Shows
Mr. Clarke After DarkClarke Notes #8 | Embarrassing Self-Reflections, When Teachers Lie, and Young AdministratorsIn this episode, I discuss my embarrassing attempts at being present with my friend groups, how neuroscience PD has stalled and what is routinely available is not working and why this does not have to be a bad thing, why teachers lie about how busy they are, why new teachers want to be told what to do and how this helps everyone long-term, why self-interest in education should not be frowned upon, what makes collaboration cool, the joy of thinking over doing, and, much more. Get a custom virtual assistant free for thirty days: https://www.leverageassistants.c...2025-06-1735 min
Mr. Clarke After Dark#101 - Mr. Clarke | Top Takeaways From One Hundred EpisodesTeachers need to put themselves out there more. Teachers hide their expertise behind their classroom door because we have constantly been told nobody knows what they are doing and everyone feels too scared to share what they know. Baptism by fire leaves everyone even more vulnerable to imposter syndrome and about imposter syndrome that actually holds you back. New Teachers should actually be involved in everything even though this time is unpaid, and this is where low starting salaries hurt and scheduling them into classes nobody wants to teach is a mistake.You ca...2025-06-101h 00
Mr. Clarke After DarkThe Clarke Notes #7 | Whack-a-mole Classroom Management on Steroids & Family Death PerceptionIn this episode, I share some personal stories about how family losses have shaped my perspective on life and the long game of this career. I talk about the hilarious and unique challenges of teaching middle school in the month of May—especially when it comes to classroom management and student behavior—my hate for reading fiction, and why understanding different educational systems can make us better at what we do. Looking ahead, I share my thoughts on educational leadership and take on some common myths about private and charter schools. Lastly, as I prepare to become a parent myse...2025-05-2528 min
Mr. Clarke After DarkThe Clarke Notes #6 | Teachers Are Negotiating For The Wrong ThingsIn this episode of Clarke Notes, I dive into the ongoing debate around teacher pay, with a particular focus on Alberta and New Brunswick. While teachers often ask for blanket salary increases, I explore some alternative strategies that could better support educators without sparking public outrage. I talk about how important it is to acknowledge teachers' contributions to boost morale, and how improved insurance benefits could provide real financial relief. I also highlight the potential of retention bonuses as a way to encourage experienced teachers to stay in the profession, especially since current salary structures often undervalue them. I...2025-04-2729 min
Mr. Clarke After DarkThe Clarke Notes #5 | Teacher Money, Fickle Neuroscience, & The Midwit TrapIn this episode, I discuss the exchange between financial gain and personal fulfillment in teaching, the challenges of teacher retention, and the potential benefits of private education and outdoor learning. The talk also touches on the importance of collaboration among educators and the pitfalls of overcomplicating educational concepts.Download the Luxy App: https://www.onluxy.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqTNbyn-jjHs7e_i30XoKL8TjYHwsNZf3mszmFzGiR7IyEUU0FDChapters00:00 Introduction and Personal Anecdote03:18 Education and Self-Improvement06:20 The Value of Teaching vs. Money09:10 Teacher Retention and Salary Structures11:39 Private Education and Outdoor Learning2025-03-3125 min
Building a Culture of CollaborationDos and Don’ts When Strengthening Team Dynamics with Lucas Clarke - Ep 29Access a workshop guide to help your team STOP focusing on things outside of our locus of control - https://bit.ly/JLlocusIn this episode of Building a Culture of Collaboration, Lorna and Kurtis are joined by Lucas Clarke, a passionate educator with the Anglophone South School District who is also the host of the Mr. Clarke After Dark Podcast, where he shares his insights and experiences in education. We discuss how academic support and cross-disciplinary collaboration can strengthen team dynamics and student success. Access the podcast and le...2025-03-081h 02
Mr. Clarke After DarkThe Clarke Notes #4 | What is This About?Hello friends, watch me have a nosebleed in real time! In this episode, I discuss niches, highlights from previous episodes, what to expect over the next few months, a reimagined framework for teacher pay to help improve retention, future projects, the podcasts of friends, and, much more. Don't be scared!Send us a textThoughts shared on the podcast are purely our own and do not represent the views of the Anglophone South School District or the relevant jurisdictions associated with my guests.2025-02-2829 min
The Elemental Educator PodcastEpisode 49: How Can Building Relationships Improve School Culture? (with Lucas Clarke)How Can Building Relationships Improve School Culture?
