Did a Kid Really Need Stitches From a Stall Hook?

Andrea: [00:00:00] My dad worked in the ER sometimes. He said he had to remove a ferret from someone's rectum. Okay. Alright. So I'm not the pervert for saying that. That looks like it's the sex toy,

Theme: the classroom. 

Andrea: Have you ever wondered what I would say if my mother and my administrators weren't watching every single thing I do on social media? Well, that's exactly what my standup show is, and I'm gonna be coming to a town near you super soon. You can get tickets@educatorandrea.com slash tickets.

Hey, teacher besties. Welcome to How to Survive the Classroom. Um, so this is my, I know when you guys are listening to this, you guys have probably all been in school for a few weeks, but I just started back this last week and let me tell you, it has been a very interesting start to the school year. So this is one of the biggest shifts, I think, going from K [00:01:00] 12 into the university in case you wanna like a glimpse, a little peek into what it, what the differences are, um, is that we have like a welcome back.

Event. For the entire college of education, right? So Indiana State, there's a lot of colleges within the university, and I'm in College of Ed by College of Education. And so we have a big luncheon, breakfast, and then the college president and the like, all these different people come and talk to us, update us on enrollment, all of that kind of stuff, right?

So very like important businessy type meeting stuff like professional development. From the district when you first start the school year. Um, so I report back and I'm sitting eating breakfast with a couple of other colleagues and the president of the university. Comes over now he is fairly new. This is his second year at the university and he has been like so involved in working with like their social media people and stuff.

And I know he follows me on Instagram and TikTok. And so he came over and [00:02:00] was talking to everyone was like, how was your summer? And we were chit-chatting and they looked at me and he said, you have had a very busy summer. And I was like. Yes. Yes I have. It's like I'm feeling a little like Hannah Montana, like having, 'cause it was right, like we had just gotten back three days ago from the Irvine and Tempe shows with the teachers lounge.

And I was like, yeah, I'm feeling a little like Hannah Montana, like going from like all of that and then just normal life again. Here I am. And he's like, yeah, yeah, that's great. Well you had to come back. You needed more content. And I was like, oh. Also 'cause I, I like doing this as well, but yeah. Also for content, you're not wrong.

Like I, you know, I, I do definitely gain inspiration from being around all of my students, but that just cracked me up. So we go from that and then we have this all college meeting right in the auditorium, and there's probably 150 of us that are faculty staff that go to this meeting. Right. And so the dean of my college goes up and he's chatting.

And I'm sitting next to [00:03:00] my, my teacher bestie at the university, and she, she's just like chit chatting, right? We're just yapping under our breath, um, being terrible students, honestly. And, um, I hear him say, my dean say my name, and then I kind of click in what the rest of that sentence was, which was that the top three reasons that people.

New students to Indiana State for the College of Ed. The top three reasons he is hearing about why students are coming to Indiana State for education, class size, doing the early field experience, and Andrea Fork's, tiktoks, and the gray irony that I wasn't paying attention to hear it when he said it. I was like.

What did he say just now? And that I was just so embarrassed that I like, kinda like hid, I like collapsed in on myself, like a dying star in my seat because like immediately, right. I'm trying, I'm seeing this from the perspective of my colleagues who have been working. Some of them, like the, my [00:04:00] teacher bestie who I was sitting next to and yapping with, she's been at the university for over 40 years, right?

So she's been working so hard. I have so many brilliant, brilliant colleagues who, um, work so, so hard. Have really worked hard on enrollment numbers. That's everyone right now, by the way, in every college, but especially in Indiana, everyone's just really working hard to get enrollment numbers up. Um, and so I just knew the second that he said that, I'm like, I know like three people that are gonna roast me.

Incessantly for that. And so we have that meeting. It ends the next day. We have an all day like professional development working meeting, right, with just our department now. And this is when I know I'm really gonna get it because I work with really funny people. And so one of the guys I work with, um, the second, the, my chair, um, stood up and it was like, okay guys, does anyone have anything we need to say?

Um, before we get started today, [00:05:00] and my friend immediately goes, well, I don't know, I don't think Andrea got enough attention yesterday. Andrea, did you wanna share anything with us? Any inspirational statements about your work or your tiktoks? I was like, listen, I am not the one that said it. Okay. Um, and you know, he just kept roasting me.

