June 29, 2026

edTPA Survival Guide

51 minutes

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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.

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.)

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By Andrea Forcum

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