How To Survive The Classroom

Human Content
Human Content

As we all know, an educator’s career is one of prestige, respect, and authority.  Just kidding.  Sure, there are lesson plans and inspirational posters. Book reports and detentions. But nobody tells you it’s also parents brawling in the parking lot, students unleashing live crickets during finals, and getting evaluated for “running a tight ship” while the ceiling literally leaks onto your head. Hosted by Andrea Forcum (aka @Educator Andrea on TikTok, former high school teacher and current professor at Indiana State University), How to Survive the Classroom is part advice column, part survival guide, and part group therapy. Each week, Andrea dons her trauma tiara to tackle call-ins and confessions from fellow educators (and brave educator allies). From hilarious war stories to brutal burnout moments, join us as we strategize, survive, and occasionally let out a good old-fashioned cathartic scream into the void. If you’ve ever Googled “how to professionally quit mid-semester” or seriously considered hiding in a supply closet, this show’s for you. Teaching may be a noble profession… but nobility doesn’t stop your classroom from catching on fire.

  1. 1d ago

    Girls' Night: Fangirling, Laptop-in-Rice Trick, & Bed Bugs

    Hey teacher besties, it's just me and Molly this week since Gerry's off doing a show, so consider this a girls' night. I'm coming off a genuinely rough first day back, because my mentor and work bestie of decades has retired, and I had to walk into work knowing she wouldn't be there. I'm now teaching her old class, trying to live up to a legacy I know I can't fully replace. We also do a very necessary lice update (still lice-free, but the vigilance continues), debate the hotel bedbug-checking habits of functioning adults, and Molly gives me a very touching pep talk about becoming the next legend myself. Then Molly tells me about her professional development, including the incredibly humbling moment she got used as a live example of what not to do with your school laptop, twice, since she's somehow gone through three MacBooks in one year. I also share my first day activity recommendations for anyone who needs a low-stakes icebreaker, and then I tell you guys about the best night of my year: going backstage at a Bowling for Soup and Simple Plan concert, meeting one of my favorite comedians, and somehow introducing myself as "professionally a fan" of him. It did not go how I hoped, but it made for a great story, which Molly says is the lore that makes me fun to talk to. Takeaways: I've found that students and colleagues tend to prefer teacher names that are three syllables or fewer, which is part of why I'm comfortable going by "Ms. Forcum" instead of the longer "Dr." or "Mrs." titles. A simple poster board rotation activity, where students respond to prompts as a group in short timed bursts, is a great low-pressure way to build classroom community on the first day. Laptops and liquids do not mix, and putting a laptop in rice does NOT work. Being kind and respectful to your school's IT staff and other support staff will pay off tenfold when something inevitably breaks. Even a well-intentioned compliment can go sideways under pressure, as my "professionally a fan" moment with one of my favorite comedians proves. -- Knoword is an online tool for creating fun vocabulary games. Visit Knoword.com to learn how it fits into your classroom. -- Teachers’ night out? Yes, please! Come see comedian Educator Andrea…Get your tickets at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠teachersloungelive.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Educatorandrea.com/tickets⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for laugh out loud Education! — Don’t Be Shy Come Say Hi: www.podcasterandrea.comWatch on YouTube: @educatorandrea A Human Content Production Chapter: 0:00 - Intro 1:40 - Losing a Teaching Legend 10:57 - Lice Update & Bedbug Horror Stories 19:56 - Molly's First Day Back at School 23:31 - First Day Classroom Activities 28:13 - Molly's Computer Disasters 36:30 - Backstage at a Rock Concert Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. Aug 31

