Hey teacher besties, it's just me and Gerry this week since Molly's out, and we're covering a lot of ground. I got a review on my book that called out my millennial "hey besties" energy, which, fair. I also just got back from Boston, where I learned Paul Revere never actually said "the British are coming" and apparently moonlighted as a dentist between silversmithing gigs, which honestly explains a lot about colonial-era medicine. We also had to address the elephant in the room: the shirtless pooping clip has become one of our best performing clips ever, which came with its fair share of internet chaos, including someone genuinely threatening Gerry over using a handicap bathroom.
Then we get into some real teacher talk: side hustles we've actually done (technical writing, Uber driving, coaching, etc), and how my retired coworker came back to help co-teach my new class, which honestly saved me. We also get into a good debate about AI in the classroom and whether districts should be blocking Teachers Pay Teachers, and Gerry makes a point I hadn't fully considered about how getting mad at AI online just feeds the algorithm more.
Takeaways:
When a more experienced teacher offers help or shares resources with you, take it.
Teachers often have side hustles like tutoring, coaching, freelance writing, or selling resources on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Some districts block sites like Teachers Pay Teachers for legitimate cybersecurity reasons, which is valid, but I maintain that they shouldn't ban it just to restrict teacher resources.
Teachers should be trusted as professionals to choose which resources, including AI tools, work best for their own classrooms.
Publicly engaging with AI content you dislike, even to criticize it, can actually cause algorithms to push more of that content out.
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Knoword is an online tool for creating fun vocabulary games. Visit Knoword.com to learn how it fits into your classroom.
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Teachers’ night out? Yes, please! Come see comedian Educator Andrea…Get your tickets at teachersloungelive.com and Educatorandrea.com/tickets for laugh out loud Education!
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Don’t Be Shy Come Say Hi: www.podcasterandrea.comWatch on YouTube: @educatorandreaA
Human Content Production
Chapter:
0:00 - Intro
1:56 - Harry Wong's Book
4:03 - Boston Trip & Paul Revere
9:01 - Gerry's Teaching Update & Viral Clip
13:14 - Andrea's Co-Teaching Experience
19:47 - Teacher Side Hustles
23:26 - Teachers Pay Teachers
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