Grande Expectations: More than a Starbucks story
About this episode
This episode explores the inconsistencies in teaching and learning through the lens of customer service experiences at Starbucks.
In this episode of Agile Ed, a rant about inconsistent Starbucks service opens into a much bigger conversation about inconsistency in teaching and learning. From customer service and classroom culture to grading, feedback, trust, and workload, we explore what happens when educators say they value care, flexibility, and community but design courses in ways that send very different messages. Along the way, we reflect on the tensions between relational teaching and scale, the emotional labour of supporting students, the role of TAs as part of the teaching team, and the practical realities that shape assessment design in large classes. This episode is a candid and thoughtful exploration of what it takes to align educational values with educational practice, and why trust, transparency, and intentional design matter so much when we want students to feel supported, challenged, and genuinely included in the learning process.
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- Uncut Gems II: Blooper Reel from Season 2
- Obedience Is Not the Learning Outcome: Learner Autonomy in Action
- Resilience, Not Rigor: Skills We Want Learners to Develop
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