Andrea: Hello, hello. Welcome to Those Who Can't Do. I am your host, Andrea Forgham. And today, we have a guest who is an overnight sensation that took 20 years is what the way he phrases it, which is I think how most overnight sensations are. Um, I am so excited for you guys to hear my conversation with him. But before I do, I have to vent.

about some of the things that happened to me over this past week. Um, when we were recording this, it is the week, uh, after my husband graduated. Yay. It's very exciting. He graduated, um, from the Yale School of Medicine, which a lot of people on TikTok got very angry at me. Because they're like, how did he graduate as a PA if he went to medical school?

And I'm like, you don't even know. It's a Master's of Medical Science, I think is what it is, which is like their PA program. So we go to New Haven for this. And guys, guys, guys, I don't know if you've been to New Haven, Connecticut. When I thought of Connecticut, I thought of Gilmore Girls. Fall. maple syrup and horror movies.

And I did not realize that the only one that I was going to be experiencing was the, the horror movie one. We show up and we go on campus, which was beautiful. The campus, Yale, of course, is beautiful. It's like one of the oldest universities in the world, top universities in the world, all of the, the pomp and circumstance and all of that.

Great, right? But then you walk outside of campus. And I, I, I was so surprised at how scared I was in so many different places around town. There was just a lot of really aggressive panhandling, um, a lot of just, you know, when you go in somewhere and everyone kind of stares at you sideways and you're like, okay, I'm gonna.

Alright, someone's calling me, bye. Like, like one of those kind of things. Like, I just went to Walmart and I, I've been, like, I've been to New York, I've been to LA, I've been to big cities, and I have never felt that way before. But I kept on thinking, like, you know, culture, right? Like, maybe just culturally, maybe they're just like a busy, a busy folk around here.

Uh, maybe I'm just judging too harshly and I'm reading into things. And then the night of my husband's graduation, uh, we get back at like midnight at our Airbnb. And, uh, everything's great. We're, like, in the afterglow of the wonderful day. And the next morning at 7 a. m., I walk out to get my makeup bag out of my car, and I notice there's some shiny stuff on the ground, and realize that, uh, a cinderblock has been thrown through my passenger side window.

And a giant cinder block is sitting on the front floor of my car, and I'm like, Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool. And it was, uh, an absolute nightmare. We had to try and get the window fixed when we were not home, because we didn't want to drive with, like, plastic. That's so unsafe. Like, we would have no visibility out of that side of the car for 15 hours, because that's how far we were from home.

It was just An absolute disaster. It ended up being fine. We worked it out, but man, it was, it was a lot and it made me a little bit off of travel, but unfortunately I'm traveling a lot this summer. So I'm hoping I can, uh, take a couple notes from the wonderful guests that I have today. He shared some of his tips for travel because he is a nationally and I guess internationally, because he was also in Canada.

Um, touring comedian Joe Dombrowski, um, he went by Mr. D for a long time, he got famous back in 2017, he had a viral April Fool's Day spelling test prank, um, and that got him huge appearances on Ellen DeGeneres show, and he has been working, he said his, like, I don't want to spoil it, I don't want to tell you exactly when he started comedy, but it's however young you're thinking he started comedy, it's younger than that, and it, he's just.

Such a delight and really has such a passion for education and for the students that are in our schools. And I just cannot wait for you to hear all about what we talked about. So let's get right to it.

I am so excited today about our guest, Mr. Aron Reuben Korney. Well, okay, it's Joe Dombrowski, but you go by Mr. D three times. I used to.

Joe: You used to. The artist formerly known as Mr. D, yeah.

Andrea: I love it. And you are now a full time touring comedian all over the friggin North America from what I was looking at.

You were, and also touring with some of my favorite humans. You just did some shows with Sam Salem, right?

Joe: Yes, Sam's a good friend of mine. Yes, yes, yes. So funny too.

Andrea: Yeah. So can you share a little bit how you went from, because it started out as, well, I actually don't know if it started out as pre K stuff.

Why don't you share where all of this stuff got started? Okay.

Joe: First of all, can, I just want to take over your podcast for a second. I'm a bit of a, Do I have to watch my language on this one? No, we believe. It's a

Andrea: problem. It's fine. You're good.

Joe: I'm a bit of a watch. I love watches. I collect watches. And your watch game is already strong.

Can we talk about this? What are you wearing?

Andrea: It's so

Joe: embarrassing. It's so cute. It's so cute.

Andrea: It's from Walmart, though.

Joe: So what girl? Honestly, a deal on a watch. I am all about it because watches can get super expensive. I just had a fake Cartier for 25 bucks. You know, I bought that.

Andrea: Nice. Yeah, it's, it's, it's just a cute little Walmart watch.

so much. I appreciate that. Yeah. There we go.

Joe: Um, I, okay. Okay. So the artist firmly known as Mr. D, there's a story behind that. You know how these like teach fluencers. Are you still teaching?

Andrea: I am a professor now, so not, not currently active in the high school classroom. Yeah.

Joe: I knew that. One thing that always bothered me, even when I was in the classroom, is like, this, um, when I started doing, like, putting comedy on Instagram, the teaching world was starting to, like, grow on Instagram too, and thus came this thing called the teachfluencer.

Right? Number one pet peeve is when these hoes are out there acting like they're still teaching and they're not. And I have the receipts. So like, stop putting a fake classroom together. You're in a warehouse, Jillian, okay? These aren't real papers. That's a stack of loose leaf that you just opened. Enough.

I hate

that. So I

was always transparent when I was out of the classroom and I never claimed to still be in. So I've been out of the classroom for about Five years now. But the biggest question is always, so your biggest misconception, you're a teacher turned comic. And that's actually not true. So I grew up in a very big comedy family was watching stand up at too young of an age.

And I did stand up for the first time when I was eight years old for my third grade talent show. Oh my gosh. Yeah, it's like always been the goal. So then I really started to dabble in it in comedy in college, loved it, kept doing it through my student teaching, kept doing it through my early teaching career.

But it was always like, uh, You know, you say one wrong thing as a teacher and you're outtie, right? So I was always just like so protective of my comedy. And I would like, I wanted it to go bigger, but I was so scared about teaching. So I actually went by a different name on stage and like all this stuff.

And then I had a group of parents come to the show and I didn't know and they didn't know that I was like on the show. So I was like, Oh, what do I do? And I just like did my normal act and they ended up loving it. But then it started to like catch on like wildfire. So like now the staff is coming and principals coming.

Luckily they all liked it. But what took it to the next level is when I started to talk about funny things that were happening in the classroom online. Just a video of mine went massively, massively viral. You may be familiar, I pranked my students with a spelling day, fake spelling test on April Fool's Day.

Went stupid viral, and from there I was able to continue to grow my comedy career digitally. in to the point where I was able to step away from the classroom and really, really do passion, which has always been.

Andrea: That's awesome. So how long were you teaching and what grades?

Joe: So collectively I've taught 10 years and yes, I consider my student teaching one of those years because you're teaching full time for free.

So who's ever not including that? That's insane.

Andrea: Yeah.

Joe: Um, so I taught for nine. And then those nine years were everything third to sixth grade. And then I left the classroom to go on tour for the first time. And then this beautiful thing called COVID 19 happened and I lost all of my tour dates. And I was just like, Oh my God, I was just getting started.

