Why Gerry Wasn’t Invited to Florida

Jerry: [00:00:00] That's nuts that you get paid to cover classes. 

Andrea: Not well. At my current job, I don't cover classes like. College, listen, college professor, well, you got real job now. I, no, trust me, it's the, the opposite. I had a real job and now I don't have a real job anymore.

Hey, teacher bestie. I am so ex. Excited to share with you. Share that my book, they never taught us, that is available for pre-order right now. It's 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's 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 I. 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.[00:01:00] 

Hi, teacher besties. Welcome to How to Survive the Classroom. I am Andrea. I'm 

Jerry: Jerry. 

Andrea: He is now going to be our new friend on the podcast. Um, if you are watching this on YouTube, you will notice that, um, you were seeing a little bit behind the curtain and Jerry has already harassed me about it. I'm so sorry.

Jerry: Yeah, it looks like Suge Knight moved into a Starbucks. 

Andrea: It, it doesn't look that crazy. I have like little sound tiles that look trendy behind me, but then there's also like exposed. Brick. 'cause I am locked away in my basement right now. Um, Jerry, have you now when we're recording this, it's a few weeks, uh, behind when you guys are hearing this.

I haven't yet reported back to school yet. Have you started teaching yet? 

Jerry: No. So, and I'm on a year round schedule and my schedule, we get three weeks off every nine. And this is one of our breaks attached to Christmas. So I think our first like workday back is the 21st. So I'm out [00:02:00] for a while. 

Andrea: The 21st of January is when you get to go back this 

Jerry: summer.

Summer, yeah. 

Andrea: Oh my 

Jerry: gosh. So, and then I'll get three weeks off in April, three weeks in July, three weeks in October, and then we get like four and a half weeks in December, January. 

Andrea: I kind of love that. That's amazing. And what are you doing? Are you doing like teacher self-care things on your break? 

Jerry: Um, I've been in New York for two weeks.

Me and my mom went to visit my brother for Christmas, so we just got back. Yesterday we did two days driving back. We were up in western New York. 

Andrea: Okay. 

Jerry: And, uh, the only self-care I've done is I opened up this door. I'm back in South Carolina, so it's like we've been in the free, like you ever, you ever get so cold you can't breathe.

That's how cold New York is right now. 

Andrea: Yeah, I live in and 

Jerry: it's like 60 degrees in South Carolina. 

Andrea: Yeah, I live in Indiana. Man, it's actually not bad, bad weather here right now, but as someone who grew up in San Diego, I have to tell you, it is pretty brutal when you go outside and it feels like the air is trying to kill you.

[00:03:00] I did a show in Terre Haute, which is where I live, just this past weekend, and it was so funny because it's the first local show I've done. And there were a lot of teachers there and stuff, and I, everybody kind of knew I came from somewhere else, but when I said I moved here from San Diego, like the air left the room in a way where everyone was like deeply concerned about me that I had left San Diego and now live in, in Terre Haute, Indiana.

'cause. Terre Haute is arguably the, like Florida of the Midwest. 'cause like just weird stuff. And like Florida Mans like if, if, if there was a person who ate a face in Terre Haute, Indiana, everyone would be like, no, that tracks. That actually makes a lot of sense. 

Jerry: It sounds like almost like if you're in Terre Haute and you're like, yeah, I moved here from San Diego.

It sounds like you're in witness protection. 

Andrea: Yeah. And that was the vibe, 

Jerry: but they moved you to the most obscure place. 

Andrea: Yes, that was the vibe. Um, but I don't go back until kind of next week. But I guys, guys, guys, guys, I had [00:04:00] the most insane past few weeks and I know Gerald, that you are an infant child and so you don't understand the level of out of body experience that this break was for me.

Um, but I don't know if you know, but I went to to Florida for a couple of shows. 

Jerry: Oh yeah, yeah. I know. 

Andrea: Jerry's a little mad at at me about this and you know what's the worst thing Jerry is? This was for teachers' lounge and guys, I, you know, a little background like that we have here is that the reason I know Jerry at all is because he opened for a teacher's lounge show and has actually opened for a few teachers' lounge shows for us.

And, um, you know, you're located in South Carolina. How far of a drive is it from where you live to like Miami? Do you know? Geography's real tough for you. I know, and this was a little unfair to put you on the spot, but 

Jerry: I felt like a stray, but, um, 10 hours, 11 hours maybe. 

Andrea: Okay. Long, a [00:05:00] long ways. So we, we just relied on the club to provide us an opener.

Um, and we didn't have one for one of 'em. And then the second night we had somebody, but it wasn't, you know, it wasn't Jerry 

Jerry: what me, 

Andrea: we, we did suffer as a result of that. I'm very, very sorry. Um. But to my, to my millennial friends, I have to tell you guys, because we have Phil as part of the teacher's lounge, and he's just the most famous boy.

