The Snapchat Story That Got A Teacher Arrested

Gerry: [00:00:00] I think after being off for a month and traditional calendar teachers who come back from a summer can probably relate. Why do I have to be there? 8:00 AM for a workday when y'all know time has been a myth to me.

Theme: The classroom. 

Andrea: Hey, teacher besties. I am so excited to share with you that my book, they never taught us, that is available for pre-order right now. Everything in experience first year teachers need to manage the chaos of the modern classroom, including some anecdotes to make you feel a little bit better because if there is a way you can screw up, I have probably done it.

It also has advice on how to build trust with families, how to manage grading and lesson plans and IEPs and everything in between that they never went over in your teacher prep program. They never taught us. That is available everywhere right now for pre-order. Hey, teacher besties. Welcome [00:01:00] to How to Survive the Classroom.

So I am fresh off of the road from the teacher's lounge shows from Seattle and Portland today. And Jerry, here you are fresh off your first day back, right from your very long, long, long winter break right. 

Gerry: Yes. So instead of a summer vacation, I get like small breaks throughout the year. And winter's our longest breaks.

I haven't worked since before Christmas. 

Andrea: Did you feel like renewed and refreshed going back today? 

Gerry: No, I feel tired. What? And, and destroyed. 

Andrea: I mean, so do, how does that work? Do you have the same students when you come back? 

Gerry: No. So I actually, I get, so we didn't have, we just had workdays today. 

Andrea: Oh, okay. 

Gerry: Um, but I will get all new students, uh, when, next week, when we start back.

Andrea: Okay. So you're basically redoing the first week of school halfway through the year. 

Gerry: That's right. 

Andrea: Love that for you. Are you teaching any new [00:02:00] preps? 

Gerry: No, it's the same stuff. 

Andrea: Okay, got it. 

Gerry: So all, all the same stuff. They can go back and listen to another episode. I, we don't got time to go through everything I teach again.

Andrea: Yeah. 'cause we still don't know fully what you teach. If someone were to like, ask me and be like, I will leave you a million dollars. If you tell me what is Jerry's potential license in, does he actually have a license? What has he done his student teaching in? I don't know that I'd still even be able to answer you something with, you know, we'd be out here, we, we be teach in, you know.

Gerry: We, we really do. We be out here just doing our best. 

Andrea: I I love that. I love that for all 

Gerry: of us. You guys here trying. 

Andrea: Let me tell you, I have to tell you about the shows that we had for the teacher's lounge this weekend. Have you ever done any shows in the Pacific Northwest, like Seattle or Portland area? 

Gerry: No, I've never been to the Pacific Northwest.

Andrea: This was my first time. Okay. So this was my first time going. And I want, if you were to picture the vibe of the people in the Pacific Northwest. How, what do you expect it would be [00:03:00] like? 

Gerry: I have like hippies in my brain. 'cause that's what I've heard. Like Portland is like, so I base that whole area off of Portland, Seattle, all that.

I'm based on Portland. Yeah. And in Asheville, North Carolina, it's kind of like same vibes like, okay, like you got. It, it is like, it's like Woodstock out there. If, if, if you turn Woodstock loose in the city, it is like, oh, they left them in Portland. That's where they went. 

Andrea: Yeah. So I, the way I kind of always pictured Seattle and Portland was like very much like everyone has a septum ring.

Um, everybody has like purple hair. Um, and just like very like anti-establishment, all of that, right? Not just, not like from the news, but more just from my friends who either moved there or have visited there in the past. And I've also heard from so many people that the, um, like homelessness and the drug abuse in Portland and Seattle is like a real issue and all of that.

[00:04:00] So that's kind of like what I was expecting going there. Um, and I have to tell you. Like we had the most lovely time, the street, like I genuinely did not see anyone using drugs at all. Um, because I had heard from people who have gone, that they've seen people that are like, clearly like doing the fentanyl, lean all over Portland, like Seattle felt really unsafe.

All of that completely different from my experience. And granted, we were only in each of the cities for about 24 hours, but. It was lovely. The people were so friendly, and now that I've been in so many places, I feel like I like have kind of a, a good quick. Like sense of places. Everyone was. Great guys. Go to Seattle and Portland.

It's a lovely place to visit. The crowds were the best crowds I think we've ever had. Portland in particular, which again is one of those cities that like is very left-leaning and those kind of cities kind of get a reputation [00:05:00] for not having a good sense of humor. Craziest, funniest crowd, I think we've, we've ever had.

So. 10 outta 10 would recommend you absolutely need to try and make it to the Pacific Northwest to do jokes, because I think also you coming in with your, like South Carolina energy, I think would do very well there. 

Gerry: I catch people off guard when I started talking. 