    Help Us Save School Spirit Week

    Hey teacher besties, we're starting this one off with a real crisis, because I just found out I might have lice after spending a week in California with my whole extended family, and I am spiraling. Somehow we end up debating whether chest hair can get lice, and we also give Gerry exactly 60 seconds to nerd out about his Marvel figure collection. Then we get into some real teacher chaos: my kids catching random spiders in high school, Molly's cockroach-on-the-mouth horror story that may or may not be a lie, and an incredibly detailed debate about whether you'd rather poop your pants in public or eat a live cockroach. We also help Molly brainstorm ideas to boost school spirit at her school, swap our worst pajama day stories, and Gerry tells us about the time he dropped it low in front of his coworkers. We close it out with a hill Molly's dying on this week, that people are boring because they don't embarrass themselves enough, so go do something new. Takeaways: Lice can apparently spread through an entire extended family within days, and adults are just as vulnerable as kids. Simple, low-cost spirit week themes, like anything-but-a-backpack day or decades day, tend to get more student participation than overly complicated ones. Pajama day can create real dress code challenges for both students and teachers. Trying something new that you know you'll be bad at is a great way to build funny stories and a growth mindset. Class or grade-level competitions, like themed dress-up days tied to a fun concept, tend to build long-term school spirit and tradition -- Knoword is an online tool for creating fun vocabulary games. Visit Knoword.com to learn how it fits into your classroom. -- Teachers’ night out? Yes, please! Come see comedian Educator Andrea…Get your tickets at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠teachersloungelive.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Educatorandrea.com/tickets⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for laugh out loud Education! — Don’t Be Shy Come Say Hi: www.podcasterandrea.comWatch on YouTube: @educatorandreaA Human Content Production Chapter: 0:00 - Intro 1:17 - Andrea might have lice 4:57 - 60 seconds of Spider-Man 7:24 - Homework & celebrity DMs 11:07 - Classroom pest horror stories 16:28 - Would you rather: cockroach or poop your pants 22:33 - Best & worst spirit days Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  3. Aug 24

    Back to School Fears, Debunked

    Hey teacher besties, we are deep in back-to-school season! My kids are starting a brand new school after their old one shut down (yes, that's apparently a thing that can happen), and thanks to our vacation timing, they're going to miss their actual first day. Gerry and Molly assure me this is fine, and I'm choosing to believe them. We also get into Gerry's actual classroom rules, and guys, I would pay real money to be a fly on the wall when he lays down the law. We spend a good chunk of this episode trying to figure out why it works so well for him and why my crash outs just get me giggled at instead of feared. Then we get into some real advice for new teachers, because Molly and I both remember exactly how terrifying that first summer is when you don't even know what your first unit is supposed to be. We share some of our favorite first week icebreaker activities too, so steal those if you need them. And then, because we can never end an episode without at least one hill to die on, Molly gives an incredible rant about men who say creepy things to teachers, and I finally get to publicly drag my husband for something he said to me eighteen years ago about cheerleading. You're welcome. Takeaways: Gerry's classroom management style leans heavily on intimidation and clear boundaries from day one, and he swears by it. New teachers often think everyone else has it all figured out, but the reality is most teachers, even veteran ones, are making it up as they go. Simple icebreaker activities, like two truths and a lie or investigating the classroom for clues about the teacher, are great low-stakes ways to build community in the first week. Telling a teacher you would have had a crush on them if they'd been your teacher is creepy and predatory, not flattering, so please just don't. Screen time rules can and should be thrown out the window the second you're on a plane or road trip, no guilt required. -- Knoword is an online tool for creating fun vocabulary games. Visit Knoword.com to learn how it fits into your classroom. -- Teachers’ night out? Yes, please! Come see comedian Educator Andrea…Get your tickets at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠teachersloungelive.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Educatorandrea.com/tickets⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for laugh out loud Education! — Don’t Be Shy Come Say Hi: www.podcasterandrea.comWatch on YouTube: @educatorandreaA Human Content Production Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 2:54 - Gerry's Classroom Rules 7:04 - Is It a Gender Thing? 10:35 - Kicking Kids Out 18:09 - Missing the First Day 26:14 - New Teacher Fears 45:45 - Hills to Die On Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  4. Aug 17

    Are You a Good Teacher Just Because You Worried About It?