Uh, right now. He got contacted by the owners of the Magic. Do you know who? Who? The magic. Jerry. 

Jerry: Oh yeah. Just, just let, let me know when you want me to start ranting about this because I'm frustrated. I don't go to two of these to Florida, by the way. I, if I wasn't in New York, I could have got to Florida. I have found Florida somehow I have figured out where it was.

I got down there and I look and I love basketball and y'all are courtside in the Orlando Magic game, and I'm like, what? 

Andrea: Okay. 

Jerry: The, the only, the most fun thing y'all tried to make me do was ride a mechanical bull [00:06:00] 

Andrea: and you didn't do it. And y'all go, so maybe, maybe 

Jerry: I went, I went to the magic game. 

Andrea: Okay guys.

So, so we weren't actually courtside, we were, we were further back. But we did get these wristbands that put us into the fancy lounge. Um, and the, we get in there, they have like oysters on ice. They have just, you know how when you see rich people that are so rich that they're not wearing like fancy brands or anything, but their skin and their hair and their clothes just look like it, it costs a lot of money to maintain.

You know, like we walked in and I was like, oh, my net worth is not. Up to snuff in this room. But we had the wristbands, so it was cool that we were in there, but all of us were like trying to act like we weren't little country bumpkins walking around there and while we're at the game, and I know that like the part you probably cared about with this was the basketball and it was fine, it was whatever.

Um, the magic won against the nuggets and I was excited that I got to see the horse boy play. Who plays for the Denver Nuggets? What's his name? Does anyone know 

Jerry: Yoku? [00:07:00] 

Andrea: Yeah, we gotta see the play. He 

Jerry: got her like, like a couple games later. 

Andrea: Oh, well, you know, honestly, watching him, he's very whiny. Every single call he fought the refs 

Jerry: Well, yeah.

I mean, I mean, he, I, I'm, if, if he, if he gives up for about a month, he gonna be built like me. He don't look like he belonged out there. 

Andrea: He always, yeah, he, but he's so good that it didn't seem like he was trying either. It was, it was very entertaining getting to like, see him play, but I didn't really care so much about that.

I was more excited about the fact that when we got to the game, they had. One of the members of NSYNC open the game, like did a whole thing. At the beginning it was Chris Kirkpatrick was there and I recognized him. You see, you just shrugged. This is why he didn't get invited. Was 

Jerry: that was Justin Timberlake in nsync?

Andrea: Yes. 

Jerry: Yeah. See you. You said Justin Timberlake was there. I've been like, whoa. But 

Andrea: that's not who's there. But you 

Jerry: say Chris Kirkpatrick. 

Andrea: Oh my God. This, the disrespect is [00:08:00] crazy for my culture and who we are. Listen, 

Jerry: you called the, you called arguably the one of the best basketball players ever. Horse boy.

Andrea: Yeah, he's a horse boy. He loves horses. 

Jerry: Yeah, but he, he is also been the MVP two or three times. 

Andrea: Yeah, but I don't care about 

Jerry: that. You a champ. 

Andrea: I care about the fact that 

Jerry: he's like a, he's called horse boy. 

Andrea: He's a grumpy old man who doesn't wanna be there. He wants to play with his horses. So he is a little horse boy.

Um, no. So I am sitting there, I freak out when I see that he's even at the game. Um, Gasper and Phil, Phil saw the, the name on the shirt and was like, oh, I know that. Like, yeah. Like, I'm aware of him. And then Gasper went, who? And I was like, okay, whatever. So we go to the fancy room, right? Almost no one gets to go to the fancy room, so we feel very fancy after the game.

We go in there and we're in there for a few minutes talking to the owners of the magic. They're very sweet, so, so kind. Um. And then Chris Kirkpatrick comes in and it's easy to identify him because he is wearing a jersey with his [00:09:00] name on the back. It says Kirkpatrick across the back. Right. So I freak out and I'm like, oh my gosh.

It's like one of the members of nsync. Like this is a moment for me. Like, it'd be like, have you met Taylor Swift in like 20 years? Jerry? Okay, this is, this was a big, 

Jerry: Taylor Swift is so much bigger than Chris Kirkpatrick. 

Andrea: You have no respect. For what boy bands were when I was in middle school. You have no, I mean here's the thing.

Taylor Swift is bigger than anyone ever, but like think of like one of the lessers that is still would be like, holy crap, I can't 

Jerry: believe it. This would be like if you met Brock Osweiler and you were like, well Jerry, it was kind of like meeting Tom Brady. No, it wasn't. 

Andrea: I don't know. 

Jerry: You know Brock Os ex Exactly.

Andrea: No, no, 

Jerry: exactly. You don't know who he is. 

Andrea: The lack of 

Jerry: perspective, you know, Tom Brady is 

Andrea: crazy. 

