Welcome to the Teachers' Lounge

For the season finale, guest host Sarah Koppelkam (co-host of The Koppelkast) interviews Jon Lemay, an upper school English teacher at The Pennington School--and host of this podcast! Jon and Sarah talk about the dangers of comparing oneself to other educators, Jon tells a story about a time when one of his high school teachers called him out on some unfortunate behavior (in a kind and loving manner), and Jon shares what he tells himself when he's feeling frustrated or discouraged on bad days, weeks, or months of teaching. 

This week, Jon speaks with Ronnie Vesnaver, a middle school history teacher and one of Jon's friends and colleagues at The Pennington School. Ronnie highlights how her academic struggles during her early days as a student and her academic growth have impacted the work she does in the classroom; she and Jon discuss the importance of teachers sustaining their own emotional health in order to effectively serve both themselves and their students; and Ronnie talks about her work with sustainability initiatives and how she approaches cultivating an awareness and understanding within her students of what it means to be a responsible and sustainable consumer and global citizen.

Jon speaks with Gautam Dasgupta, a theater professor at Skidmore College—and one of Jon's own former professors. Gautam shares some stories about his winding path through academia, he discusses his belief that genuine passion and love of life trumps academic achievement and success, and he talks about how his childhood growing up in India led to a passion for the arts and the humanities in spite of pressure to pursue a life in the sciences. 

(Production note: There were some technical difficulties while recording, so the first few minutes of Gautam’s audio sounds a little echoey, but it gets fixed and sounds normal around six minutes into the conversation!) 

Jon speaks with Andrew Nieporent, a New Jersey-based music therapist and singer-songwriter who works with Jammin’ Jenn Music Therapy for Children. Andrew and Jon discuss the work Andrew does using music to reach students with neurological differences (particularly autism); Andrew shares how he uses his own experiences as someone with neurological differences to understand how to best serve the folks he works with; and they talk about the importance of recognizing students’ potential and appropriately challenging them to be their best selves and live their fullest lives. Andrew also talks about his new album Lackawanna Waiting Room, which you can listen to on all streaming platforms!

Jon speaks with Jamie Moore, a middle school history teacher and hall parent at The Pennington School. Jon and Jamie discuss Jamie’s experience of working at his alma mater and his desire to impact his students in a way that is similar to the impact his teachers had on him. They also talk about Jamie's journey as a learner and the way he navigated his own learning differences throughout his time as a student--plus they discuss the roll and importance of creativity, excitement, and engagement in the classroom.

Jon speaks with Kristin Ozana Doyle, a high school social studies teacher at Pembroke Academy in New Hampshire--and Jon's former teacher from his days as a student at Raymond High School. Jon and Kristin discuss what it was like for Kristin to go back and teach at her alma mater, Kristin shares how she came to the decision not to discuss her political views in her classroom and what informed that decision, and they discuss the experience of watching students grow and go on to live their lives beyond high school. Plus, Kristin and Jon share some memories of their time together in Raymond High School, and she shares what Jon was like as a student and what it was like to teach him back in high school.

Jon speaks with Jessica Douglass, a Teaching & Learning Specialist at Tower Hill School. They discuss the reason why many folks in education are using the term learning difference instead of learning disability (and why that language choice is important), Jess talks about her journey as a learner and why she has mixed feelings toward her status and identity as a straight-A student in high school, and Jess talks about the importance of restructuring schools and systems for a diverse group of students as it pertains to learning styles and differences, as well as gender, race, and other aspects of identity.

Jon speaks with Len Leib, a math teacher and one of Jon's colleagues at The Pennington School. Jon and Len talk about Len's transition into education as a second career and what led him to the career change, they discuss the role that love plays in Len's classroom and in his approach as a teacher, and Len shares some of the ways he brings math to life and makes it engaging and accessible for his students. 

This week, Jon speaks with Brian and Mariel Calnan. Brian recently became an Instructional Technology Specialist after spending several years as a math teacher, and Mariel recently became a 5th grade teacher after spending several years as a middle school special education teacher. They're also married to one another! Jon, Brian, and Mariel talk about what it’s been like for Brian and Mariel as a family of educators and how becoming parents has affected their teaching, they discuss their experiences of recently transitioning to new roles in their respective schools, and Brian and Mariel share the story of how they met and started dating.

Jon speaks with Peter Chase, a German teacher and residential faculty member at The Pennington School. Peter and Jon discuss the role that humor plays in Peter's teaching and the roots of that in Peter’s own experiences and behavior as a student. They also talk about the misconceptions Peter encounters as it pertains to being a foreign language teacher and how he approaches teaching German in a way that's both accessible and applicable to his students. Peter also reflects on his experience as a residential faculty member and recalls the moment when he realized that living on campus was truly an essential aspect of both his and his family’s life.

Jon speaks with with Josh Campbell, a middle school history teacher at a Montessori school in Memphis, TN, a storyteller and podcast host, and the Creative Director for Spillit, a live storytelling event based in Memphis. Jon and Josh discuss the role that storytelling plays in Josh’s life and in his approach in the classroom, Josh explains the Montessori philosophy of education and why he believes it’s so effective and important, and Josh talks about how he became a more effective student and learner in college and beyond—and he reflects on why he didn’t feel as much of a sense of ownership over his education back when he was in high school.