I was like, listen, my guy, if you wanted tickets to my show, I told you you have to get them early. I'm so sorry I wasn't able to get you in. Like, just trying to, to like roll with the punches. But yeah, it was one of those that like, it's incredibly complimentary and so cool and it's also very cool, especially coming from education.

I remember being terrified that my admin knew about my social media, just because districts are constantly so worried about the way it makes them look as opposed to actual issues with parents or families or the community. They're just constantly worried about potential issues, like they're making up issues that aren't even there yet.

[00:06:00] And so it was really refreshing and really nice to have it be recognized in that way that like, oh, I'm having an impact and I'm helping Indiana State gain more. Students like that's huge. Especially in a time where like our university overall, and this is the same for almost every university in Indiana, enrollment went down, um, except for the College of Education.

Within the College of Education, our enrollment increased not by a lot. We'll take it. So yeah, that was my, uh, welcome back into the new school year, um, was the incredible, um, acknowledgement and then also just getting relentlessly roasted. And I would feel the same way, like if I'm like spending hours and hours doing peer reviewed heavy research stuff and one of my colleagues.

Creates videos, I would think I would probably roast 'em too. Not to diminish what I, what I do, because I do think that what I'm doing is important. Um, but especially if you don't really understand that world, I think that, um, it's harder for people to understand. But they did ask [00:07:00] us, you know, at that welcome back all day meeting.

Like, okay, what is something you're really excited about over the su that you did over the summer? And something you're looking forward to. And I, I did feel a little self-conscious about, 'cause the, the number one thing I think the highlight for me of the entire summer was the teacher's lounge shows.

Like I had some solo shows that were incredible as well. Um, starting off with Kansas City, that was so amazing. But honestly, I think the Teacher's Lounge show was like the peak for me, but I didn't wanna talk about it because I was like, they're just gonna make fun of me again. So I just talked about my book because I know that they would also understand like the scholarly.

Um, kind of respect. It was probably me just trying to flex and be like, also, I wrote a book this year, uh, which by the way, guys is coming out very, very soon. The pre-orders, I think start in October. I believe. Um, so yeah, it's called, they never taught us that. It's gonna be really good. Just a quick little plug before we jump in to the rest of what we're doing today.

Um, it is, so I was explaining this to somebody recently, [00:08:00] um, and it, so it, it addresses questions. That you would have as a first year teacher and it's, it's kind of like topical and then you go into it and I start each chapter with a personal anecdote of how I experienced screwing that up. And when I was explaining this to someone recently, they're like, oh, it's like when you're trying to get to a recipe and they tell you about how the recipe was like brought from war torn Russia in their grandmother's bosom before they actually get to the recipe.

And I was like, wait, no. I'm so sorry. That's terrible. But like, that also is kind of my vibe, right? Is like that it's not just um, lessons, but it's also the story of how I unfortunately learned the hard way. Um, so I think that even for people who aren't teachers, they're really gonna like the book. I really like the book.

I'm very, very proud of it. I, so I hope that you guys enjoy it and find it really helpful. And it'll have downloads, free downloads of like templates and stuff like that. [00:09:00] So, um, alright, well, without. Further ado, let's go ahead and jump in to the first listener voicemail that was sent in this week. 

Voicemail: Hi. So I am Karen.

I'm a, um, fellow English teacher, and a few years ago I was his words and. The kids didn't know what garners were or that they are grain silos. And in Massachusetts we don't have a lot of grain silos. So I drew one on the board, um, and I drew like, you know, the big tall structure of the grain silo and the little top of the grain silo, which, you know, usually comes to like a little rounded point at the top.

And I turned around. After I was done and I'm talking to the kids and explaining a grain silo and what it actually is and couldn't figure out why everybody in the class was giggling and I looked around and I had definitely drawn like a [00:10:00] massive penis on the board and was gesturing to it and explaining it and completely missing the fact that.

It was a giant dick on the board and the kids were just cracking up laughing and finally I went, I know, I see it. And I started laughing and erased it and they all went to lunch. But yeah, that's sort of become like the moment that students talk about in my class, when their teacher drew giant dick on the board.

