How To Survive The Classroom

I thought I’d heard it all when it comes to the chaos that happens in schools… and then this episode happened. From bizarre moments that made me question my own sanity to a story that had me laughing so hard I had to stop recording—this one is a ride. Let’s just say it involves a teacher, an unexpected interruption, and one of the most jaw-dropping moments we’ve ever had on the show. You won’t see this one coming.

A moment so awkward, it had the entire room frozen.

The unexpected classroom disruption that changed the whole vibe in seconds.

Why sometimes the funniest moments are the ones you can’t plan for.

Proof that teachers really do have the best (and wildest) stories.

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!

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This week’s episode has everything: brownies gone wrong, mice turning into classroom pets, and yes… the day I realized my car had become a rat maternity ward. (Don’t eat during that part, teacher besties.)

We kick things off with a student cruise that takes a very unexpected turn when a principal tries to “prove a point” with confiscated brownies. Spoiler: it backfired spectacularly. Then, a mouse runs straight into class and one student’s reaction is… let’s just say not what I would’ve done.

And to balance out the chaos, I sit down with Phil Januszewski, a high-energy youth speaker, about why awkwardness and failing forward might actually be the best gift we can give our students.

How a field trip brownie left an entire school board scrambling (and a principal very high).

Andrea’s most cursed car story yet: the discovery of a rat nest… placenta included.

Why Phil Januszewski says “embrace the awkward” is the secret to building student confidence.

Andrea reflects on how naive teachers (herself included) can be when kids are high right under our noses.

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!

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Between trying to deep-clean grout, almost impulse-buying enough tile to redo my whole house, and befriending an owl that definitely wants nothing to do with me, my life is chaos right now. But teacher besties, we’ve also got some insane listener stories this week.

One caller shares how struggling in school meant being banned from every fun activity, while another almost got fired their first year for the crime of telling a kid to “sit down.” Yep. That’s it. I spiral about IEPs, incentives, dog training parallels (don’t cancel me), and whether candy counts as currency in classrooms. Spoiler: it does.

This episode is messy, hilarious, and just a little bit wise—kind of like my grout.

A future teacher calls in about being barred from extracurriculars because of low grades—Andrea has thoughts.

One teacher nearly lost their job over telling a student to sit down, and the dog-training parallels get… way too real.

Candy vs. no candy: the great classroom incentive debate heats up.

Andrea drops a resource that can cut teacher prep time in half—without sacrificing sanity.

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!

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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.

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!

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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.

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!

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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.)

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!

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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).

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!

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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.

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.

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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.)

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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.

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Watch on YouTube: @educatorandrea

A Human Content Production

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