Haunted Classrooms and Mormon Wives with Denver Riley

Andrea: Welcome to Those Who Can't Do, I am Andrea Forcum, and today we have a returning co host, returning guest co host today, Denver Riley. Denver, what's up? 

Denver: What is up? It's an honor and a privilege to be here. I'm so excited. , I've been looking forward to this since I said goodbye on the first time I was on. 

Andrea: I know.

I don't even know if you actually should be allowed back on since you're on, like, the verge of being fired from teaching. So just in general 

Denver: No, truly on the verge of not having a job. Um, I'm trying to not panic. 

Andrea: Mm-Hmm. . '

Denver: cause that's kind of like my, I I like to panic at the very last minute, as you know.

Andrea: Yeah, I just, okay, so for context, for people who are unaware, let's just rewind this. I don't know, a month ago you texted the group chat and you said I did. That you got an email from HR saying, please see us at the end of that day. Was it like literally come see us right now? 

Denver: Um, I think it was the day prior.

It was like, you have a meeting with us tomorrow. Be there. I know you have, I know what period you have prep go and I was like, okay, who 

Andrea: did they tell you to bring along on this journey to the district office? 

Denver: The union that supports me as a. Public school teacher as a teacher as a 

Andrea: teacher as an educator Um, I have never in my many years gotten an email from HR telling me to bring union Representation.

Yeah, 

Denver: would you like to know what it feels like? 

Andrea: Yeah, please please. Okay me 

Denver: it was it was almost one of those things where I'm like, it was like What? Why? It was like so spooky and scary and I was, I felt like I was being sent to the principal's office because I kind of was. You 

Andrea: were. You were. The 

Denver: principal.

Andrea: Like, of the entire district. Of the whole. They said like, please come to our office and bring the person who's going to have to have a discussion with us in case we decide to fire you after today. Who's you. Yes. Oh, a 

Denver: thousand percent. 

Andrea: Mm 

Denver: hmm. So. 

Andrea: Do you want to share why you received that email? 

Denver: I really would love to share.

So I received my credential to be a teacher at the University of Hawaii. So out of state. 

Can I say California? Okay. 

Out at a different state than where I teach now. 

Andrea: We're going to keep all of that, by the way. We're going to keep you asking California and then not saying it. In 

Denver: California. Okay. 

Andrea: Yeah. 

Denver: So silly.

So as you know, California has their own sort of thing for getting their California credential because I didn't get it directly in California. There's different credentials and certificates and avenues and whatever that I have to get in order to become a teacher in California. So I wasn't aware of one of the credentials that I had to get.

I would have loved a packet that was like, thank you so much. You're hired. Don't forget to get this and this. Which, like, they might have, but, like, I, because of who I am, I didn't see that. Yeah. So, I had an extension for the permit. 

Andrea: Cause you've been teaching how many years at this point? You were in your 

Denver: I am in my third year, and I'm officially tenured.

I got my letter and everything. So, looks like I'm in the clear, right? Misleading. Psych. Yeah. No. So, they basically said, because you don't have this credential, and we've given you two years. And you've had two extensions. You are on the verge of not being able to be real. 

Andrea: Didn't they notify you each time they 

Denver: extended this for you?

They, they, they just said, here's your emergency clad extension. And I was like, cool. And you said, great, I have no follow up questions to this. I said, thanks, girly. That's so nice of you. Like how kind. And then they were like, renew your permit. And I was like, yes, no problem. And then they were like, so are you, have you gotten the work done?

And I was like, excuse me. I've been teaching 

Andrea: this whole time. 

Denver: I'm a teacher. And then they said, no, babe, you need to get the whole, the whole thing. And I said, oh, right. So I have scheduled a test to take. It's the clad. 

Andrea: Yeah, that's the one she's missing, yeah. Which is three tests. It's not one test, it's three tests.

each takes two hours each. So if you're taking all three in one seat, one sitting, I'm having flashbacks cause I also had to take this test. Um, it takes six hours. So you were at the testing office for six hours if you decided to take all three at once, because I was also licensed outside of the state and was given all of those same instructions and everything.

Right. 

Denver: And so, um, I will be taking all three at once in a city that is an hour and a half away in Irvine on the best day ever. of the year and my favorite day of the year, which is Halloween. 

Andrea: Oh my gosh. So I want to be like, 

Denver: I actually does. Like I feel very it's, it's going to work out in my favor. I was going to ask, can I dress up and do you have candy for me?

And if the answer is no, I might. Not show up. Oh my God, Denver, they're gonna fire you. No, they, they surely will. So if I don't pass two of the three, if I pass two out of three, I get an extension for the other permit. If I pass all three, I'm done. So I'm passing all three. That's right. Period. That's what we're saying.

Yeah. Have you been 

Andrea: studying? Cause it's been like a month now since you found this information out. Right. My God, Denver, you texted me and you said, have you taken this? Is it difficult? And I was like, yeah, girl, it's hard. Study a lot. And you've taken that information, and I 

Denver: have, I have taken it, 

Andrea: and 

Denver: I put it in a drawer next to, next to the important drawer.

And so I am going to be making it my entire life. Great. Great. I got it. Yeah. If I don't, if I don't You have yourself a new assistant. 

Andrea: You're just going to full time be on the podcast with me now. Follow you around. Excellent. A thousand percent. I love that for both of us. And I thought you wanted me to be rooting for you to pass, but under these circumstances, I don't know that I can do that for you.

So. I 

Denver: think it goes without saying, I would like you to root for me to pass. Okay. I 

Andrea: can 

Denver: do that. 

Andrea: Okay. Thanks. I just think it is The funniest and most horrifying thing in the world that like, because I do in fact know what you went through in this process because I too went through this process 

Theme: and 

Andrea: the list of things that you should do to clear your credential are in fact on the state website to get your license in California.

