Turning Stickers into Classroom Gold with Andrea Miller

Andrea: Welcome to Those Who Can't Do. I am Andrea Forcum, and I am so excited because today I have Andrea Miller. Hi! 

Mrs. Miller: Hello! 

Andrea: I cannot, I, and those of you guys who are like, that sounds familiar, it's because She's the sticker lady, she's the sticker teacher, and yes, behind her you can even see her beautiful display of stickers, um, and I'm, I'm just, I'm so excited because Andy is one of the very first people who I, like, teacher creators who I reached out to when I started to gain a following, and we lived actually really close to each other.

And so we met up and hung out and she shared with me all of the background stuff because like, I don't know, like, it's so weird being a teacher content creator because it's number one, a very, like, kind of very specific niche. Yes. And number two, like, we want to do well at our things, but there's no one to teach us.

And so I just I loved 

Mrs. Miller: when people always, like, talked about it for the first time. So I always, I knew that was your first conversation having with somebody else that does what we do. So. It was an exciting conversation. 

Andrea: Yeah, and it is. It's fun because I've had similar conversations with people as well where it's just like, this is a really weird thing we're doing and there's no real guidebook.

And so it was, it's really cool getting to have you now on the podcast here to chat. It's super fun. Now, what do you currently teach? 

Mrs. Miller: So this is my 11th year teaching middle school math. I teach sixth, seventh, and eighth grade math. My first, uh, my first six years, actually I did sixth, seventh and eighth grade math and sixth and seventh grade science.

But this year I'm just my sixth, seventh and eighth grade math. I also teach a school broadcasting class. So we do the whole news show for our school. Um, I used to do the social media, but then they hired a social media marketing lady. And, uh, so I was like, okay, what could I be doing next? So we're doing a school broadcasting.

Um, I also teach a project based learning class. So my school does a couple of electives on top, but my main classes are, I'm a math teacher, so. 

Andrea: Awesome. So wait, you're, you have a class that is just project based learning. Yes. Do they just, do you pick the projects or do you just say like, pick something you care about?

So 

Mrs. Miller: this is my third year being the instructor of the project based learning and we have four quarters each year, so I do it four times a year with four separate classes. Um, this current class, um, we are doing, it's eighth grade. Um, we're making a city. So, um, we have the math components where they're actually going to be graphing their city on a two dimensional plane.

We're doing the government and civics, um, components because they are interviewing somebody about what makes a good citizen, and then they're learning about that also in history class so they can write their research paper. And then they're actually going to be doing, like, a tourism project. where they're researching a city and kind of like creating a city based off of that city.

And then, uh, they're going to try to get people to come move to their city on exhibition day. So all parents show up, um, and then go to each of the classes. So they're going to be trying to get people to move to their city. So we have the ELA, the history, the math base. So I came up with this project, uh, for this class, um, mainly because I wanted it to be math focused.

A lot of times we do it and there's not like the math focus. I'm like, come on guys. Like my talents here are math. Yeah, I feel like that's my, yeah. So that's my project for this, this, this quarter. But next quarter, I'm actually off next quarter. So I got planning for the next quarter. I don't have a PPL.

Andrea: That's amazing. 

Mrs. Miller: Yeah. I love that for 

Andrea: you. 

Mrs. Miller: Quarter two is a good quarter for Mrs. Miller. 

Andrea: But that's amazing. 

Mrs. Miller: Third and fourth quarter, I'll be with the sixth grade and the seventh grade. 

Andrea: So teaching in that demographic, that is also the demographic that is Obsessed with you, Andy. I, so guys, I went to VidCon for the first time this last summer and hung out with Andy quite a bit and I was unprepared for the level of fan excitement when we went into the convention center and you, I mean, there were literally times that we were standing there for like 10 minutes and it was like me and other creators and creators who were like have massive, massive followings.

They did not care about anybody but Andy, like, Those are my people! They are your people. It was so funny, there was one because we had, um, Lauren Woolley with us, and there was one situation where I thought they were asking for a picture with Lauren too, and so I was like, Lauren, go ahead! And the kid looked at her like, I don't know who you are.

It's the stickers. Oh, it's the stickers. They, those kids love the stickers. And it's so fun because you also have like your, like, personalized, like, Miss Miller stickers that you hand out when, when kids come up to you. 

Mrs. Miller: Yes. Because I learned really early on, but I am awkward in public. So, I, like, I'd be a target, like, carrying my pole of paper and what not in Target being a normal human being and like a child would come up to be like, are you Miss Miller?

Or they give you like that stare, like the 

Andrea: Yeah, the stare, the look at their phones, the stare. 

Mrs. Miller: And I didn't know what to do. 

Andrea: Oh 

Mrs. Miller: yeah, you just stare 

Andrea: back. So that's why I bought the 

Mrs. Miller: stickers so I could like give them out in those conversations like, oh, do you want a sticker? Thank you for following. So I'm 

Andrea: awkward.

So 

Mrs. Miller: the stickers, that's, that's why I did them. 

Andrea: That's awesome. And I think it also helps, um, for like visibility. Like you are, Very tall, which people who follow you may or may not know, but you are, like, you are six foot or you're over six foot? You're six two, right? I'm six two, yeah. 

Mrs. Miller: So. 

Andrea: Yeah. So we all walk in and, I mean, like, the rest of us, I don't know, five five, five six.

Uh, and then we've got Andy with us, um, who then is also being swarmed by, uh, by the youths and all of that. What has that been like for you? Like, obviously the pros is like, it's fun knowing that you're making an impact in people's lives, but have there been any cons for you for being like the sticker teacher?

Mrs. Miller: Honestly, my school community is incredible when it comes to my social media platform. I know a lot of teachers who have issues making content in their classrooms just had being like a public figure. I've had nothing but support from my school community. Um, I mean, the negative comments kind of get me a little bit sometimes, but for the most part, they leave me alone.

Like, even though I'm showing like crazy stickers, it's usually because I'm like, these are the ones I can't give to my students. So I feel like the people kind of leave me alone. Really? It's just, it was, what really threw me off was people recognizing me in public. That was, uh, my husband was always the most awkward, actually.

Yeah. Totally. Really? He'd be like, what? Like when it first started out. And then I would get awkward, so that's why I'm telling you, the stickers are the easiest way for me to be like, oh my gosh, thank you for following me, here's a sticker! 

Andrea: Yeah, that is so much cooler than being like, because I, like, I've had people come up to me and I feel really weird about asking, do you want a picture?

Because then if they actually really don't, it's so embarrassing for me. Like, not for them, because then you can tell that they were like, Oh, I just wanted to say hey, but then you're like, oh, did you want a picture? And they're like, sure. Crickets. We don't have to. Please stop. Please say no next time. Is that because you?

Yes. Several times. And I wanted to pass away immediately. It was so embarrassing. And my husband was there for one of those times and he did not let me live it down because he already knows how uncomfortable it makes me not in like. Not in a bad way. Honestly, it's very, very flattering when people come up and say hi and all of that.

Like there's definitely, but I always like, I don't want to disappoint them. I want them to be like, wow, she's so cool in real life, you know? And so I'm like, be cool, be super cool. And I, so I was like trying to be cool. And someone had said like, we'll just ask somebody if they want a picture, if it seems like they do.

