The Mister Castana Podcast

A celebrity chef, author, travel documentarian, and total bad ass. Anthony Bourdain lived a life many he only dreamed of. In this episode, we share some lessons learned from Bourdain while also sharing some tequila with special guests and friend of the podcast Christopher “TIPPY” Arizaga. He shares his story of life in Vietnam as restaurant owner of Tippy‘s Mexican food. Join us and laugh with us, you won't want to miss this one! #AnthonyBourdain #Bourdain #Bourdainisms #LessonsFromBourdain #WorldTraveler #TippysMexicanFood #Saigon #NhaTrang #VietnamStories #themistercastanapodcast #TheMCP

In this episode, we have friend and colleague Blayke Barker come on as a guest and share some wild teaching stories. She previously taught at the infamous San Quentin Prison, along with other jails in Northern California. You don't want to miss this one! #PrisonStories #SanQuentinPrison #SanMateoJail #SanFrancisoJail #TeachingInPrison #TheMisterCastanaPodcast #TheMCP

Have you ever played the game “Damage Control”? Find out what it is, along with more weird fun facts! #themistercastanapodcast #MCP #DamageControl #FunFacts

Nostalgia (noun): a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically, for a period or place with happy personal associations. For many people smells, sounds, and places often evoke feelings of nostalgia. In this episode we dive into the psychology of nostalgia and also some of our own. What gives you nostalgia? Share them in the comments! #Nostalgia #TheGoodOldDays #TakeMeBack #TheMCP #TheMisterCastanaPodcast

When you think of the top fictional athletes, who comes to mind? In this episode we share our top athletes in film. Who's on your top list? #themistercastanapodcast #themcp #MountRushmore #FictionalCharacters

In this episode, we revisit the “ Delve Deck” to share some conversation starters. Get to know us a little more with these fun questions! #TheMisterCastanaPodcast #TheMCP #DelveDeck #ConversationStarters

In the season 3 premiere, we jump right into talking about some interesting superstitions. Providing some historical references to some common superstitions, while hearing fun stories from some friends about their superstitions. You don't want to miss this one! Do you believe in a certain superstition? We want to hear about them! Drop them in the comments

Public Service Announcement: should we limit student screen time on cell phones? In this episode we discuss the impact cellphones and social media has had on mental health and education. A special 2-year anniversary with guest THEE magician mathematician Ryan Jeffries. Join us! #MisterCastanaPodcast #TheMCP #TechAddiction #DopamineSpikes #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #MentalHealthCrisis

More random facts, psychology edition! We discuss different facts that are related to psychology, human behavior, and sociology. Our resident psychologist also joins us again to share some insightful information that will blow your mind

We welcome one of our besties to the show! A Latina College Professor, with a Doctorate in Education, AND a published author; all while being a Super Mom

The Republican Party was responsible for freeing the slaves; but are they the still same party? What factors played a role the evolution of our current political parties? In this episode, We get “political”. Nick gives a brief history lesson on the evolution of American political parties to help better understand how our current political parties came to be. Tune in and nerd out with us!

What's your favorite WEIRD smell? In this episode, we share fun and interesting questions to help spark interesting conversations in the classroom or any social setting. You'll get to know us a little bit more, while also hearing what some of our colleagues had to say as well. What are your responses to some of these prompts? Let's get weird and drop them in the comments! #TheMisterCastanaPodcast #TheMCP #ConversationStarters #DelveDeck

Should presents be opened at midnight after Christmas Eve, or on Christmas Day? We get into that debate while Nick asks for some insight from his mom. Finally, we reveal our top Christmas movies that go on our Mount Rushmore. What are your top Christmas movies? Let us know in the comments! #TheMisterCastanaPodcast #TheMCP #MountRushmore #ChristmasMovies

In this episode, we discuss the Rorsach Ink Blot test and what its purpose is. Then come up with our own version to test our friends and colleagues. What do you see in these images? How does it make you feel? Join us! #TheMisterCastanaPodcast #TheMCP #Rosarch #InkBlotTest

In this episode we share a brief history of the origins of Halloween and how it became a part of American culture. Our friends and colleagues then share things they like about Halloween. Then we share our personal Halloween favorites. Trick or treat everyone! #TheMisterCastanaPodcast #TheMCP #Halloween #TrickOrTreat

In this episode, we highlight a New York Times article that talks about how we should change the way we exercise as we get older. Which then leads us to another important topic: gym etiquette! We interviewed a few people to share their pet peeves at the gym and also talk about a few of our own. What are some of your gym pet peeves? Let us know in the comments! #MisterCastanaPodcast #TheMCP #GymEtiquette #Getstrongerlivelonger

We get into the complicated topic of tipping. When, where, and who should you tip? We interview some friends and colleagues with experience in the food service industry and they share their take on the topic. WHAT ARE THE RULES? Let us know your thoughts on the tipping, and leave us a tip! #MisterCastanaPodcast #TheMCP #TippingRules #JustATip

Did you know the word "queue" is just 'q' with a bunch of silent letters waiting in line? We're back with another weird, random episode of fun facts! Do you know any random fun facts? Let us know in the comments!#ThatsRandom #MisterCastanaPodcast #The MCP

In the season 3 premiere we go into our routines to start the school year. We also get a chance to interview a few of our friends and colleagues and ask them what they're looking forward to this year. Nick also shares some “legal court room advice”. Welcome back! #WeBack #MisterCastanaPodcast #TheMCP

