Teacher besties, this one whiplashed me from what did that sub just say? to why am I holding the phone with a detective?
We start with a voicemail about a beloved substitute whose first day with third graders went… let’s call it catastrophically “old-war-story meets wrong audience.” The recovery arc? Shockingly sweet—but the initial moment had my soul leave my body.
Then a second story drops: a teacher realizes a student’s casual recap might be the missing piece in an unsolved gang-related homicide near school—and suddenly she’s coordinating with investigators. It’s heartbreaking, complicated, and so real to how kids can be both soft and street-exposed at the same time.
I share how these moments rewire your teacher brain—why some “favorites” in the sub pool become targets, and why kids who brush up against gangs are often looking for the same thing we try to build in class: safety and community
Takeaways:
A sub’s “discipline talk” goes wildly off-script—and proves you can bomb hard and still become that sub kids ask for years later.
A teacher hears a student’s after-school story and realizes it may matter to an active homicide investigation—so she makes the call.
Why favorite subs sometimes get terrorized more, not less—and how kids “work the room” when the regular teacher’s out.
Andrea’s take on gang-affiliated students: the classroom as a pocket of safety/community in a life that doesn’t always offer it.
A reminder that the “toughest” kids might also be the ones building blanket forts at 10am—and bringing flowers to their mom’s grave at 10pm.
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.com
Watch on YouTube: @educatorandrea
A Human Content Production
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:23 Introduction to the Standup Show
00:42 CrossFit Rant
05:07 Weekend in Washington
09:55 Voice Memo: Substitute Teacher Stories
16:42 Voice Memo: Gang Member Student
25:47 New Teacher Resources
30:46 The Hill I Will Die On
32:06 Closing Remarks
