Teachers Need Teachers is the podcast for struggling teachers, whether you're new or a seasoned veteran. It's inspired by the questions and frustrations that teachers are expressing around the web, plus the questions that you didn’t know you should ask! I'll help you clear the confusion and figure out what to focus on so that you’ll have the most positive impact in your classrooms without losing your freaking mind. I want to help you navigate through the craziness of teaching while maintaining your sanity AND personal life!
Ep 146 What Are Grades Actually Communicating Anymore
Grades were never meant to do this much work.
In this episode, I reflect on how grading shifted from traditional point-based systems to standards-based grading and grading for learning — and how, in many schools, those frameworks eventually gave way to equity-driven policies that changed what grades actually represent.
I believe in equity. I believe in standards-based grading. But I also believe we need to be honest about what’s happening when grades stop communicating learning and start communicating compliance, survival, or optics.
We’ll talk about:
why grades feel meaningless to many teachers
how student apathy and entitlement didn’t come out of nowhere
why parents increasingly see grades as negotiable
and how teachers are caught between professional ethics and institutional pressure
I don’t have a solution by the end of this episode. What I do have is a growing concern that we’re avoiding a necessary conversation — one about accountability, motivation, and what we’re actually teaching students when effort no longer matters.
If you’ve ever wondered whether grading still serves students the way we hope it does, this episode is for you.
Chapters:
00:00 — Why Grades Don’t Mean What They Used To
03:00 — From Traditional Grading to Grading for Learning
07:20 — When Equity Grading Took Over
13:40 — How the System Went Off the Rails
22:05 — Where This Leaves Teachers and Students
I have a YouTube channel! Join me over there and subscribe! (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersneedteachers/)
Got questions, feedback, or want to be on the show? You can email me at kim@teachersneedteachers.com (https://teachersneedteachers.com/)
(https://www.instagram.com/kimlepre)
12 Jan 2026
Ep 145 Getting It All Done: How Teachers Can Plan Without Panic
Getting it all done in teaching often feels impossible—especially in the second half of the school year.
In this episode, I share a midyear planning roadmap designed for teachers who feel behind on curriculum but still want to finish the year strong without sacrificing their sanity.
This isn’t about perfect pacing or daily lesson plans. It’s about taking a step back, looking at the big picture, and making intentional decisions about what deserves your time and energy.
We’ll talk about:
How to look back at what you’ve taught without guilt or shame
How to prioritize skills using a simple tiered system
How to plan around real-life interruptions like breaks, testing, absences, and school events
What “good enough” means when time is limited
Why flexibility is a strength—not a failure
I also share how I leave notes for my future self so the same pacing issues don’t repeat year after year—and why reflection is the key to long-term growth as a teacher.
📄 Free Resource I’ve created a basic planning worksheet that follows the exact process outlined in this episode so you can take action right away. 👉 Free Planning Resource (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y7qIEhWWhHDJ6ErOG7Jq40qAltERzyOa/view?usp=sharing)
Whether you’re in the middle of the year, just starting out, or planning ahead, this episode will help you move forward with clarity, intention, and a lot more grace.
00:00 – Why Midyear Planning Feels So Hard
01:35 – What This Planning Method Is (and Isn’t)
03:23 – Step 1: Look Back Without Shame
05:04 – Step 2: Rank Skills by Priority
09:23 – Step 3: Plan With the Calendar (Reality Check)
14:02 – Planning Around Interrupters
17:53 – Staying Flexible Without Falling Behind
20:48 – When You’re Overwhelmed (Mindset Reset)
I have a YouTube channel! Join me over there and subscribe! (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersneedteachers/)
Got questions, feedback, or want to be on the show? You can email me at kim@teachersneedteachers.com (https://teachersneedteachers.com/)
(https://www.instagram.com/kimlepre)
5 Jan 2026TRANSCRIPT
Ep 144 Students Aren’t Broken — They’re Responding
In this episode, I talk about the conditions shaping what we’re seeing in classrooms right now—especially around behavior, attention, and regulation—and why so many teachers are quietly questioning themselves because of it.
This isn’t a rant. It’s not about blaming kids or excusing behavior.
It’s about reframing what’s happening so teachers can stop internalizing systemic shifts as personal failure—and start making choices that protect their sanity.
I also share how I’ve adjusted my own classroom practice to stay grounded in a version of teaching that didn’t reset after the pandemic.
If you’ve been wondering:
Why does this feel harder than it should?
Am I doing something wrong?
How do I keep doing this without burning out?
This episode is for you.
I have a YouTube channel! Join me over there and subscribe! (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersneedteachers/)
Got questions, feedback, or want to be on the show? You can email me at kim@teachersneedteachers.com (https://teachersneedteachers.com/)
(https://www.instagram.com/kimlepre)
Inside a recent episode
Ep 146 What Are Grades Actually Communicating Anymore
Published 19 Jan 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] I'm super curious okay it was something that was introduced in my district but we have a lot of autonomy in terms of how we grade in my district so not a lot of teachers necessarily adopted it so I'm just curious. So now grading for equity the language and the scope shifted a lot of the stem from the fact that for years even with the grading for learning centers based grading the data showed persistent gaps in test scores graduation rates discipline and even having access to advanced coursework. And this was along like racial socio economic language and disability lines grading reform was again being discussed in a different lens and so now it's it was turning into sort of like this moral issue and not just a pedagogical issue. […]
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