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How To Survive The Classroom — Education
How To Survive The Classroom

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.

Latest Episodes:

Should Superintendents Be Scared of Me? Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

This week? Oh, I just casually FIXED EDUCATION. You're welcome. Between moving houses (but like... literally down the street?) and talking to a room full of superintendents about what teachers really want to say (spoiler: they did not love the football metaphor), it's been A Week™. Also, y'all hit me with voicemails about peeing in bottles and damp key lanyards soaked in mystery liquids and somehow I still can’t stop laughing. Did I mention the AI shower head advice? It’s chaotic, it's honest, and it's the exact emotional fruit salad my life feels like right now. Takeaways: A student handed Andrea something “wet” after the bathroom—what it was (and why it was wet) will haunt you.

Andrea meets with a room full of superintendents and gives them brutally honest feedback—some of it lands… and some of it crashes.

How a pee-in-a-bottle moment sparked a conversation about bathroom policy, trust, and what really happens in the halls.

Why today’s kids might be more germ-aware than ever—and what it has to do with sponges, pets, and pandemic toddlering.

Andrea’s unexpected new DIY assistant: ChatGPT. Find out what she’s fixing, what it told her, and what it won’t help with.

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

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Is This the Most Mortifying Moment in Classroom History? Jul 28, 2025

Show notes

This week’s episode swings wildly between "please tell me that didn’t just come out of my mouth" and "how is this legal in schools?"

First, we’ve got a teacher who meant to say “stop jacking around” and... well, you can guess how that went. I lose it (obviously), because every teacher has had one of those moments where your brain short-circuits in front of 30 teenagers.

Then, we flip the tone completely for a story that rocked me: a teacher gets repeated death threats from an anonymous student, every day, in Spanish, via Google Classroom. When the system failed her, she became her own detective, and the ending? Infuriating.

Plus, I talk about being misread online, learning Spanish for real this time, and a resource that can actually save your life when it’s time to break instructions down step-by-step for 42 different learning styles. Takeaways: A teacher’s slip of the tongue turns into a room-wide freeze frame of secondhand embarrassment.

One educator faces death threats for days—with no help from anyone but herself.

I spiral about being called racist online… for liking authentic Mexican food too much?

I commit (again) to learning Spanish—this time with Duolingo and vengeance.

My favorite AI resource to break down multi-step directions into something even a kid on zero sleep can follow.

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

How Did We Get from Science Class to Testicle Talk? Jul 21, 2025

Show notes

I started this episode already on edge because a mysterious chip in my windshield had me spiraling into a full-blown Safelite conspiracy. And if you think that was wild, just wait until you hear what one of your fellow teacher besties found smeared under a student’s desk. (Spoiler: it’s exactly what you’re afraid it is.) Then there’s the student who decided to learn about vasectomies during class. Yes, there’s a YouTube video involved. Yes, it’s exactly as horrifying as it sounds. Add in some waxer hygiene tips I did not ask for, a nostalgic trip to my Legoland days, and a surprisingly heartfelt moment about comedy and marriage—and you’ve got an episode that’ll make you laugh, gag, and maybe cry. All in a teacher’s day’s work, right? Takeaways: A science teacher hears a student say he wants a vasectomy—and the lesson goes completely off the rails from there. A pregnant teacher can’t figure out what’s making her nauseous… until she discovers a student’s shocking bathroom habit. I spiral into a full-on existential crisis over a chip in my windshield—and what Safelite may (or may not) be hiding. We talk about stirrups, tape, and the unexpected reality of vasectomy procedures. You’re welcome? One unexpected resource turns your average Lego set into a secret STEM learning machine—if you know where to look.

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

Did Kourtney Kardashian Just Cancel Public School? Jul 14, 2025

Show notes

This week I went full trash-TV-to-education-policy mode after Kourtney Kardashian called public school “dated” and bragged about homeschool like she invented it. And y’all… I have thoughts. We’re talking 1% privilege, educational history, and why calling schools outdated is actually the most outdated take of all.