Jon speaks with Randy LaCasse, a music, band, and chorus teacher at Raymond High School in Raymond, New Hampshire--and one of Jon's former (and favorite) high school teachers. Jon and Randy talk about Randy's belief in treating his students like they’re his family, Randy's experiences as a student and how he learned to accept and implement criticism, and how he’s tackled the challenges of developing and building a Music program throughout his time as an educator. Randy also shares some of his memories of having Jon as a student and talks a bit about what Jon was like in high school!

Jon speaks with Christine Garrison, a high school art teacher at a public high school in Oregon. Jon and Christine discuss her passion for teaching public school--and why she returned to public school teaching after spending some time in independent schools. They also talk about Christine's frustrations with the opportunity gap that she witnesses as it pertains to many of her students’ ability to pursue post-secondary education. Christine also shares how difficult it can be to truly adopt a growth mindset as a teacher while accepting the possibility of failing in front of students.

Jon speaks with Courtney Jackson, a Humanities teacher, soccer and basketball coach, and residential faculty member at The Loomis Chaffee School. Jon and Courtney unpack Courtney’s decision to take a break from teaching and attend back-to-back grad school programs, they discuss Courtney’s belief in the importance of saying “No” every now and then in order to ensure that teachers aren't spreading themselves too thin, and Courtney shares some thoughts on how educators can best equip themselves to empower and attend to the needs of LGBTQ+ students.

Jon’s guest this week is John “JB” Bouton, an English teacher at Proctor Academy—and Jon’s former colleague, mentor, and department chair at The Pennington School. John and JB discuss JB’s rich and dynamic journey through his adolescence and through his career as an educator, as well as JB’s belief in the inherent complexity of his student’s lives and how he tries to be mindful of that as he interacts with them in the classroom. Jon and JB also unpack the idea that educators should bring who they are to the classroom and allow that to inform their teaching.

Jon's conversation this week is with Russell Weatherspoon, a religion teacher at Phillips Exeter Academy. Jon and Russell discuss Russell's path to education (which features a lengthy pitstop as a firefighter), as well as Russel's continued passion for firefighting as a form of service (in ways both different from and similar to education). They also talk about Russell's belief that education is partly as conveying and passing on a sense of awe at the mystery of life, and Russell shares how he makes his students feel heard and seen by attempting to experience life as they know and experience it.

This week, Jon speaks with John Barton, an architecture professor and Resident Fellow at Stanford University, director of Stanford’s Architectural Design Program, and an architect in private practice. John discusses how he challenges the power imbalances that can exist between students and instructors in the classroom, as well as how he’s reimagined the way Architecture classes are structured in order to make them more student-centered. John also shares why he believes each classroom should be a place of joy and collaboration, and how he tries to ensure that his students are remaining healthy and happy while learning.

This week, Jon speaks with Debbie Fermo, one of Jon’s colleagues in the English department at The Pennington School, a former professor at the United States Naval Academy, and a former commander in the Navy. Debbie and Jon discuss the preconceptions Debbie encounters from both students and colleagues regarding her military background, as well as the importance of fostering relationships with students and having difficult conversations around the topics of kindness and equity.

This week, Jon speaks with Chris Lee-Rodriguez, a teaching artist, former classroom music teacher, and guitarist and vocalist in Really From, an indie-jazz band based in Boston. Jon and Chris speak about Chris' experiences adapting to his first few years of teaching, and they explore the ups and downs Chris has encountered as he's transitioned from being in the classroom to his work as a teaching artist. Chris also discusses some of the issues he sees with national education policy and practices, and how that can affect both students and educators.

This week's episode features Sarah Koppelkam, an English teacher at a charter school in Northa Carolina--and co-host of "The Koppelkast." Jon and Sarah speak about how Sarah's love of learning wasn't fully nurtured by her high school experience--and how she's been able to better cultivate it during her time as a teacher and foster a love of learning in her students. They also discuss Sarah's experience as a queer educator, as well as the negative misconceptions many hold about today's youth.

This week, Jon has the pleasure of speaking with Randy, an English and History teacher at a New England boarding school. Jon and Randy speak about the ways in which Randy carries out his commitment to vulnerability and authenticity in his interactions with his students, as well as what it looks like for Randy to take risks and fail with grace in the classroom. Plus, Randy asks Jon about his experiences with the pros and cons of being a young teacher.

This week’s conversation is with Lisa Houston, a Middle School English teacher, Upper School Drama teacher, and Middle School Dean of Students—and one of Jon's current colleagues! Jon and Lisa speak about the ways in which teaching provides both a creative outlet for Lisa, as well as an opportunity for continued growth and learning at every stage of her career. They also touch on the joys and challenges that Lisa has encountered while raising a family while teaching and living at a boarding school, and Lisa shares her belief in the power and importance of being true and loyal to oneself as an educator.

This week, Jon speaks with Mike Laramie, a special education teacher at a charter school in Arizona. Jon and Mike talk about how people tend to respond when Mike tells them he's a special ed teacher, and Mike reinforces how important it is to keep students' individual needs as the main factor in decisions made by educators. Mike also discusses some of the ways that both students and educators are being failed by the education system, and how the #RedForEd movement is attempting to address those issues.

For the first episode of the pod, Jon talks with Samm, an English teacher and director of diversity at an independent boarding school. Jon and Samm discuss Samm's initial expectations of life as a private school teacher, as well as the role that identity plays in her approach as a teacher. Plus, Jon gives Samm a challenge that involves capturing her essence as a teacher.