Teachers should be more than customer service reps.

🔥 How can we reimagine parent-teacher conferences?

🔥 What are the issues most responsible for burning out teachers today?

🔥 What are some rhythms and activities that can keep our fire for teaching alive?

About Jeff Smith

Jeff has taught in 12 schools over 32 years, with high school courses including mathematics (Pre-Algebra through AP Calculus), AP Comparative Government, Human Geography, and US History. He writes about teacher whitespace on Substack on Teachers’ Unmuted.

Connect with Jeff

• on LinkedIn and
• on Substack at https://jeffuson.substack.com/

In This Conversation

• 0:00:00 – Jeff Smith is a high school teacher in Illinois
• 1:46 – Are teachers just customer service representatives?
• 4:18 – What Jeff means by “whitespace” – where teachers find agency
• 6:52 – More about whitespace as a metaphor for freedom
• 7:58 – Bringing one story, one question into our conferences
• 10:28 – Jeff’s view: what causes teacher burnout?
• 13:11 – What is the Teachers Unmuted blog on Substack all about?
• 16:10 – Why Jeff writes about his professional practice
• 20:08 – The hobbies and interests that keep Jeff on fire
• 23:38 – Where to connect with Jeff Smith and Teachers Unmuted

Song Track Credit: Tropic Fuse by French Fuse – retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.