    Hey teacher besties, buckle up because this one starts rough. Gerry left me a voicemail after last episode that I simply had to share with all of you, and it involves Jersey Mike's, a very close call, and some deeply unhinged bathroom habits I did not know existed until today. We fully unpack the fact that Gerry takes his shirt off to poop (sometimes his pants too), and then my own kid hops on to side with Gerry and betray me completely. Once we recover from that, we get into some real talk. I rant about a Facebook quote that's been living rent-free in my head (the "if you worry you're a bad teacher, you're actually a good one" nonsense), which spirals into a genuinely great debate with Gerry and Molly about self-awareness, comedians, narcissism, and Principal Lamb’s haters. Then Molly brings the hill she's dying on this week: teenagers' out-of-control screen time and caffeine intake, and honestly, it broke my heart a little. We close it out by checking our own screen time live on air, and let's just say we are all a little ashamed (well, maybe not Gerry). 5 Takeaways: Gerry takes his shirt off (and sometimes fully undresses) to use the bathroom, and my own kid apparently agrees with him. Just because you worry about being a good teacher doesn't automatically mean you are one, some people genuinely aren't cut out for it. Principal Lamb's haters say more about themselves than they do about him, and I stand by that. Teens are averaging alarming amounts of caffeine and screen time at night, and it's genuinely hurting their ability to function at school. Content creators' screen time numbers are inflated by actual work, but scrolling is still scrolling, and we all need to check ourselves. -- Knoword is an online tool for creating fun vocabulary games. Visit Knoword.com to learn how it fits into your classroom. -- Teachers’ night out? Yes, please! Come see comedian Educator Andrea…Get your tickets at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠teachersloungelive.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Educatorandrea.com/tickets⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for laugh out loud Education! — Don’t Be Shy Come Say Hi: www.podcasterandrea.comWatch on YouTube: @educatorandreaA Human Content Production   Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:08 - Gerry's Voicemail 10:48 - Molly's Master's Degree Meltdown 16:07 - The "Good Teacher" Quote That Set Andrea Off 30:33 - Kids' Screen Time Is a Real Crisis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. Aug 10

    Why Colonoscopies Are Underrated

    Hey teacher besties! This week is a big one because Molly is officially, permanently part of the podcast now, so it's me, Gerry, and Molly for the long haul. I catch you all up on the first ever Teacher Talk Sycamore Summit I hosted (mimosas, a rage room dream for next year, and Gaspar Randazzo doing a fully clean set), and then we get into some real teacher talk: professional development horror stories, including Molly's unforgettable superintendent-with-a-50-slide-clip-art-deck story. We also swap first week of school stories, Gerry's "I'm a warden" intimidation tactics, plus Molly's mortifying tale of teaching an entire day with her sleeves completely ripped off and not knowing it. Then things get a little unhinged, because that's just how we do it. I tell you guys about the time I genuinely thought there was a man in a ski mask behind my house (spoiler: I grabbed scissors and did absolutely nothing useful with them), Gerry one-ups me with his own naked-scissors home defense story, and somehow we end up giving out medical advice about colonoscopies and IBS. We close it out with our hills to die on, because apparently off-brand crayons and back-to-school-night-the-night-before-school are both worth fighting for. It's a chaotic one, guys, but I loved it. ORDER MY NEW BOOK (AVAILABLE NOW)!!! — https://bit.ly/49CZ5A0⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Takeaways: Molly is officially a permanent co-host on the podcast now, and I could not be more excited about it. Bad professional development, minor disasters, and embarrassing moments genuinely make the best content if you can laugh at yourself. Gerry's classroom management strategy involves a lot of scaring kids and occasionally flipping a desk for emphasis. Real talk: get your colonoscopy, guys, because colon cancer is scary and it's showing up younger than people think. I will always stand firm on my hill that off-brand crayons and colored pencils are simply unacceptable. -- Knoword is an online tool for creating fun vocabulary games. Visit Knoword.com to learn how it fits into your classroom. -- Teachers’ night out? Yes, please! Come see comedian Educator Andrea…Get your tickets at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠teachersloungelive.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Educatorandrea.com/tickets⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for laugh out loud Education! — Don’t Be Shy Come Say Hi: www.podcasterandrea.com Watch on YouTube: @educatorandrea A Human Content Production Chapters: 1:08 - Intro 3:33 - Sycamore Summit Recap 10:23 - Gerry Gets Licensed 24:11 - First Week of School Stories 36:06 - Ski Mask Neighbor & Home Defense Chaos 42:11 - Colonoscopy PSA 48:12 - Hills to Die On Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  6. Aug 3