Jerry: The goat, 

Andrea: so. We, I get introduced to him and I think it's just gonna be like a, like take a selfie chit chat and stuff. No, no. He ends up spending most of the evening chatting with us because he's such a huge fan of Phil that he [00:10:00] fanboys immediately he sees Phil coming and is like, oh my gosh, it's you, you're here.

Like. Freaks out that Phil is there because Chris Kirkpatrick has a middle schooler, and so he follows like all of Phil's stuff and was like super excited to meet him and stuff. And Gasper on the other hand, is spending the entire time just mocking him relentlessly. He's like, oh, so Chris, you were like, you do music.

Chris was like, yeah, I, I, I was, you know, I, I did. And he is like, oh, that's cool. Were you any good? I didn't listen to any of your music. And to be clear, Jasper's like two years younger than me. So he absolutely did. Or at least was aware of it. And Chris Kirkpatrick was like, yeah, no, I, I'm, I'm good. And he's like, oh, cool, cool.

Yeah. I mean, I think you're my fourth favorite member of the Backstreet Boys and I. The way I was like having an out of body experience with this, because at one point also Chris Kirkpatrick was talking about, he's like, oh, so you guys do social media? And we're like, yeah. And he's like, oh, that's so cool.

You guys [00:11:00] should be on MySpace. And I was like, what? Like the, the person who probably had music playing on my page on MySpace was telling me I should get on MySpace. It was a very strange moment. And then Gasper also told Chris Kirkpatrick that, um. He's like, yeah, well I know you guys had beef with Eminem or you had beef with Eminem.

And I was like, you had beef with Eminem? And he's like, yeah, you know that lyric from Eminem song, Chris Kirkpatrick? You can get your ass kicked. And I was like, oh yeah, I do actually. And Gasper told him, no, that makes perfect sense now that I've met you. And I was like, what are you doing? So he basically just spent the entire bullying, time bullying him and I spent the entire time just trying to process childhood dreams coming true.

So. I have done absolutely no work over this break that is 

Jerry: related to my, I've been team Gasper on this. I'm like, that's 

Andrea: because, no respect. I can't believe that. 

Jerry: Oh, I, I, I honestly, truly [00:12:00] believe that Gasper might not have known whose that was I, 

Andrea: it's 50 

Jerry: 50. I hope so. I hope so. I hope he didn't. 

Andrea: It. Honestly, the funny thing is, is I think that regardless, Gasper would've trolled him.

And, and, and he was really, really funny about it. Like he, he laughed it off and stuff, but, and it probably has to be a little bit nice to not constantly meet people like me that are just like, holy cow, you're, you're, you know, Chris from Insync. Like, it's probably a lot more fun to have people that are just like, you're just a guy.

You know, like, 

Jerry: and, and what's crazy to me. Is you are geeking about this, this Kirkpatrick fella that y'all met and he geeking about Phil. Yeah, and I'm, I'm gonna commend Phil for a second 'cause I feel like Phil was probably just totally cool about it. Me, I have been the most arrogant dude for the rest of the day.

I'm like, y'all see how y'all are geeking about this guy? He's geeking about me, big doll. I would not have let that go. 

Andrea: No, Phil was so cool about it. It was [00:13:00] honestly one of those moments where like, I wish I could have like recorded it without it being weird. Because seeing Phil's face when a member of NSYNC freaked out about meeting him was just one of those wild moments of like, like, oh, we're, oh, you know who I am.

Like, it was very, very strange. But it also means I've done absolutely nothing to prepare for my classes that start next week. Um. And I am someone who loves a, a New Year's resolution, and I like to have like life ones, like personal life ones, and then I have like teachery ones. Do you have any like teacher related New Year's resolutions?

Jerry: Oh, no. Um, I need a system for putting grades in. I am a sidebar. I'm a little worried to be admitting to this.

Andrea: It's fine. It's fine. Oh, you'll be all right. 

Jerry: No, I, yeah, I just like, I'm, I'm always so slow about it or like, I mess up the technology, so it's like, [00:14:00] okay, I got something in and then it's not there and I won't realize it. I'm like, oh, crap. Yeah. So it's like I'm, I teach five classes, so I think I'm gonna go to a, I'm just gonna assign the day of the week to a certain class, and that's when I'm gonna do 'em.

Planning stuff out a little better. I had a new class this past quarter, so it was like I was fumbling stuff around. So probably trying to be a little more organized in day to day. 'cause I like, I like to keep it a little fluid. 

Speaker 4: Mm-hmm. 

Jerry: And say like, if we need to change up a day, okay, that's fine. We, we got time.

Yeah. And I kind of adjust my classes to be like me in that way. It's like I don't have a, yeah. Set schedule I have to follow. I can kind of do it as I please, as long as we get through it. Yeah. And I adjust that to fit me. It's like, hey, some days, like I know we, we've got to adapt daily. Yeah. But probably have a little bit more of a grit, you know?

Andrea: So, yeah. Did they [00:15:00] give you a geography class to teach since they know that's your strength, 

Jerry: you still own this? 

