Too Dope Teachers and a Mic

The fellas are back post-strike! Today they discuss life after the strike and the continued quest for justice in public schools. Subscribe today!

The fellas are back post-strike! Today they discuss life after the strike and the continued quest for justice in public schools. Subscribe today!

The fellas are back, and it's gettin' real! The block is hot, with nearly 4,000 teachers taking to the streets of Denver, demanding fair pay. We try to make sense of this historical moment, one of national significance, and decompress after a full day of marching, chanting, connecting, and, for the third time since April, MCing a teacher rally on the steps of the capital. The emotion, the hope, the cautious optimism of a new moment are all on deck here. A must-listen for teachers and community members looking to debrief!

Kev and Gera are here with an emergency show. The Denver Classroom Teachers Association has voted overwhelmingly to strike. The ball is now in the court of Governor Jared Polis. The fellas get worked up and share their thoughts on the strike vote and its implications for our society. They get in their feelings, they ruminate on the democratic ideal and discuss the role of dissent in a vibrant and powerful democracy. This is the next movement.

Kevin and Gerardo sit down to discuss current labor disputes all over the country in which teachers are involved. Denver's teachers have 48 hours left in their current contract, and the first strike in a quarter of a century could be on the horizon. Old Kev and Old Gera welcome in two guests, Young Kev and Young Gera, and talk about the importance of standing up, even when you're new, even when you're scared. Plus a balanced diet of silly and somber. A lot packed into this time, this is a must-listen!

Happy New Year to all y'all! The fellas are back, fresh from the break, to discuss Restorative Practices. As schools attempt to move away from suspensions and other punitive responses to students' negative behaviors, we are left with questions: how to respond? How to help keep students accountable for their behaviors? How to build community and relationships? Today we welcome you back with silliness and a frank discussion about Restorative Justice, or "RJ." Subscribe and listen today!

Kevin and Gerardo welcome two dope AP teachers, Jennifer Boyle Taurman and Bram Hubbell, author and curator of the Paperless History blog. Like the civil service exams of Classical China, Advanced Placement was College Board's effort to provide a rigorous curriculum to students who needed the challenge. The test don't lie, they argued, and any student with a qualifying score, regardless of race, gender or socioeconomic background, could earn college credits and save money. However, it has become clear that AP classes carry with them expectations and constructions of what makes a good student, what success looks like, and who is represented in the curricula. Though we mainly discuss history classes, we hope these conversations begin happening in AP courses generally. Some great laughs and insight, and Gerardo forgets what city we're in, along with Kevin as a T-Rex.

The fellas are back! In this episode, Kevin and Gerardo challenge the conventional wisdom that the school system is broken. As pundits, politicians, and profiteers line their pockets convincing that the public schools are in need of a total overhaul, we try to put the brakes on this gravy train and ask the question: Is the system really broken? Or is the system only a reflection of greater ills and inequities that play out in school. This is a yelling episode, be forewarned. In addition, Kevin's complaining corner and Gerardo gets petty. All that, and breakfast.

Join Gerardo and intern Sofia as they talk with Denver Public Schools candidate for superintendant Susana Cordova. Hear her story, and the challenges and inspiration she experienced in her journey from native Spanish speaker to the highest ranking LatinX person in Denver Public Schools, and why she decided to throw her name into the hat for the vacant superintendent job in the most visible district in Colorado. Listen today!

Welcome to the Speak Freedom Project, where teachers and students come together to discuss pedagogies of liberation! Join Allison, Carmen, and Too Dope Teachers and a Mic's Gerardo Muñoz as they engage in rare and unfiltered discussions about how school is experienced by students and teachers alike. Speak Freedom is dedicated to education as the practice of freedom. How can school be a place where people who are not yet free may prepare for freedom? Check us out!

Kevin and Gerardo catch up on the University of Colorado's Teachers of Color and Allies summit. This episode is why this podcast exists. Join us as we talk about this amazing gathering of teachers of color and next steps in building a community. Complete with toodope teacher interviews! Download and listen today!

This week the fellas are joined this week by Caroline and Judd of the Create-Perform-Respond blog, two dope high school theater teachers whose sole purpose is to make the performance arts accessible to all. Hear our conversation about equity, access and opportunities for young people in the arts. Plus all four of us list our top five musicals (Kevin may not hate them as much as we thought). Listen today!

Kevin and Gerardo are back with another surprise episode! In today's platica, we are joined by student guest host Sofia, who offers her thoughts on Identity, the complexity of "Hispanic" or "LatinX" identity and this time of year, when many of us know that it is Hispanic Heritage month but few of us do more than a passing acknowledgment before getting back to "real" content. A fun and energetic episode with a rising young podcaster!

Kevin and Gerardo kick off New Dope Teachers, stories of new and early-service teachers of color as they navigate all the intersections of this important work. We begin our year-long story of Ray, a first year kindergarten teacher. He discusses his Teach for America experience, the unique demands and pressures facing new teachers of color, and his care and concern for the youngsters in his charge. Listen today!

The fellas are back to address code-switching, abolishing fear, and the challenges faced by teachers and students of color. They don't care anymore, and want you to listen.