In this episode of The Elemental Educator Podcast, host Tyler Comeau sits down with Lucas Clarke, an academic support teacher and podcast host, to discuss the importance of fostering strong relationships among educators and students. Lucas shares how his experiences navigating personal adversity, supporting colleagues, and embracing collaborative teaching practices have shaped his leadership style. Learn how authentic relationships can transform school culture and elevate learning for all.
🚀 Looking for more leadership strategies? Check out this related episode: [Insert Link Here]. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share...2025-02-1051 min
Mr. Clarke After DarkThe Clarke Notes #3 | Rebrands, Sneezes, & ChatGPTIn this episode of The Clarke Notes, I discuss the UK trio from this past month, a potential rebrand of the podcast, the Lipstick Story from reffing girls hockey, a middle school student discovering Joe Rogan, students aggressively not covering their sneezes, attendance questions, puck lights for bathroom routines, using ChatGPT to save your teaching time with specific examples, and what is on the horizon. Thank you for tuning in and hope you enjoy the show! Download the Luxy App here: https://www.onluxy.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorQE6gOpRh5iTLYhBH2zLFzKX0WGhAc_oLC3EETPegghQkvcVUgSend us a...2025-01-2635 min
Mr. Clarke After Dark#076 - The Clarke Brothers | Christmas Cantatas, Bionicles, and Airsoft Gun Fights Gone AwryJordan and Joshua Clarke are my brothers and had the absolute privilege of finally being on the show their favourite sibling produces. It is the first time I have lived away from both of my brothers so it was definitely a nice way to maintain a family tradition of reliving past traumas at Christmas time. Throughout the conversation, expect to hear about things we did to annoy each other growing up which still work, concerning gaps in our knowledge with the infamous pickle/cucumber realization, which of their children they think will throw the first house party, the infamous...2024-12-2237 min
Mr. Clarke After DarkThe Clarke Notes #2 | Fart Strikes, Millennial Christmas Lights, and Failing Out LoudHello friends! Welcome to another Mr. Clarke Think Aloud. On the episode, I discuss how hilarious Millennial Christmas lights are, the different interactions of students making fun of my pimple, wondering how many farts count as strikes through a classroom management lens, other egregious things students have expressed to me over the past month, seeing how different students are in a one on five setting versus the traditional classroom setting, some literacy learnings over the past few months as I dive into detail on the Word Connections program and the value I am seeing in it and how I...2024-11-3036 min
Teachers on FireHOPE for NEW TEACHERS: A Conversation with New Brunswick Resource Teacher LUCAS CLARKE🔥 How has the teaching profession changed over the last five years? 🔥 What would you say to a rookie teacher struggling with imposter syndrome? 🔥 As federal elections approach, what is the role of the Social Studies teacher? Join me for this conversation with New Brunswick resource teacher and podcaster LUCAS CLARKE as he shares his insights on these and other critical questions. About This Guest: Lucas is an academic support teacher in Saint John, New Brunswick, and the host of the Mr. Clarke After Dark podcast. Connect with Lucas on Linkedin, on Instagram and TikTok @mrclarke.afterdark, on his podcast Mr. Clarke Aft...2024-11-0152 min
Mr. Clarke After Dark#066 - Dr. Ken Brien | Teacher Status Games and How to Avoid ThemKen Brien is currently a Professor at the University of New Brunswick with a focus on Educational Leadership, Parental Involvement in Education, and Educational Governance. On the episode, Ken and I discuss Administrative Theory and what that actually means, the crossover between business and educational leadership, the importance of accurately defining your clientele, the unwritten status games in education and how to navigate them, how to know you are ready for Graduate school and what professors look for in applications, the financial incentives (or lack thereof) for educational leaders, how to teach behaviour, cyberbullying in schools and how to...2024-10-151h 02
Mr. Clarke After DarkThe Clarke Notes #1 | Innovative Roles, FOMO & Stories From the TrenchesHello friends, I am trying out a new segment of the podcast here where I do a solo episode to share some thoughts, tips I have learned, stories from school and my new gig, and share some nerdy stuff eventually as well. On this episode I discuss what I am learning in my new Academic Support Teacher role, what I have been doing in the role so far and what I am aiming for it to become, the story of finding the first mouse in my house, the weirdness of being someone's neighbor, an embarrassing bank story, how being...2024-10-1329 min