Andrea: Never gonna be off of it, honestly. 

Jerry: Like I ain't getting made fun of on the internet for not knowing where Alaska was. I found it. It's down. It's over. It is. It is. Where it's always been. It's over.

It's, it's around here somewhere. 

Andrea: It's, it's where it's always been is crazy defense for the, 

Jerry: well, not always. Didn't know always because, you know, Ang Gia and things like that. It drifted away for a little while. Yeah. But we got back. 

Andrea: We got 

Jerry: Ain't that, ain't that how it happened? Didn't it go on 

Andrea: somewhere?

Sure. I, you know, the blind leading the blind here. With that, I mean that. Okay. So that is really good goal. Uh, those are honestly like the same, same as mine because I do really struggle with grading and I feel really bad. Way worse teaching college and struggling with grading than I did teaching high school and struggling with grading.

'cause number one, I don't have nearly as many students. So of course it took forever when I was teaching high school because. Like there's [00:16:00] a bajillion students, but when I was teaching, but now that I'm teaching college, like I have 50 students and each of them actually do care about my feedback. So I actually have to give pretty solid feedback to them.

And so, and they're paying, like it's a very different thing when you're like, they're paying to be there and to, yeah. Like. Do that. And I, so that is definitely one of mine as well, and is constantly one of the things that people are like, yeah, no, like in my reviews and all of that, they're like, you need to grade quicker.

And I'm like, you're right fam. That's, that's on me. I'm so sorry. Like, it is absolutely brutal. Do you have any life New Year's resolutions? Like anythings, any things, uh, any ladies in your life, Jerry? Because I don't know if you guys know, but Gerald is single. So, 

Jerry: yeah, he is. 

Andrea: Yeah. 

Jerry: Yeah. You hit my, hit my line.

You, I'm here. I'm, I'm like Alaska. I'm, I'm where I always have been, baby. I move around a little bit, but I'm here. 

Andrea: That's right. [00:17:00] 

Jerry: That's what actually what that book looking for Alaska's about. It's about 

Andrea: you. I'm 

Jerry: Alaska. It's 

Andrea: just looking for you. That's amazing. 

Jerry: Yeah. It's not, not actually about that at all.

She died about halfway through a book. 

Andrea: Oh my gosh. Spoilers Jerry. 

Jerry: That book came out in 2000. I was two. 

Andrea: Shut up. You were not two 

Jerry: in 2000. I was two. 

Andrea: It didn't, oh, 

Jerry: it came out maybe 2006. 

Andrea: I don't know. We can ask our, my producer to, to tell us when that actually came out looking for Alaska. 'cause I think it was like 2013, honestly.

But 

Jerry: no it wasn't. No it wasn't. 'cause the fall of our stars came out then. 

Andrea: Are you a Big John Green 

Jerry: fan? Maybe a little boy. I'll rock with John Green. You think we get 'em all here? 

Andrea: You know what, John Green, you're welcome to be here. John Green. You are down the road from me. I will drive and do, he 

Jerry: is an Indiana, isn't he?

Andrea: Yeah, he's an Indianapolis and he is a big Indianapolis fan. Uh, it was published in 2005, so you were five. All right. You could've been out there. 

Jerry: Seven math teacher. Hmm. 

Andrea: Nope. 

Jerry: Ma, [00:18:00] math teacher. 

Andrea: I'm an English teacher. Do not ask me to do any math. Certainly not on the fly. I thought you said you were born in 2000, so that's why 

Jerry: No.

Uh, no. I thought looking for Alaska was born in 2000. 

Andrea: Was born, 

Jerry: I was born in 98. 

Andrea: Okay, got it. 

Jerry: Um, I forgot he was in Indiana. 

Andrea: Yeah. Yeah, he is. So John Green hit us up. We would love to chit chat with you about all of your books, especially, um. Are you a reader? Jerry? Do you love to read? 

Jerry: That's, that's where I was getting at, is I'm trying, I I, I used to read a lot and I did.

I look back, I don't think I read a book last year. I started a lot of them jokers. I don't think I finished one. I read a lot of chapters. 

Andrea: We used to do a book club on this podcast, um, and read some, some like fairy smut and stuff, and I do think it would be a delight to hear your take on it. I'm 

Jerry: out on that.

Andrea: I think maybe that should happen at some point, because at some point you gotta, you gotta, you know, crack open another book and [00:19:00] actually finish it. 

Jerry: I used to read a lot of like middle grade and young adult stuff. When I started teaching. I was a instructional assistant in a remedial SPED class and um, I just poking around through the library and stuff.

Like during my lunch, I would just kind of read those books in the air as like, these books are telling real hard stories. For kids that handle real adult subjects. And I read a lot of stuff like that, young adult, and it's also, I have trouble like when things feel not so much heavy, but just overwhelming.

