EPISODE · Jun 11, 2026 · 53 MIN
From Kansas to Korea: The Accidental Global Educator with Nick Steffen
from The Tattooed Teacher · host Phil Murdoch
On this episode of The Tattoo Teacher Podcast, I chat with Nick Steffen — EdTech innovator, design teacher, tech coach, stand-up comedian, and one of the most adventurous educators you'll ever meet. Born and raised in Kansas, Nick has built maker programmes from scratch in China, trained engineers in Ohio, and is currently coaching teachers and students in South Korea — with Munich, Germany up next.Together, we explore hands-on learning, maker education, AI in the classroom, stand-up comedy as teacher professional development, neurodiversity in STEM, and the power of saying "Yes, And" to every student idea — asking the questions educators everywhere are wrestling with right now:How do we teach students to think when AI can do the thinking for them? How do we build maker culture with no space, no budget, and no shop? And what happens when you stop being the expert in the room and start being the best learner in it?This is a practical, funny, and genuinely inspiring conversation for design teachers, tech coaches, school leaders, and anyone who believes the best classroom moments happen when something doesn't go to plan.You can find Nick:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-steffen-a02a63188/https://www.instagram.com/nicksteffencomedy/you can find me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-murdoch-%F0%9F%A4%99-68a846b1/YouTubehttps://youtube.com/@thetattooedteacher01?si=tJy1U6Huz684CtZEFollow DJ Fruit Salad:https://www.instagram.com/djfruitsaladofficial/Sponsored byThe BUSY SchoolThis episode is brought to you by The BUSY School— a network of special assistance schools for Year 11 and 12 students who've disengaged from mainstream education. Small classes, real industry connections, and completely free for students. If you know a young person who needs a different kind of school, The BUSY School could be exactly what they're looking for. The BUSY School is part ofThe BUSY Group — an Australian not-for-profit approaching its 50th year, operating across Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Find out if there's a BUSY School near you at busyschools.edu.qld.auSupported byThe Design & Technologies Resource SiteAn Australian platform built to help creators, educators, and podcasters increase their visibility and connect with Design & Technologies educators.https://andacod.com.au/TeacherPD Australiahttps://teacherpd.com.au/Australia's Premier Teacher PD Directory
What this episode covers
On this episode of The Tattoo Teacher Podcast, I chat with Nick Steffen — EdTech innovator, design teacher, tech coach, stand-up comedian, and one of the most adventurous educators you'll ever meet. Born and raised in Kansas, Nick has built maker programmes from scratch in China, trained engineers in Ohio, and is currently coaching teachers and students in South Korea — with Munich, Germany up next.Together, we explore hands-on learning, maker education, AI in the classroom, stand-up comedy as teacher professional development, neurodiversity in STEM, and the power of saying "Yes, And" to every student idea — asking the questions educators everywhere are wrestling with right now:How do we teach students to think when AI can do the thinking for them? How do we build maker culture with no space, no budget, and no shop? And what happens when you stop being the expert in the room and start being the best learner in it?This is a practical, funny, and genuinely inspiring conversation for design teachers, tech coaches, school leaders, and anyone who believes the best classroom moments happen when something doesn't go to plan.You can find Nick:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-steffen-a02a63188/https://www.instagram.com/nicksteffencomedy/you can find me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-murdoch-%F0%9F%A4%99-68a846b1/YouTubehttps://youtube.com/@thetattooedteacher01?si=tJy1U6Huz684CtZEFollow DJ Fruit Salad:https://www.instagram.com/djfruitsaladofficial/Sponsored byThe BUSY SchoolThis episode is brought to you by The BUSY School— a network of special assistance schools for Year 11 and 12 students who've disengaged from mainstream education. Small classes, real industry connections, and completely free for students. If you know a young person who needs a different kind of school, The BUSY School could be exactly what they're looking for. The BUSY School is part ofThe BUSY Group — an Australian not-for-profit approaching its 50th year, operating across Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Find out if there's a BUSY School near you at busyschools.edu.qld.auSupported byThe Design & Technologies Resource SiteAn Australian platform built to help creators, educators, and podcasters increase their visibility and connect with Design & Technologies educators.https://andacod.com.au/TeacherPD Australiahttps://teacherpd.com.au/Australia's Premier Teacher PD Directory
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From Kansas to Korea: The Accidental Global Educator with Nick Steffen
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