Falling for Each Other and Off Escalators with Kevin & Kate McClintock

Lauran: This podcast contains content that may be distressing to some listeners. Be sure to check the description below for content warnings. And now, a poem. 

Jordan: Before we begin, a soft reminder. This episode holds weight. Tread kinder. Of loved ones lost. In hearts that ache. Of lockdowns and fear. The memories they make.

Take care of your soul. Pause if you need. Your well being matters. In thought and in deed. But I was like leaning on 

Kevin: the escalator and I like just passed out But I like kept going and fell off of it onto my head 

Theme: like over the 

Kevin: side As it was going up 

Theme: were you? I don't, 

Kevin: I don't know 

Theme: Hi

Lauran: friends, welcome back. Glad you're here. Um, also, I love your hair looks great 

Jordan: that person right there. Yeah you right there I like your sweater. Ooh. It's nice. Ooh. Yeah. It's kind of cold right now. It was snowing today. I was really excited about that. It was. Yeah. 

Lauran: It was, okay, on my way to work, it was like pelting me with snow.

Oh, no, no, no. Home from work. Home from work. 

Jordan: Pelting you. That's more hail than snow. Yeah. 

Lauran: I was gonna say, yeah. It was kind of like mini hail a little bit. It wasn't like Hard as a rock or anything, but it was, it was really tiny. It looked like couscous. I 

Jordan: don't know if it shows up on camera. I have to not smile as much today.

Oh yeah. Because of the cold weather. Why does this happen to you 

Lauran: every year? Okay, 

Jordan: it. 

Lauran: It's this, and it's not even, okay, so let me preface. 

Jordan: I split my lip is what happened. He split his lip. Yeah. 

Lauran: And you can kind of see it in the center here. But he gets it in the same spot every year, the same exact spot.

Not a little bit to the left, not a little bit to the right, the same line. I don't know if it's just like scarred, but not permanently healed, and so that's why it splits every year? Um, 

Jordan: I'm gonna be honest, I have a chronic problem of, uh, biting my lip. Yes you do. Like gums around my mouth. I know and 

Lauran: I have to constantly be like stop you're gonna hurt yourself.

Jordan: And every time this year because it's getting cold and it's like it's Makes your skin dry and everything. Yeah. Um, it dries out my lips. That 

Lauran: chapstick I bought you though is really good. 

Jordan: Yeah, it is. It's a sun balm, watermelon one. It's so tasty. It's watermelon flavored. 

Lauran: I love it. And it's like buttery smooth.

It's so good. It is. That's a really good one. 

Jordan: It really helps. Also, I heard, I don't know if this is a myth, I think it's a myth, that chapstick Inevitably makes your lips drier so you buy more 

chapstick. I wouldn't put it past Chapstick Company. I 

have no proof of this. It is 

purely spec spec speculation.

Yeah, it's just my speculation. I was gonna say purely 

spectacular. 

I really enjoy the taste of it when like it has like fun flavors. Yeah, so we were 

Lauran: joking like any time Jordan laughs for the next like 20 or whatever minutes, he has to go like,

Jordan: It hurts to laugh because it just 

Lauran: splits more. It just splits 

Jordan: it more and then like, Quit 

Lauran: smiling. No, I'm kidding. 

Jordan: So you make fish lips? I don't know. I'm trying to do the opposite of smiling. 

Lauran: And that's fish lips? Yeah, that's what they teach you when you're talking about emotions in preschool. Yes. There's happy and there's fish lips.

Jordan: I'm gonna build a social emotional learning app and it's just gonna be two faces. Faces? Faces. Faces. Happy, Fish lips. Look at him, fish lips. 

Lauran: There you go, there's another shirt idea. Happy or fish lips? How do you feel today? Put in the comments, do you feel happy today? Or do you feel fish lips today? 

Jordan: Yeah, just put a little trout in the comments.

I'm sorry, 

Lauran: I can't even say fish lips without laughing. Like, it's just a funny phrase. I'm gonna 

Jordan: go like, fish lips is a funny phrase. 

Lauran: It really is. I kind of want to use it for like a code word. Code word fish lips.

Jordan: There are fish lips in the punchbowl, repeat, there are fish lips in the punchbowl. 

Lauran: I don't even know what we're talking about now. 

Jordan: So why are we here today? 

Lauran: We are here today to talk with one of my first, like, social media friends. I think so. When I first started on social media, there was like a group of teachers that would get on Zoom calls together and just kind of talk with each other and hang out because we were all in quarantine, no one could really hang out in person.

So we would. Get on these zoom calls together and just kind of like chitchat, but we would be up until four in the morning talking on these zoom calls, and it was people all across the country, like people on the East Coast, people in California. Some some I think we're even out of the country, but it was just such a cool group to like chat with.

And, uh, our guest today was somebody who was in that group, and it's Kevin McClintock, also known as Mr. McTicktock, and Mr. McTicktock is honestly, uh, perfect name for him, cause he was like one of the first teachers to really like build up a following, I think he was like one of the first to, yeah, he was like one of the first to like hit a million followers on TikTok, and um, he was really well known for like his dance, he would do this like cool like shuffle dance, That I, like, he tried to teach us how to shuffle when we, when we all met up for the first time.

I cannot shuffle. So, if you need to see some cool shuffle videos He's the guy. I'm so excited for him to be on the show, and he's actually bringing on his wife, Katie. They recently got married, um, I think a year or two ago, um, and Katie's awesome. She's super nice, and we're really excited to have them to talk about what it is to like, be married to a teacher, and the relationship that that is, and what it looks like, um, and also things that our spouses You know thought were shocking about teaching or you know, we're surprising to them once they were married to a teacher I think 

Jordan: I know all those.

Yeah, I think you know all those 

Lauran: too. So He is a former middle school and high school teacher, and he's currently like subbing and volunteering back at his building But we're really excited to have him on today and have Katie on and we're gonna play some fun games and stuff So, you know Yeah, it's gonna be a fun time.

Jordan: So after the break, we'll get started with that.

Lauran: All right, guys, we are here with one of my first Tik Tok friends, Kevin McClintock and his beautiful wife, Katie. We are so happy to have you guys. You're actually our first And we're here with the first, like, teacher couple that we've 

Theme: had on here. 

Lauran: Aww! What an honor! Yeah, yeah, we're super excited because I know that like, it's, it's always funny to see the relationship that like, teachers have with their spouses and just how it bleeds so much into your life and your relationship, inevitably.