And I didn't, like, they were like, um, I guess. And I was like, uh, it's like the most uncomfortable picture I've ever taken. And my husband, like, as we were walking around, he'd be like, do you think they want a picture with you too? Should we ask him? I'm like, shut up. 

Mrs. Miller: My husband always goes, do you feel really cool?

After like, so I definitely don't offer the photo. If they want the photo, usually they'll, they'll take it. Um, if like the parent is, is, cause usually they're children, so they're usually with their parents. The parent will usually for me be like, ask her for a photo, and if they're a little nervous I'm always like, oh I can do that, but the word photo has to come 

Andrea: from them.

Yeah, let me tell you, that's a good choice. That's a solid choice, because it is, it's a risky game. Because I honestly just don't, I would feel really bad if someone was like, Oh, I wanted to get a picture with you, but I, I didn't ask. And then I'm like, Oh, like you, I, I would have said yes. Like I literally could be looking like a garbage heap and I would be like, sure, I'll, I'll take a picture or whatever, but it was fun.

And it's so funny cause they're recently, did you see the video that got really like viral with, um, I'm going to say her name wrong, Chapel, Chapel, 

Mrs. Miller: uh, Chapel Rome. 

Andrea: Yes. I, for some reason I like doubted myself. I was like, is it Chapel where she was just like, yeah, she's like, don't talk to me. Don't come up to me like you know me.

I'm a random person, and you're a random person. And I, I cannot fathom her level of fame, because for me, I'm solid 95 percent of the time in an, in a normal neutral place, right? Like, if I'm just at the grocery store, I usually don't get recognized. Every once in a while, someone will. As long as I'm not, like, at a teacher focused event, probably not going to get recognized, right?

Right. But for, but for her, it's like everywhere she goes. And so now I'm wondering if, like, people are starting to get very nervous about approaching influencers or other people who are, like, known. 

Mrs. Miller: I think Chappell's issue was like the people that like grab her. It was like, people are like grabbing her to like, Oh, like I want a photo.

It's not like a, like a hot, like, I think it's like, it was like that awkward, like, People are getting too much in their face. Adrua Flello, um, also said the same thing, like that, like whatever Chapel Rowan, like specifically said, she was like, I get that like so often where people like are like that parasocial relationship, like they, they like get too close to them or like, like don't realize that they're like, they're a regular person.

Like they're not like. a character, 

Andrea: but right, right. Yeah, it is. It is super fascinating. Have you had any kids or followers that come up and feel like they have like that parasocial relationship with you or any like students who came into your class and were like, I've been following you since fifth grade.

And so I basically already know you 

Mrs. Miller: most of the time. If I'm in public, they're just really nervous. It's not, it's not too crazy like that. I have definitely had a bunch of, of, uh, students who Like right when I joined this school, I made a video setting up my classroom. So like my, my students that hadn't even like had me yet were like, Oh my gosh, this is our new teacher.

Like I know that classroom. Or, um, for people like my new students, um, just one of hers, like she was just like, Oh, like I knew who you were before you even came here. So. 

Andrea: Do you like make it part of your intro? When you're starting a class, you don't? 

Mrs. Miller: I don't bring it up whatsoever, but they know. 

Andrea: So I didn't, but now I do for my college students.

I think if I taught high school, I would pretend I didn't know what they were talking about. I'd be like, I, who? 

Mrs. Miller: I, the kindergarten through fifth graders at my school, if they bring it up, I'm always like, what's it, 

Andrea: what's a 

Mrs. Miller: TikTok? 

Andrea: Right. 

Mrs. Miller: And I play like stupid. 

Andrea: Do you like do TikTok? I don't understand. And they're like, we 

Mrs. Miller: watch your videos!

And I'm like, what video? What's a video? And I'm like, so stupid. Right. Um, they think it's funny. So then like every time they're like, I know you're on video. So it's like, it's like kind of what we do as like a joke at my school. My students, they love the stickers. They, like, a lot of, a lot of teachers now are like, Oh, I wish my students liked it.

My students love the stickers, but I think it's because I, I get the ones that they want. 

Andrea: Yeah. I was going to say, I've never had a class of students that are like, stickers are done. Like I've had students that would, would like rifle through and pick out a pile that they eventually wanted to earn for me and have like their pile in my bin.

And would, like, fight other kids if they touched the pile. Do you? 

Mrs. Miller: One of my current eighth graders, I taught her brother, he's now a sophomore, but when I had him in seventh grade, I literally made a baggie that said, stickers to bribe Noah. And I lost it. I lost the whole bag. And then I was cleaning out my classroom, like, at the end of last school year, and I found it.

And, uh, their parent, their mom is, like, my best friend. My classroom mom. I was like, I found the Noah stickers! 

Andrea: Did you get them to him? Did you send it to him? 

Mrs. Miller: I still got the diamond over here. Noah has to come back and like clean your whiteboards. But it was like so funny because it literally said, to bribe Noah.

Andrea: I love it. I love it. So speaking of bribery, there is a lot of feedback about extrinsic versus intrinsic motivations with kids. And I always found that like intrinsic would be great. I think we all would prefer for us to have a classroom full of kids that purely just to have the math knowledge in their brain is why they want to do well in class.

Um, I don't know what percentage of kids that would be. I cannot fathom, but I know for my English classes, there's maybe a 10 percent of the kids in my class, like, just in, like, want to learn because they like to learn and they maybe like the subject. But extrinsic motivation for me was really key because motivation right now in schools is, you know, Brutal.

So, how did you come about doing the sticker store and, like, starting that in your class? 

Mrs. Miller: So, I started stickers, uh, in 2020. So, I had, like, a little Ziploc baggie. We actually played, like, surprise stickers, like, at the end of a class period. I would, like, shuffle through it and, like, you get, it was, like, the meme pack or whatever.

Yeah. And like, a bowl of cereal. And, like, everyone would laugh. And it was, like, kind of, like, a joke that we'd do these, like, Surprise stickers. And I would like, if they were doing a good job, we would do surprise sticker. And that was just kind of how we did it. And that summer after my first year of stickers, um, I was like, Oh, like I could do something.

I could get a holder like this and I could have them actually not have to shuffle through this bag. It would actually be something that they can see. So that was the year that I started doing just this template. That would have been, um, in 2021. Um, and I don't know why I just wrote the sticker store on the board.

I think it was an maybe expo marker at the time. I now have cute little magnetic letters of it. Um, but it just, it literally just started me handing them the sticker like just as an activity to make things fun during COVID because I think half of them were online still. The other half were in little isolated pods.

So it's kind of just in the COVID time where I was just trying to make something a little bit more enticing, more fun in class. The social media aspect of it kind of blew up the sticker store even more because finally I started buying packs. I'm like, Oh, we got to check our stickers. And I made a stupid video.

I remember I was watching the Olympics the summer of 2021. I'm like sorting through these stickers while watching the Olympics. I'm like, these are pretty bad. Some of these are pretty funny. And I just made, I literally just like did this with like my camera. I was like, Oh, these are some bad stickers.