So I went back into the classroom and that's when I taught kindergarten, which I always wanted. My whole career I wanted, but I student taught fifth and got pigeonholed as an upper L person. So I was never given those kindergarten opportunities. So when I was going back, I was like, I have the credentials.

They need teachers more than I need to teach. So I'm, it's kindergarten or nothing. And I got a job teaching kindergarten. And honestly, it was one of the best. years of my career. It was fantastic.

Andrea: I loved it. I cannot imagine. Did you have anything that happened that completely shocked you working with kinders as opposed to working with some of the older kids?

Joe: Yeah, I knew it would be chaos. I did not know to what level, and I really underestimated their lack of independence. Which is, so I, I, I love it . If you're not, if you're not expecting it, it can really catch you off guard. So like one of the things that happened on one of my first couple days was I had them all on their iPads doing like their, some reading something and they all had their headphones in and it was like the over the head headphones plugged in and I said, okay.

Let's clean up. It's time to go to lunch. And these kindergartners just stood up and walked to the door. Headphones still on. Q20 iPads just flying across the desk, slamming onto the floor. And then they're like, Oh, whoops. And it's just like, no, kindergarteners are so oblivious and everything is a step. So it's all like, you have to, I didn't realize you have to go, okay, everybody take off your headphones, wait for them all to have their headphones, unplug your headphones.

Okay. The first five rows, come turn them in the second five rows, come turn them in. Now the first four rows, go put your iPad away. Second, now you all line up and then girl, winter time. Trying to get those boots on, trying to get those jackets on. You have the best part of kindergarten is that I would say 25 percent of your day is actually teaching because the rest is just like steps.

Andrea: I believe that. My daughter's in kindergarten right now and I went in one day to help and I just like helped make gingerbread houses. And so I was thinking like, this is going to be so fun. I'm going to get to like, I. The way that the teacher just orchestrated the kid's behavior and was like so patient, like you said, like every single thing had a step.

And I'm used to high school. I'm like, all right, guys, we're going to make gingerbread houses over here. And she's like, okay, you are going to work on this. You are going to work on this. And like step by step broke everything down. Could never. I

Joe: could never

Andrea: have the patience, because my brain just doesn't work in sequential order, I think.

Joe: Yep. One of the things that surprised me the most, too, was my own patience. Like, I couldn't, I couldn't believe how cool, calm, and collected I was with these kids, like, the entire time. They then put me out in the streets, and I'm like, Mr. Road Rage, right? But, like, in the classroom, I was just thriving. I don't know, it just, I was, it was so rewarding, and so much fun, and just, Like the watching the littlest learners like realize how to function in society.

It's just cool. I loved it I look I would I would go back and do it again in a different life, but not this one, but it was great I'm so glad that I had that experience.

Andrea: Yeah, so it was mostly like kindergarten through you said sixth grade

Joe: Yes, except for first and second are the only grades that I haven't taught.

Andrea: Okay. So now, were there ever anything that happened in your class where you felt like you were wildly unprepared? Like, like a mistake you made, especially early on in your career, where you're like, oh, that, shouldn't have done that?

Joe: Uh, yeah, I think my first couple years teaching, I was a little too, I was like learning the lines of like, these are your co workers, not exactly your friends yet.

You know, so I was very jokey. I was that young 22 year old and like looking back on it, it was probably kind of annoying. Luckily, at this first, at this first, I almost said this first show, this first job, I got along with the vast majority of that school and they were super tight knit, which was great.

But I was still like, You know, goofing around and stuff like that, which kind of, you know, there's a time and a place for it. I had to learn time and place.

Andrea: Yeah.

Joe: But one of the cool things was my very first principal let me learn trial by fire. So if I wanted to do something, she was pretty much always saying yes, because she was like, let him learn.

Let him learn. Like, I wanted class pets. And she was like, sure. And then I was like, never again. Yeah. Like, stuff like that. I had a rabbit. We had a few snakes, um, we had a frog, a Pac Man frog, it was a lot. And why,

Andrea: why never again? Because I remember in my kindergarten class, the snake, Rosie Boa, that then I, the school I went to was K 12, and so like, as the snake would get bigger, it would Follow us through into the different classes.

So why is the why is it a no?

Joe: Wow? Specifically the rabbit was a no because it's just a shit machine The room was covered in E. coli Cadbury eggs by noon every single day. I was breaking every OSHA violation Imaginable just from this the fecal matter alone and like I was all like, oh, her name was Rosie, Rosie the reading rabbit.

And then I would open her cage and she would hop into somebody's lap. And then if she hopped in your lap during silent reading, then you got to read out loud to her, which I was like, that's so cute.

Andrea: That is so cute.

Joe: It was, except Rosie was a bitch. And she did not hop in anybody's lap. She would just sit there.

Stomp her feet, hiss at these children, and, and then shit, and then shit by them and hop away.

Andrea: I did not know that rabbits can hiss.

Joe: I did not know that rabbits could hiss. I thought

Andrea: they were so sweet and gentle, like, apparently. Oh my god,

Joe: I'm so sorry. I have to make notes in my, in my, this is all my stand up right here.

Goes on forever. Nice. When something hits me to take on the stage, I do it. So Rosie hissing. That's Is a good one.

Andrea: So funny. Yeah, actually I have a friend who literally was just She sent me a video explaining how much she loves her little rabbit that she bought and how it's the best

Joe: pet.

Andrea: She said that she could, she's got it like litter trained.

You can apparently.

Joe: She's lying. I tried to litter train Rosie. You can't fucking litter train a rabbit. So this woman's first of all lying.

Andrea: Yeah. Whoever she is,

Joe: she's canceled. I hope she's listening right now. You're a liar. You lied. You never lied so much. You should go on Jerry Springer with that lion ass mouth.

Andrea: Oh my gosh. That's tragic. So what about the snakes? This is my rabbit

Joe: trauma. The snakes were super easy to take care of. They were great. One got out. That was horrifying. And then one day it was, he was gone for like a week. And then one day he was just like, there was like one of my, uh, ceiling tiles had a crack in it and the snakes just like, hanging out.

I was like, uh, I was like, everyone watch this movie real quick. Did the kids

Andrea: freak out?

Joe: Uh, they, I don't think they were even in the room when it happened, actually.

Andrea: I think it was

Joe: like after school, like grading papers or something, but it was very

Andrea: Surprise snakes are not

Joe: it.

Andrea: Surprise

Joe: snakes are not it, yeah.

Yeah,

Andrea: I could not. Oh,

Joe: and the snake would shit a lot too.

Andrea: They do,

Joe: Yeah, I would let him, like, slither on the floor and we'd be in a circle and if he, like, came to you, you got to pick him up. But he would just, like, lift his little tail and just, and snake s is not fun. I'm so sorry. This is a very fecal episode.

Sorry. You, you wanted me on, so. That's right, exactly.

Andrea: So, you started doing stand up, uh, well, you were doing stand up since you were eight, and after COVID is when it kind of took off for you. Now, You're touring kind of everywhere now. Do you ever run into any former students? Because you taught for 10 years, so they're probably like

Joe: Oh yeah, all the time.

Funny story, uh, I just did huge shows in, I'm originally from Michigan, so I just went back and did some shows in Michigan, and one of my former students from the class that I had, Rosie Kane, is very close to me. Special kid. And um, he goes, Hey, I have a present for you. I was like, Okay, what is it? And it was this, this kid was a hoarder.