Just how's life been for you guys? You guys have had a lot going on. 

Kevin: It's been wild. Um, so like, I didn't know what it was going to be like to kind of leave teaching. Um, yeah, like even social media, like we kind of took a break for a while. We're just like 

Theme: kind 

Kevin: of soul searching to figure out what do, what do we even do?

You know, like, what is, what is this? You know, summertime felt normal, you know, just because it was summer and you kind of have a little bit of a break. Other than, like, preparing for the new year, which I didn't really do, but then, you know, just being, being where we are now, like, our, all of our plans changed.

We were supposed to be leaving San Diego and heading up to Huntington Beach to go be with her family. Yeah, did you 

Lauran: guys, did you like, cause I know when I first met you, I remember we were on like that zoom call with like a bunch of other teachers and you would like be sitting there playing your guitar and you're like, yeah, my beach shack.

Yeah, your beach shack, he literally had a beach house that he was like, chillin in. I 

Jordan: was gonna say, just, Getting to play guitar in a little beach shack sounds amazing. Honestly, to clarify, 

Katie: we don't not live in a beach shack now. It's just we've expanded a little bit and we're maybe like one block away from the beach.

So, okay. But 

Kevin: what 

Katie: people don't understand, what people don't understand is 

Kevin: when we say that, we're like, we're by the beach, we're like, In a really, really old apartment building that's, you know, mildew and everything, but we live close to the beach. Yeah, 

Lauran: we do. Do you guys go a lot? Because I've heard, like, if you live near the beach, you don't go a lot?

Kevin: It depends. No, 

Lauran: we go. I was going to say, is that false? 

Kevin: Yeah, it just depends on, like, who you're talking to. Being a local San Diegan, like, I grew up. You know going to the beach all the time and then like I will say that as life gets goes on like when I was teaching Sorry, I don't know if you could hear that but those are Chirping we have frogs.

Oh 

Theme: my gosh

Kevin: Um, well, those ones are Treebeard and company because there's just like a bunch of them and we're Lord of the Rings fans. Oh my 

Jordan: god, I was gonna say, I love that, that's so 

Kevin: great. I 

Katie: love that. Then our other frogs are, um, Davy Jones and Blackbeard because their like markings look like they have a black beard and we call their like aquarium the locker.

Oh my gosh, 

Lauran: that's so funny. I love that so 

Jordan: much. 

Lauran: I couldn't imagine someone just being like, oh, those are my frogs. But like, that's, I love that. Yeah. 

Kevin: Well, we, like, I've always loved frogs. And then we would go, we'd go down to Costa Rica. And I just like, we love the jungle. 

Theme: Yeah. 

Kevin: Just so cool. So I brought a little bit, I didn't actually bring them back with me, but I made my own jungle in our living room.

So, you know, suffice to say, So, I go every morning, I surf every morning, um, so, I use You were 

Lauran: supposed to teach me how to surf the last time I was out there. Dude, 

Kevin: right now, I would, but it's cold, dude. 

Lauran: Next time. No, it feels so good, though. It's so good. I was gonna say, I'm not a cold water girl, so, if it's freezing, you can't 

Katie: catch me in it.

I go to the beach most days, too, and my thing this winter is I wanna keep swimming, like, through the winter, and I was in it yesterday, it was maybe like 50 degrees, but it makes you feel so good. So good. I can't even explain the kind of like adrenaline. Endorphin rush. It's like, 

Jordan: the polar plunge. Yeah, I was about to say is I, I have done a polar plunge and when I did it, the water was what, 30, 30 degrees?

Yeah, it was really cold. And I, it was what, it was like, end of February, beginning of March in Pittsburgh. And it was the coldest day of the 

Lauran: year. 

Jordan: Yeah. It 

Lauran: was like record lows for temperatures thus far. So like, It was this, it was a charity event for the Special Olympics, and so Jordan and his boss, um, they signed up to do it, and there were just hundreds of people doing this polar plunge, 

Theme: it is a huge 

Lauran: event, so they, like, set up, like a local pool company sets up Pools outside of the like Pittsburgh Steelers football stadium and you just like walk up on this ramp when it's your turn you jump into the pool and then you get out and it's just like a never ending revolving door of just people jumping into this cold pool and you're it's on top of that it's in the middle of winter.

So, he was like, oh, you should do it with me, and I was like, couldn't be me. Like, I just, 

Theme: I was, no, nah, I'm like, I 

Lauran: will pay the money and donate, but I don't want to jump. 

Jordan: But I totally get what you mean by that, cause there's nothing, I have yet to experience like an adrenaline rush like that, when you're just like, you jump.

And then you're just hitting cold water like that. 

Katie: Yeah. 

Jordan: Uh, because it literally takes the breath out of you. You're just like, Oh my God. 

Katie: Yeah. 

Lauran: It's like reset. 

Jordan: Yes. That's so fun though. I'm 

Lauran: so glad that you guys like are so close to the beach and you get to like do what you enjoy every day. That's so fun.

Yeah. Yeah. We figured if 

Kevin: we're going to spend the big money, 

Lauran: if 

Kevin: we're going to pay that sunshine tax. You got to use it. 

Lauran: Yeah, yeah, a hundred percent. Okay. So you were, you were in San Diego in your first beach house and then you guys are now in another beach house still in San Diego, correct? 

Kevin: So I've been in three different beach houses now.

So 

Lauran: I 

Kevin: moved, um, because the first place was owned by my grandfather and then when he passed away, the family sold it. So then I had to like jump ship and try to find a, another spot. And then when we got married, we moved into the, well, she already had this apartment. And then I moved in, so. 

Theme: Oh, okay. Yeah.

Very 

Lauran: cool. And 

Kevin: then we, you know, like. 

Lauran: So why were you, you guys were gonna move back up to Huntington Beach just to be closer to your family? Yes. Katie? Yeah. 

Katie: Yeah, so it's still our goal and still our plan, um, but it feels like the timing isn't right. Like it's just been a lot of shut doors and, um. 

Kevin: Or at least move closer.

Yeah. 

Katie: We were, we were going to. Well, I don't know how many details to go into but we were gonna like Move up there to rent and we were like, why don't we just hold off? Like why don't we just wait a little bit longer wait it out and hopefully next year buy something. So 

Theme: yeah 

Lauran: So I mean it like this Housing market is insane right now.

So, I mean, I, I'm gonna send all the good vibes your way because I, I mean, I hope you guys find your dream house and are able to, you know, start your life in your home together. 