It was like they were easy and quick to read. They were telling real stories and they were good for my scatterbrained. I have a hard time staying focused with one thing for a long time. Yeah. So it's like I could knock these out in a week max, maybe, probably, probably less most of the time. So it's like things written short like that, or in a certain prose, it's like I was able to stick with more.

Now obviously I've read some, some [00:20:00] grownup books too, but 

Andrea: the fact you call them grownup books is wild. 

Jerry: Yeah. I mean, that's what I mean, not like, not like grownup books, but you know what I'm saying? Like, 

Andrea: yeah. 

Jerry: Not, not like fourth wing, but like I'm reading one right now called, uh, the Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife.

Andrea: Okay. Is that a middle grade book or is that like an a 

Jerry: adult fiction? No, it's a fiction. It's, it's, it's adult fiction. 

Andrea: Okay, perfect. 

Jerry: So it's about this, um, this a plug for the book by the way, if they wanna, if they wanna send me a free copy so I can quit reading on my phone. Uh, it's um, it's about this older guy who's like, he's like getting evicted from his house and he goes down by a river and there's this old guy in a wheelchair.

He goes up to see that old guy and that old guy in the wheelchair is dead and the old guy looks like him and he is like looking around. He sees this nursing home, he, that's like, I guess vaca, I don't know, way on. Like a little field trip to this lake. So [00:21:00] he's like gonna wield a wheelchair up there. When he goes, he falls down and the body floats down the river.

Andrea: My God. 

Jerry: And they come, they, then they look over and they see, and they think the old guy in the wheelchair fell out. So now he's accidentally been like. Replace that guy who flow flowed down the river. And it's like this whole story, I think about him, like, um, this guy be like the worst book review ever.

They gonna be mad I even talked about this book. But they like, it's like he hasn't had anybody in his life if he felt like cared about him or anything for the last few years since his wife died. And now it's like he's finding a home in this. Retirement home, but it's not really him, if that makes sense.

It's good. 

Andrea: Yeah, it sounds good. Like, it sounds kind of depressing, but um, 

Jerry: it feels a little depressing. I don't, I'm, I ain't gonna, I'm only like a few pages into it. I just, 

Andrea: okay. 

Jerry: So 

Andrea: next time 

I 

Jerry: just pick up, lost stuff past. 

Andrea: Yeah. Next time we, uh, we record though, we're gonna have to hear an update [00:22:00] on, if you actually finish it.

Jerry: I don't know if I'm finished it. That's, I don't you think I'm finishing the book week? 

Andrea: Not 

Jerry: yet. Come 

Andrea: on. Great. 

Jerry: No, there's a lot. It's been great. There's a lot of words. 

Andrea: Mm, mm-hmm. 

Jerry: Ain't no pictures. No pictures. 

Andrea: One not single picture. Um, okay, so we are gonna take a very quick break, but then we are going to listen to some voicemails and I'm very excited.

Or a voicemail because somebody sent a would you rather prompt. So I'm delighted about that. So we will be right back. 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. Alright, welcome back. And we have a would you rather prompt that was sent in as a voice memo, so let's listen to that. 

Voicemail: Would you rather [00:23:00] do lunch duty or cover a class and lose your prep period? 

Andrea: Am I getting paid for covering that class would be my very first question.

'cause I've had some schools that did not pay, you had to answer the phone and then you had to cover it and you wouldn't get paid for it or anything like that. So if I'm getting paid. I'm getting paid like 50 bucks or more and I'm on top of stuff, then I would do it. But most of the time no one can ever find me to ask the question because I don't answer the phone when the office ladies call.

So 

Jerry: that's nuts that you get paid to cover classes. No. 

Andrea: Well, at my current job, I don't cover classes like. College, listen, college profess, well, you got real job now, professor. I, no, trust me, it's the, the opposite. I had a real job and now I don't have a real job anymore because instead of like respectfully and I love it, but also if I am sick or my kids are sick, if I was still teaching K 12, I would have to get a sub.

I'd have to do sub plans. I would have to do all of that, [00:24:00] right. If I'm sick or my kids are sick now I can have a remote learning day where I tell them like four things to do. I can record a quick video. I put it up, I say, Hey guys, we're having a virtual asynchronous class today. And then they go and they do their work.

Um, and so it's not at all the same. Um, but when I was teaching at. One school in Virginia, we did not get paid and we would get guilted heavily and we had aps that would like pop in and find us and be like, you need, we need you to cover so-and-so's class. And we would just have to go and do it. Um, and then when I worked in California, they would ask, but they also had an onsite sub that was always available to cover classes as needed.

Um, so we either got paid or the onsite sub would just like, cover, cover the class. So for me it would, it would be cover the class. 'cause I really like. Like, don't take my lunch away. Like, I need food. So what about yours? 

Jerry: That, that's crazy that y'all are getting paid. 

Andrea: You don't get paid. 

Jerry: Like I've heard the stories of [00:25:00] people, I didn't think it was real.