And it, they have a section that says, if you're new to California and you got licensed somewhere else, here are the things, here's, here is your list. You need to take that CTEL test because you didn't have enough courses teaching you how to teach students that don't speak English. 

Denver: You know what? I'm going to go ahead and use the COVID card.

Wait, wait, 

Andrea: wait. You're 

Denver: going to blame the pandemic. Linda, let me explain. I graduated college in 2020. 

Andrea: Okay. 

Denver: And so I moved back home and I was like, I don't have a job. And then my only focus was like, let me get a job. As you know, I worked as a long term sub and then I got officially hired. Yeah. I'm not sure why I'm using the COVID card.

Okay. Cause to me it just sounds 

Andrea: like you got like extra time to figure your life out. Totally. You're so right. 

Denver: I 

Andrea: have no rebuttal to that. It is. It is. Which is where our love story began was when you started long term subbing at the school. And um, okay. So you mentioned Halloween. Which is your holiday, that is your moment as a human, just in general.

Are you doing anything in your classes right now that is like Halloween forward, that is like really giving the spooky season vibes? 

Denver: So I'm kind of disappointed in myself because as you know, I am. grown now. And I have my own house. Quote, quote, because what does that mean? 

Andrea: It means you can rent cars now.

That's what that means. 

Denver: Right. And I have my own apartment, so I no longer live at my family house, which is where all of my Halloween decorations are. I haven't yet managed to get to my home to get my classroom decorations. Don't get it twisted. I have decorations in my house, but the classroom ones. So, but as far as Using my spooky love in the classroom.

Yes. Yesterday was October 1st. I said, what are you going to be for Halloween? And say happy Halloween to your neighbor. And funny enough, they looked at me like this chick's nuts. Um, we just look, since I'm going to be out on Halloween, I found some figurative language practice, uh, coloring sheets that are Halloween themed.

This is for high school, by the way, so yeah, um, but I know that I like to sprinkle in little like, uh, imagery practice with spooky prompts or, um, I'm giving you, I think you were the one that created the little twin demon thing. Do you remember that? The six minute write where it was like, write a story about these, about this GIF, whatever it is.

Andrea: Oh, maybe. That sounds like something that I would do. I don't know. I have zero memory of when I create something for the classroom. I am equally surprised when I look in my drive each year and I'm like, look, who did this? And I'm like, it's me. God, my God, I'm a genius. Owner? Me? Love that for me. Exactly. And so, and it's very possible that I have stolen some intellectual property from people on the internet.

Unintentionally, and then rediscover that intellectual property a year later and think it's me. So we're not going to delve too deep into the ethics and the qualms of that. I don't 

Denver: see why we should. 

Andrea: No, let's not. 

Denver: No. 

Andrea: Dig into that. Well, that sounds like a good one. Did you play like spooky music and stuff?

Denver: Yeah, there was like a little timer with like spooky music. I like to keep it, you know, Fun, fresh, silly, like can we just have fun today guys? That's what I say to them all the time. They were like, sure. Um, sure, freak. Um, yeah, and so that's what I'm doing so far. Um, I need to brainstorm a little bit more of how I'm going to incorporate that because it's, it's.

Andrea: Only one month. Yeah. We don't have that much time left. You literally have less than a month. 

Denver: No, I'm like starting to panic. I already have my Halloween costume. I told them all about it. So excited. I got a little boo bag. So I had that on display. 

Andrea: Wait, what are you going to be for Halloween? 

Denver: I'm going to be a vampire.

Okay. 

Andrea: I love it. 

Denver: Classic vampire. 

Andrea: Okay. So Denver did some pictures. That sounds so accurate to what, right. You sent the group chat. I can we share in the YouTube version some of the pictures, please? Yes, 

Denver: yes, please. Because that also hypes up my amazing friend who took the pictures. 

Andrea: They're absolutely beautiful.

I'm so jealous. I've met. They're like vampire, like very like dark gothic. And Denver like is not a, a gothic girly. She's a crystal girly. What's that? Would you say that's accurate? 

Denver: I'm a, I would say I'm a crystal girly in the sense that's like, it's the only thing that's keeping me sane and I'm going to blame it on the moon, the crystals, and it's not me.

So yeah, I would say that's true. 

Andrea: Okay. Yeah. I just like, cause you know, there's some girlies that are gothic like year round, but you just hit September 15th, maybe? Correct. Does it take that long? And then you just transform yourself into? A bat. 

Denver: Right. Just a 

Andrea: bat. 

Denver: Just a straight up bat. But yeah, I had this.

idea for a spooky photo shoot. Last year, I told one of my friends from college, who's a photographer, never ended up happening because life and it was just crazy timing. And so this year I said, I have this idea. And I basically gave her 28 different ideas. And she was like, so cool. Let's pick one. And I said, okay, fine.

And she had this idea, found the location, knew exactly what she wanted me to wear. I mean, it was like, it was so great and so fun to like, just step into that fully. 

Andrea: Yeah. And they're like, I don't know if I would categorize them necessarily as spicy pictures. They're like sexy, but they are not It's not like anything that would get her kicked off Instagram if she posted it.

They are like Correct. It's like blood on your chest a little. Blood 

Denver: on my chest, on my like arms, my hands, like I have a cute little dress, like. Yeah, it's great. 

Andrea: They're great. I love them. Thank you so much. You're so welcome. 

Denver: Thank you. When I need a boost of confidence, I go back and look at them. 

Andrea: My literal thought was, I have never done any kind of photo shoot like that.

Also. You should. Okay, but here's, here's the thing. Number one. I tell me, I get, I'm just gonna say it now. So over the summer, you know this, but the rest of the world, I have not completely acknowledged this vocalized. Right. Um, I had a mommy makeover over the summer, right? Yeah, you did. Yeah, I did. And I'm very pleased with the results.

Right? You looked, uh, 

Denver: I mean you looked amazing prior, but like you look. Amazing. You already know the comments I was saying in the group chat that I will not be saying on the internet, but thank you 

Andrea: so much. Um, but I was like very, I'm very conscious of the fact that as an educator, I don't want to be like super plastic surgery forward because like we are role models.