Make sure to check your stickers. And like that video blew up. And then some people started asking questions about like, Oh, well what makes a bad sticker? So then I was like, Oh, I have all these like violations. I like kind of just like named them off. And then that video, I did that video in my bathroom.

So don't know why, like I was like filming that the lighting was good. I think it was like Christmas break at that time. And then, then that, you know, the, the rest is history, the, I started making a sticker bin and started sorting them into the different inappropriate categories and really those videos, like obviously I started monetizing on it.

So because I was making money on showing those stickers, I was able to buy more stickers for the sticker store. So kind of those videos just kind of like helped. Kind of like build, uh, like allowed me to keep buying the stickers and I really do think it works in my classroom, um, because I'm buying the stickers that my students actually want.

So if the students like looking through stickers, one of them just said, Oh, Ms. Miller, I can't find any more car stickers. I'm like, Oh, let's go get some car stickers. Do you like the classic or do you like the sports cars? So I try to make it so it's like the ones that my students want and that's how the whole sticker store kind of came about.

To answer the intrinsic versus intrinsic motivation, um, I make sure, so I don't give the stickers like mid class out. The entire class usually has a great day and they're like, Hey, Mrs. Miller, did I earn a sticker? At the end of the class period, that's when they're, they're either get the sticker or like they don't get the sticker and it's usually a whole class type of deal.

It's not individually wise. 

Andrea: Okay. 

Mrs. Miller: I always kind of treat it as they don't expect the sticker, they're just kind of grateful when they get it, but my students are always so good. So it's like, it's very rare that like we have time for them to grab a sticker and I say no. The only time I really say no is when I'm like, guys, please.

You should have been in history class one minute ago. Like we don't have time to do this right now. Come back during study hall and then they'll come back during study hall. So I rarely use it as like you didn't turn in your homework so you don't get a sticker. It's right. If they come during study hall, I'm like, they're like, can I grab a sticker?

And I'm like, Oh, did you turn your TMC corrections in? Like, no. I'm like, come here, do it right now. And then go grab a sticker. So maybe that is the extrinsic motivation. But, um, like my students are just so good that, like, they, it works for my classroom because they're so good. I'm never telling somebody no, because I always say my classroom management works, but maybe they want the sticker.

Maybe that's why it's working. 

Andrea: Right. Right. I love that. Well, and it's, it's so funny because I remember every grade I ever taught, if I decided to have like a stamp or have like gold stars, because I would be like, Oh, gold star for something. And they're like, no, we need gold stars. Like, if you're going to say gold stars, where is it?

So then I got a pack of just gold stars. The way that it turned into a blood sport for some of these kids to get a gold star on their work. Because to them it was like, no, like I got the gold star and then God forbid I give two kids the same score, but one got a gold star and the other one did not. Oh, the heat that I, your mistake, the heat that I faced off of that.

And it's so funny too because I do like, I, I can appreciate the desire. I don't know. I, the intrinsic motivation crowd just feels a little judgy to me that are like all and like all motivation should always be intrinsic. And I do feel like that comes from a position of privilege a lot of times, because that is assuming that every kid is coming to school in a place where all you have to do is just in the classroom provide opportunities and they want to naturally learn whatever it is that you have to teach.

And that's just, I feel like it's out of touch with. reality of like, that would be awesome. If I knew every single one of my students was coming to school fed and clothed in a way that is comfortable for them and like, aren't worried about what's going on at home. Fantastic. But like, when, when do we ever have a class where there's not at least a few kids that were concerned about having all of those things met?

Right. 

Mrs. Miller: Right. 

Andrea: And, and having something like, Oh, you get a sticker like, or a piece of candy, because that was one of the ones a lot of times I would have when I. There was one time I can't do candy. 

Mrs. Miller: I can't do it. 

Andrea: Candy, number one. 

Mrs. Miller: I eat it all. That's my problem. I eat all the candy before I can pass it out to my students.

Andrea: Yeah, no, that's very relatable, honestly. There were definitely some times when I'm like, they don't deserve candy, but I do. I deserve this candy. 

Mrs. Miller: Yesterday I have 11 kids in my school broadcasting and we had 10 airheads. And one student was like, Oh, like, I don't need one. And I'm like, Well, that doesn't help us because I need one too.

Andrea: But honestly, like I, that's why you have to buy candy you don't like. Like I, I honestly think that's why Jolly Ranchers end up becoming the teacher candy because no one's going to binge Jolly Ranchers, right? Like, but if you get a Jolly Rancher, like you, you're gonna be like, Oh cool. But no teacher is like mainlining 15 Jolly Ranchers in between classes.

But if you put like some Reese's cups in there. I could, I could eat 15 Reese's cups. I could make that happen. So I don't, I don't have the self control to have that. 

Mrs. Miller: I'm gummies. Really? Yeah. I love the sour gummies, everything like that. Yeah. Um, to go back to what you were saying earlier, the, honestly, I truly think the intrinsic motivation that I use in my classroom, it, it makes students enjoy math.

Like they start my class usually in sixth grade and they're like, math is my least favorite subject. By the time they get to eighth grade, because I teach my sixth grade, I teach sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. Um, so they, I get to, it's the best. So I get to know exactly where they are and work with them for all three years.

Um, my, my student, like, I truly think the second year makes them like math because every single person ends the year and they're like, I love math. Like it's, it's great. Or I can tolerate math now. And before it was the worst thing ever, but I really think it does. Like it just helps just. At the end of the class, if we have a great class period, we can grab some stickers.

If we get our stuff done early, we can grab some stickers. So it keeps the working moving, it keeps the class flowing, and it really, like, they show up during study hall, and I'm like, hey, welcome, you need to do this. So it's like, it's so, I don't have to track people down because they're already coming here to grab a sticker.

Andrea: Yeah, I think it has to also do with the vibes that it establishes. Like, I think it's, it's you and it's the stickers of like, the vibes are, it's not that serious. Like, we're here to learn math and then you get a sticker and it's all like, it's all good. Like, I don't ever remember being in a math class and not feeling very stupid.

and very frustrated because I had a couple of math teachers in middle school where I have a vivid memory and this was part of like growing up with undiagnosed ADHD where I would be so and I remember this so vividly I can remember where I was seated in the class staring at the blackboard and the teacher was explaining a process and I cannot remember what it was obviously order of 

Mrs. Miller: operations.

Andrea: Probably. And she is explaining it and I'm watching her and I'm trying so hard to listen and all I can hear in my brain is pay attention. This is important. Pay attention. This is important. Why don't I understand this? Why? Why am I so dumb? And like, that's all I could hear. So I couldn't hear the math, you know, and then she would be like, okay, guys, go ahead and now do what I just did up there.

Do it on your paper. And I would look at my paper and I would just start crying because I was so well. frustrated because I'm like, I don't understand this. I'm so dumb. Like I truly thought that because I couldn't understand math, like I lacked intelligence at just a basic level. And like, I was so frustrated and it would make sense if I could not be in that panic state.

I could somewhat understand the steps she was going through. But as soon as I had to do it on my own, I was like, completely lost. I honestly think I might have dyscalculia or whatever, which is like the dyslexia for, of math, right? Like that would honestly very much track for me as well. But, and I remember there was this one birthday where my brother, he's, my brother's a STEM guy.