    Welcome Back To School

    We are BACK, teacher besties, and I have SO much to catch you up on. It's the season three premiere of How to Survive the Classroom, and Gerry has arrived with a NEW nose ring, a PASSED edTPA, and a very concerning number of years since his last dentist appointment. Buckle up. We recap Gerry's full edTPA journey and then get into a real conversation kicked off by my 100-year-old grandpa, who was a teacher for seven years before he quit, largely because he was frustrated that pay was tied to years of service instead of actual skill. Fifty years later, that same debate is still going, and we dig into merit-based pay, the limits of standardized testing, and why electives teachers get left out of the conversation entirely. Then we jump into back-to-school fan questions: what NOT to do your first year, the worst icebreakers ever, and how new teachers can actually protect their time. Plus, an unhinged Two Truths and a Lie round where Gerry casually mentions being present for an Easter Sunday prison riot and I have some follow-up questions. ORDER MY NEW BOOK (AVAILABLE NOW)!!! — https://bit.ly/49CZ5A0⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Takeaways: Do NOT coach your first year of teaching. Even if you love the sport, the workload will bury you. Wait until year two if you can. Please do not become a teacher just because you want to coach. Coaching is its own career path, teaching kids just to earn a whistle isn't fair to the students in your classroom. Watch your icebreakers. Two Truths and a Lie in a class of 30 will take the entire period AND leave you exposed to whatever wild thing a student wants to reveal. Choose carefully. Do the work at school. Grading, prep, and lesson planning inside the building beats opening your laptop at 9 PM every night. Protect your home time. The teacher pay debate has been the same conversation for 50+ years. Both skill and years of service matter, but standardized test scores mostly measure the poverty level of an area, so any "merit-based" system needs a smarter way to measure real impact. -- Teachers’ night out? Yes, please! Come see comedian Educator Andrea…Get your tickets at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠teachersloungelive.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Educatorandrea.com/tickets⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for laugh out loud Education! — Don’t Be Shy Come Say Hi: www.podcasterandrea.com Watch on YouTube: @educatorandrea A Human Content Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  7. Jun 29

    edTPA Survival Guide

    Teacher besties, we made it. This is the season finale of How to Survive the Classroom, and we're going out with a BIG one. Gerry has NEWS, he submitted his edTPA. Like, two hours before the Pacific Time deadline news. (He fully Patoka'd it.) He walks me through his 4 Ps of marketing lesson plan, we trauma-bond over watching yourself teach on video, and he reveals that his comedy tell when a joke bombs is just saying "Hell yeah" into the mic, which will now live rent-free in my head for the rest of my life. Then we tackle fan questions. How to actually land a teaching job, what to ask in the interview, and which AI tools and books are actually worth your time. We also get into the Roast of Kevin Hart and why lazy jokes never land, why Tires might be the funniest sitcom on TV right now, and the ongoing saga of my mom genuinely believing Gerry has face tattoos. Gerry's hill to die on this week: the edTPA needs to go. Mine: every single teacher is allowed to COUCH ROT this summer with zero guilt. We'll see you back in August for the next season. ORDER MY NEW BOOK (AVAILABLE NOW)!!! — https://bit.ly/49CZ5A0⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Takeaways: The "side door" is a legit way into the classroom. Subbing, long-term subbing, and instructional assistant roles can absolutely lead to full-time teaching jobs, and often build the relationships that get you hired. In a job interview, ask about adjunct duties (lunch, bus, coverage) AND whether they're paid. Knowing your district's coverage policy before you sign saves you a lot of resentment later. AI tools like Magic School AI and Diffit can be genuine time-savers for lesson planning, generating questions, and differentiating materials, as long as you're using them to support your work, not replace your thinking. The edTPA may have its place in traditional teacher prep, but for lateral-entry teachers who have already been in the classroom for years, the hoop-jumping starts to feel pointless. Worth pushing back on. Teachers: you are allowed to do absolutely NOTHING this summer. Couch rotting is a valid, evidence-based recovery method. (Source: me.) -- Teachers’ night out? Yes, please! Come see comedian Educator Andrea…Get your tickets at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠teachersloungelive.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Educatorandrea.com/tickets⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for laugh out loud Education! — Don’t Be Shy Come Say Hi: www.podcasterandrea.com Watch on YouTube: @educatorandrea A Human Content Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  8. Jun 22

