What if your students were living their own version of Severance? In this episode, I explore how science fiction can illuminate the hidden architecture of our classrooms — starting with the unsettling parallels between the world of Severance and the way students split their authentic thinking from academic performance.

From AI-written essays to the quiet grief of “bleed-through moments,” this is a look into cognitive residue, compartmentalized learning, and what it takes to build a classroom that resists separation and invites wholeness.

"Back in the day, (before COVID) students could actually focus..." Every teacher has heard it. Many of us have said it.

But what if our fears about "kids these days" are hiding something deeper - something the we as teachers haven't been ready to talk about that speaks to something real and urgent in education?

Let's talk about what's really at stake.

Flash sale - https://english-classroom-architect.thrivecart.com/ducks-in-a-row-bundle/

In 1996, Michael Johnson won two Olympic golds by training less intensely than his competitors. Weird, right?

Explore how the counterintuitive concept of 'sub-maximal' training—focusing on sustainability over constant maximum effort—might be the key to teaching excellence without burnout.

This episode challenges everything you think you know about peak performance in the classroom.

Resources Mentioned:

• Energy Aligned Guide: https://english-classroom-architect.thrivecart.com/energy-aligned-teaching-guide/

Why do we design our teaching as if we'll never need coverage when (almost) every teacher needs it multiple times a year? Stop coming to school sick. Stop creating emergency plans at 5AM. Stop pretending the need for coverage won't happen. Let's rethink how we plan for reality and build something sustainable. Get 10 FREE Emergency Sub Plans: https://buildingbooklove.com/ela-emergency-sub-plans-for-middle-school-and-high-school-english/ Literary Springboard Resource: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Say-Mean-Matter-Chart-and-Variation-Springboard-Analysis-for-any-text-9482514

How did Spotify turn "you listened to Taylor Swift for 10,483 minutes" into a story you couldn't wait to share? Meanwhile, we're still sharing student growth through numbers and charts.

Something's not adding up.

There's something here that could enhance how we celebrate student growth - and no, I'm not suggestion you try to turn your students' analytical progression into a viral moment.

But what if progress felt less like a data dump ad more like a story worth sharing?

Here's what teachers can learn from Spotify's storytelling magic - and how to use it without exhausting ourselves in the process.

"I agree with what they said."

It's possibly the most dreaded phrase in literary discussions. The polite nodding. The surface sharing. The performance of analysis without any real meaning building.

But what if the problem isn't our students or even the text? What if it's how we structure the discussion itself?

Drawing from years of teaching Macbeth, this episode breaks down the engineering behind discussions that actually work. We'll explore scene mapping strategies, pattern analysis frameworks, and the specific structures that transform student contributions from random observations into genuine literary analysis.

It's time to make the simple "I agree" obsolete.

Resources

• Transform Macbeth Literary Analysis with Systematic Jigsaw Discussions (Product)
• Moving Beyond "Good Point": Building Powerful Literary Analysis Discussions (Blog Post)
• Discussion Toolkit (Freebie)

In this episode, we go beyond the witches to explore how Macbeth offers insights into ambition, performance, and mental health—both in the play and in the classroom.

Tune in for:

• Ambition and Inner Conflict: How Macbeth’s public persona hides his private fears—and how this mirrors the experience of teachers.

• Music Connections: Explore thematic connections with Janelle Monáe’s “Tightrope.”
• Fact-Checking the Witches: A classroom activity where students analyze equivocation in the witches' prophecies and fact-check modern political speeches.
• Teacher Reflection: Insights on walking the tightrope of teaching, balancing external performance with internal well-being.
• Practical Ideas: Strategies and activities you can use right away to engage students with Macbeth.

Whether you’re looking to explore Gothic themes, mental health, or fresh ways to teach Macbeth, this episode offers both inspiration and practical tools.

Get the Spooky Bundle, Volume 2! https://shop.mudandinkteaching.org/spookyelabundle2/dazlp (my affiliate link)

As October rolls in, join us for a haunting exploration of Gothic literature in the classroom. In this episode, we'll uncover new ways to approach Gothic Literature.

Discover how to:

• Transform literary analysis into a spooky architectural adventure
• Layer Gothic elements across classic and contemporary works
• Apply critical approaches that slice into texts like judges on a baking show
• Use modern twists like The Sixth Sense to illuminate timeless themes

Lets reflect on the challenges of October teaching and how Gothic literature can be a bridge to deeper engagement. From Macbeth to Mexican Gothic, from yellow wallpaper to silver screens, I'll share how I'm creating rigorous, engaging lessons that resonate with today's students.