Mr. Clarke After Dark#065 - Nancy Chung | Ethical AI, Travel, and The Future of EducationNancy Chung is currently in her 28th year of teaching, is the host of The Schoolyard Podcast, and is based out of California. On the episode, Nancy and I discuss actually enjoying virtual teaching, hating listening to ourselves on the mic, questioning if AI in the classroom is ethical or not and insights onto how to use it effectively in the classroom, BookBag Tours and the unexpected travel opportunities we have both received in teaching, seeing some of her former students get married to one another, directly trolling horrible comments from students, interactive journals, discipline protocols, and, much more! 2024-10-0858 min
Age Less / Live MoreUnderstanding Chronic Pain with Dr. David ClarkeChronic pain affects hundreds of millions worldwide, with conditions like gastrointestinal issues, back pain, and migraine topping the list. In many cases, psychological factors play a significant role in causing or worsening pain. Despite overwhelming evidence, the mind-body connection is often ignored or dismissed as "all in your head," as though that makes it less serious. My guest this week has dedicated his work to educating both medical professionals and patients on the power of the mind to relieve and even reverse chronic pain. Listen and learn: How adverse childhood experiences can contribute to or even...2024-10-0243 min
Mr. Clarke After Dark#064 - Danielle Danis | The Fort McMurray Educational Support Staff Strike & The Path ForwardDanielle Danis is currently an Educational Assistant and President of CUPE Local 2559 which represents more than 500 members in the Fort McMurray area. Much has taken place with their strike processes over the past six months and in this episode, we go deep into the negotiation timeline, the recent moves made by Danielle Smith to force them back into work, comments made by trusted leaders in the community degrading their position and how they have responded, how the wages for EAs and Custodians ends up being less than minimum wage when averaged out to a normal forty hour week, who...2024-10-021h 20
Mr. Clarke After Dark#063 - Carl Azuz | Finding Media You Can Trust From a Former CNN AnchorCarl Azuz is most well-known for his years hosting CNN10 and has just recently gone Independent with The World from A to Z with Carl Azuz. On the episode, we discuss him initially starting off with CNN, his punthusiastic personality, making it the goal to not spend too much time on a story in his episodes to help spark opportunities for nuance within his viewers, the difficulty in making extremely emotionally reactive stories objective, the differences between critical thinking and being skeptical, what Social Studies teach students outside of the literacy components associated with it, creating a coffee shop...2024-09-241h 01
Mr. Clarke After Dark#062 - Jennifer Gonzalez | Reforming Education One Cult at a TimeJennifer Gonzalez has been involved in Education both as a teacher and the creator of the Cult of Pedagogy Podcast, Blog, and Professional Development hub. On the episode, Jennifer and I discuss her leaving teaching and staying in Education with the origins of Cult of Pedagogy, how her vision for it has developed, gaining National Board Certification and encouraging others to do so, the difficulties of providing specific PD to a general audience, how easy it is to stay the same in your approach to teaching, embarrassing confessions to the students, apologizing for setting too high of an ideal...2024-09-1748 min
Mr. Clarke After Dark#061 - Brittany Loder | Woodshop Wonder WomanBrittany Loder is a Secondary Humanities and CTS Teacher has been over the profession for more than a decade. On this episode, we discuss assumptions made about female teachers in Trades education and how they are treated, close calls in the shop, the utility of threats, my lack of education in my wood shop career, setting clear expectations in a dangerous environment, why stay teaching trades when you can practice the trade and make way more money, Women Building Futures, why women excel in trades, the “skills” of a good educator, the importance of flexibility, the lowest moments of her...2024-09-101h 03
Mr. Clarke After Dark#060 - Steph McFarland | Rapture Fear & Teaching RevelationsSteph McFarland is a Secondary Humanities & CTS Teacher who has been in the profession for eighteen years. On this episode, Steph and I discuss our religious upbringing and rapture fear (if you know, you know), how my friends used to pay me to swear, sitting with your first year teacher self, how you can get lost in the busyness of a big school, yearbook creation struggles, being the biggest personality in the room if you teach junior high, feeling zero shame in the creation of my staff speaker speech, junior high versus senior high humour, balancing skibidi with legitimate...2024-09-031h 14