We're all of that. And so I'm trying to be just very intentional how I deal with that. So I haven't really verbally acknowledged it, but when I tell you the comments, Oh God. That I'm getting. I thought, and I was telling my husband this. Let's talk about it. Let's talk about it. The comments I'm getting, because I told my husband, I was like, I don't know.

He's like, well, what did you like expect with, you know, having a bigger set? Like, did you, what did you think? And I was like, I just thought, that's so stupid. It was going to be like this unspeakable, ineffable, like something about her has just changed and gotten. Her 

Denver: aura is. level 700 now. 

Andrea: Like 

Denver: when I tell you 

Andrea: the comments, I got a DM yesterday that just said melons.

Most of the comments are fairly respectful, like on the spectrum of, I don't feel funny. It was kind of fun. And my husband was laughing. Oh, there was one today that said calcium cannons. Like, just responded to a comment that had nothing to do with it at all and just commented calcium cannons. I heard my husband, Steven, laughing from the other room and I went, I was like, what are you laughing at?

And he said, somebody called your boobs. Comment. 

Denver: He's 

Andrea: having 

Denver: the time of his life with all of it. I mean, the alliteration is really great, but that's so interesting that, I mean, I The world and the internet is perverted. Yeah, but 

Andrea: you're 

Denver: keeping it pretty. 

Andrea: I, like, and some have literally just said boobs.

Right, 

Denver: like you didn't want to try and 

Andrea: cover it up. They did not. Or they will just have like eye emojis and then other guys will comment, yeah I noticed too, and like kind of talking, like I don't know. It's very strange. See, strange is the perfect word. Can you imagine though, can you imagine if I was still teaching?

Can you imagine if I was still in a high school classroom? Because I did it over summer. So the set of students that I currently have completely different set of students. Gone. Yeah. So if I were to have the same group of students and I was teaching freshmen one year, I come back and now I'm teaching sophomores and those freshmen come to visit me.

Can you imagine? 

Denver: No, I truly can't. Well, and that's why, I don't know, like even talking about this, I'm like, am I going to get in trouble for talking about this? I've always been like. a curvier girl. That's just the nature of me. And so I feel like number one, being curvy and like you now, I mean, curvy, younger, like cute, you know what I mean?

It's just, it's almost like a, I'm so aware that I don't want it to be a thing at all. But it's like, if certain times I put on a top and I'm like, it's not revealing or anything that much, but it's like, I don't know. I get conscious about it of like, this is just, someone's going to look at me and be like, that's inappropriate.

Like, that's just always my biggest fear is. 

Andrea: Yeah, it's just so funny. And like this, like the shirt I'm wearing right now with kind of a scoop neck, I would say, not low cut in any way, shape or form. And this is the shirt I was wearing today with the video I posted and I got more comments on the new, situation than ever before because it's a slightly more snug shirt and it just it's tight, right?

It reminded me so much of when I taught and anything would change and people would just like, it would be nice to think we would grow out of that, but alas, no, 

Denver: the internet has not. I would argue it could Amplify it even more. Literally. Um, but that is so interesting. I'm definitely gonna be a troll now.

Trolling the 

Andrea: Just go through the comments on any time that I allow the camera to have torso and below your decolletage. My decolletage. The comments are Crazy. And like I said, most of the time on TikTok, they will actually block comments that are super crass usually. Oh, that's great. Yeah. So like, it'll show up on like the requested ones or whatever.

Oh, I have seen that. Yeah. But not, not anything, but on Instagram, it's the wild west. Facebook. 

Denver: You know what? My favorite thing to do sometimes is, is look on your face, like when you post something and people are really opinionated on Facebook. I think we knew that, but like The trolls are living under a bridge and are cozy and are coming for you, miss.

Yeah, yeah. 

Andrea: I, I can't even. Power 

Denver: to you. 

Andrea: You know what's so funny though is the hate comments I get are so different from my insecurities. It's very interesting. You know how like you do tell. Yeah. So like my biggest insecurities, I'm not going to say I'm not going to feed the trolls in that particular way, but I have like a very specific insecurity.

Right. But the hate comment I get the most is about the size of my forehead and that people think I have a really big forehead and I, it takes up some real estate. Like there's no doubt, but I have never once been like, if only I had a smaller forehead. If only I had that real estate better redistributed, my life would be better.

Like lots of other things. I've been like, I would change that, but not the forehead. And I got that comment today from a guy who was aggressively balding. 

Denver: Yeah, of course. It's a bald man. Let's say it. Sorry. My dad's bald. My husband's bald. Yeah. No, I meant balding, man. There's a difference between bald and balding.

That's so, I mean, that's kind of like a win for you. I know. 

Andrea: Being bullied on the internet is nothing like getting bullied in real life by students, honestly. The things that those children will say to me, to my actual face, is pretty wild, at least on the internet. It's so wild. Yeah. Have you had any students pop off and do some crazy stuff so far this year?

Denver: Okay, so knock on wood. No, I don't know what is in the air, what's in the water, but compared to the things I experienced last year and my first year of teaching, I mean, those, you know, those incidents, those were maybe not last year, but definitely my first year. Um, let's just say there was a chair involved being thrown at the wall.

That was, that was So insane. I haven't had one single, like, fraction of that even, which I feel very lucky and fortunate for, and I don't know if it's like a new generation coming up that are just A little bit nicer. Like, I'm not sure what it is, but I have it. Are you old now? 

Andrea: Is that why? Do they think you're old?

Denver: So we're not going to say old because doing the math, no. 

Andrea: Okay. 

Denver: I'm still only slightly over nine or ten years older than them. 

Andrea: Okay. That's, that's young. But I would, but maybe, maybe it's because I'm, Let's say mature. Okay, that's fair. I, today, actually, okay, so have you heard that reel where there is, they're like, how was the Great Depression?