No, we don't get paid. They're just like, Hey, like this is what we have to do to have someone in that room. We don't have, like, you've just gotta go down there. And it's like. Some days it's there, there have been times where it's like, may I feel like we covering too much? And it would get aggravating, but then it gets to where it's like, okay, I, I kind of knew it was about to be my time to have to cover a class.

And you kind of just take it on the chin and you do it. 

Andrea: Yeah. 

Jerry: Um, and it's usually during your prep period. 

Andrea: Yeah. 

Jerry: Now the lunch duty thing is a little different for me 'cause all my classes are during lunches 'cause I have electives. So one grade's going to lunch while. I have another grade in my room. I don't teach one grade, so it's like if, if we're taking that current situation, I'm be like, yeah, give me a lunch two week.

Gotta put somebody in there to teach my class. I'll go hang out in the cafeteria. 

Andrea: Yeah. Mm-hmm. 

Jerry: Because we also don't have to like sit with them. 

Andrea: You have to sit with them. 

Jerry: No, we don't. So I'm saying 

Andrea: Oh, okay. It's 

Jerry: just, [00:26:00] I, I'll stand in the back. Talk to the SRO. Yeah, you can go to the bathroom. I walk around, make sure they ain't like fist fighting or nothing.

Andrea: Yeah. 

Jerry: And so it's like from, if that's the situation, yeah. I'd rather do a lunch duty. I don't mind trading a lunch duty and not having to cover a whole class. Yeah. Usually though, if we have to cover a class, you split with someone else. You don't have to cover the whole class. 

Andrea: Okay. 

Jerry: Yeah. Makes, it's like that makes senses.

Like you go up there for like 30 minutes and you lose part of your prep, but that didn't happen. Too much nap. I mean, I feel like my school's got a better grip on that now than they did at one point. 

Andrea: Yeah, 

Jerry: it was, it's like. It still sucks, but you, you know, you have to do it. And I, it used to be, I'd do it once or twice a week.

Now I'm doing it maybe once or twice a month. 

Andrea: Yeah. It was really bad during the pandemic, I think that was the, the peak of it was like during the pandemic and the years after the pandemic, it was just, there was like, you would have, especially when they, they, uh, sent teachers home for contact tracing.

That was the worst because I remember. Like, we would just get a call and be like, [00:27:00] so and so had your class, therefore you have to go home. That went on for like a week and then they were like, well, we can't do this because if literally any kid in the school has COVID, then everyone's gonna have to go home.

Who taught that kid? So they stopped doing that real quick. Um, but yeah, no, that, that makes sense. Uh, I have another, would you rather question, uh, that was submitted via text message. Um, okay. Would you rather. Go on tour with NSYNC or the Backstreet Boys? 

Jerry: Ooh, not playing. Um, I feel like I know more Backstreet Boys songs.

Andrea: Okay, 

Jerry: but didn't one of them die like overdose on drugs recently? 

Andrea: No. No. That was a different boy band member. I can't remember which one, but it was like a. Gosh, who was it? I heard about it. People were upset. 

Jerry: Was it Aron Paul. 

Andrea: Aron Carter, 

Jerry: yes. Okay. 

Andrea: Aron 

Jerry: Carter. 

Andrea: Yes. Aron Carter, the younger brother of [00:28:00] Nick Carter.

Nick Carter was a Backstreet Boy. He died Yeah, in 2022 from accidental drowning due to the effects of sedatives and compressed gas. That's 

Jerry: man compress like he had the fart.

Andrea: No, definitely not. 

Jerry: They 

Andrea: were, I dunno what compressed gas is. That's a wild 

Jerry: guess I'm gonna say in sync because if Aron Carter was doing them drugs, I feel like it was probably getting, I mean, let's be real boy band's probably both doing drugs. Yeah. But I, I wanna stay away from it. I'm like, yo, let me get, I don't wanna be a part of that nonsense.

Andrea: Yeah. I, I assume they all probably were. Um, doing drugs. I, I couldn't say I, I was a Backstreet Boys fan first. Like, for whatever reason, and I don't know what it was, but my parents like, let me get the Backstreet Boys cd, but not [00:29:00] the NSYNC cd. And so that was the one I listened to, but I listened to NSYNC at my friend's house.

But if like the. The songs that I I most loved were, were Backstreet Boys. Um, also Backstreet Boys is actually at the sphere right now in Vegas, and NSYNC is not touring. That's very cool. Um, at all that I, as far as I'm aware, my good friend, um, Chris Kirkpatrick, uh, and I, you know, chatted about it, but they're not currently touring, so, 

Jerry: yeah, I, I don't know.

I feel like I'm gonna use the context clues around the Backstreet Boys and say. See, I'm thinking of it too, like in the past tense? 

Andrea: No, today, like if, if the boys, if the boys were back together again and they're like, we need a comic to open up for us. 

