Be A Funky Teacher Podcast
Real conversations for educators who care deeply about the work.
Classroom stories, practical ideas, teacher well-being, leadership, student voice, and honest reflection from Mr. Funky Teacher, Nicholas Kleve.
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37 episodes
Feb 24, 2026
You Can Care Without Carrying Everything
In this episode, I explore the critical distinction between caring and carrying. Teaching attracts people who care deeply — about students, growth, fairness, and outcomes. But over time,…
Feb 23, 2026
Protecting Your Energy
In this episode, I explore why protecting your energy may be one of the most important leadership habits teachers can develop. Educators are trained to give — instruction,…
Feb 20, 2026
Naming What’s Broken Without Losing Hope
In this episode, I explore how educators can honestly name what’s broken in education without losing hope. There are policies, systems, and expectations that create strain. Pretending everything…
Feb 19, 2026
What Teachers Are Actually Asking For
Sometimes the conversation around education gets loud. There are debates, policies, opinions, and constant commentary. But in the middle of all that noise, what teachers are asking for…
Feb 17, 2026
Burnout Is Not a Personal Failure
In this episode, I name something too many teachers carry quietly: burnout. The exhaustion, the emotional fatigue, the sense of being stretched thin. I say clearly that burnout…
Jan 21, 2026
The Emotional Weight Teachers Carry
Teaching is emotional work, and I wanted to slow this episode down enough to name that honestly. The weight teachers carry does not show up in pacing guides,…
Jan 20, 2026
When You’re Tired but Still Show Up
In this episode, I name something that does not get said enough in education. Many teachers are not burned out. They are just tired. I explore the difference…
Dec 19, 2025
Listening To Student Interests Matters Just As Much: Why Connection Is A Two Way Street
This episode flips the lens on connection in the classroom by focusing on why listening to student interests matters just as much as sharing our own. As Mr.…
Dec 18, 2025
Let Kids See You’re Human: Why Sharing Your Interests Build Stronger Relationships
This episode explores the power of letting students see the human side of their teacher and why that connection matters so deeply. As Mr. Funky Teacher, Nicholas Kleve,…
Dec 8, 2025
Secondhand Trauma, The Emotional Weight Teachers Carry And Rarely Talk About
In this episode, I talk openly about secondhand trauma and the emotional weight teachers carry simply by caring deeply for students who are hurting. As Mr. Funky Teacher,…
Nov 19, 2025
Teachers Leave Bad Administration, Period
This episode speaks to a hard truth in education that I have seen play out again and again. As Mr. Funky Teacher, Nicholas Kleve, I share why teachers…
Nov 11, 2025
Protect Your Peace: No One’s Coming To Save You
In this episode, I reflect on a message that stopped me in my tracks: no one is coming to save us as teachers. As Mr. Funky Teacher, Nicholas…