It was fine. You've heard that one, right? Yes, 

Denver: we, yeah. What was the Great Depression like? It was fine. It was fine, 

Andrea: yeah. So I actually have a student in my college class that is 41. So he is older than me and I have students that are like, 20. Right? So big, big age range in my college classroom. And I was like, Oh, it'd be really funny for me to do a reel for the college where like, she says, what was the Great Depression like?

And it was fine. Right. And yeah, which is great. Except it's silly. Such a silly video. Right. Number one, Gen Z. They don't want to be a part of any of the videos that I'm doing. Like I was going to do the Marie Antoinette one where it's like, are you guys talking about Marie Antoinette? I've heard a thing or two about her.

That one. I've got 14 social studies, future social studies teachers in that class. All of them too cool to do it. They're like, I'm not doing that. I'm like. These are lame. So they're too cool. They don't want to embarrass themselves. I was like, you're embarrassing yourself right now by not being cool.

That's embarrassing. Yeah. So we do Israel. Interesting. I know it's, it's a thing. And so this other gen Z or in my class goes, yeah, it is crazy how like almost none of us remember 2008 and I was like, Oh yeah. And we just like move on in the class and I'm doing some edits later and I realized. He thinks that reel is referencing the recession of 2008, not the Great Depression of 1929 with the stock market crash.

Denver: So, like, I might not know a lot. 

Andrea: But I 

Denver: at least know that. 

Andrea: I'm very proud of you that you know that because I, you're not that much older than the some of the students in my class. 

Denver: So I was going to say that I, I'm on the cusp. I'm technically, I think Gen Z, but I think we say like Zillennial, 

Theme: um, 

Denver: my friend group in high school, we call it the Black Eyed Peas generation cause like it just fit really well.

Right. Okay. So. That's just 

bizarre. 

Andrea: Yeah. And I was like, wait. What was your response? I didn't realize until like two hours later. And I don't know if he was struggling with me or if he truly thinks that 2008 was the Great Depression. It was a recession. I surely hope 

Denver: not. 

Andrea: The housing bubble did its thing.

It was a rough year economically, but there were no bread lines that I was aware of. And it, I. 

Denver: No, you should have said, have you read of Mice and Men? Cause if you had. You should know the Great Depression, okay? 

Andrea: Wait, is that, was the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression co what year was that actually set in?

I know I taught this, but I can't remember. Yeah, um, 

Denver: I think late 1920s. 

Andrea: Girl, it better be. Otherwise, we're both gonna look so dumb. You know what? This is the perfect moment. We're gonna come back and we're gonna try a little bit about the secret lives of Mormon wives, um, and relate it to teaching. But also, uh, we're gonna fact check ourselves.

So we'll be right back.

Welcome back to Those Who Can't Do. I have great news for everyone. Denver was right. It was 1930 and I am both impressed and in awe of your knowledge. Thank you. I completely forgot. I taught it for as many years as you've been teaching. Are you guys still teaching it? Is that still? 

Denver: We are. We literally just finished reading yesterday.

Andrea: Oh, great. Well, that's probably why. That's cheating. You literally just finished reading it. No, super cheating. 

Denver: Um, because otherwise I don't think I would have known. I feel pretty confident, but yeah, we're still doing it. Okay, so 

Andrea: since it is still fresh on your brain, why don't you tell everyone, uh, why did they call it the Dust Bowl?

Denver: Right. They did that. No, 

Andrea: I'd 

Denver: love for you to share people. Because, because, number one, it be dusty. Number two, there is a bull somewhere. Is there? Where's the bull? I'm 

sure someone had a bull.

Maybe, maybe it got lost in translation and it was like dust bull and it was dusty because there was a bull running. 

Andrea: There's a bull. There's now an animal. Well, maybe. I wasn't there. I know you were there. No, I definitely was not. Um, I don't know that there was a bull at any point. We do know that it's spelled B O W L, however.

I 

Denver: said maybe, perhaps. Mistranslated. And they meant bowl, and then it got turned into a bowl. Right. 

Andrea: Why was it 

Denver: called the Dust Bowl? 

Andrea: Um, I actually want to hear from you why they, why it was so dusty before we go into 

Denver: Am I kind of right? 

Andrea: You've said nothing right so far, other than anti quote, it be dusty.

Denver: Okay. It was cause ful. 

Andrea: No, what caused it to be dusty? Because you're right, it, it do be dusty. 

Denver: It be dusty because of the area in the country that we were in. Okay. Okay. We, who is we? We, I wasn't there. The royal we, the royal we the royal we as humans. Something about traveling. Something about there's no , there's, there's no money.

Denver, you just taught this. Uh, George and Lenny go and they find that's

Andrea: two piece Lenny. That's all I got. All wow. Spoilers! Sorry, spoiler for a book that's been out for years. A hundred years. Um, do you want me to tell you why? Are you ready to learn? Okay, great. I'm 

Denver: so ready. 

Andrea: Okay, it's called The Dust Bowl. It got dusty because they basically were planting the exact same plants.

over and over and over again. And you can't do that. That's why you have to rotate, rotate your crops. So they depleted the soil. And so yes, it just got, do you want me to tell you what deplete means? No, no, no. Okay. It seemed like I lost you when I said depleted the soil. Your face just glazed in a way. No, I was 

Denver: thinking, oh yes, of course I knew you couldn't plant the same crop over and over.

Listen, 

Andrea: I have lived in Indiana for just over a year, so I could tell you a lot about crops now and corn. You are so homestead. You're giving homestead wife. I'm giving homestead. Yeah. So, uh, they did that too much and then everything basically died, which created massive swaths of land that had no plants on it.

And then winds came as they do in big flat, plainy areas and swept stuff. And yeah, and then Dust Bowl. That is literally 

Denver: what I said. I quite literally said, it'd be dusty because of where we were in the country. And that was The details, shmeetails.

