Didactic Cafe
22 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 months ago -As an author and a high school social studies teacher, I am fascinated by characters- as well as the character that defines those characters. This podcast will explore topics in history, writing, and current events through the lens of ethics and integrity. I believe that learning to live a life of character is best achieved by exploring and debating the ethical nature of human life.
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Episodes
Final Episode- Decompartmentalization
June 30, 2023 18:00 - 26 minutes - 18.4 MBFollow my new podcast, Culture Cuts with Chad Lehrmann at all the same sites! We separate our lives into so many parts. Work and home life, church and public life, online and reality. I've done it, too. I used to manage two podcasts- one for education, one for urban legends analysis. It got so tiring trying to maintain those two distinct sites, so I decided to merge them. Maybe it's time we merge our lives again. Make who we are online the same as who we are in person. Get rid of o...
Build Your Own Table
January 02, 2023 15:00 - 42 minutes - 29.2 MBA friend shared a quote with me the other day: 2022 taught me to stop aspiring to sit at tables where I have to bring my own chair, squeeze in between folks, and repeatedly convince others why I should be there. I learned to build a new table. As educators, we sometimes find ourselves among peers and on campuses that keep denying us a seat at the table. We can choose to keep forcing our way in where we are not wanted, or we can build our own table. We can leave toxic cultures, or we can...
The Greatest Show On Earth
November 06, 2022 23:00 - 28 minutes - 19.4 MBI spent the last week working with my school's production of Puffs, a parody of that magical school with the Potter kid. As a teacher, I got to literally peek behind the curtain of a unique classroom- one that deserves a lot more attention and a standing ovation. Music education is talked about often, but less so do we sing the praises of theatre and art. On this episode, I share what I learned about the class of the stage, and share some of the insight I gleaned from other the directors, ...
When Your Educator Super Power is Invisibility
October 23, 2022 22:00 - 25 minutes - 17.6 MBI sometimes feel invisible as an educator. Not from my students, or my family, but from my community. From my fellow educators. And I am not alone. I don't know that I have answers for those of us who feel invisible, other than we need to start letting people know how we feel. Too many amazing teachers leave because their concerns, their needs, and they fears go unseen by fellow teachers and administrators. We cannot keep "sucking it up," we need to let people know we want to be ackn...
An Open Letter to Educational Leadership
October 12, 2022 22:00 - 41 minutes - 28.3 MBTeacher pay gets all the press when it comes to why teachers are leaving the profession. But for teachers in the field, a very close second would be issues that stem from poor or broken leadership. Whether you are a department head, campus admin, district admin, School Board member, or state educational leader, you have a tremendous responsibility to communicate with, support, end favoritism, and build connections where disconnects exist. This podcast will share what this teacher sees ...
Lightning In A Bottle Guest: Jonathan Brady
October 01, 2022 15:00 - 31 minutes - 21.5 MBTeachers try every day to do the impossible- teach diverse learners meaningful lessons that lead to deeper understanding. Occasionally, we craft a lesson that truly captures lightning in a bottle- a learning experience that not only creates understanding, it creates a lasting memory that students will talk about for the rest of their lives. Jonathan Brady is an English and History teacher that I have the pleasure of calling a colleague and a friend. He has created many lighting in a bot...
What Schools Should Teach That They "Don't"
September 14, 2022 11:00 - 32 minutes - 22.5 MBI often see posts on social media lamenting that schools don't teach kids how to argue, how to keep a checkbook, or how to do basic human life skills. These posts are inherently wrong and demonstrate a misunderstanding of what IS done and taught in Public Schools. On this episode, we will look at five common requests people have for things that should be taught- finance, debate, manners/common sense, Religion, and "Civics." We will also talk about how each of these either ARE taught, or c...
A Tale of Two Fridays
September 03, 2022 19:00 - 30 minutes - 20.9 MBOne Friday at a public high school, a huge fight breaks out. The next Friday, a concert breaks out when there is a lightning delay of a football game. One was covered in the media and shared relentlessly on social media. The other was the concert. And outside of parents and educators and students that were there, very little was shared. A tale of two Fridays is that we as a society seem to prefer sharing the bad to the good. And that every day in America's public schools is a tale o...
Didactic Cafe: How Did I Get Here?
February 19, 2022 23:00 - 35 minutes - 24.3 MBTalking about my writing journey- how I went from a poetry writing 3rd Grader to the multiple book selling not-at-all phenom I am today!
Didactic Cafe: Are Agendas More Important Than Good Educators?
February 05, 2022 21:00 - 26 minutes - 18.3 MBEducators are leaving their profession at alarming rates. We write it off as pandemic fatigue, or low pay- and that is part of it. But teachers are tired of playing the role of villain in story being told by some legislators, influencers, and school choice agenda setters. This is the voice of a teacher who wants you to know the state of education today.
