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We talk with three new hires about what their first year at the Lab Schools feels like, from the surprises to the support that makes the work sustainable. We share the student moments that stick, the mentoring lessons we are still learning, and the advice we would give anyone joining our schools next year.
• Choosing one word to describe the year and what it reveals about school culture
• Learning what to ask for, what students need, and using the freedom to try new ideas
• Adjusting to mentoring clinical students and giving meaningful feedback
• Noticing how involved students are across activities, clubs, and sports
• Favorite student moments from forest school Fridays to a Hamilton watch party
• Advice for new hires about confidence, collaboration, and rolling with the flow
• And lots of shout-outs to colleagues who made the year better!

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We dig into what AI is actually solving in schools and why “just because you can” is a bad rule for classroom tech. We share real classroom moments, practical guardrails, and the skills students need so AI supports learning instead of replacing thinking.

• AI as a tool that reveals weak assessments rather than “creating” cheating
• research projects and why Copilot is not a source
• credible sources, verification, and the problem of fake citations
• Magic School sandboxes that ease cognitive load without giving answers
• transparency and academic integrity when teachers and students use AI
• banning AI versus the calculator comparison and why outright bans fail
• student privacy, contracts, and deliberate rollout over rushing adoption
• AI literacy as critical media literacy including bias awareness and emotional manipulation
• real workflow example using multiple AI tools
• guardrails as shared values and consistent expectations across teachers

Reach out, message us on the Facebook, the Instagram, shoot us an email. We love the fan-mail and thought about next season's topics!

[Transparency Note: This full episode description was created via CoHost AI through Buzzsprout, proofread by a human]

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No Bells And A Bagpiper Walk Into School... start of a funny joke or something else?

On this Episode, we dig into the traditions and everyday quirks that define our Lab Schools culture, from no bells and open campus to the big community events that create core memories. We also wrestle with what should evolve, what we miss, and how to honor tradition without blocking innovation or equity.

• why daily systems like no bells shape student independence
• how lunch schedules and building constraints change adult and student life
• open campus as a privilege tied to safety, behavior, and academics
• Metcalf signature experiences like Move In, outdoor ed, the musical, and the circus
• U-High traditions like the Greek Olympics, Mr U High, and Class Night
• traditions we miss, including more cross-building community time
• reclaiming leadership in education technology, one-to-one devices, and AI readiness
• alignment and equity questions in the Metcalf to U-High transition
• healthy friction when traditions turn into rigid scripts

If you think there’s something we need to feature next season, when we hit the ground running in August, tell us. We want to know.

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Welcome back from Spring Break!

In this episode, we sit down with our HILIA leaders to explain how a regional team supports students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have low vision across multiple of school districts, including within the lab schools.

What does itinerant teaching look like across a 4,000 square mile region? Tune in to hear more!

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We the Metcalf Team’s FETC takeaways , focusing on tools that serve pedagogy, not hype. From Apps to Hardware, to walks in the woods - there’s a tech tool for anything and everything. But knowing which to use is the question. In this episode:

• why a cross‑disciplinary team attended FETC
• balancing early childhood play with responsible technology
• concrete upgrades for multi‑display teaching
• turning on built‑in accessibility for inclusion
• student‑led showcases for authentic family engagement
• art, STEAM, and keeping process at the center
• teaching AI concepts without more screen time
• choosing iPads when creation and capture matter
• visual note‑taking to boost retention
• building tool selection processes and pilot teams
• cataloging current tools and revisiting evolved platforms
• team learning as accountability and momentum

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We talk with ROE 17’s Molly Allen about how regional services support lab schools, alternative programs, and teacher pipelines while keeping student voice and literacy at the center. We map the real challenges of AI, phones, and shortages to practical steps that help schools move forward with hope.

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BONUS EPISODE

We sit down with Dr. Brian Zugelder, Dean of the College of Education at Illinois State University, to unpack a nontraditional journey that now fuels a bold vision for the university’s lab schools. We dig into the educator continuum—recruitment, preparation, induction, leadership, and retention—and why keeping great people in the profession requires real pathways and support. From clinical practice to statewide partnerships, he explains how ISU can model promising practices and help shape policy rather than wait for mandates.

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