Andrea: So I feel like we've all been there. If you've taught long enough, you have accidentally drawn a penis on the board. Unfortunately, that is a Canon event and I can't stop it from happening. Um, if you're a new teacher, I would recommend you maybe draw a rocket ship. Just get it out of the way early on. You know, just be like, stay.

We're gonna, we. Rocket into learning and just draw rocketship that way you've done it. So when you do realize it in front of students, you can just move along. Um, that honestly was always one of the hardest things for me to pretend like I didn't see. Um, and I did get to the [00:11:00] point also where I feel like now as a college professor who's gonna work with future middle school teachers, I call it out immediately.

Like we do this icebreaker activity where people have to draw staff. And we talk about why that would or would not be a good activity for middle schoolers and these future middle school teachers are like, well, kids might. Draw something inappropriate and I was like, they're gonna draw a penis. They will draw a penis.

I get, I promise you, if you give a child a pen or a pencil for long enough, and it's not just like, it's not the kids these days, this is like forever. People just draw penises. I don't know why I. It just is a thing and they're gonna do it. Um, and so now I get to kind of call that out and acknowledge it.

Um, and that reminds me, by the way, you, if you're listening to this, I'm sure you saw it in my social media, and I will share this, um, with my team so they can show you the picture of what was sent to me this week. This was an item that was sent [00:12:00] in from. A te a second grade teacher, and she said she took it from a student and it looks like a sex toy.

Um, and I thought that's exactly what it was. It has like, and, and we'll have the picture here for you, but it's got like one side that looks like it might be for a rear entrance situation and the other side where there's like, like a lot of other things happening. Um. And so I took, I took the picture she sent me and I posted about it and was like basically asking like, it looks like a bop it in a sex, it looks like a dildo bop it.

Okay. Like that. That's what it looks like. Um, and the amount of people arguing about what this thing actually is. So apparently. A lot of people think it's a hair braider tool from the nineties. Do you guys remember? You like, you put your little, your like the pocket of hair and then it automatically braids the hair.

But I don't think that's what it is. 'cause that wouldn't make sense. Um, but other people [00:13:00] are saying, no, it's this toy that has like little like. Furry connector things on it, but I've never seen it like that. And I saw, I looked up like Bri, I think it's called like bristle, bristle toys or something. Um, and I looked up pictures of what they are saying it is, and I'm sorry, that is not what we are looking at.

That is not the same thing. Um, so I want you guys to tell me what you think this is. Because I think it's a dil Debo it, I don't know what orifice is this is gonna be utilized for necessarily. Um, but I'm pretty convinced that it's used for nefarious things. Um, and also the amount of parents that were like, no, that's a children's toy.

How dare you confiscate it? Listen, I'm not the pervert, all right? This is not on me that we live in the world we live in and people and, and here's the other thing. I live in a family of people who have been in the medical field, and so I know that it doesn't have to be made [00:14:00] for that purpose to be used for that purpose.

My dad worked in the ER sometimes. He said he had to remove a ferret from someone's rectum. Okay? Alright. So I'm not the pervert for saying that that looks like it's a sex toy. Okay. Because sometimes it is and maybe it's not, but probably it's alright. Let's go ahead and jump into the second voicemail sent in this week.

Voicemail: This one is on behalf of my teacher, husband, Ryan. He was teaching fourth grade in public school at the time, and a kid had asked to go to the bathroom. Ryan said, yes, kid was in there for like 10, 15 minutes before he comes back to the classroom, just pale faced and holding his pants and. Very quietly asked Ryan in front of the whole class if he can go to the nurse's office.

Ryan's like, uh, yeah, go ahead. Not sure what's going on. He finds out later that the kid had been, [00:15:00] um, like jumping over the stall walls and doors because one of his friends was in there and you know, they were just goofing around. And when he climbed up on one of the doors and came down, his ball sack got hooked to the purse hook on the door.

So this kid had to go into the nurse's office, this little old lady nurse pull his britches down to show her what he had did. She has to call the ambulance and the father to come pick this kid up and take him, uh, to the emergency room. Take. Ball back up. 