Andrea: Okay, great. Thanks for teaching me something. You are so welcome. That was a treat. I'll report back 

Denver: tomorrow in the classroom. 

Andrea: Will you let all of your students know what the Dust Bowl is, since they literally just finished a novel study about two people fleeing the Dust Bowl? 

Denver: Okay. I surely will. First, I'll ask, what is the Dust Bowl?

And they will reply Yeah, act 

Andrea: like ooh. I'm testing you guys. That's right. That is the way to do it. Like kind of how I did it to you, where I was like telling me everything and I googled it while you were answering. That is exactly the teaching strategy that I employ. Constantly, honestly. I 

Denver: mean, same.

Every time, how do you spell this word? That is such a great question. Let's look it up together, 

Andrea: because I don't know. Have you ever tried to spell Renaissance in front of an entire class? 

Denver: Unfortunately, yes. Uh, I mean, fortunately, yes, because I am a member of the Beehive, remember? So Renaissance was her not, uh, last album, but the album before that.

Andrea: It's a really big shame that Beyoncé never created an album about the Dust Bowl, because then 

Denver: Then I would have known all Technically, Cowboy Carter, it's given sexist, it's given Oh my god, yes! 

Andrea: Why didn't you do because you don't actually love that album as much as we established last time you were on the podcast, so 

Denver: Right.

I do. I support my girl. Right. But I'm gonna send her a little message and say, question for you, B. What about the Dust Bowl? What about the Dust Bowl? 

What about it? What 

Andrea: about it? Why it be dusty? Why? Eye selling an idiot. 

Denver: Why? 

Andrea: Why it be dusty? Um, okay. That was correct. Yes. Nailed it. Um, okay. Question. 

Denver: Answer.

Have 

Andrea: you, in fact, watched Secret Lives of Mormon Wives? 

Denver: The answer is yes. Um, I have the last episode because I was trying to like, drag it out, but I know all the tea. I know all the lore because I like to spoil things for myself. And so yes, I have. And I have. I have some thoughts and opinions and I'm excited that we're talking about it.

Andrea: Okay, great. So what we are going to do is I'm going to have, uh, producer Rob, he's going to bring up an image for us of one of them, Rob, just, you can just pick any of them that I shared with you. Um, because what we are going to do is we are going to guess if they were to be a teacher, What subject would they teach and would they be?

Okay, first of all, do you know who that is? Yes. Which one is that? Demi. Okay, Demi, and what's the other one's name that looks just like her? Jessie. Yeah, I can't tell them apart. There's no way. Yeah, 

Denver: Demi. Jessie has a little bit more filler, I think, in her lips. She's the one that just got her own kind of mommy makeover situation.

Demi. Honestly, is in my top, like, two of who I really love because she says it how it is. 

Andrea: Did Demi, is she the one who started the company? Or was that Jessie? Or was that a different one? Okay. So to, I've watched the entire show. Okay. I can't tell almost any of them apart, but I vaguely remember this one.

This is Demi. This is Demi. She's the one who 

Denver: has the older husband. Who's never featured, right? We never see him? Like, not really. He's just kind of, like, very unproblematic. Just kind of stays out of the way. 

Andrea: Which is very boring, as we know. So boring. Yeah. Well, who cares if you're, well, how much older and when did they meet?

I guess there's a real question. Well, 

Denver: she is 29 and he is 47. When did they meet? Um, I think he was a family friend. of her family and they met obviously when she was younger. I, I, I'm pretty sure that's correct. 

Andrea: So we're going to have to do a little lore check on that. Um, I don't, that does not sound unproblematic, but maybe that's why we didn't see him a lot as people would be like, 

Denver: Wait a 

Andrea: second.

Denver: Yeah, that, I feel like it was anything different than that. It would have been unproblematic, but like, it's giving. 

Andrea: Yeah, I don't love, I don't love that at all. Okay, but what do you think she would teach? Because I remember her being not horrible to people. No. She was pretty cool with everybody from what I remember.

She's 

Denver: pretty, like I said, I love, I'm a very straight shooter. I'm very like, I'm going to say it how it is. Like. And she's kind of like that and she speaks her truth. I think she would teach, honestly, I'm gonna put her in with us. I think she would teach English. High school English? 

Andrea: Yes. Interesting. Mm hmm.

As you were describing her, I think that's accurate. Yeah. I think, I'm sorry if you guys haven't watched Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. It's some trash TV, but very, it's top tier entertainment TV. Top tier. Um. Mm hmm. Yeah. Okay. Oh, Jen. We have Jen Affleck now, who, by the way, no one in her husband is not actually related to Ben Affleck.

Did you see the news on that? Everyone kept on being like, Jennifer Affleck. And everyone's like, wow, her husband is like cousins. And apparently, 

Denver: yeah, the whole thing was like, I was actually the first Jen Affleck. And like, like I heard that, like the word cousin was dropped somewhere in the family tree.

And I was like, I didn't check that, but I don't think that's true. 

Andrea: Yeah, yeah, not true. Um, she's very sweet. She is. She's adorable. To an extent that I think, um, is almost problematic. 

Denver: Thousand percent. Agree with you. 

Andrea: And sweet to an almost problematic extent. To me, it gives early elementary. 

Denver: Thousand percent.

I was going to agree with you. 

Andrea: Yeah. 

Denver: Like kindergarten. 

Andrea: Yeah. Like she's there early. She's there late. She's spending time with every child. 

Denver: Everything is cute and color coordinated and laminated. And she knows how to write calligraphy really well and writes all the kids names like on custom. 

Andrea: Yeah. And can I just say, I have a bit of a hot take about that whole show.

So who was it? Whose idea was it? Was it Jesse's idea to go to Thunder from Down Under when they went to Vegas? 

Denver: It was Jesse's idea to take the girls to, uh, Not Thunder from Down Under, it was um, Chippendales. 

Andrea: Chippendales, okay. 

Denver: Right. 

