGet inspired by this heartfelt conversation with Lauren as she shares her journey from aspiring teacher to successful educator and entre...
Tech, Teaching & Transitions: Shaping Future Innovators with Cara Gregory
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textHow does someone go from the world of IT to leading a classroom? Meet Cara Gregory, Director of Technology and Computer Science Departme...
17 Years of Real-Life Teaching Wisdom with Lucas Gaffey
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textJoin us as Lucas Gaffey shares his 17-year journey teaching high school science and math in Seattle Public Schools. From his inspiration...