LanguaTalk

The Old School

Dr. Steven Bourgeois and Mr. Ross Miller lead an informal discussion between a current and a former teacher on topics that challenge "best practices" in contemporary education. In keeping with Neil Postman (1979), we support the conserving function of education: “Its aim at all times is to make visible the prevailing biases of a culture and then, by employing whatever philosophies of education are available, to oppose them.”

Episode 152: On Plane Travel

65 hours 22 mins; March 30, 2026

Episode 151: On Fear

75 hours 47 mins; March 23, 2026

Episode 150: On Language

53 mins; March 14, 2026

Episode 149: On Doctors and Health Care

51 mins; March 02, 2026

Episode 148: On the Olympics...and SPAM

53 mins; February 22, 2026

Episode 147: On Mysteries and Conspiracies

54 mins; February 15, 2026

Episode 146: On the Hiring of Teachers

54 mins; February 02, 2026

Episode 145: On Winter

43 mins; January 26, 2026

Episode 144: On Midlife Crises

52 mins; January 19, 2026

Episode 143: On Collecting Things with Dr. Alex Fingers

51 mins; January 10, 2026

Episode 142: On Fandom (In a meandering sort of way)

45 mins; December 29, 2025

Episode 141: On Classroom Management with Dr. Ferrell Yeokum

49 mins; December 20, 2025

Episode 140: Mr. Miller Goes to Disney

30 mins; December 04, 2025

Episode 139: On Fixing and Building Things

48 mins; November 24, 2025

Episode 138: On the Long Road

56 mins; November 16, 2025

Episode 137: The School Turnaround Blueprint with Dr. Ericka Johnson

67 hours 50 mins; October 26, 2025

Episode 136: On the 1970s

48 mins; October 19, 2025

Episode 135: On Dinner Parties

44 mins; October 06, 2025

Episode 134: On Resiliency

49 mins; September 28, 2025

Episode 133: On Albums and Technology

45 mins; September 21, 2025

Episode 132: On Setting a Tone

39 mins; September 14, 2025

Episode 131: On Character with Dr. Matthew Post

64 hours 58 mins; August 17, 2025

Episode 130: On the North

49 mins; August 10, 2025

Episode 129: On Oregon

58 mins; July 19, 2025

Episode 128: On Summer Plans for Children

52 mins; July 13, 2025

Episode 127: On Behind the Scenes of an American School

61 hours 0 mins; July 06, 2025

Episode 126: On America

47 mins; June 29, 2025

Episode 125: On Growing Old

42 mins; June 22, 2025

Episode 124: On Retirement (Again) and Lighthouses?

49 mins; May 25, 2025

Episode 123: On Education in the News, Part II

54 mins; May 18, 2025

Episode 122: On Procrastination

55 mins; May 12, 2025

Episode 121: On the British Empire with Dr. David Baillargeon

54 mins; May 04, 2025

Episode 120: On the Boxer Rebellion with Dr. Peter Worthing

52 mins; April 27, 2025

Episode 119: On Educating Boys

51 mins; April 20, 2025

Episode 118: On Traveling the World

70 hours 37 mins; April 14, 2025

Episode 117: On Shaping School Leadership with Dr. Patrick McQuillan

65 hours 44 mins; April 06, 2025

Episode 116: On the Behaviorist Approach to Schooling with Ksenia Filatov

58 mins; March 30, 2025

Episode 115: On the Great State of Maryland

52 mins; March 22, 2025

Episode 114: On Being a Musician with Michelle Mayfield

54 mins; March 16, 2025

Episode 113: On Drummers and Drumming

69 hours 27 mins; March 09, 2025

Episode 112: On Digitalization (Something Wicked...)

47 mins; March 03, 2025

Episode 111: On Evaluating Teachers with Dr. Alex Fingers

66 hours 15 mins; February 24, 2025

Episode 110: On Literacy with Richard Marquez

59 mins; February 16, 2025

Episode 109: On England from England

52 mins; February 06, 2025

Episode 108: On Education in the News

49 mins; January 26, 2025

Episode 107: On Leadership...and the Cowboys with Kyle Queal

70 hours 14 mins; January 19, 2025

Episode 106: On Entering a Brave New World

36 mins; January 12, 2025

Episode 105: On Grit and Determination

52 mins; December 29, 2024

Episode 104: On Nothing

51 mins; December 23, 2024

Episode 103: On Washington, D.C.