Andrea: Um, well, yeah, I. Doesn't that happen in the office?

Like Andy, he does the splits and he tears his scrotum at some point. Unfortunately. This is also a story that has been [00:16:00] told to me by my father. Our dinner table conversations were wild. Um, that like, that can happen, that like if it catches on something or you are doing like some sort of athletic thing and it can get a little violent, you can tear your scrotum open.

I have no idea. What would be involved in, in fixing that other than just like sewing it back up. Right. Like that poor little kid though that had to be so scary and horrifying. And also how tall was that child? I'm trying to the pit, like, I'm trying to understand how that occurred because the purse hook is usually at the top.

Of these doors and he's jumping over them. So is he like, like Spider-Man climbing up them and then trying to slide down the back and that's where he got like fish hooked. Is that how that happens? Like, ah, like I feel like that's one of those things that when you're [00:17:00] feeling really anxious and you come up with scenarios that are super unlikely, but stick in your brain as like, but what if.

My kid was at school and I know how he likes to goof off and he jumped over a stall door and then the hook tore open his scrotum. What if that happens while my kid is at school? Like that feels so much like the kind of like off ramp that my brain would take when I'm feeling really anxious is like coming up with really.

Outlandish problems that could potentially happen. Um, thankfully I don't deal with that too much. My husband is much, uh, much more plagued by really like outlandishly strange concerns. That's probably not a nice way of saying it. Unlikely concern, concerns, I would say like we found out in our house that there is, um, like a pump in our basement that is.

Because our, our toilet was like added there later. And so if the, um, electrical is off, we can't [00:18:00] flush the toilet down there because the, the pump is like hooked up to our electricity and so it needs to pump up and out through the pipes. And when my husband found this out, he's like, well, the electrical's going to go off.

It's going to back up sewage into our home and the entire house is gonna be covered in poop. And I'm like. I don't even think you know enough about plumbing to have that concern. It might be true, but I know you don't know how to do plumbing, so I don't know that you actually have a valid, like he might.

That might be possible guys, but I also know that my husband and I, our first response when we have a plumbing issue is to call a plumber. Like we're not the people over there being like, hold on, let me just fix it with a lot of like elbow grease and confidence in a YouTube video. Like, that's not us because we've had multiple water issues.

Um, so he is really good at coming up with those. Here's the thing with that one though, is it kind of happened a little bit like this is our new house and we had somebody come and help us with plumbing stuff. Um, and they turned off the breaker box for that one 'cause he thought it was [00:19:00] something else.

And then we were flushing the toilet down there and the water did start to come up just in the basement and we caught it before our entire house was covered. But it was a little bit one of those moments where he is like, well, well, well, not so crazy after all. Am I Like, that's the problem. It's like I would say 95% of the time, his fears do not come to fruition.

But man, do I hear about it that 5% of the time that it actually happens. He is like. I told you this was gonna happen. I'm like, I don't, I don't get to brag every time your fears don't come true. This is unfair. So, um, but now, uh, we can add torn scrotum to the list of fears when, uh, I send my child to school because that is something that my son would get himself involved in.

'cause he will do stuff for a bit every single time. Like the way he comes home right now, he just started kindergarten like a few weeks ago. And, uh, my husband told him, but when he was leaving for school this morning, he's like, Hey buddy, so are [00:20:00] you gonna have a good day today? And he's like, yep. He's like, are you gonna, you know, listen to your teacher.

Yep. Are you gonna tell jokes and make people laugh? And my son got very serious and said, oh, we don't do jokes at school. And I'm like, that a thousand percent sounds like something he has had to be told so many times in the first week of school. Because he was telling us at dinner last night that, um, there's a girl in his class he tells poop jokes to, and he is like, they're very funny mom.

And I was like, I bet they're buddy. And all of his jokes are literally just like, why did the chicken cross the road? And you're like, why? And he is like, because there was poop on its head. And then he dies laughing. He thinks that is the absolute peak of comedic perfection. Um, and I'm like, what? Like that doesn't make sense.

