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.
Podcast Media Library
Search the archive, browse by topic or series, and open an episode to listen or explore the ideas that matter to you.
Browse by topic
Browse by series
309 episodes
Jun 3, 2026
Why This Work Is Still Sacred
In this episode, I reflect on the former students who have found me years after leaving my classroom. Some have chased me down in stores to share what…
Jun 2, 2026
Teaching with Hope, Not Fear
In this episode, I share one of the more personal seasons of my teaching career. After losing my mom, I found myself feeling professionally and emotionally stuck. I…
Jun 1, 2026
What Will Always Matter in Teaching
In this episode, I reflect on how much education has changed during my 23 years in the classroom. Technology, curriculum, assessments, standards, expectations, systems, and now artificial intelligence…
May 31, 2026
Sunday School for Teachers: Nehemiah — Rebuilding What’s Broken
In this episode of Sunday School for Teachers, I reflect on the story of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls. After hearing that the city remained broken…
May 30, 2026
Saturday Stories Leadership Kit: Stop Hatred and Meanness — That’s Not Funny
In this Saturday Stories Leadership Kit episode, I introduce the value of sensitivity to differences and the skill of stopping hatred and meanness. The story, “That’s Not Funny,”…
May 29, 2026
Staying Grounded in Shifting Systems
In this episode, I reflect on a season following COVID when educators returned expecting to continue exploring language arts curriculum options, only to discover that major decisions had…
May 28, 2026
Teaching When Change Is Mandated
In this episode, I reflect on the reality that change is one of the few guarantees in education. New initiatives, programs, expectations, assessments, and systems constantly emerge. Some…
May 27, 2026
Guarding Humanity in Policy Decisions
In this episode, I reflect on one of the ongoing tensions many educators experience between educational policy and classroom reality. Using state testing as an example, I discuss…
May 26, 2026
Why Relationships Resist Automation
In this episode, I reflect on working with a student who struggled with selective mutism and found speaking in front of others incredibly difficult. Progress did not happen…
May 25, 2026
When Systems Chase Efficiency
In this episode, I reflect on my experiences working within educational systems where pacing guides and curricular expectations became extremely tight. Grade-level teams were often expected to stay…
May 24, 2026
Sunday School for Teachers: The Upper Room — Unity in Uncertainty
In this episode of Sunday School for Teachers, I reflect on the disciples gathering in the upper room after Jesus had risen and ascended into heaven. They found…
May 23, 2026
Saturday Stories — Leadership Kit: Spread Tolerance — The Group Project
In this episode of Saturday Stories: Leadership Kit, I introduce a story called The Group Project, which focuses on helping students understand the importance of spreading tolerance. Through…