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In this episode of Playing Teacher, Robert, Matthew, and Brugge dive deep into the bittersweet—and sometimes hilarious—world of teachers leaving their jobs and the hidden realities behind the classroom door.

They talk about:

• The emotional chaos of packing up years of teaching memories into giant bags
• The secret hideouts teachers swear by to survive the school day (side lab supremacy, anyone?)
• Epic hide-and-seek strategies for teachers and kids alike
• Professional development’s most uncomfortable moments—including yoga sessions gone very wrong
• Recession Santa horrors and gifts no one wanted

It’s raw, funny, and painfully real—because sometimes the hardest lesson is knowing when to walk away. And sometimes… you just need to hide under a desk.

🎧 Tune in for stories only teachers could tell—and some you definitely shouldn’t tell at staff meetings.

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In this unforgettable episode of Playing Teacher, Rob, Brugge, and Matthew take us behind the scenes of one of the most chaotic rituals in education: the school field trip.

It all begins with a subway disaster—Matthew describes watching a class trip unravel on public transit, complete with unsupervised elementary students and overwhelmed teachers. That story kicks off a deep (and hilarious) dive into the real logistics, emotional toll, and occasional absurdity of planning field trips as educators.

Brugge brings the heat with a list of classic class trip tales, including the time a second-grade class learned about Australian culture at... Outback Steakhouse. She also recalls her very wrong turn in Philadelphia, being lost during a track team trip, and managing Minecraft and cheerleading excursions gone sideways. Rob reflects on the stress of real emergencies, recounting moments where students weren’t picked up after events or had to be taken to the hospital—situations that blur the line between teacher and crisis responder.

The team shares their own memories from childhood trips (or lack thereof), reflects on how school trip culture has changed, and closes with some lighter moments, including a teetering school bus on a concrete divider, He-Man nostalgia, and Brugge's upcoming job interview.

If you've ever planned a field trip, survived one, or just want to hear what it's really like from the teachers' side of the clipboard, this one’s for you.

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In Episode 13 of Playing Teacher, we pull back the curtain on one of the most absurd realities of working in education: calling out sick. From planning sub folders while mid-fever to writing emergency plans in a NyQuil haze, we explore the ridiculous, guilt-ridden, and occasionally hilarious world of teacher absences.

We talk about:

• The unspoken Olympics-level effort required just to stay home
• Why "mental health day" is code for “I’ve snapped but still care enough to write 6 pages of sub plans”
• The emotional toll of guilt vs. the physical toll of working sick
• The secret strategy game of “Should I call out tomorrow?”
• Top 10 funniest reasons students have given for their absences (spoiler: they’re amazing)

Whether you're a teacher, parent, or student, this episode will make you laugh, nod in agreement, and maybe… finally take that day off you’ve earned 17 times over.

🎧 Listen now, and don't forget to like, subscribe, and call out tomorrow. You deserve it.

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