Theme: But, 

Lauran: I mean, I think I think that's so important for people to, we were just talking about this with Jess, like making life some kind of race, feeling like you have to move quickly and do different steps at different times.

And I love that you pointed out like it didn't feel like the right time. And sometimes it's okay to like take a step back and just be like, Hey, we're cool where we are right now. And we want to be here, but it's okay to take steps to get here. You know, like, yeah. Some people, I feel like I do that to myself.

I feel like I have to like, jump over the steps and just get right there. 

Kevin: Yeah, me too. 

Lauran: It is what it is. But okay, so you left the classroom, you were at, you were at your school, like for, was that the only school you had taught at? 

Kevin: I taught at like a, uh, charter school, but it was like so brief, and then like, you know, and then when I was in, uh, college.

Okay. Uh, cause like originally I was going to be an elementary teacher actually, like between like fourth and sixth grade, 

Theme: like 

Kevin: you, but I, uh, decided that that like really wasn't what I wanted to do. And I wanted to be like a high school or middle school teacher. And then, so yeah, going to that school, incredible, but yeah, I left it last year after six years.

Um, and then we're like on an anniversary trip a couple weeks ago in Boston and, uh, I get a call from the superintendent and he's like, He's like, Hey, can you help us do the fundraiser? And I was like, sure. So they hired me back on for like November, which has been kind of fun. 

Theme: Oh, cool. Yeah. 

Kevin: I get to go and visit my old students and the seventh graders who I never got to teach.

They're like, what were you like? And I was like, I was so strict. You would have hated it. I'm wearing flip flops and like a beanie and I look, you know, I've got a beard going on. 

Lauran: Dude, quit playing. We've seen all your TikToks. Yeah. Yeah. I'm sure you were so strict. Yeah. Like. What is one thing about teaching that, like, surprised you the most when you saw it through, like, your, through Kevin's experiences, Katie?

Like, what was, cause you're not in education, right? 

Katie: Correct. I have my master's in clinical counseling, so I'm a marriage and family therapist. 

Theme: Oh, wow. 

Katie: What surprises me the most, this is actually going to sound bad, is that like people stay in it for so long. I mean, I get why that sounds 

Lauran: bad, 

Katie: but 

Lauran: it's 

Katie: It's actually not surprising to me at all.

Getting to see, like, witness the day to day ins and outs of like how much work, how draining, how much emotional effort, um, just like how difficult it is on like the body and the spirit and the everything. I'm like, wow, I can't believe people stay in this for 40 years, like that's, that's, that's shocking.

Like, it's incredible that people are built that way, like I'm, I'm like amazed, I'm very amazed. I'm amazed. 

Jordan: I was gonna say, no, like, I completely agree with you, cause even today, so, Lauren's like, she, you were running late coming home from school, and I called you, I was like, hey, like, I was just checking in to see what was going on, and she's like, oh, uh, I just had an issue with a student, and the student, like, just had a really bad day, but the thing that, like, shocked me the most was, Lauren had walked into the room and yesterday she was, uh, she was at a different school district shadowing a principal because she's working on her principal license and all the kids were like, Oh, we missed you and everything.

And then this one student was just like, Oh yeah, I didn't miss you. It was great when you weren't here.

Lauran: It happens. I mean, here's the thing. There are children and they're gonna say things like that. And it's, it is what it is. I mean, they're, sometimes they joke about it. Sometimes they don't. I just, I just know me and 

Jordan: that would just cut me to the core. And I'd be like, all right, I guess I'm just walking out this door.

A 

Kevin: lot of kids though, are just like, they say it because they know they can. Like, I mean, it's like a reaction. That's why I like working with the bigger kids because I can rip them back. I'm not going to do that to like a fourth grader, you know what I mean? But like, but like, I, I went in, like when the 

Lauran: kid said it to me, I was, he, he looked me dead in the eyes and he was like, yeah, no one would miss you if you were gone.

And I was like, Hmm, that was mean. And I just kept going about my day, but like, that's the thing in elementary school, like the first. Really, the first time someone says something like that to you, you almost can't react about it, because then that's what they want, like, so, I don't know, I just, I just kind of was like, meh, that was mean to say, and I moved on.

Kevin: 100%. I, like, went into, so, um, the subject that I was teaching last year, and the grades I was teaching, one of my really good friends, uh, took over in my position, and so I went to go visit him, because I made, I was doing stuff with the fundraiser today at my old school, and one of my old classes, my 8th grade class that he's teaching, I like, I walk into the classroom, because I still have like my badge and stuff.

Um, and then a bunch of the kids are like, Oh, what are you doing here? And then I just like, I'm like, I'm like, you think I'm here for you? Like, like, who do you think you are? And they're like, that's the kind of stuff I love though. Like, 

Lauran: See, but that's like when, you know, you have a really good relationship with your students because you can just joke back and forth together.

Like my, my students and I, we do that all the time. And like the one, my one student, it's just like a running joke. He has the hardest time. Staying in his seat. And so we just, we just like give him crap for it. Like he'll come up to the desk and I'll be like, do you need something? And he'll be like, Nope, I was never here.

And he'll sit back down and raise his hand. And, uh, like other times when I'm standing up and I'm not sitting in like a seat or I'm wandering around the room while my co teacher is teaching, he'll be like, Mrs. Wooley, get back to your seat. No, I'm like, I'm like, listen, I'm the teacher. But, but that's like, so special.

And like, I think some people have an idea about teaching that, like, you have to be, I don't want to say professional, because you are still professional, but you have to be like, really strict. And you have to be completely serious all the time. But when the kids are having the most fun during class is.

When they're still learning, but you're also having fun with them, and that doesn't have to come in the form of, you know, being serious with every single thing you say. Kids love joking. That's, that's literally children. So, I don't know. I think that's so fun having that kind of relationship with your students.

But how do you think, like, because it's, I always like getting the same perspective from Another, like, couple who, you know, one of the spouses is a teacher because I feel like there's, like, a certain dynamic that happens, like, when you're married to a teacher, and I don't know, maybe it's just me, but, like, that's, that's just been my experience, like, how do you think it's been for you?

Being married to a teacher or vice versa being a teacher and being married. Like how do you think that affects your relationship? 

Kevin: I noticed when I was teaching that it was Like our first couple years of marriage were like really really hard and that like I gave everything to teaching Sure, I was like doing social media and all that stuff too.