Andrea: I, I bet you do. Well 

just, 

Gerry: that's my favorite thing ever.

Andrea: It was. Okay, so we're gonna play a game today because the names of the restaurants. The names of the restaurants were insane, and I'm gonna tell you a story after we play the game. Um, because I, there were so many restaurants with these names that I could not understand, like what, like what is happening here with these?

So, um, I'm gonna say a name. And I also asked my followers to submit some of the, the insults that their students have. Called them in the past. So some of these are submitted [00:06:00] by my followers, insults that students have called them, and some of these are names of either Seattle or Portland restaurants.

Okay. And you have to guess, okay, so, uh, the first one, instigating Bitch. Do you think that's a student insults or 

Gerry: that's a restaurant? 

Andrea: That one was an insult from a student. 

Gerry: Oh, I was trying to go hard on the first one. I was No, I'm gonna go five for five 

Andrea: to be fair with like Well, yeah, we'll get there. Um, okay.

Grumpy grandma. 

Gerry: I'm gonna say restaurant again. 

Andrea: That one's also an insult. 

Gerry: I, I, no, I think I've been to the grumpy grandma. You, I feel like one 

Andrea: be north 

Gerry: one. There gotta be one. And I know that food's good too. 

Andrea: Yeah, yeah, for sure. 

Gerry: That's a real place. 

Andrea: Egg slut 

Gerry: restaurant. 

Andrea: Yeah, that's actually, so that's where Phil, uh, went and got breakfast.

He and his lovely wife Taylor, um, are kind [00:07:00] of, did like a little mini babymoon on, on the weekend and that's where they picked up breakfast for all of us is Egg Slut. Um, pizza slut. 

Gerry: I, I'm gonna go with like that. That was one of the kid, kid names. 

Andrea: Also a restaurant 

Gerry: kid. Okay. 

Andrea: Also a restaurant. That one's in Portland.

Gerry: I didn't think we was gonna go back to back on slut. I know I second guessed myself. 

Andrea: Insane, isn't it? Because that those, like seeing two restaurants with those names was just like aggressive. Um, biscuit bitch, 

Gerry: I'm gonna go restaurant again. 

Andrea: Yes, you're correct. Um, that's where my husband Steven and I went and got breakfast.

And here's, here's where the story comes in because. It was so funny. So Biscuit Bitch is in Seattle. It might also be in some other places, but we were walking around Pikes Place Market, which was so lovely. It was super fun. There was like a bun, like that's where the Pikes place market is, where like they throw the fish and they're doing like all sorts of different, like [00:08:00] selling things.

I tried an oyster for the first time, um, which I almost puked. I it, I did, I did try it. I did like an oyster shot. Have you done oyster shots before Jerry? 

Gerry: No, I don't like eating foods named after words that feel uncomfortable to say The oyster don't feel good coming outta my mouth. I'm like, nah, it'll just like oyster.

No, like it, I, I can feel it tickle my chest when I say it. I don't like that. I'm not gonna eat it. 

Andrea: Yeah, it really dangles across the uvula, doesn't it? 

Gerry: Like, like salmon? I don't like salmon 'cause they got that L in there. I don't know where I came from, but I'm not gonna get it. 

Andrea: Yeah, it is basically the same thing and it actually oyster.

Tastes the, like, the texture of oyster is exactly how the mouth feel of saying it is. It's an unpleasant drinking experience because you're not supposed to chew it. It feels 

Gerry: like it, like it'd be slimy. 

Andrea: Yeah, no, it is like 

Gerry: a slug. 

Andrea: It doesn't, so you don't even keep it in your mouth long enough to really feel that.

[00:09:00] But there is like a, like a viscosity to it. But I, I am someone who I'm like, okay, you know what? Like if I'm gonna try oysters. Trying them in the Pacific Northwest from one like the most famous like fish market. And he is got the oysters, but he's like, this is what we're famous for. He is like, do you wanna try it?

'cause they would ship all of the fish to wherever you are overnight. And so I was like, you know what, yeah, I'll try it. And it does ta like it tastes like the ocean, like it ta it reminded me of when I was a kid and I would get like tumbled in the waves and it really did taste very much like the ocean in a really kind of cool way.

Um, but I was good after that. Um. Real good. And so then, then we were like on the hunt to try and find other food that would not be oyster and food maybe I could chew, you know? Um, and so we went up the street because there was a girl eating a biscuit sandwich, and we were like, where did you get that? And she's like, biscuit bitch.

And we're like, whoa, lady, calm down. And she's like, no, it's the, it's up there, it's the restaurant. And we're like, okay. So we went up there and it's such a funny [00:10:00] restaurant because it's very busy. There's a bunch of people there as people are checking in, the guy who's standing there. Is living out every teacher's dream because all he's saying to everyone is like, you bitches wanna put your order in?

