Aug. 10, 2026
Why Colonoscopies Are Underrated
Hi friend, Andrea Forcum (aka @EducatorAndrea) here! If you’ve ever Googled “how to professionally quit mid-semester” or seriously considered hiding in a supply closet, this show’s for you. With Educator strategies and life advice — teaching may be a noble profession… but nobility doesn’t stop your classroom from catching on fire.
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Aug. 3, 2026
Welcome Back To School
We are BACK, teacher besties, and I have SO much to catch you up on. It's the season three premiere of How to Survive the Classroom, and Gerry has arrived with a NEW nose ring, a PASSED edTPA, and a very concerning number of years since his last dentist appointment. Buckle up. We recap Gerry's full edTPA journey and then get into a real conversation kicked off by my 100-year-old grandpa, who was a teacher for seven years before he quit, largely because he was frustrated that pay was tied to years of service instead of actual skill. Fifty years later, that same debate is still going, and we dig into merit-based pay, the limits of standardized testing, and why electives teachers get left out of the conversation entirely. Then we jump into back-to-school fan questions: what NOT to do your first year, the worst icebreakers ever, and how new teachers can actually protect their time. Plus, an unhinged Two Truths and a Lie round where Gerry casually mentions being present for an Easter Sunday prison riot and I have some follow-up questions.
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About the Host
Andrea Forcum (@EducatorAndrea)
Educator / Influencer / Speaker / Writer / Consultant / Mom
One fine day in 2021, Andrea noticed an unforgivable gap in the online education influencer space. EVERY POST by teachers, for teachers, was so heavily polished, heavily edited, and obviously scripted that it felt superficial and fake. Inspired to do something about it and fueled by ADHD - Andrea began creating videos with the sharp, satirical lens of a real teacher. One who’d been through the gauntlet with nine years of experience both pre and post COVID (if you know… you know).
In that short amount of time, Andrea’s audience has grown to over a million devoted followers across platforms (and growing fast). But these aren’t just fans, they’re fellow teachers, pouring in to laugh with Andrea about the beautiful chaos of the classroom. Educators from across North America (and the world) took notice of this authentic voice to rally behind. One who saw their struggle and allowed them to both laugh and feel validated for their careers in one of the most profoundly challenging (albeit rebelliously hopeful) professions. From letters to comments to emails aplenty - teachers now see @EducatorAndrea as someone who “gets it” in a way few do. A creative voice who acknowledges their struggle without ever dogging the profession or punching down.
ALSO — Andrea has a doctorate and two master’s degrees which she picked up along the way to her current position as a Professor of Teaching and Learning at Indiana State AND a presenting speaker for the Indiana State Teachers Association Good Teaching Conference.