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TRIGGER WARNING: Adult language; Adult themes; Drug References. Tyler flies solo this episode for some GIGANTIC news and a deep look back into the life that has led him to today and onward to his next journey.

Tyler & Lauren talk about making choices that make life just a tiny bit easier. How can we take care of a world that constantly feels like it is burning?

There are a lot of different ways to have your voice heard as a parent—sign up as a volunteer, write to your school board, vote & campaign for the school board, go to school board meetings. However, is watching everything that happens in the classroom all day a good way to use your voice? Will teachers ever be seen as helping hands instead of cartoonish villains?

Tyler forgets a lot of things and decides to record himself trying to remember... Lauren takes a personal day.

Tyler & Lauren missed last week because Tyler was so sleepy! But they're back this week talking about politics & joy—what a strange irony to be surrounded by the political even though we grew up sheltered from it's tendrils.

Tyler & Lauren share their white-whale art projects—the big, seemingly unattainable projects they would LOVE to teach if only they had the materials (and students who could make good choices!!)

Tyler & Lauren talk about how being genuine is important but not letting your human flaws impact your teaching is more important...How can you simultaneously be your authentic self and also stifle your primary reflexes toward frustration, negativity, and unkindness? All that and a growling dog on this weeks' episode of Art Room on the Left!

Guess what? The hosts talk about being pushovers again this episode! It turns out that trying to show love, support, compassion, and authenticity to students DOESN'T mean you let them walk all over you. But wow...sometimes it is hard to enforce rules that might inadvertently cause students distress. How are we supposed to balance being firm, caring, and compassionate?!

Tyler gives you a sneak-peak into some of the unreleased content from the birth of the show. Listen to some behind the scenes audio clips & (terrible) songs made by yours truly & rapped by Lauren!!

I guess we have to talk about school shootings. Following a nationwide TikTok trend about "school shooting" & "school bombing" threats, life in the classroom looked a lot different over the last few days. Lauren laments having to stress the seriousness of lockdown drills with elementary students & Tyler talks about the sordid history of the American education system.

Tyler & Lauren talk about how to set boundaries for your students, your classroom, and your work-life balance. Tyler is really good at it. Lauren...is not...

Tyler talks about the frustrations of teaching students who don't care about your class. Tyler also talks about how amazing it is learning from radical young people about box braids & dreads—and the occupation of Palestine. Children are complex, huh?