Hey bitch, why don't you walk over there? Like was just calling everyone bitch the whole time. Um, and it was fascinating because you've met my husband Steven. 

Gerry: You have my best friend. 

Andrea: Yes. Um, you would not mistake him as someone from Seattle. Ever. No one would he, he is like the most Midwestern, I think, human alive.

Um, and he has like always dressed like, uh, a Midwestern dad since long before he was a Midwestern dad. And so we show up. He, again, he's wearing like his Yale University where he got his grad school stuff, polo shirt, a Yale beanie, and we're walking up. This guy's yelling at all of these people [00:11:00] about their orders and stuff.

Like, you want your biz bitch, you want this, you want that? Turn to Steven and goes, hi sir, what can we get for you today? And I was like, you know what? Yeah. Put some respect on him because the immediate way that they like switched up and were like, these are not local. This is not, we can't, we're not doing that, all that over here and, and we're like so pleasant and all of that.

It was so funny and I was just like, is that, is just, that takes a bit of self-awareness to be like, you know what, maybe we won't, you know, go that aggressively with someone who looks like he, you know, at any given time might be armed. Who's to say 

Gerry: so, so do you, do you, I was gonna ask you, do you think they did that to him because they thought he looked.

Like a scary person or because they thought, oh, he might not be able to handle it. 

Andrea: I honestly, I think that they saw him and immediately were like, he might not get the vibe that we're throwing out here. He looks like somebody who [00:12:00] expects to be treated with respect. And my husband, by the way, very nice guy.

Like very friendly, very nice guy, but also like he was a Marine, so like he could kill you if he wanted to. You know, like it's one of 

Gerry: those, oh, I knew that. 

Andrea: Yeah. Oh yeah. Yep. 

Gerry: I think, I think I'm gonna start choosing my words better. I think I'm gonna start being careful. 

Andrea: Yeah. So it was just, it was so funny.

But yeah, guys, I, I had heard so much like most people have about the Pacific Northwest in Seattle and Portland, and we just had the most lovely experience there. It was really, really great. So 10 outta 10 stars would recommend, um, and now. With your upcoming semester. I also saw you have a bunch of shows coming up, Jerry.

Gerry: So yeah, I'm, I'm able to travel on the weekends, um, and usually weeknight stuff I do, I do a there and back. I don't go anywhere. I can't drive there and back to try and get to in the middle of the week, so I [00:13:00] know. Um, well, at the time we're recording this, I'm gonna be with Gasper. Next weekend. 

Andrea: Oh my 

Gerry: gosh.

Supposed get this big snow storm next week, allegedly. I don't, I don't know. I, I was talking to somebody earlier and I was, I don't believe in it. And you don't believe in it? Thought I was talking about Yeah. They thought I was talking about believing in the weather, like, nah, I know the weather's out there, but the, I don't think, I don't believe in this weather that they saying we're gonna get.

Oh, 

Andrea: gotcha. 

Gerry: But then, but then after the weather clears up, Casper, yeah, Casper's gonna be here and we're gonna be in Charlotte and in Raleigh. 

Andrea: That's super exciting. Yeah. He's gonna descend like an angel upon your town. I'm very excited for you guys. 

Gerry: Yeah. And all the snow is gonna melt and the sun's gonna come out 

Andrea: well.

The dates are what? That you guys are gonna be in Charlotte and Raleigh. I think it might be after this, this episode comes out. But 

Gerry: Charlotte's, I think, yeah, Charlotte's January 31st and Raleigh's February 1st. 

Andrea: You're safe. You're safe. 'cause these storms are happening this weekend, so you're all right.

Because I have my Louisville show on January 31st and I should be safe. So [00:14:00] fingers crossed. All are, are you supposed to 

Gerry: get snow over there in 

Andrea: Indiana? 

Gerry: We're, 

Andrea: yeah, this weekend we're supposed to get quite a bit, so fingers crossed because who knows what's gonna happen with all that. Um. Now, I don't know if you saw in the news this week, there was a teacher who got arrested for sending a Snapchat.

Did you see this story 

Gerry: I saw on TikTok? 

Andrea: Yeah, so I, I think that's probably where I came across it as well, is that this girl, she was a teacher. She got arrested for sending, no, it, it was sending a Snapchat to a private group of friends. Now I don't use Snapchat. So, you'll have to correct me if I'm wrong, but when you send us, it's like a group message, right?