Then we pivot—hard—to some iconic voicemail chaos, including the loudest poop story I’ve ever heard and a kid who apparently mistook the restroom for a personal performance space. And yes, I ask the most important question of the day: would you ever let one rip in your classroom?

Plus, I drop a bookish resource that I genuinely use and love (and that Courtney herself might wanna look into… just saying). Takeaways: Kourtney Kardashian said public school is “so dated”… and I might’ve blacked out from rage.

One teacher shares what happens when your students want instant grades—and zero accountability.

A bathroom story goes off the rails with moaning, shaking, and one of the weirdest hallway convos ever.

I confess my deepest fart shame—and ask if you’ve ever taken the blame for your student’s.

This week’s resource might just rescue your classroom library—and your bank account.

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!

— Join our Book Club: www.patreon.com/thosewhocanread Don’t Be Shy Come Say Hi: www.podcasterandrea.com Watch on YouTube: @educatorandrea A Human Content Production

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How Did a Normal School Day Turn Into a Raid? Jul 07, 2025

Show notes

This voicemail had me fully sweating. A teacher casually drops that a full SWAT team showed up at her school… and the kicker? It wasn’t even a drill. We’re talking lockdowns, military gear, weapons drawn, and a group of students who were just trying to get to lunch.

And the reason they showed up? Ohhhh, you are not ready. I spiral through the possibilities, ask all the wrong questions, and react in real-time to what is possibly the most over-the-top, under-explained escalation in school discipline history.

If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to go from supervising recess to being in the middle of a tactical operation, this one’s for you. Takeaways: A voicemail about a SWAT team storming a school sends me into a full-body spiral, because the reason? Unhinged.

Another caller shares what happened when a vending machine break-in led to a full-on student confession… and some unexpected admin energy.

We talk about what happens when the punishment doesn’t match the crime and whether schools are just winging it at this point.

I try to get serious (briefly) about boundaries, blame, and how kids process consequences even when the adults aren’t getting it right.

And for anyone trying to survive this week intact, I drop a resource that might actually help you feel like a human again. — Join our Book Club: www.patreon.com/thosewhocanread Don’t Be Shy Come Say Hi: www.podcasterandrea.com Watch on YouTube: @educatorandrea A Human Content Production

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What Happens When a Pencil Meets a Butt? Jun 30, 2025

Show notes

I was feeling proud after successfully replacing an exterior light… until I dropped a screw into the mulch and my son roasted my bald husband mid-chaos. Classic. But that’s not even the wildest thing in this episode. I’m talking pencil-related injuries, fourth graders defending their moms’ honor in extremely unexpected ways, and the dark, dark rabbit hole of what ER staff have had to remove from people's bodies. (Spoiler: birds. Literal birds.) If you think ADHD, butt pencils, or savage children might not be connected… just wait. Takeaways: What I learned about wiring from YouTube and losing screws in mulch. Why my 5-year-old’s forehead question stopped everything cold. A fourth grader’s defense of his mom you truly won’t believe. The ER story involving birds you will NEVER forget (or unhear). The ADHD hacks I swear by for surviving literally everything. — Join our Book Club: www.patreon.com/thosewhocanread Don’t Be Shy Come Say Hi: www.podcasterandrea.com Watch on YouTube: @educatorandrea A Human Content Production

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Is There a Right Way to Ruin a Bathroom? Jun 23, 2025

Show notes

Let’s just say this episode covers a lot of... ground. From one very misplaced turd to a student-inspired staple surgery, I walk you through what can only be described as a masterclass in middle school madness. We’re talking scorched Chromebooks, poop-related investigations, and yes, whether you stand or sit to wipe (it matters more than you think). I’ll also drop a killer free resource that could save your last month of school. So grab your scooters and your fire extinguisher—things get spicy.