The fellas are back from Chicago, all fired up and ready to go! Summer is upon us, just a few days before we cash in our overtime for the year. We discuss concluding a school year, Kev tears up about his graduating seniors, Gera complains but ultimately gets positive. Also, we shout out new Twitter followers, and talk about the incredible conference put on by the Journey for Justice Alliance. Plus, Gera is all about musicals, Kev not so much. Download and listen today!

The fellas are back with a late-year episode! As teacher protests swept the country in April, the boyz were onhand to absorb the energy and bear witness to a movement of public intellectuals and allies all over the community. We break down the movement, push the envelope, and try to keep it together for the conclusion of the school year.

Kevin and Gerardo saw Black Panther and now they're on one. It is testing season, and here is how teachers of color can support each other, support students, and do the impossible. To support and encourage our community in these trying times of accountability and pressure. Plus Gerardo learns what a true homie is.

Kevin and Gerardo open up hiring season with some thoughts on recruiting and retaining teachers of color. Plus, a gathering you don't want to miss!

Kevin and Gerardo are BACK for 2018 with our first episode of the new year. Listen as we discuss our New Year's Justice Resolutions, what it means to be an antiracist teacher, and an emerging group of justice-oriented teachers of color in this city and beyond. Subscribe today!

Too Dope Teachers open the new year with a #JusticeMonday #MLKedition with a panel of fantastic scholar-activists from a local high school! In our first live show, thanks to the Colorado Education Association, the young activists discuss their work in the community, their struggles, and their optimism in light of Dr. King's legacy. Don't miss this one!

Kevin and Gerardo are back, and have some feelings about gang awareness professional development, particularly when presented by law enforcement. The fellas discuss holistic understanding of street organizations, their presence in schools, and the value and empathy we place on our students' communities...as well as our own. Plus, we are approaching episode 20! Let us know how to commemorate the occasion!

Kevin and Gerardo are back, broadcasting from the principal's office, with new music and a new attitude! Today, on #JusticeMonday, we discuss the importance of standing up for and with our students, and check in before a week off. It is also a dangerous season: between Halloween and Thanksgiving, cultural appropriation is rife, and we attempt a useful but honest conversation about a damaging practice in far too many schools. Plus, Kevin interviews Gerardo about his participation in the New York Marathon.

Kevin and Gerardo drop a surprise episode on Halloween! Much to discuss, including how we best engage during the most wonderful time of the year: parent-teacher conferences. Is there a solution? What about the parents that just show up, without an appointment? Why don't some parents attend? And what special responsibility do teachers of color have to connect with families? Plus, conscious costuming on Halloween, and showing up to do silly stuff for and with the students.

Join Kevin and Gerardo as they make their triumphant return! We discuss losing studio space, continued research supporting the importance of teachers of color, weird stuff kids do, and teaching in a time of great political, social, and cultural tension. Listen today!

Kevin and Gerardo are back for the 2017-2018 school year with an episode inaccurately titled Catharsis. This episode represents a turning point from negative to positive, from vacation to work, from fear and stress to inspiration and encouragement. We discuss Charlottesville, staying #woke and teaching for justice in a time that desperately needs it.

Kevin and Gerardo are back from summer vacation, and the block is hot! In this episode, we sit down with Denver Board of Education at-large candidate Julie Bañuelos, as she charts her path from border town to teacher to public servant. She tells an inspiring story of adversity, focus, reflection, and seeking to serve. Subscribe and listen today!

Gerardo and Kevin reflect on the year past, discuss ways #TooDope teachers can spend their summer, and look to the 2017-2018 school year. Kevin shares his plan of action, Gerardo tries to see that his glass is half-full, and Kevin complains.

Kevin and Gerardo return from their mid-spring hiatus to discuss what's been goin' on, Teachin' Trump, and an end-of-year rant. Shout out to #WuTangTeacherTribe!

Kevin (aka Irate Observer) and Gerardo (aka Tha Hunter) host a roundtable of #TooDopeTeachers, including Smiling Prophet, Thunderous Mercenary, Expert Assassin, Queen Ill Figure, Medianoche Comandante, Erratic Criminal, and Xpert Commander to discuss the lives, experiences, and hopes of teachers of color. This one is loud, silly, powerful, and important. Plus Complaining Corner and Shout Outs.

Kevin and Gerardo sit down to discuss the work of teachers with classrooms full of "digital natives." How many conversations has your staff had about electronic devices? We have a generation of students for whom life without mobile phones, computers, and internet is a distant and foreign thing. Kevin chops it up, defining digital natives, digital pioneers, and digital dinosaurs. Which are you? How will you work to ensure that young people become responsible users of mobile devices and technology? Plus, Teachin' Trump, Gera's Complaining Corner, Challenge-based learning, victories, defeats, and another call to #StayDope.

Gerardo and Kevin are back! We introduce our new segment, "Teachin' Trump" to reflect upon the Trump Administration's recent moves which may impact our students, particularly the confirmation hearings of Betsy DeVos, as well as immigration in this administration. Then, the fellas interrogate the age-old practice of kicking misbehaving children out of class. One of your hosts shares a story about being kicked out of class. Listen and find out!

Gerardo and Kevin drop a surprise episode! In Episode 4, #TooDope Students, we sit down with four Denver high school students who have attempted to address issues of race in their school, recently completing a "Social Justice Spirit Week" at their school. These young people are #TooDope!