Andrea: I have seen many takes about this, being super mad at Jen Affleck's husband, and agree, right?

Jen Affleck's husband, if you guys haven't watched the show, is unhinged in how he responded to this situation. However, I think it was a terrible friend move on Jessie's part to bring her friend, Jen, when she absolutely knew it was going to cause problems in her marriage. She knew that, and she knew it would cause problems for Taylor, and she knew it would cause problems for, for Jen, and she took her anyways.

And I was like, and no one is saying that, and I just don't, I thought about putting it on the internet, and I'm like, I don't know if I really want it, but I'll do it here. That is, 

Denver: that is a hot take, but I, I can see that side as well. Like, I think she knew it was going to ruffle some feathers. I don't think she knew that it was going to go as far as him saying, I don't love you anymore.

Andrea: No. Insane. His reaction's insane. There's no doubt about that. I guess, to me, is like, respect for your friend would be to allow her to have the choice on whether or not she wants to start that fight, right? Like, because I think that Jen's husband is insane with how he reacts, like unhinged and all that.

But having myself grown up in a very conservative, Christian environment, very similar to like culturally the Mormon environment is, knowing if I were brought to even, even like today, if I were brought to something like that, without it being my choice, without me having a conversation with my husband about it first, I would feel very kind of ambushed by my friends.

And I'd be like, dude, you didn't even like give me the chance to make the decision. Like that is kind of 

Denver: anticipated the, I mean, she even said like husbands are going to be mad at me. And there's one way to say that I'm like, he, he, ha, ha. And you know, they're like, Oh, I can't believe you went there. But knowing that it it's more serious than that, because it is such a conservative group of women, it's not a little bit more consideration, I think would have been nice.

Andrea: Yeah, so I just had to take that tangent because I needed to get it off my chest. Okay. I'm proud of you. So thank you. Thank you so much. All right. Um, Rob, could we get, um, who's, uh, the super problematic one? That's Jessie. We can, can we get Whitney, please? 

Denver: Love. 

Andrea: Bingo. Okay. All right. Whitney. Whitney Leavitt.

Whitney is the one who, if you were on TikTok at all a couple of years ago, 

Denver: her 

Andrea: child, her child had RSV. This is the thing she's hated most for, so that's why I'm giving context here. Her child had RSV. She did a dance while her child was, you know, sleeping. in the hospital with RSV. She has since explained Fresh out of the womb.

Fresh, like, like, weeks old, maybe, if even not? Correct. Correct. Um, and she did like a little TikTok dance with her baby next to her, who was like, very ill. And her argument since then has been, I was just very tired and very excited because we had just received good news that it was getting better. And that is her defense.

I just want to give some context because I don't, I Context for the people. Context for the people. Can I be drinking this? Yeah, go for it. Great. I just feel like she is maligned in a way that is more than necessary, even though I don't agree with everything she does. 

Denver: Um, I also agree with that take. 

Andrea: Yeah.

Like, I feel like there's people on that show that are absolutely as problematic. And, but she is, they're like, she's going to be our villain immediately. 

Denver: And villain, I find, again, a little bit on a, on a tangent, people with, when you're dealing with a group like this, like it just gives very much high school, like my toxic high school group, you know, whatever.

Yeah. When you understand that I need to separate myself from the situation, you're deemed a villain. 

Andrea: So she left, left the group chat and everyone's like, wow, wow. Um, what would she teach though? 

Denver: Okay. She would. This one's tricky. I think she would probably be in either middle or high school. 

Andrea: Okay, I would agree.

She does not give elementary. She doesn't give 

Denver: younger. I would go with maybe like upper level math 

Andrea: in 

Denver: high school. Yeah, 

Andrea: I love how we're just like picking on people who do these professions. We're 

Denver: like, 

Andrea: she's the 

Denver: worst. She's the worst. Well, I had, my least favorite teacher of all time was my upper level math teacher.

Andrea: I can tell you, I, whatever she teaches, she's definitely the cheer coach. You took the words right out of my mouth. 

Denver: She is the cheer coach. 

Andrea: Yeah. 

Denver: And all the girls put their bags in her room in the beginning of class or the beginning of school, but they're also kind of scared of her. 

Andrea: Yeah. 

Denver: And she also knows everyone's business at the school and kind of tells everyone too.

Andrea: A hundred percent. I actually, when I was thinking about what she teaches, I'm like, I don't know that she even teaches. I think maybe she taught for like a year and now she's admin. 

Denver: Literally, I was going to say admin or like a counselor. 

Andrea: I feel like most counselors I know are not. Maybe like an instructional, uh, what's it called?

The people who can instructional coach who come in or like, because again, keeping with the, like the sometimes unfairly maligned, but sometimes deserves the maligning. Correct. Like it feels consistent. 

Denver: It feels consistent. And I think, yeah, she wouldn't be in the classroom. I think she would be involved in the school in a different way.

Andrea: We nailed it. We nailed it. Can we get? 

Denver: Nailed it. 

Andrea: Okay. I think we have time for like one more. Who do you want? Taylor? 

Denver: Let's do Taylor because she is the one that kind of, I, I don't, I 

Andrea: like Taylor. Of course you do. The one who fricking got a domestic battery assault charge. Oh yeah. Let's beat the crap out of her husband.

Let's remember that. Let's remember that. Boyfriend, baby daddy, everybody on the internet. Here's why people like her because. She, okay, so guys, if you, again, have not watched the 

Denver: show, it's 

Andrea: so insane, but she was the one on TikTok who very publicly came out and said, me and my husband are getting a divorce because we were soft swinging and I caught feelings.

And TikTok exploded. Like people because I do too. And I like, and I didn't follow any of them at the time. So I followed 

Denver: Jen and I followed Whitney. And Jen wasn't even a part of mom talk yet, I don't think. She was just like a cute, influencer Mormon mom from Utah. And I was like, I love, she's cute. 

Andrea: Yeah.