He's math and science and all of that. He's an aerospace engineer with a double master's in business and engineering. Okay. That's, that's my older brother. Yes. Yeah. And, but I, but he doesn't have a doctor and I do so. Whatever. Um, and there was, it was for my 16th birthday and iPods were very popular and I really wanted an iPod, but my parents are like, you have to work for it.

And I'm like, my 16th birthday, my brother hands me a gift card. That's probably why I am the way that I am. Um, he gives me, my brother gives me a gift card. And I think iPods were like, I don't know, 150 bucks at the time or something like that. My brother hands me a gift card, but he thought it would be really fun to instead of telling me what was on the gift card, he was going to give me a math problem.

And I have such a vivid memory of like sitting there for a couple minutes and then being like, I don't even want this if I have to solve the math for it. And I would like pushed it back. I was such a snot. I like push it. I was like, I don't even want it. And he's like, okay, all right. It's a hundred dollars.

And I was like, I do want it. It turns out I actually do. I will take that right back. And sorry about the attitude. 

Mrs. Miller: 50 plus 50, 25 times four. I got this 100. Right. 

Andrea: That's all I need. But no, it was like, it was a solve for X kind of a thing that he gave me. And my whole family was just like watching me, don't, you're triggering me, you're triggering me.

He was like, solve for x, and I was like in tears, and I was like, I don't even want it, and he's like, all right, okay, well, it's, this is how much is on. I was like, oh, I was just trying to have fun. You know, he's like, I thought this would be fun. I was like, with math? What are you? He's such a, like, a math. I'm kind of a guy.

Right. But if 

Mrs. Miller: I'd had you with the fun stickers. If you had me as for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade, I can get you there. I can get you. If you got me for three years. I can get you where you need to be. I'll add you to my Canvas class and you can see what we're doing. 

Andrea: Are you going to send me stickers in the mail?

I can do that. Yeah. That'd be perfect because by the time my daughter gets to like sixth grade for math, she's going to have to talk to her dad about that one because he's like, he's good at math stuff. And so I'm just going to be like, that's for, that's for you. I can help with the ELA. I can help with the essays, but.

Mrs. Miller: Right. The beauty of COVID, like I had to put, I had to transfer everything online. And so because I put in so many hours doing that, like for the entire year of COVID, I now have, I have everything online and I have my whole like, it's called, it's Canvas. Yeah. The Canvas classroom. So my students, if they don't understand something in class, well, I posted it already on Canvas as well.

So I could take the photo, I put it in there, the answer keys that they need to check their answers when they're doing their homework are there. Like all the resources that they need, like if you are stuck in class and you're like, oh no, I didn't know how to do this. They know where to find it if they have that motivation to get there and into the canvas to get their input.

So I, I like COVID was very good for my class because I was able to make everything online. So now it like looks like I'm so have everything put together because I put so many hours in that one year during COVID. 

Andrea: Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome. I don't, I don't feel like there's a lot of teachers that could be like COVID was great for my class.

Mrs. Miller: I'm like, I, because I had, I remember working like. 14 hours, like every Sunday, like a full day to get everything like where they needed to be that year. And because I put in all those hours, like now I'm year 11 and I'm like, Oh, like now I'm working on differentiating. I'm fine. I'm making projects. I'm able to like do the things that like you never really were able to do before because you were like, just kind of drowning through 

Andrea: right.

Mrs. Miller: Whatnot. Um, so I'm able to like really get in deep differentiation in my classes because I do work at a K through eight. So there's only one class per grade level. So my students range so far on the spectrum of, of, um, like academic levels. So I am like, that's what I focus on now is differentiation because I can, because I put in all those hours during COVID.

I 

Andrea: love it. That's awesome. All right. Well, that is a perfect place for us to take a break. So we will be right back.

Welcome back to those who can't do. Um, okay. So Andy, I know you have a platform on Snapchat, which First of all, I think I was just talking to a parent about this because they have a middle schooler and they are terrified of Snapchat, because I feel like when Snapchat came out especially, it was just like, the only thing that's happening on Snapchat is sexting and bullying, and they're like, I have no desire to have my kid exposed to that kind of stuff, um, But there are actually like creators that are on there, like pushing content out.

So what kind of content do you create on Snapchat and what kind of content are you seeing on there? 

Mrs. Miller: Right. Yeah. So this summer I focused like the whole summer on creating my Snapchat based on my old content because I wasn't, I stopped making content for three months so I could study for the California CSETs.

Um, so I just focus on building my platform for my old content. Um, the thing about Snapchat is All of my inappropriate sticker content is inappropriate for Snapchat. So they actually have the strictest, the strictest rules on what you can post on Snapchat because of that, that whole cloud of people thinking that it's, it's like an inappropriate app.

It's actually the most, like the content that is posted there is the most filtered. So I think I posted 10 cutting stickers videos and only one of them is still up. One of them's going strong with 700, 000 views. The other one gets taken down within a hundred to 20, 000 views. So For the inappropriate content, the, they're like, the drugs and the alcohol and I'm like, I'm cutting that stuff off of the sticker.

Andrea: And guys, I, if you're not familiar with Andy's videos, mine are so much worse. I would never do well on Snapchat. Mine are so much worse because I'm just repeating it. Oh my gosh. Okay. So it actually like public stuff is cleaner. 

Mrs. Miller: Yes, so all of my spotlights have no inappropriate stickers. I can't show them.

Well, there's one. Don't tell them. One of them didn't get taken down. So yes, so you got the spotlights. That's basically your Instagram reels, your YouTube shorts. That would be your TikTok, the short form. But then there's the FYP? Yeah. So your video gets posted to a FYP and then you can scroll through. Um, a lot of creators will post those onto their public stories as well though.

So a lot of my followers, that's how they watch my videos. Just like if I was their friend, they would, they would click it and they can watch my video that I posted on the public story. So that it's basically how I kind of take it. The like, um, the Instagram story. Um, I say it's like a more informal Instagram story.

So that's the only platform where I feel comfortable being like, Hey guys, here's what we're doing today. And I did like a five minutes talking the sticker store. So it's like very informal. I'm not editing those videos that get posted on the stories. Um, the YouTubes, I mean, the, the spotlights are the, are the normal short form videos that I post that get onto the story, but all of the other stuff is just so informal and I, I really do like it cause I don't feel like it has to be edited.

Um, like, uh, you're comfortable doing like the Instagram stories, talking to people. I still can't do that. 

Andrea: Really? 

Mrs. Miller: I don't 

Andrea: talk to my, yeah. I feel like, I don't know, like I used to be really nervous about it, but then I, there were a couple of creators I followed that. We're very like raw would go on without their makeup on and would just like talk about their day and all of that kind of stuff.