Like always. He had this like tiny little like um, one of those cases that you would get from like a 50 cent machine.

Andrea: And

Joe: he opened it up and it was like, it was like cotton. And I'm like, what is this? He goes, this is Rosie's fur. I'm like, Cole, you are 21. You were nine. Why do you have this? Why? Literally, I'm gonna call the show hoarders to come clean your room.

This is terrible.

Andrea: That kid's a serial killer. Did he like, was it, did he cut it off? Like, how did he collect all that fur? No,

Joe: Rosie shed it a lot. Shed it?

Andrea: She shed it. She

Joe: shed a lot? Yeah, she shed. She shed a lot. She shed a lot. So he would just like pick it up and collect. But you know, when you teach those younger grades too, I remember some kids I'd just be, when they come in from recess, empty your pocket.

Now we have a floor full of rocks. Uh, yeah. Those are fossils! They're not. They are playground stones, and you're not bringing them in. Thank you.

Andrea: One thousand percent that is my son. Like, he is that kid that's like, just collecting random rocks and shells. My kids, we just were in Boston, and they collected all, like, beach trash, like shards of glass that they're like, it's, it's a crystal.

And I was like, that's a Corona bottle, but all right. And

Joe: that's hepatitis. Exactly.

Andrea: And so we just got back from our trip and now it's like Lord of the Flies trying to argue over the different items that they each say that they collected on the beach. And I'm like, it's just, it's all trash. It's, it's all trash.

Kids love a good pile of trash though. They're basically raccoons that can speak.

Joe: It's awful. Um, I, Remember that there was a video that I saw recently of this mom like opened her son's backpack and she was just pulling out, it was full to the brim of grass, just grass. Just grass, they were just, I don't know, just tons of grass.

Andrea: Oh my gosh, I will say I was and I'm So ashamed of this now, but I was definitely the kid who had various stages of decomposing fruit at the bottom of my backpack. Like, I was that

Joe: kid. That like,

Andrea: there would be a banana down there, maybe a half eaten apple, stuff like that. Were you organized, like, as a student?

Joe: Oh no, I was definitely brewing prison hooch at the bottom of my backpack too. For sure. I was a mess. A mess. I still am. Girl, you're so lucky you can't see this desk right now. It's bad. It's not good.

Andrea: But with all of the travel you're doing, do you feel like you've like hit Astride of like keeping organized or is it just always, Yes,

Joe: I do.

Like I have, I order in bulk on my travel supplies, so I have bins that are just full of like my travel size deodorant, my travel size hairspray, my travel size hair gel, toothpaste, toothbrushes I'm running a tiny little CVS in one cabinet of my bathroom.

Andrea: Nice. For

Joe: sure. So that's keeping it. Keeps it easy.

And then also I have like doubles of everything. So I have like two backpacks, one I don't empty out. So it's always got one phone charger in there. I don't have to worry about unplugging one. I have two sets of headphones. One doesn't leave my backpack so I can just, you know, put whatever I need in that backpack and go because it's got the rest of it in there.

So I've gotten pretty good at that. Like multiple pairs of shoes, things like that.

Andrea: Gotcha. That makes sense. So do you think it is more stressful doing what you do now? To be a

Joe: teacher.

Andrea: To be

Joe: a teacher. Here's, here's something crazy. I love this podcast because usually I'm on with not a teacher, so they don't fully get it.

Andrea: Yeah.

Joe: I am currently working at the most insane rate that I've ever worked in my life. I'm gone literally every weekend. I'm on six planes a week. Like it's, it is, Chaos my life currently, okay? I'm a night worker. You know, like, my job starts at 6pm, like, it's nuts.

Speaker 4: Yeah.

Joe: And I've never been more well rested in my life.

That. says a lot about education and being a teacher.

Andrea: Yeah, I, I truly, that's exactly it. I try and explain that to people, like, now that I'm working at the university level and stuff, and I've had professors ask me, like, Oh, how are you doing? Like, it's a lot starting a new job. And I'm like, this is, this is so much easier.

This is so, I

Joe: know.

Andrea: Oh my gosh. Like I sleep, I have time to grocery shop.

Joe: Nothing like waking up at your own. Like body clock. Also, like getting things done, going to the bank, going grocery shopping when it's not full on a Sunday. Like no more are gone are the days where I go to Costco on a Sunday and get my ankles slammed by Peggy who can't control her litter of children who are running around unattended.

No, I go on Mondays when nobody's there because I can't.

Andrea: Yeah, and honestly, that cannot be, uh, overstated how amazing that is. I, Costco in particular is my personal hell. I get so stressed out every time I go into Costco and my mom, I, we threw a graduation party for my husband and we had literally like one hour before people were going to be showing up.

And my mom's like, well, you know what you need for the party? Other than like the pizza, you got to get some like charcuterie. And we had come from out of town. So I was like, It's casual. We'll just do pizza and beer. It's fine. And I was like, no, let's go to Costco. And I was like, we have one hour. And she is like, no, let's, let's go.

And so we go, we show up to Costco. It is pouring down rain. There is no parking. We, she has to drop me off at the front with my kindergartener daughter. And I have to wait for a cart for somebody to leave. And then going into this Costco that is unfamiliar. I was like, this is, this is my hell, what we are doing right now.

And she's like, it's fine. I was like, I don't know where anything is. She's like, it's great. It's going to be great. And we barely, barely, because, you know, they go through lines quickly, but I just hate how it just feels so close in there, even though the aisles are big. I Yeah,

Joe: it does. Well, the carts are the size of a Mac truck.

It's

Andrea: huge. Absolutely enormous. And I'm like, this is my actual hell, what is happening right now. It was terrible. It is.

Joe: It is hell, but it is definitely my heaven. I didn't know that I needed to buy in bulk. We currently have a family of two. I have no business buying in bulk, but I just love it.

Andrea: I, I love the idea.

I bought a deep

Joe: freezer specifically because of my Costco habits.

Andrea: Yeah. I always have like these great aspirations, but instead what happens is I use the first like serving of 15 pounds of ground beef and the rest of it just ferments in my fridge.

Joe: We love that. So I'm

Andrea: like, this was a massive waste of energy and money.

So do you have a most embarrassing classroom moment?

Joe: Hmm, I definitely have made some mistakes. This isn't funny as much as it's like a learning situation.

Andrea: Right. No, we're only doing funny. No learning in this podcast.

Joe: I'm

Andrea: just

Joe: kidding. I was, I was, like, this will never leave me. Like, this is with me for the rest of my life.

I very much thought, I, you know how they say, like, A moment you'll always remember how you felt, you won't necessarily remember like what it was about. I remember that I thought this kid did something, like didn't turn something in, so he had to miss some celebration or whatever it was. And I was like, no, like, I'm so, and I wasn't yelling, I was just being calm, and I was like, you can't, I'm sorry, these are the rules, like, I have to stick with my guns on this, I'm so sorry.

This kid's like crying, bawling his eyes out trying to explain to me, and I'm like, I know I'm and I think I even told him Like I understand you're crying. You're crying because you're mad at yourself. I'm so sorry and then like Minutes later. I discovered something that he was correct And he's like crying in front of his friends, and I remember being like This sucks, but this is so important for them to see how this is handled, so they know how to handle things moving forward.