And she blew it up because up until that point it was literally like TikTok moms that are Mormon and very conservative, but look, we do cute little dances and all of that. And then she came out and just put everyone's business out. I am actually 

Denver: also a swinger. And so are these people. Also we swing. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. 

Andrea: And so everyone immediately is like, oh my gosh. So that is like, kind of, I think, why they got the show, honestly, is that piece. It is. And then they don't really talk about it in the show after that first pilot episode. 

Denver: Um, 

Andrea: yeah, like they kind of, they do a little bit here and there, but we don't get any of the details.

Denver: We don't get the details. I know. I, I want the details of that. I want 

Andrea: to know who I want to know when I, I tell me, tell me, 

Denver: I'm going to write it down and we're going to talk about it. That's for science 

Andrea: though. Like I just know. for science and research reasons. Strictly, 

Denver: strictly. I've been using that excuse a lot.

I need to see and know for science. 

Andrea: Yeah, because we know how thorough you are when you're teaching, giving background, doing all of that stuff. It's important. It's important. We are consistent in all things. Um, but yeah, so the first like, In this pilot episode, she catches a charge because her boyfriend, she beats, she beats him up.

And she's very sloppy drunk. She's, 

Denver: it's, it's really hard to watch. Hard to watch. Exactly. 

Andrea: Yeah. So which teachers that are listening are we going to compare her to? 

Denver: Yeah. Let's go ahead and go back to that. Maybe she's like a coach of some sport. 

Andrea: She could be like the assistant coach to, you know, she's probably coached, I was literally about to say volleyball.

Why does she give volleyball? What is it? She gives 

Denver: assistant volleyball coach. 

Andrea: Yeah. 

Denver: I think, you know what? I like her. And I, I did forget about the domestic abuse charge in the literally the first episode. I think I don't like the way her mom speaks to her. And I think that like seeing that on television, I can't imagine.

being raised hearing things like that. So I don't, I just like, I'm curious to know about her. And she doesn't really talk about like the direct relationship she has with her mom, but it's really sad. Like she just looks very broken as a person. Yeah. 

Andrea: I would agree with that. And I, I will say I have respect for her for being so honest 

Denver: to a fault, 

Andrea: but she really does seem to be like, that was my bad.

You know, that whole swinging and then cheating on my husband thing that was on me. And I'm like, that was 

Denver: me. And I did it. 

Andrea: I did it. And what? And I do appreciate that honesty. But, yeah, it is something about her gives assistant volleyball coach. 

Denver: Volleyball. 

Andrea: For sure. I don't know. Maybe she would sub sometimes.

You know those long term subs always up on the 

Denver: Oh, yeah. Do I ever. On 

Andrea: the drama. Yeah. With the substitute teachers. I'm too okay with 

Denver: that. 

Andrea: Alright, is there any others that you wanted to hit or are we good? 

Denver: No, I think everyone Layla for sure is elementary, Macy is for sure elementary, I think everyone else is like around elementary, just kind of like 

Andrea: What's the one who, like, has really severe eczema or something?

Denver: I always forget her name, I think it's Mikayla? 

Andrea: Mikayla, yeah. Mikayla. Yeah, 

Denver: she's she gives elementary as well. 

Andrea: Yeah, 100%. Also, sorry, Mikayla, that's how I characterized you. That's sad. The reason 

Denver: I'm not even going to say what Yeah. 

Andrea: It stood out in my mind because I went and followed her on Instagram and I saw a whole series of videos about how she has this autoimmune disorder and she deals with it.

And I was like, wow, she's so beautiful and so strong. So really I was categorizing your beauty and strength, not the condition. I'm so sorry. She is beautiful, strong. 

Denver: She does get very unproblematic. Just I'm here to, for the drama and the background. Yeah. 

Andrea: Love it. Yeah. Would we be there for the drama being the ones causing the drama or observing the drama?

Denver: I think personally, me and you, are we talking about me and you? Great. Like we would be, we would be causing drama unintentionally because of who we are and people would have a problem with the way that we are just so ourselves. Okay. And I would be like, I don't know what to tell you. I'm not going to apologize for being my authentic self.

Andrea: I think that's right. 

Denver: I think just letting it unfold a little bit. That's very toxic. 

Andrea: I feel like you would maybe be causing some of the drama as well. Just being being that I know you. I feel like there's a good possibility, and I would just beat your ride or die. You would be like, yeah, and? Yeah, I'd be like, yeah, she's making terrible life choices, but I love her, so let her live.

Denver: No, I think that's for sure accurate. 

Andrea: Yeah, she's, is she gonna get fired from her job? Not be able to pay her rent? Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. But let her live. But 

Denver: it's 

Andrea: all 

Denver: in the 

Andrea: crystals.

It's all in the crystals. I said that because you know, you love that sentence. I love the crystals so very much. I know. Um, okay. So. So. A teacher from Texas asked, what advice do you have for a teacher trying to get back in the game? So, they see and hear teachers fleeing the classroom and everything they are seeing scares them.

As a teacher that, you know, you've been in for three years 

Theme: and 

Andrea: you've got some experience under your belt now, is there any advice you would give to somebody that would help them to not feel scared about teaching for the first time? 

Denver: Oh, 

I think, I think being scared is very valid because of the, the climate of just what the reputation school these days has, right?

It's, it's, it is, it can seem scary. It can seem daunting. It can seem almost impossible. However, I think at the very core of it all, it's really not in the sense of you guys have even told me like our teacher group, especially with working with. older students, they really are just little babies trying to figure it out.

And anything that is intimidating or they're trying to be scared, it's just a reflection of like projecting they're just as scared. They're just as worried that they are going to get made fun of, or they, they're not smart enough or something enough. And so kind of having, I love to be vulnerable, like with my students of like, look, I was not a straight A student.