And so I was like, well, like it's comforting because it goes away after 24 hours and it's not going to go viral. Right? Like, so you don't have to worry about like a bajillion people who aren't familiar with your content watching it and only taking out this like 30 second clip because that's what happens with our reels and our short form stuff is like you watch two minutes of me talking about.

not being a snitch, but being a mandated reporter. And, like, I had someone today be like, you're making light of child abuse. And I'm like, Bro, like that is not the situation that is happening here. But you know, you get, you get the short little video out of context. So stories to me are a little bit comfier, but probably cause I'm not on Snapchat, but I had, I had seen this, um, article that Snapchat is actually attempting to partner with teachers to basically be a platform that could be used in the classroom for potentially like.

pushing content out to students because kids are constantly on Snapchat. Like that, at least from what I've seen, that seems to be the preferred method of communication between kids. And I think parents very much think it's because it's like can disappear and all of that. Um, but what I actually am hearing from, and these are college students, they have no reason to lie to me cause I don't care what they're using.

They're like, no, it's not that. It's because people have Androids and iPhones and Androids and iPhones don't talk to each other well. And so we use Snapchat so we can communicate. 

Mrs. Miller: All of my students use that. That's like their popular, that's their number one platform. I think that's why I'm doing sort of okay on Snapchat pretty quickly because again, those are my people.

Andrea: The 

Mrs. Miller: young, the middle school or high elementary school. Um, but yeah, a lot of them are using Snapchat. And again, it's that parents always think it's like we're inappropriate things. I'm like, man, I can't even. Like, you can't post anything inappropriate on those public stories. So really, like, if they're just there to be looking at content, that, that's actually probably the safest.

Andrea: Yeah. Because there are some things, seriously, the algorithms on, on TikTok, I think can be pretty wild. And then I get, I get pulled for some weird stuff sometimes that they're like, I don't like the fact that you, I can't remember what it was the other day, but I'm like, that is what, okay. 

Mrs. Miller: Oh, you got a video taken down?

Andrea: Yes. Okay. No, I got a, a strike against me. So TikTok has strikes where if you are, if you bully somebody, you get a strike. So this is, this is so millennial niche. Okay. So there was a video of a girl who was like in her kitchen and then all of a sudden, like a early two thousands, like song came on and she made the stank face.

You know, like, you know, the face, like, she's like, and so I commented, it's the stank face for me. And TikTok was like, absolutely not. It gave me a strike for that. Maybe I thought you were bullying them for being smelly. I think so. I don't know. There was clearly a language barrier thing there, but I was like, this is not bullying.

Like this is a sport. It's like millennial, like, support happening here. But I have a strike. I'm a bully, apparently. Oh 

Mrs. Miller: my goodness. You're going to get banned soon. 

Andrea: I know. I, the only time I could potentially see actually getting in trouble on TikTok or getting put in TikTok jail is, um, if I'm in a mood and I'm responding to commenters, there are some times I get a little zesty.

Mrs. Miller: The only time I've ever, uh, gotten a video taken down was the video of me making my letterboard. Um, I bought, these are, uh, four feet, um, strips and you buy them at Home Depot in eight foot strips. So I was like showing my husband, I was like, my husband, so now you got to cut them in half to make two, four pieces.

And he was using like a saw and they were like, and they were dangerous. I'm like, this is how to make a letter board for your classroom. 

Andrea: I'm sorry. That's, that's removed, but we still have the guys like shirtless chopping wood. That's acceptable. Right? We can have that. 

Mrs. Miller: Right? I get jump scares of things that I get on my free page and I'm like, this has 2 million likes and this is 

Andrea: illegal.

This is so illegal. Also, I have a question about your letter board because it drives me nuts and I don't know if it's rage bait or not, but when you are putting letters on that board and they fall off. Yeah. Is that on purpose or is that just gravity taking? It's 

Mrs. Miller: gravity. 

Andrea: Oh, oh my gosh. I literally was like, surely they can't be falling off that easily.

Mrs. Miller: The rage bait is, the rage bait is that they're, they're, they're put up crooked. They're, they're a little slanted. So people always comment about those and I have never fixed it. That's the way it should be. I mean, fair. 

Andrea: Yeah, I would not have noticed the crookedness, but when you're putting them up, because it makes me laugh so hard every time because you get it like almost done and then like half the letters fall off and I just, I'm like, it's If I'm almost 

Mrs. Miller: done, the video's like kind of early, I'm like, kind of hoping they fall, you know, so they can get a little bit of action, but honestly, I, the most recent one, I haven't posted it yet because I wrote that wasn't very mindful or demure of you, and I spelled mindful wrong.

I wrote M I N D F U L L. And I came back into the room before school even started. And I was like, Oh, I spelled that wrong. So I'm like, man, now there's a whole video. People are going to think I'm so stupid. And I'm like, I was proofread it. It was me. But so I have a good one that like literally kept falling just like that, but I'm too scared to post it.

Because 

Andrea: No, post it anyways. You're a math teacher. You can do it. I have people, as a former English teacher, the amount of people that DM me, if I have a, like, usually it's a typo. More often than not, it's a typo. Sometimes I'm really tired and I just am typing really quickly, I might use the wrong your or something like that.

And like, clearly I know which your to use in which situation, but the people that DM me and are like, Andrea, that's the incorrect word. I'm like, what are you getting out of this? Like, why do you, like, don't, don't DM me that. It's just not helpful. I know. Nine times out of ten. I only comment 

Mrs. Miller: it so I get more engagement.

Right. Yes, comment it on 

Andrea: a reel. Go down, don't DM me. Like, use the clap emoji when you see my story so it seems like I have good engagement. Um, and you can clap sarcastically in your soul and you'll know that, but I'll just think you love me. And that is where I need us to be. I don't feel like that's too much to ask.

Mrs. Miller: So back when I was starting out, back in, I started TikTok in 2019, I was trying to be like so smart to go viral. I would try every like hack. All the 

Andrea: trends and hacks, yeah. 

Mrs. Miller: I was trying so hard that like, it, I didn't blow up. You could smell the desperation. Yes, but the one thing that worked, the one thing that worked that triggered the algorithm was spelling something wrong.

So like, you would write on screen captions. Back then, the big bulky on screen caption was like a thing. And you'd always spell something wrong. And if you spelled something wrong, people would comment. And it would, it would, so that was something that I always like found success in. So I'm like, So what 

Andrea: I'm hearing is post the video, Andy.

Mrs. Miller: But now, well, nowadays, like, I feel like I can't, I can't do it. I don't want them to think I'm dumb. Now you have 

Andrea: dignity. 

Mrs. Miller: You have self respect. Now there's almost 2 million people, more than 2 million people watching this video to think I'm dumb. Before it was like, 8, 000 people will think I'm 

Andrea: dumb. I think it's actually maybe a little bit more hurtful too, knowing that your audience is all like middle schoolers and they're like, she's an 

Mrs. Miller: idiot.

I get these like hate comments and I'm like, I take it like straight to heart and I'm like, oh my gosh, this adult thinks I'm like incompetent or that because I show a sticker I can't actually teach math. And then like I click on the profile and it's like, somebody that's five, 

Andrea: right? Like it's a literal child.

Have you ever? Well, no, because you don't respond to comments as often as I do. I've had a couple of times where I've responded to a comment and then I realized like, Oh, that's a child. I'm deleting this video. 

Mrs. Miller: Okay. So all of my comments are usually from children. So I usually now assume it's a child unless it's like a teacher that I know.

Um, so I usually assume it's a child if it's a video that's, like, not going viral, obviously. Like, if it's viral, then it could be anything, but, uh, my people, I always know that it's going to be somebody younger, so I try to answer everything as if I am talking to probably a fourth or a fifth grader. 