But like I mean kids kids would come to my classroom I don't know if I had like time to myself Like I literally had to like Run out of my room and like beeline it to the bathroom just to get like alone time. Mm-hmm . Mm-hmm . And even though I'm super extroverted and like I can, I'm like a performer and all that stuff, just coming home, I had nothing.

And then Katie, Katie would be like, you know, super wife and like doing you. Cooking, cleaning, doing all this like really awesome stuff and I come home and I have like nothing to give her and then it would be like almost as if we got to be married like on the weekends you know. 

Lauran: I relate to that sometimes too, I do.

Jordan: I agree with you with that like first couple years of like Mary being married because you got married or you started teaching two years before? No, the year before we got married. So you were still a new teacher. Yeah, it 

Lauran: was two years because my third year teaching was when we got married. Yeah. 

Jordan: Um, so you were still like a rookie teacher learning a lot of the ropes and especially at the school district you were teaching at at the time was It was a hard one.

Yeah, it was a hard one to teach at. And I just remember, especially like that first year, um, you wouldn't get home till like 9, 10 o'clock at night, 

Theme: like 

Jordan: most nights, and it was just, and it was the same thing where it was just, like, she was just drained, like, emotionally, physically, mentally. Everything was just sapped out of her when she was coming home and that like just getting to be kind of married on the weekend thing like I can totally relate and understand like what that's like from I'm sure you can to just how you went through it all so 

Lauran: yeah and I'm sure that's not an experience unique to teaching.

I'm sure there are tons of other careers that are like that. I mean, Doctors, for instance, or, you know, first responders that are working like odd hours or, you know, even, you know, your dad. Like, I look at your parents because Jordan's parents worked completely opposite shifts. Like, his mom was, um, a software engineer and she would literally work, you know, from like 4 a.

1. She would get up and go, like, leave for work early at 4 a. m. until, like 

Jordan: Yeah, she'd leave work at 3, be home at like 3. 34. 

Lauran: Yeah, she would work during the day and then his dad worked from like 2 in the afternoon until like 11 at night and would get home at midnight. So like during the week also, they were never in the same room together.

It was just like baffling to me. I'm like, how do people make that work? But they did. Yeah. Yeah. And they were great. But like. That just seems so crazy to me and I, I look back at my first year teaching and I remember that because we weren't married yet, but like, I remember staying till 9 o'clock at night because the school district I was at, not only the district, but like, the principal that I had was super demanding and like, she, she just was like, okay, you have to have this done by this day and if it's not, you're gonna be in trouble and so, Like, for elementary school, there are a lot of moving parts, and, like, we had to have our schedule constantly displayed on our wall, so, like, the beginning of the school year, I'm sitting there with, like, sentence strips, writing out our schedule, plastering it to the wall, moving it around, putting anchor charts up, labeling everything, getting stuff prepped, and, like, as a first year teacher, and You know, just in the beginning of your career, I'm sure you can relate to this also, Kevin, like, you have nothing to, like, fall back on.

You're kind of just, like, building the ship as it flies. So, or flies? What? 

Jordan: Sails? I would go with that one. 

Lauran: It's a rocket ship. Nope, you got it. Yeah, it's an airship. 

Katie: Like a Russian planet situation. 

Theme: Exactly, it's a flying 

Lauran: ship. It's a flying 

Theme: ship. 

Lauran: But you're building it as you go. And, like I would be there till 9 o'clock at night, and then, because obviously we weren't married, so I would come over his house, which he still lived with his parents at the time too, at, you know, 9.

30, and he'd be like, let's watch a movie, and we're sitting there, and I'm like, conked out two seconds later, and it would be like, you know, midnight, and he'd be like, hey, Go home. Like, okay. But like, it's really challenging trying to balance, you know, work and being married in like the first few years. So, I mean, I don't, I don't know.

I just feel like, I feel like we have a much better balance now. 

Jordan: Yeah. It's still 

Lauran: a lot. It took a lot of Because I mean, now we have a lot of other projects, but 

Jordan: Yeah. 

Lauran: With teaching wise, if like everything else was set aside, I feel like teaching has gotten easier over the years. And I'm able to, like, leave school at a decent hour and come home and see you.

Jordan: Yeah, no. 

I'm not falling asleep at 

9 

Lauran: o'clock. 

Jordan: I think so. I think it's one of the types of careers, too, where it's The start of your career feels like so much more work than later on in the career. 

Theme: Yeah. 

Jordan: Um, because like you said, like, when you get later on in the career, um, you have a lot more resources you've built and everything, so like, things are like, uh, modulized, so you can like drop this here and that, and you, you're not doing, you're not creating everything from scratch like you do at the start.

And whereas my career, It was really easy at the first, and now it's just way more complicated. 

Katie: We flip flopped that. 

Jordan: Yeah. 

Katie: I was just thinking about, in response to that question, how much I, I feel like I conceptualized Kevin at school, and I feel like this sense of like, just like respect for what he does, and I feel like that really trickles down into our marriage.

Like, I don't know, it's, I'm not sure how to put this into words well, because I don't think I've ever tried before, but. It's like when I think about the way he, like, serves those kids and, like, loves on those kids and, like, the mentor and the role model he has been to, like, so many kids and the relationship he has, it's like, I just, I feel like it's just a piece of him.

Of like a piece of the whole that I love so much and like it's when I see it happen and when I go to a volleyball game or like take him lunch to school on occasion, like super super occasionally, um, it's just like wow, like I just feel like this like sense of like that's the best word for it is like respect of like I really respect what he does and I really respect that that was his choice.

Um, and like this was his dream to like serve children, like I just feel like it's beautiful and cool and yeah. 

Lauran: That's such a nice way to put that. I love that. That was so nice. No, it, it definitely is. And like, I like that you said it was, it's a part of him because I, I kind of feel like that's a double edged sword.

Like I don't want teaching to be my whole personality, but in this, like on the other hand. I feel like teaching is such a big part of my life and who I am as a person that it kind of becomes part of my personality, so it's like, it's hard to, you know, get out of that. That sphere of, you know, that's why, like, when I, when I post videos, I try to post some videos that are about like our real life and things that we like to do outside of work, because I think it is important to look at teachers as actual humans, but you're right.

Like, I feel like when you choose to be a teacher, it is a part of you that is like, uh, like that servant. Mindset you you like to serve others and you have this goal in your in your heart to Build the next generation of people. So I completely agree with that entirely. I love that. That was so sweet I know I such a nice way to put that 

Jordan: I agree completely I think it's one of those things where when I look at it, like I really think like Teaching's almost like, it's like a calling, it's something that like, the person is built for, cause I look at myself as like, I could never be a teacher.