So I kind of made a thing about it in front of everybody, and I was like, hey, Andrew, I understand what just happened. I want to let you know that I did find this stuff. You were 100 percent right. I was incorrect, and that is my fault for not double checking. You know, it doesn't always go this way, but you are right.

And because of this, I'd like to invite you and a friend to have lunch with me tomorrow. I'll bring in pizza. We'll do the whole thing. And like, I remember being like, that was I'm not trying to like give myself kudos or anything. Yeah. It was just really important to be visual because teaching is a position of power, for sure, over very impressionable minds.

And I do think, and I've seen so many times, teachers who just like think that they are in You are the almighty and it's just like we're as teachers like we're people too and it's modeling like good human behavior is in my opinion more important sometimes than the academics because they just need to realize, you know, how to function in these situations and I don't know if it ever has, but I'm hoping that at some day kids will kind of like reflect on what happened and be like, no, you have to admit your faults when they happen.

You can't

just like roll, roll with it. So, so that was, that was embarrassing for me, but important, too. And I was very young, I think it was my second year teaching, so I was only like 23.

Andrea: Yeah, that, I had something similar happen. I was in, but this was before my teaching career, I was in high school, and there was this girl who was in our friend group who was a compulsive liar.

Like she, I had known her since like fifth grade, and she had convinced me at one point that she had a signed, like an autograph of Jonathan Taylor Thomas because I was in love with him. I was going to marry him and have his Oh, weren't

Joe: we all? Yeah. Yeah.

Andrea: Perfect haired babies, right? Um, and so she had like signed it and given it to me and I was so excited about it I brought it to my mom and mom's like, uh, I don't think that's real and so I this girl has like a pattern of just Lying, right?

So I've known this girl for years and years. We get to high school and she starts telling us about this boyfriend who goes to another school, right? And I'm like, well, there is no boyfriend. She's like, he's got a blue mohawk, right? This is like 2003, right? So that was cool then. All right. He was like,

Joe: 100%,

Andrea: right?

So like he, and he was like, she was like, yeah, he's like really edgy. He's got a blue mohawk. And, um, he like came over to my house and like picked me up. And I was like, And we were sitting at the lunch table with all of our friends, and I called her, I was like, you're lying. And she's like, no, I'm not. I was like, yeah, you are.

I was like, that's a lie. I don't believe you. We've invited you, like, four things, told you to bring them, and every time something comes up, you're lying. And she's like, I'm not. I was like, all right, whatever. I don't believe you. And everyone was just, because everyone had been saying for weeks, she's lying.

She's a guy with a blue mohawk who has, like, a truck and is picking bull. There's no way. But of course, I'm the only one who's like, let me seek justice and truth here.

Joe: Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely.

Andrea: So then, uh, we all go hang out at Starbucks that weekend, and who shows up? But the blue mohawked guy that she was dating with her hand in hand.

And I just remember being like, ah, damn it. This was the wrong place to stake my claim. So then at lunch, I did the same as you. I was like, hey, listen, I just want to say I'm really sorry. Clearly, you were not lying. That was. That was my bad. And she's like, yeah, it was your bad. I was like,

Joe: oh man. Good. I know.

I wanted that little, I wanted that little kid to like, cat my ass too and be like, yeah, you were fucking wrong. Yeah,

Andrea: exactly. She did. She did. She was like, you were 100 percent wrong. And I was like, yeah. I mean, she still, I think, was a compulsive liar 80 percent of the time, but I happened to hit on the 20 percent that she was.

Tell them the truth, so then I just shut up whenever she told her crazy stories from then on, because I'm like, listen, had you not given me a falsified Jonathan Taylor Thomas autograph in 5th grade.

Joe: But, uh, the justification still checks out, ma'am. Just so you know, I was wrong in doing it on this

Andrea: instance.

Joe: However,

Andrea: The premise is still sound.

Joe: You are the little girl who cried boyfriend. Exactly. Just so you know.

Andrea: Exactly. Alright, so we are going to take a quick break, and when we get back, I'm going to have Joe give us more of his sage advice. So be right back.

Alright, welcome back to Those Who Can't Do. So, uh, I would love to know, you know, it's been five years since you were in the classroom, but when you were there, what were some of the resources that you tended to go for? Like, was there a specific, like, seller on Teachers Pay Teachers or a book that you really liked?

Joe: Oh my god, Teachers Pay Teachers, the hardest eye roll. Damn, are you one of those girls?

Andrea: What? That sells?

Joe: Yeah.

Andrea: I have stuff on there, but I don't like push it hard.

Joe: Okay, first of all, what a scam.

Andrea: Oh my god.

Joe: But also, like, get it girls, like, come on, sell your shit, make your coin, like, I'm all about that hustle.

Funny enough, I taught in Title I my entire career, but one year I taught in private school. And first of all, it was the least money I ever made in my teaching career. And two, literally 32, 000 a year for tuition per kid. Regardless, if you have siblings, 32K, 32K, and I am talking zero resources for the teachers.

I was like, this is nuts. I don't exactly think we need a butterfly guard in everyone, but I could use some, use some curriculum over here.

Speaker 4: Yeah, I

Joe: get this job. And like, I was at my first team meeting. Okay. I'm not shitting you, Andrea. 100 percent of the reading and math curriculum was TPT resources. I literally said this is insane.

Some of them were so old, too. Like some of the resources were like handwritten and then copied for like years and years and years. I went to the, like, department lead and I was like, Hey, don't know if you know that this is happening, but I'm pretty sure that if these rich ass parents find out that they could just buy these resources for 2 online and then just, like, give it to their kids at home, they're gonna have an issue with this.

Andrea: I.

Joe: e., if I send my kids to this school and this shit's going on, it's, let me tell you, it's not going on. There's

Speaker 4: no data proving that

Joe: any of this works. I. e., if I send my kids to this school and this shit's going on, it's not going on. Okay. I am very, I'm anti-D data when it gets in the way of student growth.

IE an IEP, I think it's, I think the, I think the IEP system needs a full revamp because it's criminal. How we are telling teachers to collect so much data to the point that by the time the IEP goes into effect, they're like in the next grade or even like the next grade, right? Yeah. And then you just pass it on to this teacher and expect them to leave off when they haven't been in school for two months for summer.

I digress. Anyway, but data is important to, like, show that something works. Like, data driven instruction is important. Like, you can follow Fontas and Pinnell and watch a child's reading go from zero to hero. Like, you are following data driven instruction, right?

Speaker 4: Right.

Joe: The majority of TPT is just like, some lady has some activity and she made it digital so you can buy it.

Speaker 4: Yeah. I'm,

Joe: I'm so sorry. I'm not buying it. I might as well buy. Friggin, uh, essential oils and say this teaches you to read. You know what I mean? I'm just like, uh uh. You're going to piss off so many of my listeners, Joe. Let them, let them. I don't give a fuck. Come on, girl. Be real with yourself. But also make your coin.

I'm getting it because they're all, there are these places that are still buying it. So if you're selling some shit and people are buying it, people are buying it. That doesn't mean your shit's good because I have shopped on H& M before too. So, you know. We'll just say what it is, but the fact that it was a full, full curriculum, they bought from different sellers to create some sort of like, modge podge of learning.