Andrea: Yeah.

See, and I, on the other hand, like, I know because some of the jokes are a little more PG 13 on my videos, sometimes it goes to weird places in the internet. Um, and so I I usually don't get upset and I just imagine that the person who's saying horrible things to me is like, I think of the dumbest people I've ever met and I'm like, that person is the person who's saying that.

Mrs. Miller: I always imagine if it's an adult, they're like, They're sitting in this empty, dark, dim room, and like, that's all they do is comment on like, they're in this dark, sad looking room, and that's what they're doing, like, typing on Reddit, or like, commenting, you should be teaching, not doing, blah, blah, blah.

They're in a dark room, though, that's what they are. 

Andrea: Obviously, yeah. They have no lights in their rooms. I was looking on, just, if you search teacher on TikTok. And I don't know if it's just me, but I feel like when I search teacher on TikTok and I scroll through, there are so many videos that are not actual teachers, but are people who are trying to funnel viewers into their subscription services.

Mrs. Miller: Yes. 

Andrea: Okay. 

Mrs. Miller: I feel like that's so obvious to like an actual teacher. Like if it's always like the classroom that is definitely in the house. And you're like, that kind of carpet, that like shag carpet that's at the bottom, what school in America, or anywhere in the world, has that thick shag carpet? 

Andrea: Nowhere because it would be matted within a week.

Yeah. 

Mrs. Miller: Cause then you like see them and they're like, wow, I wish you were my teacher. And I'm like, that's not a teacher. 

Andrea: And I'm like, they know, they have to know, right? This isn't actually at a teacher, but I, people are so dumb. So maybe some people, no one who's listening to this podcast, obviously, that's not what I'm talking about, but obviously 

Mrs. Miller: I'm like the carpet, the wall.

If there's just, like, 

Andrea: an 

Mrs. Miller: alphabet 

Andrea: on the wall, like Yeah, they're like, we nailed it. We nailed the classroom vibes. And honestly, the way I feel when I come across those is just, like, a general motherly disappointment at the internet. I'm just like, guys, guys, gather up. We gotta do better than this. We gotta do better.

Cause like, I don't know, like as a teacher and content creator, like we don't want people to view us as like a fetish, right? Like there's always comments on teacher's pages and stuff about that. And it's always like, could you like maybe not do that? Like that's not what this content is about. Like we're not posting videos like in crazy, like obviously scandalous outfits.

And so when I do come across one that's very clearly just somebody like running their only fans, I'm like, You're not helping. 

Mrs. Miller: Like, ma'am, I'm glad Can you be, like, a nurse? Or, like, a vet? Or, like, a plumber? Nurses and vets that are listening to this 

Andrea: aren't Like, a plumber? Nothing 

Mrs. Miller: says 

Andrea: sex appeal like a plumber!

Like, 

Mrs. Miller: a movie theater person giving popcorn? 

Andrea: I've actually done that job before. Not the OnlyFans bit. But, just But, I was Yeah. Give, 

Mrs. Miller: give teachers a little break on those. I know. 

Andrea: I know. Or, or at least they should have to like pay tithe to us as teachers. Like if you're going to use our profession, then we get 10 percent.

So. You have 

Mrs. Miller: to be a sub for three days. Oh, I like that. Also, 

Andrea: but maybe, maybe get a background check first.

That's the clip that goes off is, uh, Andy thinks that only fans, models who use teaching as their fetish, um, should in fact have to serve in schools and expose children to their interests.

I'll take the money. 10%. We'll just cut it at that. We're just going to take the money. This is 

Mrs. Miller: why you have a doctorate. I only have a master's. 

Andrea: Oh man. Okay. So one of the things that we do on the podcast is I like to have people ask questions and then we take a stab at trying to help our folks with these questions.

The question we got was, recently I have been given the opportunity to collaborate with a colleague who has truly struggled with managing her position at my school last year. After our first meeting, I quickly realized, uh, I quickly realized, um, that what I thought was disorganization was actually just ADHD.

She might work with me. Um, my question is, how best do I collaborate with a colleague with ADHD? With a student, I would redirect, repeat instructions, provide notes, etc. But I'm not sure how to do that with someone who is supposed to be my equal. 

Mrs. Miller: Does this colleague know they have ADHD? 

Andrea: That would be exactly my question, because I feel like how you approach this would very much rely on that.

Like, did she realize, but her friend still hasn't realized that they 

Mrs. Miller: have ADHD? 

Andrea: Because I'm 

Mrs. Miller: somebody with ADHD. So I would love somebody to get me back on track if I'm all sorts of everything, you know what I mean? Right. I'm not on track. Like I would love somebody to put me into check and tell me what I need to be doing.

But if the person doesn't know that they have it, I don't want to like offend the person for assuming that they have it. 

Andrea: Yeah. Right, so maybe, like, okay, so I suspected that I did for a very long time, but only found out a few years ago. So I will go through some of the things that have worked for me to be more organized with stuff and I still struggle with this, it's a constant struggle, um, but number one is lists.

Like, if you physically write something down, that helps me immensely. After we have a conversation and you look at me in the eyes and you say, Hey, can you get that assignment finished and that draft to me by next week? And I look at you in the eyes and I say, yes, when I leave that room, I have forgotten unless I wrote it down.

So sending an email follow up saying like, Hey, just wanted to make sure that we're on the same page for XYZ. And then list it out. I do this with my college students. If they ask me a question verbally and I say, Hey, I'm going to follow up. I tell them, I need you to email me because if you do not email me, I will forget.

And it's not intentional, but like, I need you to like document this conversation for both of us. Um, When my students 

Mrs. Miller: are showing me like, Hey, Ms. Miller, this grade didn't save in Canvas. Could you please update it? Or like I'm grading it and I hand the paper back to them. Another student will come up to get help.

And I'd be like, hold on, if I don't put this score in right now, Jonathan's not going to get this, like, Jonathan's not going to get the points if I don't do it right now. 

Andrea: Yeah. So, 

Mrs. Miller: I'm there, yes. 

Andrea: Like has to be written, has to be done right now. Um, having things physical to remind about. us tasks that are digital like I have a really hard time grading canvas assignments because they aren't visible to me and I forget they exist and so like that's one of the other like an actual planner that I live and breathe and take everywhere with me um and I have people like email me confirmations to what we discussed or I will send an email and I send set like all kinds of alerts so like those are strategies that I think you could offer to somebody whether or not they're aware of their ADHD of like hey maybe Do you have this list?

Do you have a planner? Like all of that kind of stuff, especially because it sounds like being given the opportunity to collaborate makes it sound kind of official. Like maybe admin is like work with this person and get them on track 

Mrs. Miller: kind of a vibe. Right. Are they trying to mentor them or are they working as a team on a project?

I feel like there's, there's different ways that they can go about collaborating with a, with a colleague. 

Andrea: Yeah, I mean, I would say provide a lot of documentation, providing written instructions, not necessarily repeating instructions. It's so funny because my husband does this to me and I get very annoyed, but about half the time.