Didactic Cafe: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
January 22, 2022 22:00 - 26 minutes - 18.5 MBA common buzzword in many circles today is "Imposter Syndrome." But what is it really, and how do you overcome it- or it's more common variation: self-doubt? We will explore the foundations of the phenomenon, as well as steps we can take to overcome it in ourselves and how to aid those we love who are facing it.
Didactic Cafe: Finding the Passion For Your Career
January 09, 2022 21:00 - 33 minutes - 22.8 MBThere is an epidemic of dissatisfaction and disconnection in America's workforce. I believe the key to overcoming this roadblock to happiness is found in recognizing and pursuing the aspects of our callings that bring us to life. This episode looks at four key passions for finding joy in your work. 1. Work- find joy in the results of what you do. 2. People- who do you work for, who do you serve? 3. Creation- Be passionate about what you make, whether it is tangible or conceptual. 4. Fait...
Didactic Cafe: 2021 5x5- A Year in Review
December 27, 2021 16:00 - 33 minutes - 23.3 MBTalking about five learning experiences and challenges from 2021 and five goals for growth in 2022. Five Learning Experiences of 2021 1. Learning from my family's character 2. The impact of January 6 on my faith, patriotism, and view of humanity 3. The process of growing as an AP World History Teacher (or anything) 4. Economics of Teaching/Writing 5. Book Successes Five Goals for 2022 1. Being more present 2. Growing as an AP teacher with reflection 3. Discover or develop a good mark...
Didactic Cafe: On Writing Bane Of Nostalgia
December 11, 2021 16:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MBWhy are we so drawn in by nostalgia? What about our hometowns and pasts acts as a magnet that pulls us back, time and again? And is it dangerous to think too longingly about those by-gone days? Book 3 of the Sawyer Shepherd Chronicles allows the main character to dive into those deep, philosophical questions. All while fighting demons and monsters and the normal pressures of becoming an adult. I wanted to give a little bit of background on why I wrote this book, and do a tease/reminder ...
Didactic Cafe: On Writing Red Hand Rising
December 05, 2021 22:00 - 30 minutes - 20.6 MBAuthor Chad Lehrmann offers behind-the-scenes insight into the second novel in the Sawyer Shepherd Chronicles, Red Hand Rising. He explains why it is his least favorite novel he has written, but also why it contains some of the most important- and fun to write- scenes of the series.
Didactic Cafe: On Writing Sawyer Shepherd
November 21, 2021 21:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MBTaking a moment to dive into the creation of my first novel- Sawyer Shepherd Chronicles: Rites of Passage. I wanted to share the genesis of the story- which truly began when I was in high school but has changed DRASTICALLY over the years. Every writing is an evolution, this is just a sort of "Director's Commentary" of that process.
Didactic Cafe: The Terrifying Situation of Educators
November 07, 2021 19:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MBAn increasing number of teachers are asking themselves a terrifying question: "How much longer can I do this?" After two years of pandemic teaching, wave after wave of new initiative forced from the top down, and decades of under-appreciation and low pay, teachers are wondering it is time to seek employment elsewhere. And these are teachers with years of experience who feel a moral calling to make a difference. We need to be aware of the impending crisis of teacher shortages, and we need to...
Didactic Cafe: "Real" History
August 21, 2021 20:00 - 24 minutes - 17.1 MBAs a history teacher, I get asked if I teach "Real" History. Usually, this means do I teach a version of history that is palatable to a liberal or conservative viewpoint. And it is a wholly erroneous question. History is not simple, black and white answers. It is a kaleidoscope of color that changes with the way the light hits it. And it is all true. If a people survive long enough, their entire history becomes one long line of "inconvenient truths."
Didactic Cafe: Pedagogy of Pandemics
August 04, 2021 17:00 - 35 minutes - 24.1 MBI work at College Station High School in College Station ISD. We were one of the first schools in Texas to open to in-person education, and despite a campus of nearly 2000 students plus close to 200 staff, we never had to shut down. In that year, I learned and grew a tremendous amount as an educator and as a person. I want to share some of the things that grew from this trying year of teaching. Which, it turns out, was one of my best years ever.
Didactic Cafe: Creating Worlds
July 23, 2021 14:00 - 17 minutes - 12.1 MBI often get asked about why and how I write. These two questions are bound together because many of the methods I use to write are extensions of why I write. In this podcast, I talk about the idea of writing as a catharsis, a compulsion, and an act of creation.
Didactic Cafe: River of Doubt
July 09, 2021 00:00 - 35 minutes - 24.2 MBLooking at the historical figure of Theodore Roosevelt in one of his most trying moments- navigating the undiscovered "River of Doubt" in the Amazonian Rainforest. During this time he models a rare leadership trait- servanthood. Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREE Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Didactic Cafe: The Who and Why Of It All
June 24, 2021 19:00 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MBIn this first podcast, meet host Chad Lehrmann as he explains just who he is and why the Didactic Cafe exists. The purpose of the podcast is to explore issues in history, writing, education, and current events with an eye toward developing an ethical approach to life. Not just based on looking at what is best for yourself, or what suits your perspective, but in being able to see and appreciate a variety of worldviews.