A, a group message via Snapchat? Yes. It's not like on a story. So 

Gerry: you Yeah. You can send them privately or post on a story. And the more I understood the videos, it seemed like she posted, oh, I only sent it to these few friends. Oh, well I posted it on a private story for just a few friends to [00:15:00] see and then, 'cause I saw it was like a three part video.

Yeah. And they said, um. The, uh, one of the police officers said, well, apparently it didn't go somewhere private because the, it took about two hours and the FBI found out. 

Andrea: So yeah, I, I think that that's really something that's very interesting for teachers to think about because d and we don't know, right?

We don't know if one of her private quote unquote friends that she sent it to screenshotted it. And sent it off to whoever it was as a credible threat. Um, we don't know this teacher or anything like that, but it is something to really think about because I know people in their group chats say some crazy stuff.

I think it's one of those where we have to be so careful about what we're saying, even in jest about our students, um, which is kind of, kind of scary to think about that somebody's gonna, 'cause again, I don't even know what the details were. Did you happen to see the details of what she said? I, 

Gerry: I can infer that it sound, it sounded like she [00:16:00] made a joke after being frustrated as a student, like, oh, I'm gonna do X, Y, and Z to said student, and it got.

Taken seriously. 

Andrea: Got it. It was like some 

Gerry: sort of like, um, that's just why I inferred, I don't know. I 

Andrea: probably, yeah, I, because that's kind of the vibe I got, but didn't see it explicitly put out there. It was something along the lines of like, this kid did something super annoying, and she's like, oh, I'm gonna blah, blah, blah.

This kid. I Mm guys like be so for real. How many teachers have, have made comments? A lot Like, just like, especially if you're somebody who's sarcastic or hyperbolic, like, oh my gosh, I'm gonna punch that kid in the throat. I think I have tiktoks where I say, I'm gonna punch that kid in the throat. Like, no, no, we're not actually punching kids in the throat.

But without the context, without like all of that, it is kind of a scary world now and unfortunately there are cases of teachers punching kids in the throat and so you are like, oh, well maybe this is one of those that, those that is real. Um, and so I think that that's something that teachers need to be made aware of, that number one, if [00:17:00] she didn't get it reported by one of her friends, then that means that the FBI is monitoring those private messages.

Um, and monitoring stuff like that. And I've already heard from, you know, people who are in law enforcement that they will follow, people that they've gotten kind of flagged as a concerning person, um, just to see if they're posting anything that's in particular super concerning. Um, but, and you know, the internet, the public internet is very, very public and it's never like what you put out there is always gonna be there.

Um, but it is, I think something also to think about with like the, if you're using those platforms, then it can get accessed by. Whoever it is, which is kind of terrifying in some ways. 

Gerry: It's also like we tell the kids and teach the kids when you even jokingly threaten to harm yourself or others, whether your joke, and we can read the context clues and have a pre good idea on if they're kidding or not.

Yeah. Whether they're kidding or not. We still have, we still have responsibilities as teachers that we have to follow [00:18:00] to report it to whoever, um, your school district mandates you to report that to. Yeah. Um, and it's like, Hey, it doesn't matter if you're joking or not, this has to be reported. And I think this is a good instance of, Hey, maybe practice what you preach.

And yeah, keep in mind that saying these things, no matter what way you intended it, uh, the words' objective without context. 

Andrea: Yeah. 

Gerry: Exactly, and that, that I felt like, I feel like that was bar words were objective without context. Put that on a poster with some mountains behind it, but 

Andrea: No, but it's, it's true, it's super true.

And, and people, I feel like I, I don't know if Jen Alpha is as likely. I, I can't tell right now if they are more or less likely to say mean things on the internet because they know how to have more anonymous profiles as far as like having like burner accounts and stuff like that. Um, but it does seem like Gen Alpha is very aware that they're being [00:19:00] observed and very aware that they are being filmed very frequently.

Um, and I've heard that like that that means that like a lot of times they're not dancing places or they're very like conscious of like, oh, if this were to get filmed, what's that gonna do to my like, public persona and all of that, which is. A weird thing to think about. Um, but we have a couple of questions that were submitted by fans that we are going to answer, and we are gonna do that right after this quick break.

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. Welcome back, teacher besties.

So a couple of you guys submitted text questions to me that you wanted us to respond to. So one is actually a scenario of what would you do if you had this situation as a teacher. And the other one, um, is just a general [00:20:00] question about what we have experienced as teachers. So the first question was, what is the grossest thing you have ever seen in a student's backpack?

So I can, I can go first on that one. Um, so there was this couple that was dating for, um, like off and on, really long time. Um, and they were kinda like on again off again. And there was one time that the, um, girl was kind of walking around the classroom and couldn't figure out what she was doing. And I was like, can you have a seat?