Takeaways:

A seventh-grade bathroom scene you’ll never forget (and wish you could).
Andrea’s hot take on the sit-or-stand bathroom debate—marriage-shaking stuff.
A surprisingly graphic lesson on staplers and adolescent brains.
Why your students’ Chromebooks might be trying to kill themselves.
A legit free classroom resource that actually excites kids and might save your sanity.

—

Join our Book Club: www.patreon.com/thosewhocanread

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

Did a 13-Year-Old Just Outsmart the School Firewall? Jun 16, 2025

Show notes

You ever discover something about your teacher that made your teenage brain short-circuit? Yeah, me too. So this week, I dove headfirst into the teacher lore rabbit hole, because nothing says professional development like finding out your music teacher once chucked a desk at a kid. Oh, and remember the DARE program? Apparently, not everyone took it as seriously as I did.

We’re also unpacking some jaw-dropping listener voicemails, including one about fake TikToks that nearly cost a teacher her career and another involving a very tech-savvy middle schooler... and a VPN. Buckle up. I laughed, I cringed, I screamed internally. You will too.

Takeaways:

A mysterious student prank reveals the dark side of digital identities.
Why that one teacher still gives off “could’ve been in a biker gang” vibes.
The accidental video that made students think Andrea had a secret hip-hop past.
The story that turned one pregnancy into an emergency delivery.
Why middle schoolers and unfiltered internet access are a terrifying combination.

—

Join our Book Club: www.patreon.com/thosewhocanread

Don’t Be Shy Come Say Hi: www.podcasterandrea.com

Watch on YouTube: @educatorandrea

A Human Content Production

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Hallway. Now. Before I Start Laughing. Jun 09, 2025

Show notes

This week, I had a full-circle moment as a burnt-out teacher turned soccer mom… and then immediately pivoted to unpacking a story where a fourth grader threw up peace signs and declared his love for a very adult body part during writing time.

You know—balance.

We’re talking about teachers surviving without running water (again), why I physically can’t handle fairs (also again), and what to actually do when a student says something so inappropriate that your prefrontal cortex short-circuits.

Plus, I’ve got updates on my DonorsChoose shoutouts, book club chaos, and what AI tool just got sneakier inside Canva (heads up, ELA folks—you’ll want to hear this).

Takeaways:

A fourth grader makes a wildly inappropriate announcement during writing—and the class implodes.
Teachers are once again told to hold it… because there’s no water in the school.
Andrea accidentally tries to become a “fair girl” and it goes very, very wrong.
Canva's new AI tool might be quietly doing your students’ writing—ELA teachers, beware.
How Andrea’s live shows are now highlighting and funding real teachers' classroom needs.

—

Join our Book Club: www.patreon.com/thosewhocanread

Don’t Be Shy Come Say Hi: www.podcasterandrea.com

Watch on YouTube: @educatorandrea

A Human Content Production

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He Threatened to Poop on My Desk Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

It’s Episode 50, and honestly… what better way to celebrate than with a voicemail about a student who threatened to poop on a teacher’s desk?

This week, I’m unpacking end-of-year exhaustion (May energy is real and it’s violent), plus the wildest school stories you sent in—including kids confessing their sex lives mid-English class and throwing Pop-Tarts in rage. We’re also talking about failing infrastructure, disappearing school funding, and how to literally show up to your state legislature and say, “Hey boo, we gotta talk.”

And if you’ve ever asked a student a simple question and immediately regretted it… welcome. You’re home.

Takeaways:

A student skipped class and promised to defecate on the teacher’s desk if she told. (Yes, really.)
Why a district told teachers to use buckets because the water was off—and how that might violate health code.
What actually happens when you show up to your state legislature to speak—and how to do it without getting immediately ignored.
A student accidentally reveals her entire relationship drama in response to “Hey, what happened to your eye?”
Andrea unpacks the AI writing tool hidden inside Canva—and what it means for your students' essays

—

Join our Book Club: www.patreon.com/thosewhocanread

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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