    New Teacher Survival Guide

    It is officially summer, teacher besties, and I have made a HUGE mistake. I decided I wasn't going to pay for summer camp this year, which means I'm home with my own children, who can apparently sense when I'm overstimulated and somehow get closer AND louder. This week's How to Survive the Classroom is a wide-ranging chat that takes us from Gerry's truly unhinged childhood Holocaust summer camp, to the ethics of ghost tours, to the dark history of New Orleans, to the new-teacher essentials you do (and definitely DON'T) actually need. Then I get on a soapbox about the real hill this week: the federal Department of Education said it was going away, and somehow Linda McMahon is still posting mandates on Instagram. We also briefly fall down the rabbit hole of Stone Cold Steve Austin running for office and the MMA stadium being built on the White House lawn, because of course we do. ORDER MY NEW BOOK (AVAILABLE NOW)!!! — https://bit.ly/49CZ5A0⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Takeaways: New teachers, save your money. Highlighters, fancy turn-in baskets, and elaborate organizational systems are mostly overrated. Focus your energy on a bathroom-pass system you'll actually use. The most underrated new-teacher skill is teaching classroom routines on purpose. If kids walk in wrong, make them walk in again. They'll be annoyed, but it works. The "everyone else has it together" myth is a lie. Even veteran teachers are pivoting, guessing, and occasionally throwing on Shark Tank when the copies didn't get made. Year seven is when you officially become a veteran teacher, with bonus dog years for anyone who taught through the pandemic or wore multiple hats early in their career. When the federal government says it's dismantling the Department of Education but is somehow still issuing mandates, it's worth paying attention and worth pushing back, no matter where you sit politically. -- Teachers’ night out? Yes, please! Come see comedian Educator Andrea…Get your tickets at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠teachersloungelive.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Educatorandrea.com/tickets⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for laugh out loud Education! — Don’t Be Shy Come Say Hi: www.podcasterandrea.com Watch on YouTube: @educatorandrea A Human Content Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

As we all know, an educator’s career is one of prestige, respect, and authority.  Just kidding.  Sure, there are lesson plans and inspirational posters. Book reports and detentions. But nobody tells you it’s also parents brawling in the parking lot, students unleashing live crickets during finals, and getting evaluated for “running a tight ship” while the ceiling literally leaks onto your head. Hosted by Andrea Forcum (aka @Educator Andrea on TikTok, former high school teacher and current professor at Indiana State University), How to Survive the Classroom is part advice column, part survival guide, and part group therapy. Each week, Andrea dons her trauma tiara to tackle call-ins and confessions from fellow educators (and brave educator allies). From hilarious war stories to brutal burnout moments, join us as we strategize, survive, and occasionally let out a good old-fashioned cathartic scream into the void. If you’ve ever Googled “how to professionally quit mid-semester” or seriously considered hiding in a supply closet, this show’s for you. Teaching may be a noble profession… but nobility doesn’t stop your classroom from catching on fire.

Information

  • Channel
    Human Content
  • Creator
    Andrea Forcum
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    117
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Human Content, Inc. and Educator Andrea Inc. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    How To Survive The Classroom

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