Not for me.

Andrea: I cannot That was actually the opposite of

Joe: your question, by the way. No, but my favorite, I told you what I don't like.

Andrea: But like, that is, that is insane. And I can't believe that there wasn't like, someone in charge of curriculum. Because I had a similar experience at a private school where I made the least money I've ever made and was given the least amount of resources and was also given five preps to teach.

And so I had to Oh

Joe: my God.

Andrea: Yeah, and so they gave me like, Oh, these are the learning goals. And they handed that to me and they were like, go teach. And I was like, uh, the learning goals are this. You want me to teach 15 novels between these five preps to all of these kids? Do you, do we have resources? Do we have a curriculum?

Nope. We have this one textbook for supplemental resources that has some poetry in it. But nothing has been updated since like 1993. And I'm like, cool, cool, cool, cool, got it. So, so I did go to Teachers Pay Teachers for probably more than I should have. But at that point, I also had like my master's and stuff.

So I was able to kind of suss out what would be good. And I wrote a lot of my own stuff. But again, it's like, you're not helping teachers by not providing curriculum resources. And I feel like

Joe: Hey, and that right too, TPT is awesome for teachers who are in your situation. You have to be able to know, like, what, sip the good shit from the bullshit.

Speaker 4: Yeah.

Joe: And that is great, that's why I'm grateful that it's there too. But at the same time too, isn't it crazy that I, there's no statistic here. I'm just kind of spit falling. I would guess that the majority of schools and districts in this country are in the situation that you just said, where it's like, hey, this is what you have to teach.

This is the time to do it. We have no recess that resources go for it. However, the success of your teaching. is how you are evaluated. And it's like, we are, but you are being evaluated by having no resources on the same scale as this other teacher from a bougie public school that has unlimited resources.

And you're both being evaluated the same way based on your success. That's why the distribution of wealth and public school districts in this country is, I will never not. It's unreal. The funding of public schools is unbelievable.

Andrea: Well, I was just over for, again, for my husband's graduation, I was in, uh, New Haven, Connecticut.

Have you ever been to New Haven?

Joe: Uh, I haven't, but it sounds like a gem of a city based off of what we're doing right now.

Andrea: I, I have never, I've been to Chicago, L. A., New York. I've been to big cities. I have never felt so unsafe. so consistently in one city. I was, like, we were there for, like, four or five days.

If you were on campus at Yale, beautiful, it was fine. But the second you stopped off campus, it was Wildly unsafe. I ended up getting my car. Somebody put a cinder block through the window and stole my makeup bag. And like, I didn't, it looked like a makeup bag. It didn't look like a purse. It wasn't like name brand or anything like that.

They just jacked it. I'm guessing for Mother's Day. It was like, it happened Friday night. So maybe it was a Mother's Day gift, which is lovely. But they stole that, put a cinder block through my window and I went to Walmart while we were there, and I have never been stared at like that. Like, aggressively stared at.

You know, like, when you walk in and you can tell, like, Yeah,

Speaker 4: uncomfortably, yeah. Oh,

Andrea: I'm not in the right place right now. Like, I felt that way the whole time I was there. And I'm like, what? Like, what is this town? And it's in, like, New Haven, Connecticut is basically just Yale and the surrounding suburbs. And it is So impoverished.

And I'm like, if you are Yale and you have one of the largest endowments of any university in the world, you can't do something about this? Like, you can't make sure those schools are the best schools in the country? Like, are you kidding me? Is it

Joe: unbelievable? Unbelievable. Unbelievable.

Andrea: I just kept thinking, like, if I were head of Yale, right?

Like, if they made me president of Yale, Number one. The teacher education program, which I actually don't know if they have one, but they would if I was head of Yale. And the entire thing would be making sure that they are helping the schools, giving resources to the schools. And let's

Joe: talk about this too, girl.

I'm, I'm, I'm gonna, I'm walking a tightrope with this one. Okay. I'm going to say it. I'm going to speak my truth. Feel free to cut it if you're just not into it.

Andrea: Okay.

Joe: Teach for America is the biggest crock of s that I've ever had in my life. Here's why. How the actual f does anyone think that it is helpful to take 22 year olds fresh out of college from profession, from, from degrees that they've studied that are majority are not, did not study education, and you're going to put them in the most underperforming, lack of privilege, decrepit schools in this country.

And you're going to expect those people to make actual change. Teach for America should be taking the most highly effective seasoned Experienced teachers in this country paying them exponential amounts of money to do a three to five year residency in these areas to actually make change for these kids who need people who understand education, how this works, how to make it better, how to continue to push forward, push the boundaries, push back against Congress, push back against the local government to make sure that these kids are getting what they need.

There are schools in this country that don't even have the internet. The internet! And we're expecting a 22 year old to just like, sit there in a classroom where they barely even have enough desks for the kids, and they're gonna talk back to the higher ups to get what these kids need? I'm so sorry, but it is absolute bullshit, and we're just continuing to fund programs like this that are doing what, Andrea?

Andrea: Mm hmm. Doing what? 100 percent agree. It's

Joe: unreal. It's unbelievable.

Andrea: They always sell it to the students as like, well, this is a free way to get your teacher education and stuff.

Joe: Which is the biggest slap in the face to people who did not go the free way. Isn't that crazy? Like, listen to what we just said.

That's crazy.

Andrea: Yeah. And it also is putting the least prepared people in the classrooms with the highest need. Which is. Wild to do. Three

Joe: week crash course. Go teach in

Andrea: a

Joe: prop. Yes. From the people who I've talked to who have done it. And granted the people who I know who have done it, this was at least 10 years ago when they were in the program, three week crash course, go have fun.

And I'm talking about schools with like daily threats of gun violence. I'm talking about schools, like I just said, with in, in food deserts, in wifi deserts, like, and three weeks is going to prepare. No, I'm talking teachers with 10 years plus experience. They're going to immediately sign up to make over 100, 000 per year if they, when they serve in this program to go and work and make change.

I am so sorry, but like, is there another way?

Speaker 4: Right.

Joe: Because,

Speaker 4: yeah.

Joe: And you want to know the best part about all this? This program? Show me the growth. Show me that, show me that it's, show me that it's working.

Andrea: Yeah.

Joe: Because I'm so sorry. are still underperforming.

Andrea: Yeah, well, and it's like somebody watched Freedom Riders one time, and they were like, let me fix it.

Like, let's put a lot of, like, random, like, let's just throw some kids in there. We know they're not gonna last, but that's fine. At least they won't have college debt after they don't last in the classroom. And then they burn out after two years, because of course they do. You know, like, that's, I, hmm, that's really interesting.

I had never thought about, The Teach for America, uh, program like that before, because I've known a couple people that have thought about it, but I don't, I don't think I've ever actually talked to anyone who's gone through it.

Joe: And the majority of the people who I know who have gone through it, don't teach.

They like did the program and now they're at some big tech company doing, you know, using that as their leg up to advance their resume and it's just like, I'm so sorry. But here's the thing too, if people aren't vocal about this, Then we're not doing anything. Yeah. So I'm unapologetically speaking my mind on the topic 'cause it's wild.

And that's the thing about leaving the classroom. I truly feel like I no longer have a target on my back. And I am privileged to have such a massive audience. Although it's not all about teaching anymore and, and I'm not doing that. My audience is continuing to grow in this comedy space. And as my. As my platform grows, I'll always use it to advocate for education because it's such an important thing to me, but not only me, but like the children of this country.