Yeah, I think 

Katie: that all the time. I, 

Jordan: yeah, I, I like my world of like graphic design and all that stuff and working on the corporate side of things and everything and I, that's where I strive, like if I tried to run a classroom of 15, 20, 30 kids, I would just get eaten alive. And, um, At some point I would snap so for like people to be able to go in the classrooms and do that and just give back and give like huge swaths of like their lives to helping kids do better and like succeed and become like a brighter future I think it's just such an honorable calling and I just like I'm proud of all of them and I'm so excited to have like the teachers in our community and everything.

Lauran: Thank you. Thank you. Okay, so I have to know, obviously Kevin and I know what subjects we taught, but like if you were to be a teacher, Katie and 

Theme: Jordan, 

Lauran: If you had to teach, what would you teach and why? Jordan's like, Katie? I 

Katie: got you, I got you. I've taught Kevin's health class before. I've done, um, like a section of the unit on mental health, just speaking to the process of like, um, being a therapist or reaching out for therapy.

What else did I talk about? 

Kevin: One of the things the kids really, really loved was, um, like the, the way that you, I guess it's like well known, but the way that you described like your, um, pression or not necessarily your depression, but like the sadness that you feel, like everything you go through, like goes in waves and you like ride that wave.

And then you know that there's like another wave coming. Like it just. Yeah. It's just wave after wave after wave and 

Katie: it's like, 

Kevin: understanding that you're just riding the wave, it'll get better, it'll get worse, it'll get better, and it just, but the kids really, like, that day, I had kids say, um, that they, um, Wanted to become therapists because of her.

Katie: Oh, wow. That's incredible. That's awesome. But yeah, I really could see myself teaching health class It was like I you know when he was teaching health class I had a lot of opinions not even just on the mental health unit. That was just a third of it I don't know how many units there were on everything.

Kevin: Even the old curriculum that I just threw out. 

Katie: They need better sex 

Kevin: health. Spent like hundreds of dollars getting new curriculum just because I was like this is important. They 

Katie: need better education. Yeah, 

Kevin: it was 

Katie: important. But yeah, I would, I would love 

Lauran: to teach health personally. Oh my gosh, I remember our high school health class.

It was a trip. Yeah. I remember. In a bad way? Not in a bad way. Like, I, I think like, No, we had a very I think sex education is super important. Yeah, I was going to say, we had a very comprehensive. 

Jordan: Because we went to the same high school. Yeah. It was very, like It 

Lauran: was comprehensive. Yeah. For sure. Like, we, you definitely Like, learned everything you needed to know to make, you know, responsible, informed decisions as an adult, and, uh, I, I think the same about the school that I teach at, like, our health teacher does a great job of making sure, like, the kids are knowledgeable and understanding what's going on, you know, with their own bodies, and so they can make, you know, informed decisions, and I just, the only thing I remember that was like, A trip was having to watch the miracle of life.

Uh, and it was like the 1980s version. 

Theme: Oh God. 

Lauran: It, uh, it was like a birth, like a human birth video. Oh 

Katie: yeah. 

Lauran: Uh huh. Uh, but like I said, 1980s. So, I mean, it was just, It was like a blast from the past. It was grainy 

Jordan: super 8 footage and it was just like, oh, okay. I just 

Lauran: remember everybody being 

Katie: really uncomfortable.

I definitely have an image from high school like seared in my brain of, yeah, watching a birth. 

Lauran: Yeah. 

Theme: Oh God. 

Katie: Yeah, uh, 

Lauran: something, that was something. Kudos to health teachers. I could not, I could not do what you do. So yeah, for sure. Um, okay, Jordan, what would you teach? 

Jordan: I don't know. I'm torn between. Just because it's a big passion of mine is photography.

I love photography. 

Theme: Did we have a photography class 

Jordan: at our school? We did. It was like a nine weeks elective sort of thing. And then I know I took it as an elective in college too. So, um, But yeah, um, I'd either, I'm tossed up between that or math because I just love math and I'm just a big nerd for math, so.

I could see you 

Lauran: being a math teacher, but no, I think photography for sure. 

Kevin: Job security. 

Lauran: Yeah. Yeah. They're always going to need math for sure. That's so cool. Well, I, I mean, I love that for you guys and I, I'm so happy for the journey that you guys are on and I'm glad you decided to, you know, take a break and just, you know, do some soul searching and now you're back subbing, right?

Is that? 

Kevin: From time to time, like that was always, that was always planned. Like, even when I left my school, they were like, keep, like, keep the badge because we're going to be asking you to sub and I'm like, alright. We're going to be calling you. So, yeah. I think for me, it's just figuring out like what life is like not being a teacher, you know, like that aspect of me that always wants to pour into kids.

Still gets to happen though, because like I call up like my old students who have graduated and you know, I talk to them and you know, um, I'm in the talks with, you know, taking one of my, one of my old students to the gym and getting a burrito and stuff like, 

Katie: you know, he's like 19, 

Kevin: 20, you know, I surfed with another one of my students.

Katie: He coached surf for a semester. Yeah, and 

Kevin: I was like coaching surf at my school and things like that. So like the thing that like I truly like love and will never let go of is the mentorship. 

Katie: Yeah. 

Kevin: And that's like to me, that's like. The most important as a teacher, but like, there's obviously a lot more to teaching than that.

And so I think for me, that was why I was okay with like letting teaching go for a little bit, as long as I get to mentor. 

Lauran: You still get to do like that aspect of the job. Yeah. Yeah. I agree. I think that I know at my, at my old school, um, like we did not have, and I, I think that there Needs to be more male representation in education and, you know, other, um, just diversity in general, because I feel like.

The teaching population is, you know, let's be honest, it's typically women. Um, but I, I just feel like it makes such a difference when children that don't have a strong male figure in their life have a positive male role model as a teacher. I, I truly feel like that makes such a big difference. And at my old school, we had, um, a few of the, the male teachers set up like a young gentleman's club and it was literally like, Kindergarten through eighth grade like they like little gentlemen's they would like dress in little suit jackets And then they would teach them like etiquette and they would teach them just how to be polite and how to you know Speak to people respectfully And it just, it was just such a great little mentorship program and the kids loved it.