And she's like, hold on. Geez, I just need to talk to him real quick. So I walk over. After she kind of walks by and I saw that she put something in his bag and I was worried that she, that they were off, right? Like they were in some sort of fight and she was kind of trying to like, cause a problem. And so I walked by and she had put her underwear in his bag.

Um, and like the backpack was kind of like, like open, right? So when I walked by, I just kind of glanced and like, it was very clear they were not new [00:21:00] underwear. Um, and that ruined my day. You know, that's gonna, that'll, that'll ruin. Lunch, dinner the week. It, it really did. 'cause you know, I even like at, um, there's, there's just nothing you can do.

And you just, you, because what are you gonna do at that point? Like, these are seniors, what am I gonna do? Nothing. Just pretend and wash my eyes out with bleach. 

Gerry: That's disgusting. I'm over here trying to think. I'm thinking like. I, I don't, maybe a bag of chips that was open. You went straight in the dirty underwear.

I'm like, okay. I just got dunked on. I got nothing. 

Andrea: Yeah, it's pretty 

Gerry: bad. I have no idea. 

Andrea: You, you haven't discovered any like really old food in a kid's backpack. 'cause I feel like that's also one that's really, really common. 

Gerry: No. 'cause like if they leave, I've had, the closest old food I've had is like, lunchboxes get left in my room.

Oh yeah. And I'm like, Ooh, just go put it on the little island off to the side. They'll come back and get it. Yeah. And if they don't come back and get it, as long as I don't smell it, I'm like, it's gonna [00:22:00] stay there. I'm not messing with 

Andrea: Yeah. I, 

Gerry: um, I do do these like bathroom sheets that they sign out on, uh, when they wanna go to the bathroom and I have to sign it.

Andrea: Yeah. 

Gerry: And I'll get some of those back. And obviously like crinkled and fold ups or middle schoolers. I'll give back sometime. Like, yo, what, what do you have in that boat bag with this? Like, why are there, why are there stains on it? 

Andrea: Right. Also, why, why would it ever be wet? It would be also my, my other fear is like they bring it back.

Yeah. 

Gerry: Like the an is smeared and I'm like, why does it smell bad? Like we using this paper is deodorant like. 

Andrea: Yeah, that's, that's real bad. So my, like my son, um, he uh, had an accident the other night and he has a stuffed animal and it's one of those stuffed animals that actually has rice inside of it. Um, because then you can put it in the microwave, you could heat it up.

And so he came out of his room after he had that issue and then he brought it to me. He is like, I think, I think it got peon it, smell it, smell it, smell it. I was like, I don't wanna, but you have to. 'cause if you [00:23:00] don't. Then when you microwave it, it's gonna smell like both pea and rice. And so I was like, great, cool, let's do this.

And so I sniffed it and it was fine. It smelled just a rice. So fingers crossed that I, you know, was able to sniff it out. 'cause then I, if he had pea on it, there's not much you can do about it. 'cause you can't wash it. So aren't you, aren't you excited about one day being a parent and getting too experience, things like that?

Gerry: I'm kind of just hoping I'll be rich. 

Andrea: Oh, so you could just like pay a mate or. 

Gerry: Yeah. Well, I, I mean, I wanna be there for 'em, like, I mean, I, I, I'd probably like my kid Sure. But like, I'm hoping I'll be rich up to a point that like. I can pay somebody else. I'm not gonna front like 

Andrea: Yeah, 

Gerry: either. So 

you 

Andrea: can just outsource it.

Gerry: Yeah. Or I'll marry someone who's like, Hey, I lucked out and he got rich. I'll, I'll change some diaper. There you go. I, I can do it. I can do it. I won't be happy about it. I will do it. 

Andrea: I mean, no one's excited about it, but yeah. Um, okay. I have another scenario prompt, and I think this will be interesting because you are in a very different area than, [00:24:00] uh, I am currently.

So what would you do if you were in the middle of teaching? And suddenly you saw that there was a snake going across the floor in the classroom. How are you gonna handle that? 

Gerry: How big is the snake? 

Andrea: I'll say two feet. 

Gerry: We gone, we we're out there. 

Andrea: So I, I, 

Gerry: I'm like, Hey guys, there's something going on in the hall.

Let's go check it out. 

Andrea: Yeah. Would you tell the kids, like if they didn't see it immediately, would you be like, Hey guys, there's a snake on the ground. 

Gerry: I, I feel like I have to. 

Andrea: Yeah. 'cause you don't want 'em to step on it. Right. Also, what if 

Gerry: it was like, you don't wanna step on? How do you hide that? Like, I mean, eventually they have to leave the room.

Yeah. If it's somebody's pet, leave your, leave your pet snake at home, dog. 