I don't realize he's repeating instructions because I forgot about the first time he gave me the instructions. So it's a real dicey game for him. It's either very helpful or I get very annoyed because I'm like, you've already told me this three times. And he's like, Oh, well, 

Mrs. Miller: see, I'm, I'm the opposite. Like he'll say something.

And if I'm not like making eye contact with them, like, like if I don't give you the verbal, like nod, that means like I, if, if he's saying something and I am watching a TV, if I'm on my phone, I will literally not hear anything that. Like, I literally have to be looking at you ready to go to hear exactly what you are saying.

So I'm the opposite. I just need to make sure I'm listening and like, I don't need him to say it three times. I just need you to know that I'm actually listening when I say it. 

Andrea: Right. No, the, the reason that I didn't hear it the first two times is cause I, like, it didn't, I didn't realize he was talking to me or I was like, I saw a video about a cat and I was watching that and he could be standing right next to me and I could even probably be responding and like, uh huh.

And I don't realize that my brain has just clicked off until he's like, hey, and I'm like, oh, oh, sorry. So sorry. So I am sorry to those who have to communicate with me. It's rough out here. Um, but those are, I think those would be my biggest tips as somebody who's like, Figuring out what works and recognizing kind of the things we need help with, I think is really big.

Hopefully she is aware she has ADHD because that is very frightening when you're like, oh, that's why I put the remote in the fridge because my brain was not doing what it was supposed to be doing. Um, that actually, that actually has occurred, unfortunately. Right now, 

Mrs. Miller: I just, we just remodeled our whole spare bedroom.

It's like Star Wars themed, movie themed. And I was putting all, I like, uh, we have a guest, we have guests coming over this weekend. So I'm like, okay, let's, let's make sure clean off all of the sheets, blah, blah, blah. I'm like looking at one of the pillows, the pillowcase is gone. There's one pillow and Stefan's like, you're the only one that's ever used that room.

And I'm like, why would I have taken off a pillowcase? It's just gone. A whole black pillowcase. I'm the only one that has used that room. Cause when I was sick over the summer, I was like, I stayed in that room for like three days. And I'm like, I didn't take the pill, like it's gone. 

Andrea: It probably went where all of your socks go, Andy.

Mrs. Miller: We've never, like, we washed them the first time and put them on, like, this is the first time we have taken apart this bed to clean. 

Andrea: Yeah, who knows? I, when Andy and I went to VidCon together, she gave me crap because I had french fries in my rental car and then she left a sock behind in the hotel and so This 

Mrs. Miller: girl thought it was okay to leave, like, nine french fries in their, like, cup holder for four days.

Andrea: I didn't even see them until you mentioned it. And then out of pettiness, I was like, This is like day two. I'm like, I was 

Mrs. Miller: sitting in the front seat. We were like going to Cain's and I was like, Why do you have french fries just like in your console? And you're like, 

Andrea: They fell out of the In N Out container and I was being a safe driver.

Mrs. Miller: Three days ago. 

Andrea: I literally didn't see them until she's like, Why do you have french fries in there? I was like, uh, who's to say, honestly. 

Mrs. Miller: My husband is a very clean car. So my car, I think is the cleanest. It will never be clean enough for him, but compared to Ms. Doctorate over here, my car is immaculate. 

Andrea: So speaking of ADHD and things we do because we have ADHD, I am attempting to pay a little bit of the ADHD tax.

There is a student I had Last semester and one of the projects he did he talked about how he has a car cleaning company that he does He'll go to wherever the house is and he'll do a deep clean and he does like monthly cleans for people And so that is something I'm investing in is that he actually September 6 I think is the first time he's gonna come and he's gonna do a deep clean outside and inside of my car Just leave from Terre Haute, Indiana, fly out to you, do a quick deep clean of your cars.

Um, but like, those are the kinds of things that I'm like, I, Who's, I don't know how long those fries have been there, I did, and then, and then I, one day will look around and be like, this is disgusting, and I will rage clean it all and throw everything away, and then it will be spotless for about 48 hours.

And then it goes back to the French I 

Mrs. Miller: mean, I'm sure you know this, I drive 48 minutes to school and like an hour and 15 back. I'm leaving late tonight, so the drive's probably only gonna be 50 minutes. Depending on how late we get, but like, if I, I'm like in my car for so long that like I have to have it clean or like, it's just going to be like, this is where I'm living for two hours of my day, you know?

Andrea: Yeah. Andy, um, you have yet to create small humans at this stage. So at what, at that point, once you invite those little monsters into your life, I, I Let's be so clear. My car was never clean. There was never a day before children that it was clean. But I've had very Type A friends who had very clean cars, and then they get kids and there's like Cheerios smashed in between seats.

There's like, it's insane the things that children do to cars. So I'm gonna, we're just gonna check back in later and see how that, I'll Please do, I'll let you 

Mrs. Miller: know that that happens. , 

Andrea: oh my gosh. When, when it happens, Andy, when it happens, My kids are going to 

Mrs. Miller: be so clean. 

Andrea: They're going to be the clean, I'm so glad this is recorded.

I'm playing that back for you. Gosh. 

Mrs. Miller: Bring it back. And then they'll be like showing my house. Exactly. Just clip it. Just if they take after my husband, they will be very clean. My husband is like, he's one of those guys that like, right when the laundry is done in the dryer, he takes it out immediately and goes and puts it away before like it wrinkles.

Andrea: Oh, so he's a serial killer. 

Mrs. Miller: What's that like? 

Andrea: Can't imagine. 

Mrs. Miller: I live with that and I can't even imagine. Like, I get it. If the thing goes off and I put it away in that day, it's 

Andrea: Yeah, 

Mrs. Miller: banner day. Yeah, I love that. So my husband is a clean guy. But, yeah, they take after me. We'll see. 

Andrea: Um, okay, so one of the other things that we do is I always try and share a story of what students are up to.

Somebody messaged me and said that they had a student who stole an entire urinal from the school. Like, I thought they would be welded on, like how? And I don't know if you experienced any of this a couple, I don't know, maybe two years ago now? The devious looks trend? 

Mrs. Miller: The Devious looks. I said dangerous looks.

Dangerous. It's 

Andrea: a different thing. Devious looks. Did you, at your school, have anything like that? Were there any, like, Anything stolen? My kids are angels! Oh my gosh. Well, at my school they were not. 

Mrs. Miller: I remember, um, uh, Brooke, I don't think, she wasn't at VidCon this year, she usually goes to VidCon with us.

She's that new teacher. She was having issues with the devious licks, like, people like taking the toilets and like that kind of stuff. Um, if I remember. I saw the TikToks were all like, people stealing like, full bookcases out of the classroom, I'm like. Please hope that the teacher like just let them do that to make it viral because I feel like that probably Was like what actually was going on for 90 percent of them like hey miss Miller Can I film me taking your fridge out of the room?

I'd be like, yeah, that'd be funny Like yeah, but like and then he goes viral for so I feel like that probably is what started that trend 

Andrea: Yeah. On, like, there wasn't really anything, like, everything's, like, so nailed down at most public high schools. For me, it was, like, they had a, I think they, they, they stole the soap dispensers because that was the only thing they could remove easily.

And then they were all mad because there was no soap. And it was also, like, fairly close to when we came back from the pandemic. And so then they had nothing to wash their hands. So, it went away almost as quickly as it came because they were like, well, this was dumb. 

