This week's mini-episode is a compilation of 3 of the funniest teaching stories guests have shared on the I Still Believe in School Podcast. I hope it brings a smile to your face this week.

Dr. Dave chats with Dr. Joanna Batt – an award winning social studies teacher, professor, and researcher – who also happens to be one of his best friends from grad school. Joanna plays "Teacher Feature Trivia" to support Ms. Thiesen's Donors Choose Project to get Lunar New Year materials for her kindergarteners.

Dr. Dave talks about the power of self-compassion for reducing feelings of stress and burnout among teachers, and how learning to be more self-compassionate can increase job satisfaction. He shares a simple self-compassion practice listeners can do while listening to the episode and shares examples from his own student teaching journal about the stress he experienced as a developing teacher and how, years later, he would have reframed his stress with self-compassion. These vignettes are shared in his book, Addressing Stress with Self-Compassion: A Guide for Early Childhood Teachers published by Teachers College Press.

Dave chats with veteran early childhood teacher,Leanne Switzer, who was also his next-door-classroom-neighbor from the Boston Public Schools. Leanne shares her insights from 20 years of being an inclusion teacher and plays Teacher Feature Trivia to help fundraise for the Josiah Quincy Elementary School Library (where we taught together for 10 years).

Dr. Dave shares specific practices teachers can utilize to support children who may be experiencing trauma in general, and specifically as a result of the harmful actions of the current administration. Visit the I Still Believe in School website for additional resources shared in this episode. All opinions expressed are Dr. Dave's.

In the season 2 premiere, Dr. Dave talks with his middle and high school Latin teachers, Mrs. Gayle Hightower and Mrs. Marilyn Archibald. They play Teacher Feature Trivia to get graphic novels of the Aeneid for Mr. Maguire's junior Latin students in Boston, MA.

In the Season 1 Finale of "I Still Believe in School" Dr. Dave shares how his love for music inspired him as a teacher and podcaster - he shares a recording from 2011 of his kindergarteners performing "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out!" by Cat Stevens and teases the season 2 premiere episode which will air on January 27th, 2025.

Dr. Dave chats with long-time friend, veteran first-grade teacher, and former coworker, Beverly Friberg. She plays Teacher Feature Trivia to help support her elementary school's library - the same school where Dave taught kindergarten!