Think back to the last time you heard someone talking about Jon Snow, Danerys Targaryen, or Tyrion Lannister? Binge-watching the final season with your eyebrows permanently raised and wondering if you missed a PD session on plot twists? Maybe you were dodging spoilers like arrows at the Battle of the Bastards, or rewatching the Red Wedding to confirm that, yes, it was that traumatic. Or maybe you were listening to a trio of edu-podcasters drawing some fiery parallels between Westeros and the world of professional learning. Whatever the case may be, let's hop back on the dragon and soar into all the political intrigue, power plays, and unexpected character arcs of Game of Thrones—to revisit the connections we made back in 2021.

This rerun I’m bending the knee to one of our most iconic episodes: "Pop Culture Playground: Game of Thrones”, which originally aired June 17, 2021. Four winters (and summers) have come and gone, and this one still rules the realm. It’s my chosen favorite to revisit and share with my fellow Guildmates and listeners. Whether you're a seasoned dragon rider or a “sweet summer child”, give it a listen. Warning: side effects may include insight, inspiration, and the sudden urge to shout, “King in the North!” Because some episodes don’t just play the game—they win it.

We are now reflecting on one of our favorite offbeat mashups: that time we explored What We Do in the Shadows, the mockumentary about New Zealand or Staten Island’s most lovable vampire roommates. The movie and later developed TV show actually sucked us into some pretty powerful reflections on teaching and learning. From Colin Robinson’s energy vampire tendencies—to Laszlo’s chaotic charm and Nandor’s eternal quest for finding his why, we found ourselves asking: What does it really mean to lead, to learn, and to live… forever… in the classroom? So let’s take time unearthing What We Do in the Shadows of the classroom and see what’s changed since we last aired.

We have covered some pretty intense shows in our pop culture playground series - including the global phenomenons game of thrones and tiger king. But I think some of our most interesting and insightful educational connections have come from a vampire movie AND its companion series in spite of its bloody violence, crude sexual content, and language. Thankfully, it’s bloody hilarious too. Our What We Do in the Shadows minisode first aired August 23rd, 2023. Enjoy!

Where were you the last time you heard the names Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin? Binge watching the surprise mega hit “The Tiger King” during the pandemic? Maybe catching the sequel a few years after or Carole dancing to Eye of the Tiger on Dancing with the Stars ? Or maybe listening to a few first-year education podcasters having a little fun connecting with listeners during summer break? Whatever the case may be, welcome back   - we’re setting our sights on all the craziness of the Tiger King and the connections we made back in 2021 between the world of edu & learning and the world of tiger cub selfies and expired Walmart baloney.

We’re shifting gears in our reflection series and about to throw the spotlight on our mini episodes. Back in the summer of 2021, we were still wondering how we’d emotionally, mentally or physically recover from the chaos of that first year of “pandemic teaching”. Almost as much as we were wondering at the time if a one, Carole Baskin, actually fed her husband to a tiger. To get right into it - and avoid lawsuits - let’s jump into an episode full of connections and laughs that we really needed back in June of 2021.

In the 2008 pop anthem “Circus”, Britney sings “There's only two types of people in the world The ones that entertain, and the ones that observe”; however, in this season 1 throwback episode, we asserted that those in the observe camp likely are caught in the Apathy Zone. In this episode, we considered research about zones of optimal learning and also more Toxic zones that keep people’s heads slippin’ under with anxiety and yes, apathy. When it comes to learning, we all better work, not just sit back and watch. If you like your discussions of social psychology and learning theory balanced with song lyrics and red pleather jumpsuits, you’re in the right spot.

The episode slash dance party you are about to hear was released on May 27, 2021, and the Guild had just as much fun preparing for it as we did recording it. With solid evidence on anxiety and apathy from Harvard Business school and how this entangles with all things Britney Spears, we had hours of pop lyrics to study in order to flex our metaphorical moves. I knew we had to revisit this one, if for no other reason than so we can say “Oops We Did it, Again.” So let’s all hit this Baby, One more time.

Even if navigating change sometimes feels like trying to herd cats, it's important to remember as Leslie Knope says ,"every obstacle is an opportunity to prove how awesome you are.” Feeling part of a community, as we know, is so vital for student and educator success - and given the stresses, trials, and victories that come with being in the field of education and leadership, change is going to happen. So, how do we maintain those relationships and not fall into a metaphorical pit as when change or transitions come our way? The question is as prevalent now as it was nearly 3 years ago. So before GLG takes a running leap and learns to fly towards what’s ahead” let’s reflect on “Network Connectivity Problems” - and what we can do to keep our connections “Leslie Knope & Ann Perkins” strong…

It’s fitting that we are returning back to our February 3rd, 2022 episode in this second set of our featured episodes on belonging and leadership. In this episode, entitled Network Connectivity issues, we shared with our listeners how we as a guild maintained our connection and commitment to creating as we went through the first of several major shifts.  Because unlike Ron Swanson, we are always interested in caring about people…even if we haven’t worked with them for three years.  Stay tuned!

This episode you’re about to listen to is one that I, Jenni, remember so fondly yet listen back to and lovingly cringe. It originally aired on February 4, 2021, in the heart of the pandemic, when all teachers were unvaccinated, masked up and hybrid teaching to sets of eyeballs and ceiling fans. If we hadn’t yet learned how to make it work, then, we’ve surely earned our designer stripes by now. Hope you enjoy this re-listen as much as we did and agree how the Make it Work Mindset still applies, maybe even more so, today.

Early literacy development can seem alien to us secondary teachers, but we can’t “leave students’ literacy fates up to chance.” That's where explicit vocabulary instruction comes in. Before this episode aired, we heard from an early literacy expert and writer Dr. Amy Stewart on what the “Science of Reading” movement was, and the responsibilities it brings to all teachers, but especially secondary teachers in helping students acquire the vocabulary they need before they can comprehend text. In this upcoming episode, we’ll reminisce about our favorite moments and behind the scenes memories. If you haven’t listened back yet, we replayed it in our previous episode…So if you’re caught up, stay tuned!

As educators, we are all very used to the fact that the work we pour our hearts into most is ultimately fleeting. After all, our elementary school students are only with us for 6-7 years; our middle school students top out at 3, and our high school students, of course, are typically out the door and on the way to their futures in a mere four years. Looking at this podcast through that lens, going into season 5 makes us pretty proud of how long the Grounded Learners Guild has stuck around! As a guild, we thought long and hard about how we wanted our 5th and final season to play out and we landed on this: like the coaches we are, we want to walk the walk when it comes to creating a collective experience of reflection and growth. So even though we are dealing with the bittersweet reality that “all good things must come to an end” also applies to our beloved podcast, we’re truly excited to spend some time this season looking back on the episodes we’ve recorded, topics we’ve covered, and of course, the games we’ve played. And we hope you, listeners, will have some laughs, find some new learning, and enjoy reflecting right along with us.

Bonjour, GLG listeners! It might seem “rather odd” to compare math to Disney’s iconic take on “Beauty and the Beast” but bear with us here - A bookish protagonist finds herself torn between two worlds - between the love she has grown into and those who have yet to see the value and beauty under what seems dark, confusing, and . . . requires attention to precision? Now you can see where we’re going with this…and we’ve found a qualified expert to “be our guest” on this enchanted mathematical adventure. Join us!