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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:

The Ballad of Bastards and Grammy Nominee, Five for Fighting May 26, 2025

Show notes

This week, I’m talking to literal Grammy-nominated musical legend John Ondrasik—aka Five for Fighting—about education, mentorship, Costco carts, and how he’s working to put real music teachers back in underfunded schools. (Also, I tried not to ugly cry while listening to “100 Years” on loop. Mostly succeeded.)

But before we get there… we’ve got a classroom snake situation, an inappropriate dictionary moment, and a cooking class where a student shows up with a knife restriction and a no-females policy. What could go wrong?

From ED plans that make zero sense to policies that make teachers legally required to just stand there while it happens, we’re breaking down the bureaucratic circus one story at a time.

Stay for the music. Stay for the IEP trauma. Stay because someone said “bastard” in the most educational way possible.

Takeaways:

A kid calls another a bastard—and the dictionary only confirms it.
A cooking class takes a wild turn when a student shows up with a restriction against females and knives.
I talk with Five for Fighting’s John Ondrasik about his plan to restore music teachers to underfunded schools—and how he ended up supplying Costco carts.
A snake shows up in the classroom, and somehow, that’s not the wildest part of the episode.
What happens when a student’s accommodation forces teachers to cross serious ethical boundaries?

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Want more Five for Fighting:

Website: http://www.fiveforfighting.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fiveforfightingmusic/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fiveforfighting

Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnondrasik

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/fiveforfightingVEVO

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@fiveforfightingmusic

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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

There Will Be Smoke May 19, 2025

Show notes

Teachers, you know it's gonna be a weird week when you're prepping comedy for a room full of principals—including ones you still have to work with. Am I nervous? Yes. Am I planning to open with “remember your why”? Also yes. Let chaos reign.

This week, I’m sharing my behind-the-scenes prep for the wildest PD gig of my life… plus two fire-filled fan submissions, literally. One backpack goes up in smoke, and another student brings lint specifically to start a fire during class. And no, that’s not a euphemism.

Also, I’ve got two ELA-friendly resources that won’t make you scream into the void, thoughts on classroom routines that actually work, and a major update on my teacher survival guide book (coming soon to save your first year and your mental health).

Fires. Comedy. Forced inspiration. And a dress rehearsal for getting heckled by superintendents. Let’s go.

Takeaways:

I’m performing stand-up for a room full of local principals—and yes, I plan to give them “the gift of time.”
A student lit lint on fire inside a classroom drain. And that’s not even the worst part.
Another student's backpack combusted mid-class—so naturally, he just shrugged and said “You’ll smell smoke.”
A resource that turns writing prompts into a literal game—and somehow still helps students actually write.
I’m writing a book for new teachers that starts with everything I personally screwed up. (You’re welcome.)

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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

Shrek Is Still Haunting Me May 12, 2025

Show notes

The tornado didn’t get us, but this week’s episode might.

After surviving Midwest storm warnings and Shrek-related trauma from a former student with a decade-long vendetta, I’m back with a full breakdown of things you can’t predict in teaching—like a kid gasping for air mid-presentation, or another casually announcing their itchy situation mid-kickball.

We’re talking magic tricks that turn into emotional damage, AI that actually helps (seriously), and the question that won’t leave me alone: should we be forcing students to present in front of the class… even if they stop breathing?

Plus: teacher confessions, wild voicemails, a PE teacher who deserves a raise, and my brain slowly unraveling over Kansas geography.

Takeaways:

A student literally stops breathing in the middle of a class presentation—and that’s not even the wildest part.
The return of the Shrek kid. Yes, he found me again. And yes, he’s still doing magic.
A third grader makes an unforgettable anatomy announcement in the middle of kickball.
I found an AI tool that might actually save you time and sanity in the classroom (and I tested it).
Should we still be making students present in front of their classmates, or is it time for a better way?

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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

The Secret Tapes of a Teacher with Charles Fournier May 05, 2025

Show notes

What do a lead-painted door, a rubberized body part in a middle school backpack, and the KKK showing up to a school in the ‘80s have in common? Absolutely nothing—except they’re all packed into this episode.