It's insane. So using my experience to now use my platform to like push back and make change without a target on my back, like that's the name of the game. Let's do it.

Andrea: Yeah, exactly. I was just, I was talking on another podcast earlier today and we were talking about how I feel Like, I have such a responsibility to speak up when I'm seeing things with these teachers, because like, like, I'm at a university now, so I can go into rooms, and the superintendent and all of those people are gonna look at me a little bit differently than if I was working at the local high school, because I'm, I've got a PhD, and I work at the university.

I know less about these schools than these teachers do. They should not be listening to me. They should be listening to their teachers, but because now I have a bunch of other garbage behind my name, they're like, oh, let's listen to her. I'm like, I'm gonna say what they tell me needs to be said to you, because, like, I found out, oh, I'm so heated about this still.

I found out one

Speaker 4: of

Andrea: the local schools, um, had the A. C. go out, and it was 85 degrees in the classroom. And they were told by district that they weren't gonna be able to fix it. Until next, like, end of fall, is what they said, is when they could fix it. The rage, the rage that I

Speaker 4: had,

Andrea: I immediately emailed the mayor, because the mayor of our small town is like a sweet, precious baby angel, he's like 28.

And I contacted the news, and I, like, did everything I could to be very, very, like, I, I also was trying to be careful because the way I found out was the teacher at the school had posted about it, and I didn't want her to get backlash. For

Joe: you, yeah, that was respectful.

Andrea: Right, trying to make sure she didn't get heat.

Um, but she, I just, I can't. I cannot believe for one second that if the AC unit in the superintendent's office was messed up, it would be fixed in a week. If not earlier. And

Joe: even worse, if it was Microsoft or Apple, it would be fixed within an hour.

Andrea: Yep.

Joe: If any Apple store, the AC went out, they'd have someone there immediately.

Isn't that some shit, girl?

Andrea: Yeah. that we are valuing those things or people it like the the superintendent over in their office is getting all the comfort in the world while the students these kids are going to have to sit in classrooms at 85 degrees like no one can learn in that scenario like I couldn't sit any like I uh it gets me so heated and I do feel like that's one of the profound privileges of having like the platforms we have is to be able to speak up for stuff like that I Yeah.

Had some something else. Earlier this week, I watched a video. This woman was talking about how I, I don't, like, I'm absolutely not going to, I'm gonna try not be specific enough to get Yeah. More views on her videos. But she was talking about a, like, she was answering a question and the question was somebody saying like, oh, there was a kindergartner who had to be restrained 11 times.

And I think the school year, um, they have an IEP and it, like, should they be moved to self contained? And the woman was like, why on earth would a kindergartner ever need to be restrained? Why on earth would anyone ever lay hands on a child? It's kind of like the vibe of it. Oh ho ho ho! My

Joe: Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

I Oh, my God!

Andrea: My my blind, like, her disgust at the teacher for restraining the kindergartner. And I I'm so like, I was so angry because I'm like, and I never, I never comment on stuff on Instagram or TikTok that I disagree with because it's not worth it. Right. But now that

Joe: it's not worth it,

Andrea: but like, now that I have this platform and I see something that is within my field, within my nation, all of that, like I did put a comment in there

Speaker 4: and

Andrea: was like, listen, this take is like wildly blind to the fact that this teacher had to physically restrain a child 11 times.

That is traumatizing to the teacher, that is traumatizing to the child and to the classmates, and it completely ignores the fact that the only time that that ever happens is if the child is a danger to themself or others. Like, they're not doing it for fun. Like, there are valid reasons, and if it's happening 11 times, like, And a lot of people were commenting like, least restrictive environment.

And I was like, but sometimes self contained is the best thing for that child. Not always.

Joe: Right, yeah, yeah.

Andrea: If they're following the IEP, and they're still having to be restrained, like something's, something's not right. Like something should be done. Um, and I had, A couple people messaged me and try and push back a little bit and it was, you know, it's people whose, whose kids are in special education programs and I, I do try and be really empathetic when we're dealing with these topics about like not coming on so strong and being so clear that my heart is, is, is is for both sides of that.

Like, my heart is for the kid that's being restrained, too. That, like, their needs aren't being met, you know? Um, do you find that when you're taking strong stances on this that you get pushback from parents that are Oh,

Joe: yeah. Fully. Yeah. I, so I can, specifically tell you about a joke that I'm working on right now.

Like I, like I just kind of dabbled into it. I have very strong opinions on the IEP process and how my personal belief is that it's a dated system that is not benefiting the kids to the maximum effect that it should be because it's, it is a, it is a document for students who are more vulnerable and all students are vulnerable.

So I think it needs a full makeover, right? I have a joke about this that very much in a comedic sense The goal with my comedy always is to make people think I want you to laugh, laugh, laugh, laugh, laugh. And then I want you to get in your car and turn to the people you came with and be like, but that's so messed up, right?

We should do better. Right? That's, that's my goal. Okay. I have this joke about this and I had a group of mothers wait at the stage door for me to come out. I'm talking like six moms. Okay. And, and I was like, I'm toast. I could see there was something on their face. And they told me that they were all a group of friends who became friends because their sons are on the same Special Olympics hockey teams together.

And they told me to my face, That joke about your IEP is so unbelievably important because you have only seen it from the teacher's perspective. Imagine being a new parent who you're just learning about this, you're giving the runaround, everybody's telling you this is how it's supposed to go, and you don't realize how significantly your child is being impacted by this process until it's too late.

They said keep going with that joke. Push further with that joke. Never stop with that joke. It is important to these kids. And I like put me in this place of like, I truly get deep sometimes about comedy. I think comedy is so beautiful. I think it brings people together. I think it pushes boundaries. I think it keeps people thinking.

I think it entertains in a way that can has the power to educate, but also sometimes not. And that's okay, too. But I keep going with that joke because of those moms. And I have had other people on the other side push back. And I had another woman, it must have been like not even weeks later, who was upset about that joke, and she came to me and she's like, I am a principal, and I am a mother, and I have a student who, my son has an IEP, and if it wasn't for his IEP, he wouldn't get to where he is, and I stopped her, and I said, I appreciate your perspective, I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me about that.

Your son's IEP was effective because they had a mother who knew the process, who was able to know going into it exactly what's to be done, who was in a position of power over the people creating the IEP, which automatically pushed them to make sure it was perfect on the first time. I do this joke for the people who don't have.

A mother like you, who is caring enough to understand, to take the time to fully dissect, to ask the questions, to understand, to make sure it's pushing forward on an appropriate timeline and in the right directions. I tell that joke for people who are not born into a life with someone like you, who's able to make sure that it's being done with due diligence.

Speaker 4: Yeah. And

Joe: she still wanted to fight me on it. And I said to her, that's the beauty of comedy. You don't have to disagree. I just stood up there for an hour giving you my opinions on life. You don't have to disagree, and I said, that's okay, and that's okay,

Speaker 4: and

Joe: that was how we ended it, but I was just like, I'm not going to back down because, like, I have an opinion on it.

Yeah. These are my bold opinions, and I, and I strongly believe in what I'm saying, and I'm not going to stop.