Jerry: Oh, 

Andrea: like Shane Gil did. Yeah. Like Shane Gillis did, but not for music, 

Jerry: for jokes.

Oh, I thought suddenly I had music powers. 

Andrea: Yeah. That's how it works. 

Jerry: I think still, like I'm gonna take [00:30:00] context clues around the Backstreet Boys. And assume. Okay. They probably may, maybe, maybe I'll steer clear of them. 'cause I don't know what they doing. I don't know what they got going on. 

Andrea: Yeah. 

Jerry: And, and then the other one's got Justin Timberlake.

He seems like a good dude. He seems like he got together. And Lance. 

Andrea: And Lance. Lance seems like a lot of fun. So. And 

Jerry: who? Lance. 

Andrea: Lance. Really? 

Jerry: You don't know his last name? 

Andrea: I'm trying to think. Lance something. I don't. 

Jerry: Lance Stevenson. Lance Stevenson played basketball. 

Andrea: Bass Lance Bass. 

Jerry: Yeah. You, you'd known that if you pay attention to the magic game, 

Andrea: he wasn't at the magic game.

Jerry: You don't know that. 

Andrea: I really don't. That's 

Jerry: true. He might have been behind horse boy. Maybe Horse boy had to move. Lance Stevenson been better. 

Andrea: Lance horse boy did. Did good. Good basketball. I will say it was. It was great. It was kind of funny when, when he was in his bag like it, because I do actually really enjoy basketball and it was fun watching the game and it was a close game.

Um, [00:31:00] but it was so funny because he mostly did nothing and then he'd sometimes be like, ah, I'll do something. And then he would just destroy everyone when he felt like it. It was like watching a dad play against children, like, 'cause he was like, he'd be kind of just chilling and then he'd be like, I guess I'll maybe like dunk and he'd just boop or 

Jerry: do a 

Andrea: three.

Jerry: I asked him just video, I seen it. Of, of Horse Boy. Mm-hmm. It was like a voiceover over some of his highlights. 

Andrea: Yeah. 

Jerry: It was just like, I don't wanna go home. 

Andrea: Yeah, exactly. He's like the most unaffected person ever about his NBA career. It's kind of insane. Um, okay, the next thing we're gonna do is I'm gonna share a hill I die on because I feel, uh, pretty passionate about this and that is that I get to recline my seat on an airplane.

I don't, I don't, there's this whole discussion that like, it's rude if you recline your seat. I don't think so. I think if, if I, [00:32:00] as long as you don't like slam it back, I get to rec, I get to do that. It, they give me the option. I get to recline my seat, that's the hell I'm gonna die on. 

Jerry: I don't think it's rude.

I do get annoyed when other people do it 'cause I'm huge. 

Andrea: But Do you recline yours? Uh, 

Jerry: yeah, I don't think I have, I don't have another choice. That's why I'm like, I can't really, I get aggravated by it, but I don't get mad at them for doing it. 

Andrea: So I will say, 

Jerry: but it's like I don't blame the person for doing it.

Andrea: Yeah. I will say if, if I was sitting in front of someone who seemed like they were uncomfortable in their seat. I probably wouldn't recline. I probably would keep it up, but if it's like a kid or like a small person, then I probably will. I'd be like, you got space, you're fine. 

Jerry: Yeah, but your feet ain't even touch on the floor.

Like where you got, 

Andrea: yeah, you don't, you 

Jerry: don't need that space. My knees, knees are automatically in the back of a seat. 'cause I'm not, like, I'm not short. I don't know. I'm about six foot. So it's like, that's about I average. I don't know. [00:33:00] 

Andrea: Yeah, 

Jerry: but it's also like I'm a big boy too. Like I got a little, I got a little belly, so it's like, man, I already got like, I already be hiding the seatbelt.

Andrea: You're, 

Jerry: I'm not putting that thing on. 

Andrea: You have to. That's so unsafe. 

Jerry: No. Okay. I found if you just kind of tuck it under your stomach down, don't even look. 

Andrea: Oh my God. Sherry, I have a question for you etiquette wise on a plane. Okay. Because I did one of these two things, and I'm not gonna tell you which one, but Steven, who you have met was horrified.

Both of these things happen on the plane, but I only did one of them. Okay. So the first thing that happened on the plane is once everyone got into the air, someone, myself or someone else, um, hit the call button and had a flight attendant come over and ask for a drink before the flight attend. Have they have a call button on every plane for a flight attendant?

There's, that's why they, they have like the little picture with the lady. So that, and, and, and then the flight attendant said, we're not even supposed to be up yet during service. We'll [00:34:00] start in like 20 minutes or whatever. Okay. So that's option one that horrified Steven. Um, option two is flossing on an airplane that also horrified.

Steven, which one? Flossing 

Speaker 4: your teeth. 

Andrea: Flossing, yeah. Flossing your teeth on an airplane or hitting the call button. To ask for a drink. Like, not like you're like super parched, just like, Hey, I'd like a a soda, please. Which one do you think, number one, which one do you think I did? And number two, which one is worse?