Andrea: I know. I. I could see that happening though. 

Gerry: Yeah. I don't know. I, I do, I do not like snakes. Snakes give me the shakes. I, I can't deal with it. 

Andrea: Yeah. I, so it's funny 'cause I, I actually, I took this [00:25:00] question and I also asked my students who are studying to be middle school teachers, and it was very different based on like what their background was.

So like I have a couple of, uh, students that are like, you know, like more rural, um, probably have worked like some, some farm jobs before and stuff, and they're like, well, is it a poisonous snake? Um, is this someone's pet? All of that. And I was like, I let, let's say you don't know. Um, they're like, I'll just go and pick it up.

And I'm like, you'll what? You'll what now? Like it couldn't be me. I can tell you that right now. I would like to think because that would be like the least likely to cause a panic of any kind would be just like gently go over and pick up the snake. But I also know myself and I think I'd be like, oh, okay.

Um, uh, so everyone remain calm and no one scream, but there is a snake and we're gonna leave and we would just walk around and try and get away. 'cause you don't wanna like, cause. A panic, but also, I'm not going to pick up that snake. I don't feel confident in my wildlife knowledge enough [00:26:00] to do that. So 

Gerry: y yeah, I know.

Contrary to what I sound like, I I'm not wrangling nothing. Papa. I'm not, not, we're I, I'm not even knowing know if I'd be calling, but Hey guys, there's a snake. We gonna go? We out? Yeah. We're outta here. Im 

Andrea: not, no. Have you ever had any, have you ever had any wildlife in your classroom before? 

Gerry: Well, I got this one coworker now playing.

Uh, no, I don't think so. I mean, I got like ants on my desk. 

Andrea: I don't think that counts. 

Gerry: Is that wildlife? 

Andrea: No, that doesn't count. I, 'cause I every teacher is is it 

Gerry: because of the size or because of the, how 

Andrea: common they are? Yeah. 

Gerry: Uh, 

Andrea: I mean I feel like it's 'cause of the size, like that's like a pest. I feel like it has to be a mammal, uh, it needs to give life birth in order for it to feel like wildlife in the classroom.

I had. Um, a, a mouse before in my classroom, that was fairly common. That was at a couple of schools. I had mice in my classroom. Um, and then I don't, I don't think bats are mamm. No. Bats are mammals. They [00:27:00] are. 

Gerry: We used to have rats down by the gym. I never saw 'em, but you would see their dookie. 

Andrea: I, I hate that.

Rats are disgusting. Yeah. No, we, there was a bat at one of the schools around here and I came in to the school to tour my students. And the admin was like sweating profusely and he is like, I'm so sorry. I am sweating so much. I just had to chase a bat out of the hall so that way we could start school on time Today, he like took cardboard and he like chased it well, like waving the cardboard to get the bat out of the school, which is not an experience I ever wanna do.

Gerry: I don't even know where you would get a bat. 

Andrea: What?

I don't think you have to get the bat because it's wildlife. It'll just like. Get, it'll like come in through like the vents and stuff, like bats are nocturnal and 

Gerry: they come in through the vents. 

Andrea: They probably, I don't know, at, at multiple schools I've worked at, there have been bats usually around like the [00:28:00] smokestack outside or any like, especially older schools that have like potentially old duct work or something like that.

They'll get on, they'll get on in there, crawl around. 

Gerry: Maybe my school's crushing it. 

Andrea: Yeah, it kind of sounds 

Gerry: like it. 

Andrea: If all you 

Gerry: deal with is ants, we've got no little animals. Yeah. I mean, I got some ants. There've been some, there've been some cockroaches in there. Now. There've been some about the size of my foot.

Ugh. We got Are cockroaches like everywhere or are they just, like, are they more in the south or are they kind of, they, they, um, they colonized everything already. 

Andrea: I, I think they're pretty much everywhere, but I, I think they're probably more common in areas like where you live, where it's just like, you know, there's more rain and all of that.

Gerry: We got a bunch of, I don't really know if I get how animals work. Let's add that to the, the geography. I don't think I know what, like you said, mammal. I kind of went, 

Andrea: you don't know what a mam mammals give life for. No, 

Gerry: I have, I got a pretty good grip on that one. Do you, if I had to think for a second, I, 

Andrea: yeah, 

Gerry: I hope so.

Andrea: We should bring a science teacher in here [00:29:00] just to kind of help us out with some stuff sometimes. And maybe a geography teacher or two. 

Gerry: No, we do have one teacher she used to teach science and um. I can't remember exactly what she teaches now. She used to teach science and she would have like them big lizards.

Mm. 

Andrea: Yeah. 