Today, I’m kicking things off solo with chaotic home improvement updates (including which stripper works hardest) and a couple of voice memos from listeners that are… honestly, you just have to hear them to believe them. One will have you gasping, the other might make you text your admin “hazard pay?”

Then, I sit down with the brilliant Charles Fournier—creator of the hit podcast Those Who Can’t Teach Anymore—to talk about why his show is haunting the top podcast charts, how he captured an entire year of real teacher audio diaries, and why his new season might wreck you (in the best way).

If you’ve ever wanted to throw your backpack out a window, doubt your life choices mid-project, or just feel wildly validated in this teaching life—you’re in the right place.

Takeaways:

I tried to fix a door and accidentally launched a home reno nightmare featuring citrus strippers and maybe lead poisoning.
A student brought something to class that no one—NO ONE—was emotionally prepared for.
What happens when you realize your friend's dad is leading a hate rally outside your school?
Charles Fournier returns with raw teacher audio journals and a season that might just gut-punch you into catharsis.
I’m begging you—send me your wildest confiscation stories. Because we might need a dedicated episode.

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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

I Accidentally Pressed Play on WHAT?! May 05, 2025

Show notes

So, we changed the name. Welcome to How To Survive the Classroom—you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.

In this kickoff to the new era, I’m diving into two of the most unhinged teacher submissions I’ve ever heard—one involving a movie mishap that will haunt you and another featuring a hallway hair war that somehow became my own personal reality TV show.

Plus, I’m revealing the AI tool that actually doesn’t feel sketchy (teachers, I got you), bragging on some simulation drama happening at my university, and prepping for a secret meeting with superintendents that may or may not end in tears (theirs, not mine... probably).

If you’re into rogue four-year-olds, teacher gossip, resource hacks, and hearing someone say “nipple” way too many times on a podcast—hi, hello, press play.

Takeaways:

That documentary you downloaded for class? Double-check the title. Seriously.
Find out how my four-year-old gave two teachers a complex with one innocent comment.
A battle between student barbers escalates—thanks to me. And I regret nothing.
The AI tool that’s not sketchy, actually cites its sources, and might save your sanity.
What I’m going to say to a room full of superintendents (yes, I want them to cry a little).

—

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

Season Two: Teachers Gone Wild May 02, 2025

Show notes

We’re back! No, you’re not crazy — we’ve got a new title (How to Survive the Classroom) and a new mission in life. Thanks to your feedback (and my team’s deeply concerning need for gossip), we’re kicking off Season Two with a brand new twist: real call-ins, real confessions, and real chaos from educators everywhere. This season, we’re diving into your craziest war stories, burnout moments, impossible classroom situations, and all the glorious disasters none of us ever saw coming after teacher training.

Pour yourself some coffee. Grab a helmet. And settle in.

Class is officially back in session, and it’s going to get wild!

(Oh, grow up. I meant in a SFW manner… kinda…)

—

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

That’s a Wrap! The End of Season 1 (But Not Goodbye) Feb 06, 2025

Show notes

This is our Season 1 finale! Come reflect on the first year of podcasting with me, where I share my gratitude for this amazing journey so far and tease what's to come for Season 2.

You can take the survey here: http://survey.podcasterandrea.com/

You can join the book club at https://www.patreon.com/thosewhocanread

—

Don’t be shy come say hi: andrea@human-content.com and podcasterandrea.com

Watch on YouTube: @educatorandrea

Listen Anywhere You Podcast: Apple, Spotify, PodChaser, etc.

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A Human Content Production

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beware of Koala Chlamydia with Denver Riley Jan 30, 2025

Show notes

In this wild episode, Denver and I dive into our travel adventures filled with unexpected twists and valuable life lessons. From Denver’s dreamy yet disastrous trip to Australia—featuring koalas, chlamydia myths, and rental car struggles—to my questionable choices while backpacking through Europe, no stone is left unturned.