He's like, yeah, I was telling this my friend. This girl, I was telling her poop jokes and she tells me every time it's not funny. And I tell her it is funny and it is, but she doesn't think it's funny. And I'm like, well, I mean, I guess you're gonna have to keep shopping it until it actually makes [00:21:00] people laugh.

My guy. And he is like, yeah, she's wrong though. It's funny. So I do love that he's, you know, advocating for himself. I just have a feeling that at some point in my life he is gonna end up opening. One of my shows or I'll end up opening one of his, let's be real. Um, once he actually gets into all that, which is insane to think about.

Um, but I have two things for you after we get back from this break. I have a hill I'll die on that is probably gonna make. Some people a little angry. Um, and then I also have a really cool teacher resource that I'm really excited to share with you guys about. So we'll be right back in honor of back to school season.

I am partnering with Cozy Earth to celebrate and support teachers, and I have one teacher in particular who I am obsessed with right now. It's my son's pre-K teacher who is. An absolute saint. This woman patiently and graciously spent time teaching my son how to follow directions and color inside the lines, but then also had to teach him that it's not exactly appropriate to [00:22:00] fart in class and then smell it and say, that's the stuff.

I mean this woman. She's going through it and I appreciate her so very much. During the month of September, you can nominate a teacher who's made a life-changing difference. They'll be entered to win a massive giveaway, and if you're a teacher, professor, or faculty member yourself, cozy Earth is giving you 50% off all month long.

Just head to cozy earth.com/teachers to nominate and to access your discount. That's cozy earth.com/teachers. In recognition of teachers everywhere. Cozy Earth is committed to giving teachers the very best at home.

All right, teacher besties, welcome back. So I will, I do wanna have like this little disclaimer because sometimes I find out about these resources 'cause I'm just on the internet, I'm doing my Googles right. But sometimes it's because a brand has reached out to me and wants to work with me on a brand deal.

Um, so this is not a sponsored post for this platform, but I am being paid to post about it on social [00:23:00] media. The only reason I'm bringing it to you guys though is 'cause it actually is really cool. So the resource is called Teach Aid. Teach Aid, and this is an AI platform. I know, I know. We had a little break from the.

AI platforms for a second. Um, here's why. This one is different from Magic School and some of the other ones that I've seen. Number one, usability. It's very, very, very user friendly. Um, it has a pretty extensive free version and it has an option for, it says like free for teachers, but I am pretty sure the way they're trying to do that is like.

Using people who sign up for the free version to contact the school to pay for it, I think is probably how they're kind of making it free for teachers is that your school's gonna pay for it. So they do have a free version even if you don't have your school paying for it. Um, but you don't get to kind of like edit it down quite as much.

But what you do is a lot like magic school, a [00:24:00] lot like you would with Chatt BT or any of those. You go onto this plant platform. And you tell it what you teach. You tell it where you live and what standards you're trying to align yourself to. And then you can hone in on an entire unit. So it will create a pacing guide and a unit.

And then within that it will give you a day by day lesson plan. And then once you get to the lesson plan, you can click on the first part that says like. Prompt for a writer reflection, and you click that and it creates the prompt for you and it creates the slideshow for you and it allows for you to make it live immediately.

So if you had a class of students that you wanted to have them participate in this activity, you within like five minutes before class, you could type up this thing like, I wanna teach my students about Shakespeare. Three clicks later, you can have a slideshow up with a response that they could also log on and respond to, like within, I would say, five to 10 minutes.

Especially if you're tech savvy, you could have [00:25:00] that up and running for your class. Um, that's crazy. Like the fact that that exists now is insane to me. I can't imagine having a tool like that at my disposal. Um, and I mean, the fact that it, it's gonna be standards aligned, it has assessments. It has like grading options on it too.

Um, it is. Really, honestly, very, very incredible. Um, and the other thing it has that I really like is it has an AI tutor option. So if you, if you have your slideshow up right, and you're having the students respond to some kind of question, you can allow them to access the AI tool tutor. You can turn it off by the way.

Um, but there's an AI tutor chat bot that they can ask questions to, and they will get the answers to. And it will show you as the teacher what questions are being asked of the AI chat bot. So if your students are missing something, you can be like, okay, they don't get this yet. I need to go over here. How cool is that?