Gerry: Because it was sometimes she, and she knows I don't like 'em, and so she'll bring 'em and try and like poke me with 'em. I'm like, no, I'm I'll. I'll punch that lizard, bro. Like 

Andrea: the FB i's gonna get a little report that Jerry's threatening lizards now. Just B 

Gerry: Yeah. Not, no, no. It was a joke. It 

Andrea: was a joke.

Gerry: No, let, let be a lizard. Let it be a lizard. If it, if it's a lizard, it's on site. 

Andrea: Science, 

Gerry: them little fire, them little fake dragons that they be getting. 

Andrea: Yeah. 

Gerry: That's stupid man. Who's 

Andrea: buying 

Gerry: that? 

Andrea: Science? Teachers. And then they just like carry it around. 'cause they watch Miss Frizzle three times when they were in middle school and now they think they have to bring Why are you guys bringing your own those frigging lizards all the time.

It is gross. 

Gerry: Yeah. They, they'll, they'll go get a dragon, but they won't go get a CDL and drive the bus. Okay. Shots [00:30:00] fired. 

Andrea: It's true. Every single time I see a, a teacher with a lizard on their shoulder and they do that, they'll walk around school and just like, and they 

Gerry: got that 

Andrea: vest on. Perch 'em. Yeah.

They'll just perch 'em on their shoulder or on their vest. It's just, I hate it. I hate that. 

Gerry: No, I'm gonna turn it into a book bag. Play with me. Play with. Play with me. I'm gonna come in with some penny loafers on. 

Andrea: Oh my gosh. 

Gerry: They're, I'm really, this is Gator skin Boy. 

Andrea: Wow. Just gonna turn their pet into clothing.

Gerry: I would look good. Get your skin. Okay. 

Andrea: You would. I'm good actually. Yeah. Thought like, be a vibe. I 

Gerry: I get me a whole gator skin suit and I hit me. They can't, I mean, I know they listen, they can't see why I hit me with one of these. I I'm, 

Andrea: oh, it, it, it would destroy. Yeah. Yeah. The ladies aren't ready. Um, okay.

So the next thing we need to do is a hill I will die on. Do you have a hill you will die on today, Jerry? 

Gerry: Okay, so I did think of one today and it might be a very, like a very specific thing, but we just came back. [00:31:00] We have work days, uh, today, tomorrow, Friday, and I think after being off for a month and traditional calendar teachers who come back from a summer can probably relate.

Why do I have to be there 8:00 AM for a workday when y'all know I don't, I, time has been a myth to me. I don't know. I be, we're lucky. I remembered I had to be there today. 'cause I don't know what time it is ever. 

Andrea: Yeah. 

Gerry: Why? Like, why can't I start at like 1130 and then maybe at 10 o'clock next day and then maybe at eight 30, like stagger the times and get me used to.

No, I was supposed to be there eight o'clock this morning, ready to be like, Hey, how was your break? Like 

Andrea: criminal, 

Gerry: like I love did my coworkers listens. I love y'all, but I don't care how your break went. Give me till Friday. 

Andrea: Yeah. 

Gerry: To, to, to, to even remember why I teach. 

Andrea: No, that's totally fair. I think that's fair.

I wanna add on to that actually. So the hill I'm gonna die on is that during those teacher work days, right after you come back from a long break like that, you should be able to wear like athleisure. [00:32:00] For those days, don't care until students are in the building. Don't care. Uh, I've worked some schools where it was expected.

You wear professional wear the entire time regardless of whether or not students. So you would be like cl like cleaning and prepping your classroom and have to wear like nice slacks and a button up shirt and all of that. Like, I, I don't care if district is here. Let 'em see me in my yoga pants. They'll survive.

It's fine. Like genuinely, let me just because, because you know I'm gonna be climbing even though they're showing us all those videos about how we shouldn't stand on chairs. You know, I'm gonna stand on that chair. I'm gonna stand out on that chair and I'm gonna put up a bulletin board and I just need some stretchy pants and no buttons to do it.

Buttons are. Fascist, 

Gerry: I think. I think that they, that if they don't wanna standing on chairs, which I'm not gonna, I, I'm, I'm a big boy. I'm not standing on, I don't trust most chairs that much. I'm not standing on many chairs, Uhhuh, and I'm scared of heights. I'll be wobbling. But anyways, I think if they don't wanna standing on [00:33:00] chairs to hang stuff up.

But they expect us to create a lovely learning environment. They should give us jet packs. 

Andrea: Interesting. Like the ones that actually exist, the ones that are like, that people use for like water. Now these days, is that what you're referencing? Or are you saying like, fictional do not exist yet? Jet packs to fly around your classroom?

Gerry: Wait a minute. I thought we'd figured the jet pack thing out. 