They would like lose their minds when it was time for their club because they would get to go and have like lunch with them and it was just a nice positive role model for them. So I'm sure you've done that for, you know, a lot of your students, which is so awesome. So, I'm really glad, um, that you still get to kind of be in that capacity, um, but I want to hear, before we go on to, to do our game after our break, I want to hear real quick your story about your freshman teacher.

Katie: Oh, the teacher. Yeah, it was your 

Kevin: Mr. Blake. Oh my gosh, Mr. B, dude, Mr. Blake, I was 

Jordan: like, did I get this wrong? Oh my gosh, no, no, no, 

Kevin: you got it right. You got it real right. Okay, so 

Lauran: I You were like, Mr. Blake. Mr. B, dude. 

Theme: Mr. B! 

Lauran: Um, 

Kevin: gosh, so he was my favorite teacher, like, of all time. Um, and I mean, he was like, The tiniest guy you've ever met.

Like he was probably five, two, something, five, three. I don't know. He's pretty, he's pretty short. Um, but like he was a giant to us, you know, he was a giant to me. And I just remember like, you know, I was what, 14. And I was dating this girl and she like, I kind of broke it off over the summer and then we got back together and then I was like really into her and man, you know, first love, you know what I'm saying?

Like you just feel like everything is so big at 14 and she ends up, we, so our school would go like on a retreat. And it was like kind of in October where, where we'd all like get to, you just get to know each other, you know, and you get to make all these friendships and that's when a lot of the relationships start and like all that stuff, you know, and she ended up breaking up with me at camp and I was like, 

devastated, dude, 

I was like, but the thing was, Not at 

Jordan: camp.

Yeah, I was gonna say. Way to ruin the trip. 

Kevin: But it was like, at the same time I had gone like on a trip to South Korea. Um, and I ended up actually getting put into a coma. Um, so yeah, so it was crazy. So I was like doing, um, like a sports ministry for, um, like this huge event that we were doing, um, with my church.

So I was like teaching kids how to play like American sports and stuff. And it was like super fun, but I wasn't like drinking a lot of water or anything. It was just like, our days were so busy. Like we'd be helping out. old people's home in the morning. And then we would go and we'd like go serve at a local church or we'd go to like a, just all these things like packed into a day.

And then, so I just, I wasn't even thinking about it. I'm like 14. I'm like, whatever. And then I like was so dehydrated. We were like, I think we were in like the Hyundai mall in where were we, Busan? Something, I don't know. But I was like leaning on the escalator and I like just passed out. But I like kept going.

and fell off of it. On to my head. Oh my god. 

Theme: Like, over the side? Over the 

Kevin: side. As it was going down. How far up 

Theme: were you? I don't, 

Kevin: I don't know. 

Jordan: I mean, I guess that, hold on. I guess that's a really, I guess that's a really dumb question to ask. 

Kevin: I woke up the next day. 

No, it's fine. Like, I don't know. I woke up the next day.

Maybe it was like 24 hours. I forget how long it was, but. It's like 24 hours, 48 hours, something like that. I woke up in the hospital going like, what happened? 

Theme: And this happened 

Kevin: probably like two weeks prior to the breakup. So like I was already kind of like just figuring out what's going on. We get back to school and my parents were like, should you even go to camp?

And I'm like, yeah, I want to go to camp. And you know, like I literally have like a hematoma, the size of a lemon, like on my head. Oh 

Jordan: my God. You know what 

Kevin: I mean? 

Jordan: Yeah. 

Kevin: And she ends up breaking up with me like that next week. I'm sure she probably felt bad. Like she was like, timing the timing's never gonna be perfect.

Yeah. But man, she like just ripped out my heart, dude. I like was 

Lauran: like, I know this is really bad timing and you just fell over an escalator. Yeah, dude. But I wanna see other people and I 

Kevin: would like listen to like breakup songs all the time just 

to like, you know, oh, and like my mom too, she's like driving me to school.

Like, why are we listening to this trash? And I'm like, 

Theme: because 

Kevin: you know. Going back to Mr. B, like that day, or there was like one day, I think I just like, let it get to me, dude, and I was in class, and usually I was like, I was always kind of a class clown, I guess, already. I had like a desk by myself, like in the corner, so I couldn't talk to people, um, in his class specifically, but I had a really good relationship with him, which also is like, can hurt sometimes,

I probably felt so comfortable doing what I am about to tell you, um, which, you know, that is the catch when you are, when you do build relationships. Um, but like, that day I was just like on one, dude, and I was so angry. Um, and he said something probably like messing with me or whatever. And I just, I like cussed him out.

Like just, I was so pissed. I was like, and it was like in the middle of class I was 14 and he, and I'm just like, I barely remember, like, I don't even really remember it just kind of like, like that, but I remember he was like, go sit 

outside and I was like, in my mind, I'm like, Oh shoot. Oh shoot. Oh shoot.

I'm so dead. I'm going to the office. Like, I'm going to get in so much trouble. You know what I mean? And so I'm 

like sitting there, I'm just like, just like head buried in my lap or whatever and he like dismisses the class like a couple minutes early, um, comes and sits down next to me and he just like goes, what's going on with you?

And just, instead of like berating me or being like, you know, upset, he just like, was like, I know something's wrong, I know you didn't mean to do that, let's talk. And then I didn't get in trouble. And that to me, that moment was like the moment I can pinpoint back to like what grafted like on my heart to be a mentor for kids.

Because that, if it was any other person, that would have gone a different way. 

Lauran: Absolutely. 

Kevin: I would have got suspended, could have gotten, like, expelled, I was at, like, a private Christian school. Like, you know what I mean? Like, you don't do that. You know what I mean? And so, for me, that was, like, a def like, the defining moment that I can even, like, pinpoint to why I became a teacher and, like, why I love to mentor kids.

Because, like, that stuff has happened to me. And I've had to do, like, I've, like, passed it forward. You know what I mean? And it was, like, I mean, it's, it was, Such a pivotal moment for me. 

Lauran: Well, that's what going back to like the story Jordan was telling about my student saying that like he you know He he said that to me and then like later on in the day He said something else that I was like, dude, like what so I like after all the other kids were in the other room Doing a math activity.

I was looking at him was like what's going on? Like what did I do something? Are you okay? Like why are you talking to me like this? Like, cause you don't, like, you know, like, you don't usually talk to me like that. So, I think that's a, that's kind of a great message, cause it is hard sometimes when you're the adult and you are being disrespected by a child.