Like I, I, and I promise you, they're not [00:26:00] paying me enough for me to be as enthusiastic as I am about this. It's very cool. It's very, very cool. So it's teach aid do ca. Um, and I'm just honestly very impressed with, uh, the usability, how quick it was. Um, obviously it needs your razzle dazzle, it needs your touch.

Um, the it, the slides are very simple, um, but it does automatically populate images and questions and surveys and you can do like a lot of the stuff you would do with Nearpod, which is an engagement resource for, um. Online learning you can do with this, but it takes way less time to create. So the usability of it is really incredible and I'm just excited for any tool that makes it easier for a teacher to guide instruction in a really time effective way.

So. That is, that is my, my resource for you this week. I highly recommend it. I think it's really, really cool. Um, and I just, again, I know that there are people out there that are like, oh, well if we have a resource like this, then we don't even need teachers. Which is [00:27:00] stupid. That is dumb because there are definitely plenty of professions that use ai, including doctors.

Every doctor you have ever been to now probably uses AI in some like. In some version of it to do their job and to make their jobs easier. But you still would want the actual doctor to come in and look at you. And then I want them using every resource they have available to them. Like, why wouldn't we want that?

Um, in the same way we want our teachers to have every resource we possibly can to make their jobs easier. Um, alright. Are you guys ready to get mad at me? Here's the thing. Here's the thing, here's the thing. So I have a couple of brands that I really like, right? I think that there are a couple of products that I think are fantastic and a lot of times, especially with makeup and skincare brands, you will see like a little like logo on there that says, um, that they don't do animal testing.

And I remember seeing that and thinking like, oh, that's nice. And [00:28:00] then a second thought popped into my head and that thought. If they are not doing animal testing, who are they testing it on? They're doing human testing and trials, so they are flexing on the fact they're not doing animal testing because instead they're taking advantage of impoverished humans and testing on them instead.

I just don't know that not doing animal testing is the flex that we are all acting like it is. I like animals fine, but I think people are better. Like I, and I know like Pete's probably gonna like. Come after me and I don't know, be mad about this one, but like I don't actually think it's that much of a flex to be like, guys, don't worry.

Instead, people who are down on their luck, who are impoverished, who don't have resources, they sign up and then they sign an NDA. So they can't tell you that they lost their sight because we put our mascara on their eyes, but the bunnies can still see, you know? Do you see what I'm saying? I might get canceled for this, but I'm, I'm not sorry.

That is a hill I'm gonna die on. I don't think it's the flex that we're [00:29:00] acting like it is. I think that we can be humane always, but also, um, people like people also are important. So. That is the hill I'm gonna die on. If you have episode reactions and thoughts, I would love to probably hear them. And you can contact me at Educator Andrea on TikTok and Instagram, or you can email us andrea@humancontent.com.

Um, or you can contact the whole Human Content Podcast family at Human Content Pod. Um, make sure that you check, uh, the different websites for all of the different dates. We've got a lot of dates coming out for it. The teacher's lounge and for my solo shows, educator andrea.com/tickets has all of the ticket links for both.

Um, so make sure you keep an eye out for those because I might be coming to your town and I can come and see you and hang out with you. And wouldn't that be fun? Um, and thank you so much to those of you guys who have left some reviews. It really makes a huge difference getting our podcast out to everybody.

If you wanna check out the full video episode, they are up every [00:30:00] week on YouTube so you can see those wonderful dil, the bts in, in 4K, you know. Um, thank you so much for listening. I'm your host, Andrea Foram. Our executive producers are Andrew Forche, Aaron Corny, Rob Goldman, and Shahnti Brooke. Our editor is Andrew Sims.

Our engineer is Jason Portizo. Our music is by Omer Ben-Zvi. Our recording location is Indiana State by College of Education. To learn more about our how to survive the Classrooms program, disclaimer and ethics, policy and submission verification and licensing terms. You can go to podcast or andrea.com.

How to Survive the Classroom is a human content production.

Thank you so much for watching. Want more of how to Survive the Classroom? You can watch more episodes right now. Just click on that little box over there, you see it, and if you haven't yet, please subscribe. Okay, [00:31:00] bye.