How To Survive The Classroom
How To Survive The Classroom

How To Survive The Classroom

Andrea Forcum

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Episodes

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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.

Recent Episodes

This Is the Most Hard-Core Thing I Do Before a Show
DEC 15, 2025
This Is the Most Hard-Core Thing I Do Before a Show
In this episode, I’m unpacking how something as innocent as kombucha sent my entire life into chaos… how my own child managed to humiliate me in public with the confidence of a man three times his size… and why I found myself saluting a complete stranger at a gas station like we’d been through battle together. Plus, your stories this week? Unhinged. We’re talking ski masks, mystery backpacks, “not again” from a school counselor (which is never the phrase you want to hear), and one of the wildest parent–interpreter–admin conferences I have ever imagined. And because I can’t help myself, I’m also taking a moment to climb atop a hill I’m fully prepared to die on, one that every creative, teacher, and comedian should probably hear. Takeaways: The kombucha incident that nearly destroyed my dignity and a mom-and-pop gas station bathroom. How my child chose a random truck driver as his “best friend” and shared my darkest secret. A ski mask mix-up that absolutely no administrator wants to explain. The classroom situation that made a counselor say, “Not again…” Why bitterness has no place in comedy—and what I’ve learned from watching others rise. -- 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
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32 MIN
Please Put Your Shirt Back On
DEC 8, 2025
Please Put Your Shirt Back On
In this episode, I’m talking about everything from a wildly out-of-place operatic performance at my dinner table… to a voice memo that had me reconsidering every teacher’s unspoken job description… to the moment I accidentally confessed to a German felony because I couldn't understand what anyone was saying. And yes, there’s a story in here about nipples. And lotion. And regret. Plus, I’m finally sharing the unexpected resource that has completely reshaped how I think about reading instruction… and honestly, I want to know what you think about it. Takeaways: Why context is the difference between a beautiful performance… and a crime scene. The unexpected way a Japanese festival turned one teacher into a local legend. How I found myself explaining German law at 4 AM while crying in a police station. The moment a student’s “self-care routine” derailed an entire classroom. The literacy podcast that has me rethinking the way we teach reading, yes, even outside ELA. -- 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
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26 MIN
How Did a Safety Talk Turn Into a Crime Plot?
DEC 1, 2025
How Did a Safety Talk Turn Into a Crime Plot?
This week, I owe Texas an apology. Between discovering that Tex-Mex might be the best food on Earth and listening to a kindergarten voicemail about baby mama drama, I had no idea where this episode would go. But then my kids started planning how to get rid of a body, a student declared his future as a midwife, and somehow we still managed to end with a heartwarming story about my sister’s new baby and a resource to help your students love writing again. Takeaways: Andrea finally admits she was wrong about Texas and Tex-Mex might be elite cuisine. A kindergartener exposes her “husband’s other babies” in the classroom. Andrea’s kids invent a disturbingly creative plan for “body disposal.” A student’s career quiz leads to a midwife meltdown and a hilarious OB-GYN story. Andrea gets personal about her sister’s baby’s birth, gratitude for NICU staff, and the importance of helping kids embrace discomfort. -- 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
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29 MIN
BONUS EPISODE: A Thanksgiving Special: Gratitude and Turkey Butts with Denver Riley
NOV 27, 2025
BONUS EPISODE: A Thanksgiving Special: Gratitude and Turkey Butts with Denver Riley
A re-release from last years thanksgiving episode! In this special Thanksgiving episode I sit down with Denver Riley to dive into a blend of holiday trivia, teacher humor, and unexpected insights. As we tackle Thanksgiving history questions (with some questionable accuracy), Denver and I find ourselves navigating through fun facts, turkey anatomy, and relatable teaching stories. We also discuss Denver’s “Jersey Shore” spirit day look, the challenges of historical memory, and the little moments that make teaching worth it. Takeaways: Thanksgiving Fun Facts Gone Wrong: Andrea and Denver tackle Thanksgiving trivia, with some hilarious (and incorrect) guesses on everything from turkey consumption to historical dates. Teacher Humor and Real Talk: The episode highlights the lighter side of teaching, where even everyday classroom mishaps can make for memorable stories. Celebrating Spirit Week in Style: Denver’s “Jersey Shore” inspired spirit day outfit brings humor and nostalgia, showing the fun side of school traditions. The Perils of Classroom Management: Through laughter, Andrea and Denver reflect on how to balance classroom humor with the need to stay grounded. Learning Through Laughter: Even as teachers, Andrea and Denver show that learning new facts—especially holiday-related ones—can be fun, relatable, and full of surprises. — Want to Learn more about Denver Riley? Instagram: @keepingupwithms.b_ Tiktok: @keepingupwithms.b_ — Don’t be shy come say hi: [email protected] 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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66 MIN
The Day “Keep Your Hands to Yourself” Took on a New Meaning
NOV 24, 2025
The Day “Keep Your Hands to Yourself” Took on a New Meaning
This week’s episode had me clutching my pearls and questioning everything I thought I knew about middle schoolers. We got a voicemail about a student caught doing something unthinkable during class and somehow, it gets worse. Teachers, you are not paid enough for this level of trauma. Then, I share the foreword from my upcoming book They Never Taught Us That, talk about what inspired it, and reveal a resource that actually helps teachers get feedback that matters. Spoiler: it’s not from your administrator. Takeaways: The most uncomfortable voicemail of all time and Andrea’s horrified (but honest) reaction. Why middle school might just be the most chaotic age in human history. A sneak peek into Andrea’s upcoming book, including her emotional foreword about what teaching really teaches you. A resource that helps educators gather feedback that’s actually useful not just bureaucratic. Andrea’s reflection on surviving awkwardness, embarrassment, and burnout with humor (and caffeine). -- 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
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28 MIN