And it doesn't matter what age they are, it still, it still will sting just the same, because we're human. And when people disrespect us, you want to feel a certain way about it. But, I think it's really important before, like, making a decision about, you know, a consequence or, like, what you're gonna do about it, talk to the kid, like, take them out of, of the situation, remove them from everybody else's, yeah, from everybody else's eyesight and have a talk with them and just be like, hey, you know, this is really out of character, what, what's going on, is there something happening at home, did something happen this morning that's triggering this, like, Because, I mean, that's not going to work every single time.

Kevin: No. 

Lauran: But, a lot of the time, a lot of the time you'll get to the bottom of it. And you understand that the behavior is not at all directed at you. It's just them getting the anger off their chest in a way that they can. And, and then like showing them, okay, this was not cool. Like we don't, we're not going to do this again.

But here are some things you can do when you do feel angry like that, or you feel like you want to be upset with someone or, you know, XYZ. So like I said, it's a case by case basis. But I mean, that That's something that it took me a while to learn that as, as a teacher, and it does make a huge difference just like pulling a kid out and talking to them before, you know, jumping the gun and, you know, sending him to the office or you know, calling home or whatever.

So I'm really glad that you had that teacher in your life to kind of You know, understand what you were going through and realize that that was uncharacteristic for you and, you know, because like you said, they set you on that path to then become a mentor for other kids and I think that's so admirable.

Theme: Yeah. 

Lauran: And I know we probably all had a teacher like that in our lives. So, I really appreciate you sharing that story, that was a great story. 

Theme: Yeah. 

Lauran: So, when we come back from the break, we are going to play a version of the Newlywed game, since, you know, y'all are semi newlyweds, you're not 

Kevin: Forever newlywed, let's go.

Oh no. 

Lauran: Yeah, yeah, let's go. Let's do that. All right. We'll be right back.

Jordan: All right. Welcome back. So now we are going to be playing a little twist of a newlywed game here, where I'm going to be asking five questions. 

Theme: Yeah. 

Jordan: Five questions. And Kevin and Lauren will be getting to answer these questions. And then me and Katie are going to have to do our best to guess them correctly.

So are we ready for question number one? 

Lauran: Yes. See you while you know me. 

Jordan: All right. Which student behavior does your teacher partner find the most frustrating? Looks like Kevin's going. Lauren, you're still thinking. I 

Kevin: taught 

Jordan: middle school, 

Lauran: dude. Like I had to think about it for a second because I was like, I mean, there are various ones that are frustrating.

So I don't know. I had to pick one in particular that I feel like would frustrate me the most. 

Jordan: Okay. Who's going to go first? Why don't you go first? I'm going to go first. Oh, okay. 

Lauran: What do you think I put down? 

Jordan: I think that you put down interrupting you when you're in the middle of talking. Oh, man. 

Kevin: Was that right?

Lauran: I said Oh, no way! Talking over me when, while teaching. Whoa, I'm impressed. Why? Why do you think I wrote that? 

Jordan: The only reason this was my guess was because, was it last month, you bought a little hand clicker for every time students interrupted you and you counted It was a trend on TikTok, to be fair. 

Lauran: It was a trend.

So, Casey and I bought the little, like, um, it's, uh, pitch counter for baseball, and every time we got interrupted during class, we would click it, and we, by the end of one day, I think we had like 250 interruptions. It was insane. The first day we did it, and but the kids were like, why do you keep clicking that?

What is that? What is that for? And we were like, wouldn't tell them until the end of the day. And they were like, Oh, so then like the next day, they tried to make it less. And it actually kind of worked. But like, you know, that fell off the bandwagon. They don't do that anymore. 

Kevin: Dude, so that's like the intangible.

Like those are the intangibles of teaching that people don't understand that like wear on you as a teacher that you are constantly interrupted. 

Lauran: You have so much patience as a teacher you really do and it's like when it's constant like you're saying over and over and over again then you're like all right guys because like for me it's more it's not so much that they're it's not like a respect thing it's not that you're talking when i'm talking like whatever for me you Like, I have ADHD, and my thoughts, like, when I'm trying to speak and I'm hearing, like, side conversations next to me or in front of me, like, my brain splits into two different routes, and half of me is still teaching, the other half is listening, and I can't do both at the same time, so it's like, it just makes it harder for me to teach, and I'm honest with the kids about that, I'll just be like, guys, I can't focus when I hear you guys talking, so I'm like, you gotta stop.

But okay, what did you put, Kevin? 

Jordan: What's my 

Lauran: guess? 

Katie: Oh yeah, I'm sorry. So, I'm thinking, and I'm thinking I'm not right. Which is, um, you don't like when the kids don't turn in their assignments. Yay, 

Kevin: whatever. And then 

Katie: you have to like chase them down and move on. Yeah, 

Kevin: but that's not like the thing, yeah, that's like middle school, whatever, but no, it's talking over me.

It's literally what every teacher hates. I love it! Literally every teacher hates that. That's so funny. 

Katie: I was thinking, you don't get annoyed by that like I would be, cause they talk over you or like talk loudly and you seem to like feed off it. 

Kevin: Yeah, but that's like, like when I'm being like serious and we're trying to actually do something and they keep talking like, this is the reason I was able to like so quickly, like write that thing down was because I was visiting my buddy's classroom today and he was doing that to them and I was like, 

Oh, I just want to say something to you.

I'm like, Oh, 

you're so disrespectful right now. And you're being, he's like literally helping you pass a test right now. And they're like, Oh, I know. And I'm like, Literally hearing the conversation has nothing to do with like anything. 

Lauran: I love that that's just a universal experience as a teacher. Like, there are so many behaviors and things that kids do that are like, it's just kids being kids.

But like, yeah, that's that is the number one thing I feel like teachers would agree upon is just being talked over when you're trying to provide information. 

Kevin: Yeah, I mean, that's why I had my own desk. That's what I would do. So I get it. Like, I get it, man. Alright, what's question number two? Question number two.

Lauran: And I'll remember the rules this time, because I was trying to I was trying to help Katie out and get her a bonus point. 

Jordan: How many hours does your teacher partner typically spend grading in a week?

Katie: You guys, I'm so scared. What if I get none and everybody judges me? Okay, what happens if I don't even know the answer? I 

Kevin: hope you do get none right. That would be 

so funny. This is a hard question because I don't even know. 

Lauran: That's what I was saying, I was like, what happens if I don't even know these? I've never 

Kevin: seen grading stuff.