56 mins; December 14, 2024

Episode 102: On Anger

53 mins; December 01, 2024

Episode 101: On Literary Influences with Dr. Paul Weinhold

59 mins; November 17, 2024

Episode 100: On Looking Back and Looking Ahead

55 mins; November 03, 2024

Episode 99: On Our Favorite Films

53 mins; October 27, 2024

Episode 98: On the Future of the Teaching Profession

50 mins; October 21, 2024

Episode 97: On Dr. Bourgeois' Grievances, #1-6

53 mins; October 13, 2024

Episode 96: Mr. Miller's Grievance #1

51 mins; October 06, 2024

Episode 95: On Tutoring

52 mins; September 22, 2024

Episode 94: On the Value of Sports and Extracurriculars with Dr. Alex Fingers

48 mins; September 16, 2024

Episode 93: On Etiquette

61 hours 31 mins; September 08, 2024

Episode 92: On National Parks, Part II

52 mins; August 31, 2024

Episode 91: On National Parks, Part I (Grand Tetons National Park)

41 mins; August 19, 2024

Episode 90: On More School Culture with Dr. Rick Westfall

59 mins; August 03, 2024

Episode 89: On China with Dr. Carrie Currier

55 mins; July 21, 2024

Episode 88: On Kansas

57 mins; July 08, 2024

Episode 87: On Teacher Agency with Ksenia Filatov

61 hours 37 mins; June 22, 2024

Episode 86: On Anxiety

55 mins; June 10, 2024

Episode 85: On Christianity with the Reverends Jason and Estee Valendy

62 hours 50 mins; May 26, 2024

Episode 84: On Texas

54 mins; May 10, 2024

Episode 83: On Buying a House

46 mins; April 30, 2024

Episode 82: On the Ins and Outs of School Funding

53 mins; April 14, 2024

Episode 81: On Profanity

50 mins; March 27, 2024

Episode 80: On Fine Arts Education with Brian Ketcham

54 mins; March 10, 2024

Episode 79: On German Soccer (With a Correction in the Notes)

55 mins; February 25, 2024

Episode 78: On School Culture with Dr. Alex Fingers

54 mins; February 12, 2024

Episode 77: On Educational Architecture with Dr. Rick Westfall

46 mins; January 27, 2024

Episode 76: On Work

50 mins; January 13, 2024

Episode 75: On Classical and Jazz Music

61 hours 35 mins; December 24, 2023

Episode 74: On Learning from Coaches with Dr. Alex Fingers

49 mins; December 10, 2023

Episode 73: On the Impact of Technology on Sports

60 hours 52 mins; November 25, 2023

Episode 72: On Homeschooling

47 mins; November 14, 2023

Episode 71: On Outdoor Education

46 mins; October 22, 2023

Episode 70: On Sandwiches, Part 2

54 mins; October 09, 2023

Episode 69: On Sandwiches, Part 1

57 mins; September 25, 2023

Episode 68: On Shakespeare with Dr. Paul Weinhold

51 mins; September 10, 2023

Episode 67: Dr. Shelita-Cannon Hoey & Dr. Marvin Rainey

49 mins; August 26, 2023

Episode 66: On Hope and Optimism

49 mins; August 05, 2023

Episode 65: On School Scheduling

39 mins; July 23, 2023

Episode 64: Mr. Miller Goes to Germany

62 hours 37 mins; July 10, 2023

Episode 63: Mr. Miller goes to Italy

62 hours 19 mins; June 22, 2023

Episode 62: On Retirement for Real

40 mins; June 03, 2023

Episode 61: On Upcoming Changes

35 mins; May 13, 2023

Episode 60: On School Pranks

47 mins; April 22, 2023

Episode 59: On Music Education

45 mins; April 01, 2023

Episode 58: On AI

43 mins; March 11, 2023

Episode 57: On Happiness

49 mins; February 25, 2023

Episode 56: On Teacher Unions

40 mins; February 11, 2023

Episode 55: On Retirement

43 mins; January 22, 2023

Episode 54: On Civics Education

49 mins; January 07, 2023

Episode 53: On Motivation Research

58 mins; December 17, 2022

Click here to see more

The Old School

Useful pages

Find a tutor

Languages