Jerry: I think you flossed. 

Andrea: God damnit. Yeah, I did. 

Jerry: Yeah, I know, I know you did. 

Andrea: I had something stuck 

Jerry: in my good. You, you, you were like, you were like pressing the call button before even was supposed to come around or flossing. 

Andrea: Well, I can't set that up. Like I can't set that up any for I did floss and here's the thing.

I was doing it, I had. No [00:35:00] one in the seat next to me and then Steven on the end, my husband, and then I, and I had something stuck in my teeth and so I like very quietly did that. And he looked so disgusted. He looked like he was about to try and change row. And then there was like a 10-year-old kid that hit the call button and I was a little offended by that 'cause I'm like, you never hit the call button unless you're dying.

Like, 

Jerry: so I've only flown like three times. 

Andrea: Okay. 

Jerry: Maybe four, like, but one of 'em I was, I was. I was a kid, like, I mean like a, I think I was like two, so I don't really count that one. 

Andrea: Yeah. 

Jerry: But the others is, that's why like, I didn't even know there was a call button. I thought you just had to get lucky and hopefully they come around and go, Hey, 

Andrea: no, but I do.

I wanna, I wanna hear from the listeners which one is more mortifying and I have a feeling I'm gonna get roasted for that one because it objectively is not polite to floss on an airplane and it's a little gross. But I was in pain. So does [00:36:00] that matter? Should I have just sat and been in pain the entire time or um, should I have like excused myself to go to the bathroom to do it?

Because that seems gross and worse. I don't wanna like be putting things in my mouth in the bathroom. So I don't know. I would love to hear from everyone. And also I would love more would you rather questions teacher specific or life specific. Um, we are also as these. Uh, episodes roll up in the new year.

We are gonna have some new segments and stuff like that. But for these first few episodes with Jerry, I just wanted you guys to get to know him, get to know, uh, good old Gerald and let you guys know that he's gonna be hanging out with us and talking about teacher stuff. And obviously we are both on break right now, so it is also gonna be a little bit less.

Teacher specific heavy when we haven't actually been in the classroom, but we both start pretty soon here. Me sooner than him it turns out. But um, yeah. So if you guys have questions or you want to submit a story or would you rather, then you guys need to make sure you do that on [00:37:00] podcast or andrea.com.

Um, Jerry, do you have anything else for us today? Any book recommendations other than that book you described already? Is there any other book that you're like, Hey, if you have a middle grade kid, what is a book they should read? I 

Jerry: think my two favorite books are, um, long Way Down by Jason Reynolds. 

Andrea: That's a good one.

Jerry: Which, which is, which is I think really good. 

Andrea: Yeah. 

Jerry: And, um, I think my favorite book is The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. 

Andrea: Yeah. Also a very good one. So if you, 

Jerry: John, John Green, who's gonna be on the podcast? 

Andrea: John Green, my neighbor who lives in Indianapolis. Uh, just, just a short hour away. Um, yeah. Also a favorite of mine as well.

So if you guys do have middle schoolers, those are two really good options. I also have a book that I. Red that I absolutely love, called Dry. Um, and I'm trying to remember who it is actually by. It is a phenomenal post-apocalyptic, um, young adult novel, um, that is [00:38:00] by, uh, Jared Schusterman. And Neil Schusterman, so absolutely fantastic.

Um, check those out if you guys are looking for something fun to read, that is not fairy smut in this wonderful new year. Jerry, do you have anything else to leave with our wonderful listeners today? Any advice, any life advice, nuggets of wisdom or geography that you wanna give to everyone? 

Jerry: Well, I tell my class every day when they leave.

Andrea: Okay, great. Is, 

Jerry: uh, have a good day. Um, be safe. Do something kind, mow some old people's grass. Don't smoke cigarettes. Do do good things. 

Andrea: I love that. I love that. I actually have a merch shirt that says, um, be kind, work hard and do good things. So I love that. That's a good vibe. Um, all right guys. Thank you so much for hanging out with us today.

If you guys wanna check out the full video episodes, they're up every week on YouTube at Educator, Andrea, and thank you so much for listening. I am your host Andrew Comb. 

Jerry: I'm Jerry. [00:39:00] Jerry Patoka. I 

Andrea: feel weird 

Jerry: saying my last 

Andrea: name. It's okay. Why? It's okay. Let people know. Dunno it. 

Jerry: Just do 

Andrea: the ladies have to be able to find you.

If you just say, Jerry, they're not gonna be able to find you. 

Jerry: I feel like I'm like Beyonce. 

Andrea: You 

Jerry: just Jerry at work. I'm just patoka and real life. I'm just Jerry. 

Andrea: So I have been Andrea and that's just Jerry. And our executive producers are Andrea Ham, 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 podcaster 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, [00:40:00] bye.