Takeaways:

Travel Builds Resilience: Whether it’s losing a passport in Spain or dealing with canceled flights in Australia, travel forces you to think on your feet and stay calm under pressure.

Koala Chlamydia is a Thing: Denver’s zoo trip led to an unexpected deep dive into whether humans can contract chlamydia from koalas (spoiler alert: they can’t…probably).

Hostel Life is Not for the Weak: Andrea’s experience in Amsterdam highlights the challenges (and questionable decisions) that come with budget travel.

Airline Woes Are Universal: Denver’s firsthand experience with canceled flights and unhelpful airline policies proves that air travel frustration knows no borders.

Always Have a Backup Plan: Whether traveling solo or in a group, it’s essential to have a plan for when things inevitably go wrong—because they will.

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Want to Learn more about Denver Riley?

Instagram: @keepingupwithms.b_

Tiktok: @keepingupwithms.b_

—

Don’t be shy come say hi: andrea@human-content.com and podcasterandrea.com

Watch on YouTube: @educatorandrea

Listen Anywhere You Podcast: Apple, Spotify, PodChaser, etc.

—

A Human Content Production

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Idiocracy in Education with Denver Riley Jan 23, 2025

Show notes

In this lively episode I talk with Denver Riley about everything from classroom humor to the challenges teachers face post-pandemic. We also reflect on the new administration's pick for Secretary of Education and the similarity it may be to the movie Idiocracy.

Takeaways:

Secretary of Education: Talking about did the new administration's pick for the job and how it may be too similar to an old movie.

Grace and Accountability in Balance: Navigating the line between supporting students and holding them accountable is one of the biggest challenges educators face.

Post-Pandemic Resilience: The Secretary of Education must understand the long-term impacts of the pandemic on students’ mental health and motivation.

Honest Conversations About Teaching: Sometimes the kindest thing teachers can do is to have tough conversations, even with students who aspire to teach themselves.

Community in the Classroom: Small activities like making hand turkeys can foster joy and connection, even in the midst of systemic pressures.

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Want to Learn more about Denver Riley?

Instagram: @keepingupwithms.b_

Tiktok: @keepingupwithms.b_

—

Don’t be shy come say hi: andrea@human-content.com and podcasterandrea.com

Watch on YouTube: @educatorandrea

Listen Anywhere You Podcast: Apple, Spotify, PodChaser, etc.

—

A Human Content Production

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Edutainment Done Right with Jerry Kolber Jan 17, 2025

Show notes

In this episode I talk with Jerry Kolber, the creative mind behind hit edutainment shows like Brain Games and Brainchild. With a background in reality TV and a passion for making learning interactive, Jerry shares how he transformed passive viewing experiences into engaging, educational content. We discuss everything from his early days producing Queer Eye for the Straight Guy to partnering with Pharrell Williams on a Netflix show and launching the educational podcast Who Smarted?. Jerry also offers practical tips for teachers on using multimedia resources to enhance classroom engagement without adding extra workload. I

Takeaways:

Edutainment is the Future: Jerry Kolbert’s shows like Brain Games and Brainchild prove that education can be both engaging and fun through interactive, multimedia experiences.

Making Learning Relatable: Jerry emphasizes the importance of making educational content relatable to students’ lives, whether through storytelling or personalized teaching methods.

Lessons from Reality TV: Jerry’s experience in reality TV taught him how to create compelling narratives, a skill he now applies to educational content.

Support for Teachers: His Who Smarted? podcast and Brainchild show come with free resources and curriculum support, making it easier for teachers to bring new ideas into the classroom.

Navigating Tough Topics: Jerry shares how his team reframed sensitive topics, like sex education, into more classroom-friendly discussions about attraction, making learning accessible to all ages.

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Want to Learn more about Jerry Kobler?

https://www.atomicentertainment.com/jerry-kolber

https://whosmarted.com/

—

Don’t be shy come say hi: andrea@human-content.com and podcasterandrea.com

Watch on YouTube: @educatorandrea

Listen Anywhere You Podcast: Apple, Spotify, PodChaser, etc.

—

A Human Content Production

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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