What if professional learning didn't require another workshop, another hour-long meeting, or another document sitting unopened on your desk?

Dr. Wanda Terral found a surprisingly simple starting point: fortune cookies.

Her book, Fortune Cookie Pedagogy, transforms short fortune-cookie messages into opportunities for educators to pause, reflect, and think differently about their practice. The idea grew from the hundreds of fortunes Wanda collected and eventually became a book featuring the voices and experiences of more than 30 educators.

But the real lesson isn't about fortune cookies. It's about bite-sized reflection.

Wanda explains why traditional reflection tools can fail when educators lack time to use them, and how micro-reflections can make professional learning more manageable. She also shares how experiences as a band director shaped her thinking about iteration: identify what isn't working, make a change, try again, and keep moving.

The conversation also gets into authenticity, imposter syndrome, classroom safety, student connection, SEL, and what it means to create environments where students can be themselves within meaningful boundaries.

And yes, we talk about AI.

Wanda describes how she used Gemini to identify patterns and organize her thinking while writing the book. The important distinction? The AI didn't replace her thinking. It helped her think.

If you're looking for professional learning you can actually use, this conversation is packed with small ideas that can lead to meaningful changes.

• How a simple fortune-cookie message became the foundation for an entire approach to educator reflection.
• Why micro-reflection can be more practical than traditional reflection exercises.
• How to make reflection small enough to fit into the realities of an educator's day.
• Why iteration and mistakes can become powerful drivers of professional growth.
• How discontent can sometimes provide the motivation needed to improve practice.
• Why student safety and connection have to come before meaningful learning can happen.
• How educators can create classrooms where students can be themselves while still respecting boundaries.
• Why authenticity matters when educators are trying to avoid burnout and the pressure to become someone they're not.
• How imposter syndrome can affect educators—and how putting your thoughts into words can help move past it.
• How Wanda used Gemini to identify patterns and organize ideas while keeping the actual thinking and decisions human.
• How educators can use AI to handle minutiae while preserving professional judgment.
• Why bite-sized stories and reflections can make professional learning more accessible.

Dr. Wanda Terral's book, Fortune Cookie Pedagogy, uses fortune-cookie messages as prompts for educational reflection and features contributions from more than 30 educators.

Chris recommends the BBC podcast Everything Is Fake and Nobody Cares, hosted by Jamie Bartlett.

AJ recommends the ESPN 30 for 30 podcast episode examining the relationship between Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.

Wanda recommends Chief Story Officer with Rob D. Willis, which she found useful while learning more about storytelling and how leaders can strategically use stories.

Chris recommends Matthew Dicks' Storyworthy as a resource for developing and telling engaging stories.

Burnout is one of the most common and most difficult challenges facing educators today. In Episode 155 of PodcastPD, Chris Nesi and AJ Bianco tackle the topic head-on as part of their ongoing 2026 series exploring how we might “fix” education. While burnout exists in every profession, the unique pressures of education, from student behavior and bureaucratic tasks to unrealistic expectations, can make it especially exhausting for teachers and administrators alike.

Chris and AJ explore what burnout really looks like in schools, how small frustrations compound into larger problems, and why educators often feel emotionally drained even when they still care deeply about their students. The conversation also examines systemic issues such as outdated school models, standardized testing pressures, and the disconnect between modern students and traditional schooling. Most importantly, they discuss practical ways educators can support each other, build positive school cultures, and keep moving forward—even when the job feels heavy.

1. Defining educator burnout and why it affects teachers and administrators differently
2. How small frustrations compound into professional exhaustion
3. The hidden impact of paperwork, policies, and bureaucracy
4. Why many educators feel disconnected from the modern student experience
5. The role of outdated school structures in educator frustration
6. Leadership styles that help reduce—or worsen—burnout
7. Why appreciation and positive culture matter in schools
8. Simple actions educators can take to support colleagues and improve morale

1. Burnout is often not caused by one major issue, but by the accumulation of small frustrations.
2. Administrative tasks and paperwork frequently distract from what educators value most—working with students.
3. Many educators feel schools have not kept pace with the modern world or the needs of students.
4. Positive leadership and supportive cultures can significantly reduce burnout.
5. Educators must also take responsibility for supporting and encouraging one another in their buildings.

AJ: Lead It Like Lasso

Much like Ted Lasso, the show Lead it Like Lasso takes a fresh approach to leadership. The foreword alone will shock you. The lessons outlined are not just for business leaders. Rule #1 – "Leadership is Life!" These tools can be applied in the boardroom, locker room, classroom, and living room.

In this kickoff episode of PodcastPD’s 2026 monthly series, Chris Nesi and AJ Bianco launch a year-long conversation around one big, loaded question: What does it actually mean to “fix” education? Drawing from their perspectives as a classroom teacher and a building administrator, they unpack why education feels broken—and why quick fixes and political talking points miss the point.

The conversation dives into student engagement, burnout, technology overload, cell phone policies, professional development, and the lingering effects of the pandemic. Rather than offering silver bullets, Chris and AJ focus on what is within educators’ control: mindset, instructional choices, leadership decisions, and how we grow as professionals. This episode sets the tone for a thoughtful, honest series focused on meaningful, sustainable change—one classroom and one school at a time.

1. What people really mean when they say “education is broken”
2. The post-pandemic reality vs. the promise of change
3. Student apathy, grit, and cognitive endurance
4. Teachers caught between engagement and exhaustion
5. Administrators navigating mandates, data, and human needs
6. The pendulum swing of educational technology
7. Cell phone bans, Chromebooks, handwriting, and balance
8. Why professional development needs a reset
9. What educators can actually control right now
10. Growth mindset, experimentation, and learning out loud

AJ: The Mindset Mentor podcast, hosted by Rob Dial.

AJ describes it as a mindset and personal growth podcast that blends psychology, neuroscience, habit-building, and goal setting, and notes that he’s been especially into recent episodes focused on preparing for 2026, habits, anxiety, and self-improvement.

Chris: Instead of a traditional podcast recommendation this month, Chris is spotlighting a daily short-form video series he’s been creating throughout January focused entirely on how to start a podcast.