Dustin and Ghazali close out Season 3 of Teachers Talkin’ with a practical conversation about setting your future teacher self up for a stronger start. As educators head into summer break or time away from school, this episode focuses on how to find the right balance between rest, reflection, and preparation.

Rather than using the break to either work nonstop or completely disconnect until the last minute, Dustin and Ghazali explore small, intentional moves that can make the next school year or semester feel more manageable. They discuss reflecting on what worked and what didn’t, tightening classroom routines and procedures, planning ahead without overworking, building consistency from day one, and setting personal boundaries that protect energy and sustainability.

This season finale is a reminder that taking care of your future teacher self does not mean sacrificing your break. It means being thoughtful about what will help you return with more clarity, stronger systems, and a better chance of keeping school from taking over your life.

We are always looking for passionate members of the education world to join us and talk about tips and strategies to support teachers! You don’t have to be any kind of expert, just someone who is passionate about education and teachers. If that is you, please fill out this form to let us know what you want to discuss and choose a time to record with us: https://forms.gle/C21egnAUCw25gmZTA

Dustin and Ghazali talk with Katie Ludes to discuss reading instruction, the science of reading, and what it means to support readers across K–12. Our guiding question is, “How does the science of reading and learning impact instruction and outcomes across K–12?”

Katie Ludes has spent 25 years in education, including work as a teacher, reading interventionist, coach, and EL coordinator. Throughout her career, she has supported students and teachers across grade levels while helping educators better understand what actually moves the needle for students becoming stronger readers. In this conversation, Katie discusses why reading comprehension is the outcome, why content-area teachers play such an important role in literacy, how morphology and academic language impact secondary students, and why reading support matters for student confidence, behavior, and access to learning.

We are always looking for passionate members of the education world to join us and talk about tips and strategies to support teachers! You don’t have to be any kind of expert, just someone who is passionate about education and teachers. If that is you, please fill out this form to let us know what you want to discuss and choose a time to record with us: https://forms.gle/vS3VxdevfDC1VJcm6

Dustin and Ghazali talk with Shuayb Abdi, an educator-turned-founder working with international schools across Southeast Asia and the Middle East, to discuss the growing gap between AI policy and what’s actually happening in classrooms—especially in contexts where class sizes are large, resources are limited, and traditional assessment models are strained. Together, they explore why many schools stay stuck in fear-based, reactive approaches (like bans and “catching cheating”), and what it looks like to move toward practical implementation through teacher training, thoughtful guardrails, data privacy, and AI tools that actually support learning and reclaim teacher time.

Our guiding question is, ‘How do we move from AI policy to classroom practice in ways that truly support teachers and improve student learning—without sacrificing safety, trust, or equity?’

Shuayb Abdi is an educator-turned-founder who supports international and emerging-market schools in using AI in practical, classroom-ready ways. With experience working across Southeast Asia and the Middle East, Shuayb focuses on helping teachers improve outcomes while reducing workload—through stronger AI fluency, better implementation strategies, and tools designed with classroom realities in mind. He also runs a coding bootcamp that has helped hundreds of people learn to code and transition into tech, including many former educators, and he is passionate about helping schools prepare students and teachers for an AI-shaped future.

We are always looking for passionate members of the education world to join us and talk about tips and strategies to support teachers! You don't have to be any kind of expert, just someone who is passionate about education and teachers. If that is you, please fill out this form to let us know what you want to discuss and choose a time to record with us: https://forms.gle/CVUTHrwTRuqJo7FY8

In this short episode of Teachers Talkin’, Dustin Tatroe explains why the end of testing can’t become the end of learning, especially in early May when students and teachers feel summer approaching and routines start to slip. He argues that tight, consistent systems—do nows, transitions, attention signals, work-time expectations, and follow-through on missing work—matter most at the end of the year because predictability prevents chaos. Dustin also warns against “filler” activities (like showing movies just to pass time) and encourages keeping fun purposeful and rigorous through discussion, analysis, and text-to-film comparisons. He recommends using the final weeks as a bridge to the next grade level by building reading stamina, strengthening evidence-based writing and discussion skills, and reinforcing organization and independent work habits. Finally, he frames reflection as an academic task through goal-setting, presentations, and student feedback to improve teaching.

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Dustin Tatroe and Ghazali Abdul Wahab welcome Jake Bersin, a health and physical education teacher in Worcester Public Schools and host of MAHPERD’s Voices from the Field, to discuss “practice with a partner” and how colleagues can make growth visible and sustainable. Jake contrasts side-by-side practice with casual advice by emphasizing SMART goals, agendas, accountability, and mentoring aligned to Massachusetts teaching standards while staying non-evaluative. He shares concrete classroom moves like greeting students at the door, starting PE with instant activities, using visuals and video modeling for ELLs, and setting observation focal points. The group explores building trust, co-creating goals and boundaries, using reflective questions, allowing productive struggle, and refining strategies with timelines. Jake closes with a partnership success story using a 12-week martial arts program to support students’ self-control, reflection, and growth.

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Dustin and Ghazali welcome returning guest Ryan Nicolas Leong to explore how educators can make learning fun through GenAI-powered world building. Ryan explains that as AI becomes an equalizer, the key question shifts from whether teachers use AI to how they create immersive, trust-building experiences that spark curiosity and make “dry” topics engaging. He outlines a practical workflow using GenAI to generate images, music, scripts, voices, and characters, then layering human values and clear story structure for consistency. Ryan shares a case study from a national anti-scam education program built with partners, blending a sci-fi narrative with real articles and victim stories, later extending into an interactive mobile game. He also discusses starting small with existing edutainment models, using simple role play, creating reusable “bots” (Gemini Gems/ChatGPT projects), measuring learning through story recall, and turning AI errors into critical-thinking moments.

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In this episode, Dustin and Ghazali welcome Marlene Tapia Garcia to talk about what it really takes to move growth mindset beyond classroom posters and into daily practice that creates more equitable learning opportunities. Marlene shares how students’ confidence is shaped by past experiences and why “I can’t” often reflects learned beliefs—not ability. She explains how teachers can build systems that make growth visible and attainable, including self-paced and mastery-based structures, consistent feedback, meaningful revision opportunities, and student leadership roles like peer “teacher assistants.” Marlene also brings in her perspective as an educator from Mexico working in a two-way dual language setting, highlighting how language, belonging, and classroom culture play a powerful role in helping students take academic risks. This conversation is full of real classroom examples and practical moves for educators who want every student to feel supported, capable, and challenged.

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Dustin Tatroe and Ghazali Abdul Wahab celebrate the 50th episode of Teachers Talkin’ with a Podcasthon bonus episode spotlighting the Les Turner ALS Foundation. They reflect on five standout moments: Joe Dale on AI for language learning (and improving podcast sound quality), their boundaries-and-balance episode on avoiding burnout, Connie Rasmussen on outdoor learning, Kip Morales on building classroom relationships through environment, energy, positivity, and student-led structures, and Ryan Nicholas Leon on student wellbeing through creative role-play and channeling student energy. They share honorable mentions featuring Rob Barnett (Modern Classrooms Project), Bobby Canosa- Carr (challenging school power dynamics), Dean Marolla (principal leadership), and Javier Payano (Human Values Collective).

Dustin explains his mother’s recent ALS diagnosis and includes an interview with her about ALS, symptoms, support, and Les Turner’s free services, then both hosts connect the message to how schools can support students and staff carrying heavy burdens and encourage donations or sharing the episode. Donate here: https://lesturnerals.org/make-a-donation/

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