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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54 episodes
May 12, 2026
Rethinking Assessment in an AI World
In this episode, I reflect on how AI is pushing educators to rethink assessment and what it truly means to measure student understanding. I share a recent experience…
May 11, 2026
What Learning Looks Like Now
In this episode, I reflect on a classroom moment where a student clearly understood a science concept verbally but struggled to express that understanding in written form. That…
May 8, 2026
Balancing Structure and Flexibility
In this episode, I reflect on the balance between structure and flexibility in teaching and how some of the best learning happens when we allow space for students…
May 7, 2026
When Tools Become Teachable Moments
In this episode, I reflect on the reality that some of the most meaningful moments in teaching are not planned ahead of time. Sometimes a tool, a question,…
May 6, 2026
Teaching with AI, Not Against It
In this episode, I reflect on the growing conversation around AI in education and why I believe the focus should not be on resisting AI, but on learning…
May 5, 2026
Modeling Lifelong Learning
In this episode, I reflect on the reality that students are always watching us, not just listening to what we teach. They pay attention to how we respond,…
May 4, 2026
Teachers as Guides, Not Deliverers
In this episode, I reflect on the role of the teacher and how it goes beyond simply delivering information. There’s a natural instinct to step in and help…
May 1, 2026
Skills That Transfer Everywhere
In this episode, I focus on the idea that some of the most important things students learn are the skills that don’t stay in one place. While content…
Apr 30, 2026
Curiosity as Career Preparation
In this episode, I focus on the role curiosity plays in preparing students for the future. While we often talk about skills and knowledge, I believe curiosity is…
Apr 29, 2026
Why Careers Will Keep Changing
In this episode, I reflect on a major career change in my own life and how that experience reshaped my thinking about what careers are supposed to look…
Apr 28, 2026
Teaching Adaptability Instead of Certainty
In this episode, I reflect on a moment early in my teaching career when everything changed unexpectedly, and how that experience shaped my understanding of adaptability. That moment…
Apr 27, 2026
Preparing Students for Jobs That Don’t Exist Yet
In this episode, I take on a phrase we hear often in education—preparing students for jobs that don’t exist yet—and unpack what that really means in practice. While…