Episode Summary

In this episode, I, Mr. Funky Teacher, Nicholas Kleve, reflect on Day 3 of the National Teacher Leadership Conference 2025: Ignite the Magic in Orlando, Florida. I share how the day began with an early morning wellness walk around the Disney Yacht Club Resort grounds, and how something as simple as walking with fellow educators helped my physical and mental health and set the tone for a day of learning, connection, and gratitude.

I talk about the Books Not Bullets keynote, led by Sandy Hook survivor and teacher Abby Clements and other powerful educators, and how the documentary “Death by Number” and their stories deepened my understanding of gun violence, grief, trauma, and advocacy. I also unpack my conflicted feelings—feeling the uphill battle of this work, yet knowing that doing nothing isn’t an option when it comes to protecting our students and schools.

I then dive into the social emotional learning session for school leaders led by my friend Dr. Brianna Ross and her team from Prince George’s County. I share what I learned about building SEL into the fabric of a district, focusing on self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills, responsible decision-making, and social awareness. I reflect on the closing session, the joy of dancing and laughing together, the sense of hope I’m carrying forward, and my own closing comments about being in a dark time in education yet still believing in the light we create together.

Finally, I share a deeply personal moment as I leave the conference—car camping in a rented minivan, paddling in Titusville to see bioluminescence, and returning to Cocoa Beach, the same beach I visited with my parents and brother 23 years ago right before my first teaching job. Sitting on that beach, thinking about my mom, my family, my 22 years of teaching, and my next chapter at Winnebago Public Schools, I feel humbled, grateful, and determined to keep inspiring greatness in young people and to keep being a funky teacher.

Show Notes

• Early-morning wellness walk around the Disney Yacht Club Resort and the mental/physical power of daily walking

• Books Not Bullets session with Sandy Hook teacher Abby Clements and the Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence organization

• Reflections on the “Death by Number” documentary and the long-term impact of school shootings on survivors, families, and communities

• Discussion of secure gun storage, school safety, and why doing nothing is not an option for teacher leaders

• Social emotional learning for school leaders with Dr. Brianna Ross and the Prince George’s County SEL model

• Closing session moments of hope, shared reflection, dancing, and a public reminder that tough times require tough, united educators

• Road-trip transition into stand up paddling, bioluminescence in Titusville, and a powerful return to Cocoa Beach to honor family, teaching, and the next chapter at Winnebago Public Schools

Key Takeaways

• Walking and movement are simple but powerful practices for both physical and mental wellness

• School shootings leave deep, lifelong emotional and mental health impacts on survivors and communities

• Teachers have a responsibility and a voice in advocating for safer schools and secure gun storage

• Social emotional learning must be woven into the culture and systems of a district, not treated as “one more thing”

• Even in dark times for public education, there is real hope when educators come together, tell the truth, and support one another

• Returning to meaningful places and honoring family and personal history can refuel our purpose as teacher leaders