Andrea: Yes. 

Gerry: They, they don't got, they don't got ones yet. 

Andrea: I don't know actually. I've seen the 

Gerry: water ones, 

Andrea: but a lot one is what I was thinking of. But I don't know. 

Gerry: I've seen like little Ironman ones that people have tried to make their own little Ironman suit and they can hover.

I'm like, why can't I hover a little bit and staple, 

Andrea: huh? You know Terry, I don't know. They had moon shoes that have like giant coils on the bottom. Maybe they could get you that so you could hop. 

Gerry: What are we doing with this education lottery money then? 

Andrea: That is a great question. Couldn't not 

Gerry: get jet packs.

Andrea: That's been a question on this podcast before of where that money is going and we did sort of figure it out that like it's going just getting absorbed [00:34:00] into the schools. But you're right. I think that there needs to be grants specifically about building jet packs because if not, what is this all for?

Gerry: Yeah, I don't get it. I wish the education lottery did sports books. 

Andrea: Oh, for betting. 

Gerry: I think that'd be cool. 

Andrea: Oh yeah. Um, I don't know if we really wanna tie, I mean, we're already tying gambling with education and taking the money, so I guess why not? Yeah, maybe 

Gerry: let's not do that. And we don't even know where it's going.

We don't have chat jetpacks. 

Andrea: We don't, unfortunately. So, um, Hey, teacher STEM teachers, what are you doing? What are you doing? 

Gerry: Or even if we had some stems that we could climb on, that would be fine. That's too 

Andrea: stupid. Alright, on that note, hey, we are, uh, we both have a bunch of shows. I was looking at Jerry's list, he's got a bunch of shows coming up.

Um, I've got a bunch of shows coming up. You can check out all of my shows on educator andrea.com/tickets. Jerry, where can people find your shows? 

Gerry: Um, I post [00:35:00] everything on social media, so Facebook, Jerry Patoka. Instagram at Comedy gp. If you live in North Carolina, I'm gonna be in Within an hour of you.

Andrea: Yeah, 

Gerry: at some point this year. 

Andrea: Yeah. You should bring some sort of reptile skinned clothing for him so he can wear it on stage. 

Gerry: Yes. 

Andrea: Because you would, right. If someone brought you a reptile skinned item, would you wear it on stage? 

Gerry: A hundred percent 

Andrea: amazing. Love to see it. And also 

Gerry: that a gator skin hat 

Andrea: insane.

Gerry: Stop playing with me. 

Andrea: Insane. Also, on that note, Jerry is actually going to be in Indianapolis. He's gonna be my feature February 21st, and I do think that this is probably coming out before then. So. I'm really excited about that. It's gonna freaking kill. I don't, I can't promise reptile skin to anything because there are not that many reptiles here, so I would have to slaughter, um, a class pet somewhere if we wanted to make that happen.

So, 

Gerry: hey, that, that's a circle I've, 

Andrea: but if you wanna check Jerry [00:36:00] out at that show, it's gonna be an Indianapolis, and like I said, I got a bunch of other shows kind of all over the place, but not as closely packed as Jerry has. Jerry's just like lining them up. I, I have to do it every once in a while because I have children and I don't think I can afford the therapy if I'm gone all the time yet.

So, you know, there's that 

Gerry: because Randy ain't old enough to, to like be roadies either. You can't really just No. Put You could pull 'em in the corner with the iPad. 

Andrea: I could. I could. I could. But then also, um, I've been in green rooms. But you're a good 

Gerry: parent. 

Andrea: I'm a good parent. I've been in green rooms. I don't want my kids seeing all that.

So. Um, that's Sure. Alright guys, if you have thoughts about what we have talked about today, or if you have a question or a story for us, you can hit us up, andrea@humancontent.com. Or you can contact me at Educator Andrea and again, you can contact Jerry at, 

Gerry: at uh Kami GP on Instagram. I have nothing else.

Andrea: Okay, perfect. And you can contact the whole Human Concept Podcast family. [00:37:00] On Instagram and TikTok at Human Content Pods. And if you have not yet done so, please leave some feedback for us and a review. Give us five stars. Share the episode with someone, um, and we will give you a shout out on the podcast.

And if you wanna check out those full video episodes, they're up every week on. Educator, Andrea, on YouTube. Thank you so much for listening. I am your host, Andrea Forche. 

Gerry: I'm Jerry Patoka, 

Andrea: and our executive producers are Andrea Forche, Aron Korney, Rob Goldman and Shanti Brook. Our editor is Andrew Sims. Our engineer is Jason Portizo.

Our music is by Omer Ben-Zvi. To learn more about 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 [00:38:00] production.