You guys, I wasn't. I skipped class a lot because I didn't feel confident. I say it, I didn't feel confident in whatever subject it was that day, but that's also because I didn't feel safe with some of the teachers in the sense of like, I might not know what's going on, but I know I have at least one person in this room who's going to, might ride or die, who's going to back me up.

Um, so I think, again, feeling those feelings, very valid, but you have to, It's also confidence of just like, no, I know what I'm doing. I've been experiencing a lot of imposter syndrome, like kind of throughout this semester of just everything I'm doing, I'm taking from, you know, our group and is anything authentically me?

And it is about like grounding yourself back to, no, I can do this. I'm here for a reason. It's going to be hard, period. Yeah. But that's okay. And it's not going to be hard forever. And I. Yeah. 

Andrea: Yeah. I, I think that's great advice. And I think that also remembering that the thing that students are going to remember you about you is less the content and more just like, are they my ride or die?

Like, do they care about me? And to me, that seemed just so much more manageable entering the classroom knowing like, okay, like, Are they, like, gonna know that I care? Well, I can do that. I know I can do that, because I do care. 

Denver: Right. 

Andrea: So, yeah. 

Denver: I know that I have that gene to care. Exactly. 

Andrea: Yeah. Yeah. Definitely.

Um, one of the questions I asked, uh, everybody, like, what are your students doing? A teacher said that they had some rats in their school, and so a teacher suggested that they trap the rats. to feed to the school snake. What are your thoughts on that? How do you feel about that? 

Denver: Let's back. Rats, where? 

Andrea: In the school.

Like, eating little snake snacks. Like, roaming around, 

Denver: being like, hey guys. Yeah. 

Andrea: Hey. Apparently. Maybe it's New York. 

Denver: You know, there's a lot of rats 

Andrea: in New York. 

Denver: Okay, so they want to capture the rats and feed it to the pet snake at school? 

Andrea: Apparently, yeah. 

Denver: That's giving a little barbaric. 

Andrea: Is it though? Or is it just like the cycle?

Or is it like, you know what? 

Denver: You're trapped in 

Andrea: a cage. Dinner's on me tonight, guys. Kind of. I actually, there was a snake that my kindergarten teacher had and it, its name was Rosie Boa. And as it grew, because it was in my kindergarten class, as it got bigger, they moved it to older kids classes. So in like sixth grade, it was in my sixth grade class.

In eighth grade, it was in my eighth grade class. twelfth grade, it was like huge, right? So like I just happened to be the class that kind of followed along with. Um, It's kind of precious, but it, it was, it was a massive snake by the, by the time I graduated. But they sure, I have a vivid memory of them trying to feed rats to this snake.

And the biology teacher was like trying to dangle the rat and the snake missed the hand or missed this, missed the rat and got the hand. So that's a dangerous game they're playing if that is in fact what they wanna do. 'cause a lot of times they try and do that so the rat doesn't bite the snake.

They're like trying to protect the snake. But I think if you're gonna do. Just a nature. I think 

Denver: yeah, if you want to if you want a full on survival of the fittest mode Yeah, ding ding ding round one. Just 

Andrea: let the snake free in the school and really that 

Denver: too. 

Andrea: What if we just Put it on a leash put more snakes into the halls to why don't we deal with more 

Denver: snakes?

And then everyone gets their own collar And you can walk your snake around and let him eat the rats. How about that? 

Andrea: Yeah. How does one breed a snake? 

Denver: So one breeds a snake by So Andrea, when two snakes love each other very much, they 

Andrea: And I think that's all the time that we have for this week.

Unfortunately, we are not going to go into the rat Snake reproduction. Yeah, not this time, but you're coming back soon. I am coming back soon. So soon. I am so excited. Ah, it's gonna be so fun, I know. Um, all right, uh, how can people find you and keep up with you? Because you've been posting on, I've seen 

Denver: your 

Andrea: little TikToks.

Denver: I've been trying, I've been trying to be more consistent with it. Um, you can find me, uh, keeping up with miss dot B on Instagram. Tik Tok. And Instagram, I think, is the same. You, what you gave us, 

Andrea: it's the same. You gave us the same for both. So unless you're a liar. 

Denver: Uh, no, Instagram is keepingupwithmiss. b underscore.

Because someone took keeping up with Miss B. Selfish. So disrespectful. So you can find me on there and see all of my silly goofy things I do during the week. 

Andrea: Yeah, all of her spooky, spooky stuff that probably came from me. 

Denver: I am a creature of inauthentic material. So yes. 

Andrea: All 

Denver: right. 

Andrea: On that note, we will be right back.

Bye. 

Denver: Bye.

Andrea: Welcome back to Those Who Can't Do. Um, I always, always have so much fun hanging out with Denver. Um, obviously because of her deep, well of historical knowledge is really, I think, the foundation of our whole friendship. So, um, if you have comments about what we talked about today, and if you wanted to fact check us on any of the science facts that we discussed, let us know.

and Geography Sucks that we, uh, discussed today. You can contact us at andrea at human content. com or you can contact me at educatorandrea on TikTok and Instagram. You can also contact the whole Human Content Podcast family at humancontentpod. And thank you guys so much for leaving the Incredible feedback we've been getting lately.

I really appreciate it. And a very special thank you to formerly a teacher who said, the only way we are going to save the teachers is by having fabulous, smart professors like you helping them keep up the good work. So thank you so much. I am so grateful. So glad you are loving the podcast and really appreciate the kind words.

Every single time it makes me feel like, like I'm so bad at taking compliments, so it makes me feel a little embarrassed, but also mostly good. So thank you guys so much for saying those wonderful things about the podcast. And if you have not left a review yet, please do so that you can get a shout out as well.

If you want to check out the full video episodes, they are up every single week up on YouTube at Educator Andrea. Thank you so much for listening. I'm your host, Andrea Forkham. A very special thank you to our guest co host today, Denver Riley, and our executive producers are Andrea 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 can go to PodcasterAndrea.

com. Those Who Can't Do is a human content production.

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