Andrea: Yeah. So, yeah. A hundred percent, by the way, because I know I would sit with parents, you know, that awkward moment where you're waiting for everyone to show up before the IEP meeting, and it's like you and the parent, and, like, Please see, first step, the first step in your career as a filmmaker, You're not like one other person that you never see except for at faculty meetings, and you're like, so And they're asking you all these questions, and they're nervous, and they're scared, and I I got to experience this a little bit from the parent perspective, because at the beginning of the year, my daughter, I got called in by the teacher and she Her teacher was basically like, Hey, um, your, your daughter's falling behind in reading.

And I'm an English teacher. Like, I've been reading to her since, like, before she could walk. Like, my heart just broke. And I felt really confused and really judged, even though the teacher was being so sweet and was not judging me. It was just letting me know like, hey, we got to work together on this. And it was such an educational experience for me from the perspective of being the parent in that scenario that like, wow, it is really, really hard to be on the other side of this table hearing that, hey, your kid might need other help.

Your kid might have something else going on. And you, you get so like, critical of yourself as the parent. Like, Wow, what did I do? Why is my kid struggling with this? And why, you know, and I trying to figure like, wow, did I let them have too much TV or like, you know, and I think that it and I come from it from the perspective of, like, having a terminal degree in education.

I can't imagine for a parent who has a high school degree or a college degree and is not in education and are sitting there with all of these people like, I, you know, I don't know what any of these terms mean. I don't know what this acronym means. Like, all of that is, it's so frustrating when you just want what's best for your child.

Joe: Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. And that never stops. You know, that never stops. That's gonna, that'll continue forever. And it's, and it, uh, it can be jarring too, especially, but I think the end of the day too is one of the things that people don't realize, especially with the way that Education is going, is every child is different.

Like, like you just said, like you read to your kid every day, you're, you're majored in English, like all of that too. Every single child is different. Yet, we're putting these curriculums in front of teachers, and I did make a statement about curriculums earlier, that they're important. Because I think teachers need the resources.

But the problem with curriculums too, is when teachers start looking at curriculums so linear, by the book needs to happen. A curriculum is kind of like a guide for what you need to be doing, where you're going, and has the resources embedded. But every kid and every group of kids that you get every single year, they're their own body, they're their own, they work in different ways.

If you're teaching the curriculum verbatim, you're, you, you are saying to the kids, you are a machine. I do this, you produce this. And that's just not, we're dealing with people here, you know? So I always tell teachers. Young teachers like a curriculum is a skeleton with the resources and you're taking the resources And that's the meat that you're putting on the bone in the way that you need to

Speaker 4: yeah and

Joe: vice versa Like if you have students that are excelling past the curriculum and you're just teaching the curriculum as is You're also doing those students a disservice because you were handed a group of kids who are able to rise to the occasion But you're not giving them more to enrich them and do more.

It's just like And I also think, here's a radical opinion, I think it is crazy that we have one teacher per classroom, specifically in elementary.

Andrea: It's like,

Joe: what?

Andrea: I cannot fathom being with the same group of students all day, because I only ever did high school. So like, the thought of sitting, like, if you have a kid that drives you nuts, that kid will drive you nuts 180 days that year.

Like all day, 180 days , like there is no escape. Mm-Hmm. None. That kid will be there all day. I can't. I cannot. And especially for sub plans. Okay. Let me ask you this. 'cause I don't think I've ever asked a elementary teacher this. They're all tap

Joe: into my trauma. Yeah.

Andrea: Yeah. When you do a sub plan as an elementary teacher, how?

'cause I could do, I, I fill up 50 minutes right. Or 60 minutes. Mm-Hmm. , whatever as a sub plan. And then they, they rinse and repeat Rin and the rest of the day. Do you guys go and break it down for the entire day?

Joe: Yeah, it's insane. And then if you're out multiple days, it's different every single day. So my sub plans, what I would do is I would literally lay it out on a table by subject, by hour.

Sticky notes above that would say like this, This time to this time it would have all the handouts all the reading materials all that everything then you're gonna transition into this Here's all the handouts. Here's what they're reading. Here's what they're doing. And it was literally like seven piles of Things for them to do throughout the day and that's why as elementary teachers any elementary teacher will agree with this It is harder to be sick than to just go in and muddle through it

Andrea: Yeah,

Joe: it's it's crazy

Andrea: and I feel like A secondary teacher's feel that somewhat, depending on how many preps they have, it might be the same.

You know, when I had five preps, I felt that way. But then, you know, when I had two preps, I was like, eh, it'll take me half an hour to get everything ready for tomorrow. But that is a whole different level that I had never thought about for elementary teachers, because you are just with them. Psychotic.

Yeah, that's, that's Painful. Um, speaking of psychotics, so one of the things that we do is I get submissions of questions from my listeners, and one of the questions that we both get to take a stab at is for teacher interviews. What are some horror stories or what are your interview tips? I have a horror story.

Joe: Go for it.

Andrea: Oh god Okay, it's so embarrassing. It's so it's so embarrassing. Okay, so First first time I was looking for a teaching job. I was in Fredericksburg, Virginia and I had just taken like an equity and inclusion type awareness type course, right? So I'm like very ready

Joe: for diversity. And you come in this like beautiful blonde white woman and you're like, let me tell you about Black people.

Andrea: Let me tell you about Black culture, guys. So I show up to this interview. It's at a big job fair, right? And I'm so embarrassed. Oh,

Joe: God. I'm literally going to

Andrea: I, I go to this interview with this principal and she is, um, she's a black woman and she's sitting with me and she, she's interviewing me about the school.

And the school is one of the ones, like in Fredericksburg City, which is more diverse, I think it's like a population of like 40% African American, right? And so she asks me, um, like. What will you do to make sure that the diversity in your class, like, it feels safe, basically, right? Easy question, right? And I was trying to think of the phrase, um, I don't want to judge a book by its cover or something like that.

That's what I was trying to get out, but all I could think was Like don't, don't say Black. I don't know why, but that's what was going on in my head. Like just don't say, don't, don't talk about like, it doesn't matter what ethnicity they are, obviously. Like I love all of my students and every student is great.

And like, I'm trying so hard in my, in my little 20 something brain of like, I want to support and communicate to her that Because in that area, there were some real issues with racism, and that's probably part of why I felt, like, and everywhere, right? But, like, in that area, there was, like, confederate flags flying on the freeway, right?

Like, that kind of issues. Um, and so, I was trying to communicate that, like, I'm not that kind of white, right? Like, I'm here to love my students and to support them and see them for who they are. I couldn't get that out. And so, I kind of stumbled and was like, I just, I don't, um, I love all of my students, and I just don't want books to be judged Um, by covers, and um, that's, I like books, is kind of where I went to, and she's like, okay.

I did not get that job at all. But I, it was one of those where I was trying so hard. to communicate and to be clear in a way that like, just said like, Hey, like, I love all of my students. Like, I want to have an inclusive environment. I make sure that every student feels seen and heard for who they are.

And that's not what I said. I was just like, books, covers. I like books. Like, it was so painful.

Joe: Awful. Haunts me. I,

Andrea: uh, I,

Joe: so when I was, my, Masters is an educational leadership, too, so I could be a principal, but I never will. I, um, and when I was doing my internship, I sat in that summer on all the interviews that were coming into our school, which was very, very eye opening, because you'd only seen your own, right?

