In this episode, I sit down with my podcasting cousin, Smitty—an English teacher, mom of three, and host of the Patreon-exclusive podcast Teachers After Dark. We dive into her life as an educator, the wild dynamics of parent-teacher conferences, and how she balances being a public figure with her own very real, very human experiences.

Smitty gets real about the often-unspoken realities of working in education and the challenges teachers face outside of the classroom—from social media scrutiny to the spicy politics of staff relationships. As someone who doesn't have kids, I was floored (and frequently speechless) hearing what really happens behind school walls.

We also discuss:

🎙️ The hidden drama of parent-teacher conferences 🫣 The pressure of being "professional" 24/7 as an educator 🖤 Creating safe, unfiltered spaces like Teachers After Dark 🤫 The messy, hilarious, and human sides of school culture

Smitty also shares what it's like to build a podcasting platform while working full time and parenting three kids—and why supporting indie content creators matters now more than ever.

If you're a teacher, parent, or someone who loves juicy real-life stories, this episode is a must-listen!

Follow Smitty here: 📌 Instagram: @ridgemont4s_finest 🎧 Listen to Teachers After Dark on Patreon: www.patreon.com/Ridgemont4sFinest

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Chapters 0:14 Welcome to the Episode 1:03 Pick of the Week 4:01 Feedback and Announcements 4:36 Collab with Smitty 6:26 Korean Skincare Secrets 8:01 Teacher Life and Online Personas 9:50 Teachers After Dark 13:49 Expectations of Educators 21:41 Dating Dilemmas in Education 24:20 Parent-Teacher Conferences 31:27 Teacher Relationships and Drama 37:10 The Reality of Teaching 43:46 Protecting Personal Lives 47:00 Content Creation Struggles 55:21 Monetization and Support 1:06:57 Closing Thoughts and Promotions