What's the difference between Tequila and Mezcal? We go into that question, the laborious process, and why you shouldn't drink celebrity brand tequilas. Of course we share some History of Tequila while also highlighting one of our favorites, Fortaleza. Some great footage is shared from a tour of the Fortaleza distillery that we recently had a chance to visit. Don't want to miss this one! Salud! #Tequila #Fortaleza Do you have any fun or interesting stories you'd like to share, because we'd love to hear them! Drop them in the comments! If you want to see a more detailed look at a recent tour we took to the Fortaleza distillery in Tequila, Jalisco; then click on the link below for a great tour! https://youtu.be/vE8S30X0Zqo

Our ongoing segment of Mount Rushmore continues with....RIVALRIES! Our good friend Craig Lyon joins us again to drop some knowledge on some of his historic rivalry pics as we share others as well. We also highlight some rivalries our friends and viewers shared with us before this show. Who's on your Mount Rushmore when it comes to rivalries? We'd love to hear your top 4! Drop them in the comments and join the conversation!

In this episode, we open up with the question: Would You Rather meet an alien visitor here on Earth– OR –suit up and travel to outer space? Then go down the UFO and Alien rabbit hole! Highlighting the US government's latest acknowledgements of UFO's and bring up some popular UFO conspiracies while also sharing some of our favorite space/alien movies. Let us know what you think about the topic, we'd love to hear your take! Drop them in the comments!

In this episode we discuss what OpenAI's ChatGPT is, and the pros & cons for the classroom. We talk about how great of a resource tool it can be, but also some real concerns many teachers have already. One thing is for sure, technology is changing the world FAST! Like Neo from The Matrix, will you be taking the red or blue pill??? Have you ever used ChatGPT? If so, how? Let us know in the comments!

True of False: can you hum while pinching your nose??? We're back with another episode of weird, random, and fun facts! What are some fun facts you'd like to share? Share them in the comments!

In this episode, we go into the criteria that often go into a nickname and share some funny stories of some names we knew growing up. We also interviewed several friends and colleagues on campus who share hilarious anecdotes on the topic. What do you think goes into a good nickname? We'd love to hear your stories! Drop them in the comments! 

It's movie award season! So we decided to share our Mount Rushmore of Hollywood Actors. We discuss our picks and fun facts on each of them. Who goes on your Mount Rushmore for Actors? Share them in the comments, we'd love to hear from you!

Did you know fruit loops are all the same flavor? Random, weird, and fun facts are great ways to start the day! We share a few random facts in this next episode. What are some fun facts you'd like to share? Drop them in the comments, we'd love to hear them!

A celebratory episode as we reach episode 10! We share our "stupid" buys if we would've won the lottery. Then we give an update of what the current state of teaching is like for us in comparison to last year at this time.

A special guest joins us on the podcast to talk about the unique rivalry between Central & Brawley High School. Former student, teacher, and now Principal of Central High Craig Lyon, shares some insight on the storied rivalry between the two high schools as they approach the centennial game this coming Friday. 100 years of rivalry!  Tickets for the game can be purchased through Go Fan: https://gofan.co/app/events/706724?schoolId=CA25393 Watch the game live on YouTube through Valley Sports Network: https://www.youtube.com/c/vsnvalleysportsnetwork

We share a recent study done on American men that focuses on the "male friendship recession" and its effects on overall health. Then talk about the importance of social interactions, especially for guys. While also making a case for a national guys' night out holiday

We discuss our next Mount Rushmore topic, Music Albums. We share our thought process in selecting each of our top 4 albums of all time, while also sharing personal stories related to music we heard growing up. Who's on your Mount Rushmore of Music Albums? We'd love to see who's on your list of top 4 albums! Share in the comments. Delete question

"Hey Rookie?!" The struggle is real! We share some stories and concerns we had in our first years of teaching, and think about what we would tell ourselves if we could go back in time. Nick's questions himself early on in his career, Rene puts himself in his student's shoes; and other funny stories that occurred in our early years. While also sharing some words of wisdom for rookie teachers.  Do you have any memorable/funny stories about any of your teachers? We'd love to read them in the comments!

In this episode, we introduce the first segment of our Mount Rushmore. We go a little into the History of this monument, then share which Presidents we'd share on our own Mount Rushmore. Nick also pays up on a bet he made, which is a beautiful sight to see! Who would you place on your own Mount Rushmore? Which Presidents do you consider to be the top 4 in US History? Drop your comments and share your thoughts, we'd love to hear them!

"Hey Kid, You Wanna Teach?!" How do we address teacher shortages around the country? In this episode, we discuss legislation recently passed in some states to try and deal with teacher shortages. We also share a few old and random weird laws that once existed.

Controversy! This is a special episode, where we share some activities to use to start a debate in the classroom. We then use some of those ideas while participating in the 69th annual Over The Line Tournament in San Diego, California. This episode includes interviews with tournament participants as well as spectators who give their take on some HOTly debated topics. Be warned, as some of the interviewees DO NOT hold back! ***Viewer Discretion is Advised*** *We also apologize as we worked through some unexpected technical difficulties, but we powered through

Grab your popcorn and let's talk movies! In this episode, Mister Castana share their go-to movies in the classroom and how they supplement their teaching. Then go into some of their personal favorite movie quotes and moments in cinema. What are your all-time favorites?

The inaugural episode of the Mister Castana Podcast where Rene Castillo & Nick Santana talk about how they got into teaching. Then begin to shine some light on what a ride it's been to teach right before, during, and after the Covid-19 Pandemic. All while sharing some laughs, stories, and interesting anecdotes.