Mrs. Miller: Like, we're all 

Andrea: gonna get sick now. 

Mrs. Miller: No, yeah, nothing crazy stolen at my school.

I get, like, things here and there, but it's not, like, nothing to write home with. My Stanley got stolen last year. Tragedy. Do you remember that? 

Andrea: No, I don't remember that. Who stole the Stanley? One of my students. 

Mrs. Miller: Stanley with a cute little blue flower and I could go outside and I'm like, I'm the carpool lady where like the car pulls up and I say, Jonathan, second grade.

I'm going to go through. So I had my, my Stanley right on the, like, it's like an electric box right there where I'm doing it. Within like four minutes of me doing my duty, I walked, I look back and my Stanley's gone. So I was like so sad because my student like got it for me. It was like a random Tuesday when she got it.

So I put up missing flyers all over the school, and I had like a picture of the Stanley. I do remember that 

Andrea: now. Yeah. 

Mrs. Miller: Okay. And then I, I had a parent, a second grade parent actually bought me this one to replace the, the other one. The stolen Stanley. And then the other student that initially got it for me, um, she actually waited until like a couple months later for, uh, teacher appreciation week, they gave me my other Stanley.

So. 

Theme: Aww. That's so nice. 

Mrs. Miller: But that was outside of my school's gates. That's so sweet. So like, like anybody could have walked by it on that day and taken it. But if it was, if it was somebody in my school community, everybody knew, like, 

Andrea: yeah, you couldn't be walking around with that one. Little children 

Mrs. Miller: were like going to the teacher like, we need to go look for Mrs.

Miller Stanley. Like we need to find this. There's starting blood feuds in the streets. Literally. Like, it's so funny. Cause I also, I also put up like the missing pencils. Like, flyers as well, and like, students will like find pencils on the floor in their like second grade classroom, and be like, we need to go give these to Mrs.

Miller, and the teacher's like, we need pencils, too! Right, we gotta, we gotta, we gotta, 

Andrea: right, please don't take them all. Oh my gosh. That gets me in a 

Mrs. Miller: little bit of, uh, uh, trouble with my co workers, but they're all, like, so, they're all so funny and they, like, know, like, they're not actually mad, but they're always like, my student tried to bring pencils to 

Andrea: you!

You're just, like, hoarding them in your room, just piles of pencils and stickers. I love it. Um, okay, so before I let you go, can you tell everybody where they can find you and anything that you have coming up that they can look out for? 

Mrs. Miller: Yeah, so, uh, TikTok, I am Mrs. Miller. That's the same handle on YouTube, Mrs.

underscore Miller as well. Instagram, I'm andyxmiller. I still haven't been able to figure out. There's like that one Instagram called Mrs. Miller and nobody uses it. It's like a dead account that has like two followers and I'm like, Rude, gimme that account. Um, I need the name, I want it, uh, Snapchat. I am Mrs.

X Miller. Um, and then, uh, I'm on Facebook as well. Um, but I don't know my handle for that. I think it's just Mrs. Miller. I, um, upcoming projects. Um, really the only thing right now, I'm just building my Snapchat, so I have a lot of followings on my TikTok and my, uh, YouTube, but. Snapchat is really what I'm working on right now.

So if you want more day to day content of Mrs. Miller, Snapchat is where you're going to find that. Um, other than that, I'm just, you know, living the life of a busy teacher. So hopefully I'll one day make my own stickers to sell and my merch to sell, but I've been saying that for three years and I've, I've yet to pull the trigger on that.

So if there's any companies out there that want to do the work for me. You can put my name on things. 

Andrea: That's right. I love it. Give me, give me a cut. Once you, once you do, I should just start handing out your stickers for, like, do exactly what you do and just really throw them, be like, uh, be like, Hey, can I get a picture with you?

Sure. Do you want a sticker and give it to them? And then be like, 

Mrs. Miller: this is Miller sticker. 

Andrea: Yeah. It's just you. Like, it's not like, I wonder how people would read like your hair is like so much longer than mine, but we're both blonde. Blonde. Blonde. And we're both Andrea. And we're both Andrea and 

Mrs. Miller: Michelle.

Andrea: Yes. Oh, yeah! 

Mrs. Miller: Andrea and Michelle, and we're both teachers, and we're both blonde. We used to be both in San Diego, but. 

Andrea: Yeah, exactly. So, um, maybe I just need to make some stickers for you to give to people, and I'll give out stickers of your face, and we'll just really throw people. Just to troll them for no reason.

Just to sow chaos is what I'm looking for here. 

Mrs. Miller: Yeah, I, we can do that. I can actually send you some stickers just so you can get that jump started. 

Andrea: Fantastic. I heard my, my, 

Mrs. Miller: my following needs to grow in Terre Haute. Start handing them out to your students too. I 

Andrea: will. I'll just start putting them on the walls.

It'll be perfect. 

Mrs. Miller: Hand 

Andrea: them out to your local elementary school. I love it. I will. Um, thank you so much for coming. I appreciate it. Thank you. This is awesome. You are the easiest person to talk to. Oh, thank you. I appreciate you coming on. All right, guys, we will be right back.

Welcome back to Those Who Can't Do. I hope that you enjoyed my chat with Andi. It is honestly so fun getting to catch up with her because, like I said, she was one of my first friends who I got to really know within like the teacher content creator kind of space. And she's just one of those people that is so genuine and so kind.

And it's really fun to see how she has just grown as a content creator and continues to be so passionate about. Teaching and loving on her students. It's just the best, the best kind of humans, right? Um, so if you have any thoughts about what we chatted about today, or you have any suggestions about who you would like to hear come on the podcast, you can contact us at andrea at human content.

com. Or you can contact me at educatorandrea on TikTok or Instagram, or you can contact the whole human content podcast family at humancontentpods. And thank you guys so very much for leaving reviews and awesome comments on the videos. I really appreciate it. Um, and this week So it says, at VPNeil55, guys, that's my dad, um, on YouTube said, and this is for the Sailing Songbird episode, what a story of courage and self awareness.

So many life lessons enjoyed thoroughly. Thanks, guys. Thanks, dad. Appreciate it. I hope you want to catch the full YouTube episodes. They are up every week on YouTube, obviously, at Educator Andrea. If you, you know, read the comments really carefully, you'll probably come across my dad in there being encouraging and supportive.

Thank you so much for listening. I am your host, Andrea Forkham. Very special thank you to our guest co host today, Mrs. Andy Miller. Our executive producers are Andrew Forkham, Aron Korney, Rob Goldman, and Shahnti Brooke. Our editor is Andrew Sims. Our engineer is Jason Portizzo. Our music is by Omer Ben Zvi.

Our recording location is the Indiana State Bi College of Education. To learn more about our Those Who Can't Do's program disclaimer and ethics policy and submission, verification, and licensing terms, you PodcasterAndroid. com. Those Who Can't Do is a human content production.

Thank you so much for watching. If you're like me and you're thinking, gosh, I really need more Those Who Can't Do in my life, you can start your binging right now by clicking on that playlist button right over there. New episodes are out every Thursday, so please subscribe and join us each week on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.