And now I'm, like, seeing, like, real interviews happen in real life. And, um It was, I remember there was one candidate who they asked her something and she was just like, yeah, I don't do that. Oh, I'm messing this up. I'm blowing it. I'm so sorry. I'm not getting this job. Just like outwardly to us. And I was like, girl, fake it till you make it.

Like, if you're not showing us that you can like get this together right now, you think we're going to trust you to do this? And it was, and she like left the room and we were all like, yeah, no, like we didn't even talk about it. Like, it was just like, this is a no.

Andrea: And this woman's resume was

Joe: like, stacked.

She was ready to go and just like, I'm blowing this. Oh God, it's not happening. Okay, I'm not gonna get this shot. It was just like, I was like watching her deflate. I was like, this is crazy. So awkward to be doing right now.

Andrea: I can't believe she verbally said that piece out

Joe: loud. I also, too, hate this, too.

They're always like, I guess there's some legal something behind it about you have to ask every single candidate the same questions. And I remember I was with two different principals in two different interviews, and one principal was so by the book, like, these are the questions, only no follow ups. The other was like, you know, like, pry, like, if they're gonna start talking, like, and they say something cool, like, ask them further about that.

And I was like, yeah, because these are people, and it's all about connections, too. So, like, if I'm just asking these questions and letting them go, you want me to make my opinion based off that? No. If someone tells me about this amazing project that they did in their class with their students, I'm going to dig deeper to learn more about it, because I think that's interesting and great.

Andrea: Right. That is like, I feel like she just said aloud what I say in my head every time I'm at an interview. It's like, this is going poorly. It's going to be bad. Oh God. Yeah,

Joe: straight up. She's like, I'm done. I'm not getting this job. And you didn't, girl, because you put that out there in the world. Oh my

Andrea: god.

Oh my gosh. Okay, so before you go, can you share with everybody where they can find you, what you've got going on?

Joe: Yes, for sure. I'm on a massive tour the rest of the spring and fall. I don't know when this is coming out, but I have announced my fall tour by now, um, all, literally all over the country. You can get tickets at joe, thejoedombrowski.

com, and you can follow me on all socials at joe underscore dombrowski.

Andrea: Awesome. And then you also performed at the Netflix is a Joke festival, right? Is there anywhere they can see that? Is it like, is it streamable anywhere?

Joe: No, that one's not. It's not streaming anywhere. I know that was the biggest misconception.

People are like, you're gonna be on Netflix? No, honey. They just invited me to the festival. How privileged of them. Yeah. So, um, can't watch it yet. Keep your eye out on me. You know I'm going to be landing a big special one of these days because I'm psycho and putting it out there in the world. That's right.

Andrea: It's

Joe: just a matter of time.

Andrea: And you do have a special that they can stream, right?

Joe: I do. Yes, Don't Eat the Crayons. It's all about my time teaching kindergarten and that is on YouTube. So you can just type in Don't Eat the Crayons or go to my YouTube page, Joe Dombrowski, and you can watch it there. And leave some love in the comments.

Would love to see that.

Andrea: Awesome. Thank you so much, Joe. I appreciate you coming on. Bye.

Joe: Bye.

Andrea: Welcome back. I hope you guys enjoyed my chat with Joe. It's so fun getting to talk to him because I feel like I've followed him for the longest time and he cracks me up. He, I totally forgot to mention, and I, I don't know if he mentioned that he's also got a podcast who is also blessed us with his presence on this podcast.

And I think it's called the social studies podcast. Um, so you guys should definitely check that out as well. It's a lot of silliness with Joe and Gasper and occasionally they even tour together and sometimes Sam Salem pops up in there. So lots of folks who have ended up on this podcast are also kind of touring together.

So if you guys have enjoyed those, definitely go and check all of that out. It was so much fun. Hilarious to hear about Joe's experience with rabbits and it has fully confirmed for me that I do in fact not want a rabbit because my friend who had emailed me or sent me the video and told me how much I would love a rabbit.

Almost had me convinced and now Joe has saved me from that dark fate. So, um, I asked you guys what your students are up to and you came in with some winners. Uh, the first one is that a student sent a Venmo request during class. As a charge for, quote, pain and suffering, it was only 10 though, so I think that that teacher needs to work on how much pain and suffering they're causing because it should be far more, worth far, far more to that student.

Uh, the second thing is probably the grossest thing I could possibly imagine, which is making ramen with lukewarm bathroom water and those foul paper towels. Do you remember, like, the, the little, like, Brown paper towels that like dissolved and had zero absorbency. Those ones like on top of the tepid bathroom water ramen that was happening.

Um, when I shared that on Instagram, a few people were like, we call that prison ramen. I don't know if that's true, but apparently that is a thing. So take that. with you on your day to day. Now you know how to make prison ramen because this is a podcast for learning. Um, if you have thoughts about what we talked about today or have suggestions about who you would love to hear come on the podcast, I want to hear about it.

So you can email me at Andrea at human dash content. com or you can visit me on Instagram or tick tock at educator Andrea. Or you can kick it with us on our human contact podcast family on Instagram and TikTok at humancontentpods. And this is a still new podcast. And the number one thing that makes my day is when I open up a little app and I see that there is a new review.

So thank you guys, those of you guys who have shared the podcast. who have left reviews for me. It like makes my day. I screenshot them and I send them to team and send them to my mom. And I don't know that my mom knows how to necessarily print those, but if she did, she'd probably have them printed on the fridge for me because it just delights us all.

So thank you guys, uh, for leaving those reviews. It's really cool. And the other way that it gets out there is through word of mouth. So if you love this podcast, make sure to share it with a friend. Um, I wanted to shout out Mama Shwag, I think is how you say it, which is an excellent name. I'm sorry to laugh at it.

It's excellent. On Apple Podcasts said, So excited for this podcast. Andrea's IG account is often the only reason I go on Instagram after a long day of teaching. I love hilarious stories and her videos about middle school students are 1000 percent accurate. Laugh cry emoji. Hashtag middle school English teacher.

Thanks for being a bright light in the world, Andrea. You help teachers feel seen and heard. Thank you so much for that. I have to tell you guys, the, uh, third circle of hell for me is reading nice things about myself that people have said. I would rather read hate mail to myself. Don't write negative reviews.

That's not what I'm saying. But what I'm saying is like, I'm learning how to take a compliment. So this is like therapy for me. Thank you for joining in this journey where I have to read nice things. about myself. Um, if you would like to check out the full video episodes, they are up every week on YouTube at Educator Andrea.

Thank you so much for listening. I am your host, Andrea Forkham. A very special thank you to our guest, Joe Jembrowski. Our executive producers are Andrea Forkham, Aron Korney, Rob Goldman, and Shahnti Brooke. Our editor is Andrew Sims. Our engineer is Jason Portizzo. Our music is by Omer Ben Zvi. Our recording location is Indiana State by College of Education.

To learn more about our Those Who Can't Do program disclaimer and ethics policy and submission verification and licensing terms, you can go to podcasterandrea. com. Those Who Can't Do is a human content production.

Thank you so much for watching. If you're like me and you're thinking, gosh, I really need more Those Who Can't Do in my life, you can start your binging right now by clicking on that playlist button right over there. New episodes are out every Thursday, so please subscribe and join us each week on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.