Why Later School Start Times Matter: Teaching History with Unicorns

Should high school start later? In this episode of If Teachers Ruled the World, Leah interviews U.S. History, Economics, and Government teacher Joey Cleary, who teaches like he’s on stage, complete with set design, AI-generated daily images, and storytelling that brings history to life.Joey shares real classroom data showing why later school start times matter: In his first-block class, 9 out of 14 students cheated on an assignment. In third block? Zero out of 19. Same teacher, same assignment—the only difference? Time of day.They also dive into:Joey’s journey from actor to teacherHow he makes history class engaging (with a little help from unicorns 🦄)The classroom controversy over teaching flag burningHis dream school calendar (Thanksgiving through New Year's off, anyone?)Two teachers, two totally different styles, and one shared truth: Adolescent brains and early start times don’t mix.🎧 Full episode and Joey’s infamous unicorn image: leahcleary.com/podcast