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
Apr 24, 2026
Collaboration as a Human Skill
In this episode, I talk about why collaboration still matters deeply, even in a time when students can work more independently than ever before. Just because students can…
Apr 23, 2026
Creativity Isn’t a Prompt
In this episode, I talk about how creativity is being misunderstood in a world where students can generate polished work quickly. Just because something looks creative doesn’t mean…
Apr 22, 2026
Ethics Cannot Be Outsourced
In this episode, I talk about why ethics cannot be outsourced, especially in a time when students have access to powerful tools that can generate answers and complete…
Apr 21, 2026
Critical Thinking in a Generative World
In this episode, I talk about the growing challenge of teaching critical thinking in a world where students can generate answers instantly. Just because something looks complete or…
Apr 20, 2026
Discernment Over Information
In this episode, I talk about the difference between having access to information and actually understanding it. We are living in a time where students can find answers…
Apr 17, 2026
Relationships Still Anchor Learning
In this episode, I talk about how much is changing in education right now—new tools, new systems, new conversations—but I come back to something that hasn’t changed. Relationships…
Apr 16, 2026
Learning as a Human Act
In this episode, I talk about how learning is often being treated like a system—something to optimize, speed up, and make more efficient. But I think we have…
Apr 15, 2026
The Purpose of School Revisited
In this episode, I take a step back and revisit a big question—what is school actually for? It’s easy to get caught up in lessons, standards, and assessments,…
Apr 14, 2026
Why Memorization Isn’t the Enemy
This episode explores a shift in education thinking—moving away from memorization—and challenges the idea that memorization is outdated or unnecessary. It reframes memorization as a valuable part of…
Apr 13, 2026
Content Was Never the Point
This episode challenges a long-standing belief in education—that the goal is to cover content. It shifts the focus toward a deeper question: whether content was ever truly the…
Apr 10, 2026
Speed Is Not Understanding
In this episode, I talk about the push toward speed in learning and why faster is not always better. It can feel productive when things move quickly, but…
Apr 9, 2026
Automation vs. Judgment
In this episode, I talk about the growing shift toward automation and why that raises an important question for us as educators—what still requires human judgment? While automation…