Yeah, 

Lauran: exactly. It does depend. Oh my gosh.

Jordan: So we're gonna, we're gonna math this one out. 

Lauran: Okay, I have my answer. You got 

Jordan: your answer? 

Lauran: Katie go first this time. 

Jordan: Yep, sounds good. 

Katie: Kevin is actually like really passionate about getting teachers, like everybody we know who's a teacher, he's like, spend less time outside of school, like working on schoolwork, like it's one of his favorite lectures to give anybody, like that we meet, ever, as a teacher, is like, spend less time working, like, so I'm gonna go with um, and he lives by it too, like he didn't bring people to work home.

I'm gonna go with like just his prep periods, maybe like three? Three hours? 

Kevin: Wow, that was pretty good. Four. I put four. Four. I think you're being generous 

Lauran: to yourself. I think you get that point. Yeah. I think she gets the point. That point counts. Yeah. 

Kevin: I think, okay. That's close enough. It depends though, because like I only really graded, I only graded the stuff that like was good feedback, like stuff that, that, that like mattered.

The thing, like the secret is, is like, There was like a lot of all or nothing kind of things, like if they did it, they got credit, you know? But for the most part, like, if it was like a test or something, yeah. So then my prep periods, you know. Well, 

Lauran: that's the thing, not everything has to be, uh, you know, a grade.

Exactly. You know, if you put in the effort and you were trying, sure. 

Kevin: I think four hours probably of really good feedback. 

Lauran: Alright, Jordan? 

Jordan: Okay, so I was trying to math this out. So your prep period's what, an hour? And you get, oh no, you ruined your eyes. 

Kevin: Dude, elementary teachers don't have prep periods, 

Theme: bro.

Come on now. Oh, what? 

Kevin: Elementary, elementary teachers are told they have to do a million other things on their prep period. 

Jordan: Oh god, okay. Um, I never see you grade at home, so. Eight hours? 

Lauran: Okay. I mean, I thought this one was a tough one because, okay, first of all, you never see me grade at home because you're usually asleep by that time.

Oh, okay. I do a lot of work, like Jordan falls asleep and I'm sitting in bed next to him, continuing to work just because I don't know how to shut it off. I can't. Like, and it's not even just schoolwork. It's not like teacher work. It's just a combination of like grad school and as you know, grading things and whatever.

So I put five to six. Maybe. Because I don't know, it also depends on the week because, okay, so like, I have, like, I'm a language arts teacher, they write essays for me, and right now I teach like a co teach class so I have 29 essays that I'm grading, and like they wrote these essays for me a month ago and I'm still grading them because it takes that long.

To do yeah, so that's something 

Kevin: that you want to give like actually authentic really good. Right. I sit and I read 

Lauran: them and I give them, you know, comments on what they did well and what they could improve on. And then, you know, there's like our weekly grades. Like we have like our curriculum now makes us do a spelling test, which I don't like.

And then our we have vocabulary and then which I do like. And then we have. Um, like a, we do like a mentor sentence, so it's like grammar, and we do like a little quiz for that. Um, so, it just depends on the week, but yeah, I'd say like 5 to 6? 

Theme: Dang. 

Lauran: But I mean, I don't know, I think that one was tough. I think Katie gets the point.

Yeah. Yeah, she definitely was closer. 

Jordan: Alright. 

Lauran: Alright, on to the next. 

Jordan: Question number three. What is the most ridiculous excuse a student has given your teacher partner for missing homework? 

Lauran: I gotta really think, I don't know. 

Jordan: I just like your face during all of these, cause you're like, huh, huh. 

Lauran: I gotta rewrite this cause I messed it up.

I don't, I don't know, I gotta think. I can't think of any, 

Katie: honestly, that you've told me. I don't think I've told you any. Cause I 

Kevin: haven't been good. Since the pandemic, kids just like, just don't do, like didn't do their work online. 

Lauran: Well here's the thing, I don't, it's very rare that I give homework, like, I mean I just am not a proponent of giving homework.

Theme: Yeah, me either. 

Lauran: Um, 

Theme: yeah. 

Lauran: Okay, I had, I have to put a preface on my excuse as to why it sounds weird. I guess ridiculous, but either way, Jordan, you're up first. 

Jordan: Okay. I'm up first. Oh, you have to add a preface. 

Lauran: I had to add a preface because it'll, it won't make sense. It doesn't sound like a ridiculous excuse unless I add the preface.

Jordan: With you saying that, I'm just gonna go with the classic, the dog ate the homework. 

Lauran: Okay, so I said, I, I had a soccer game, and the reason that sounds, that sounds ridiculous to me is because whenever I give homework, because I don't give it often at all. When I do give homework, I usually give them, at minimum, two to three days to complete it.

So like, you know, if a student comes in and they say, Well, I have a soccer game tonight, I'll be like, Okay, do it tomorrow, or like, the next day, or during homeroom. Like, I give them so many opportunities to do it, even in class. So, that's why it It would be ridiculous to me, but like, I don't really give homework anyway.

Jordan: All right, Katie, your turn. 

Katie: Um, I was thinking about during the pandemic, Kevin had a student zoom in while snowboarding. 

Kevin: Oh, that was 

dope. He was skiing. He was skiing. It was like, I told him to, I literally told him to. I was like, bro, when you're on the lift, when you're, when you're going down the slope, I need you to zoom in and say, hi.

Katie: I can't, I'm an aspen. 

Kevin: No, where were they? They were at Vail. Okay, what 

Jordan: was your answer, Kevin? 

Kevin: I would say That wasn't ridiculous, because I was all for that. I'm like, dude, 

Lauran: come on. Give her some credit, that was great. No, no, 

Kevin: no, that was great, but I had other homework I didn't do, and so I did that instead.

Jordan: Instead? 

Kevin: And the thing is, is like, I didn't get homework, I would give, like, work, and if they didn't do it in class, then it became homework, and we were blocked schedule. So, like, they had two days to do it anyway. 

Lauran: Right, right. So it 

Kevin: was usually, like, That's, that's, 

Lauran: same for me, it's just, you have, if you have multiple days, and, and it's like, same thing, if I give homework, it's maybe like a page, and like, a couple of math problems, and you have like, like this week, I know Casey gave homework for math, And it was like two pages of homework and they had an entire week to do it.

Um, I'm so interested to see who turns in homework tomorrow. I 

Theme: just, 

Lauran: I wanna see, you know, if it gets done. Cause like, I'm gonna be honest, when you teach elementary school especially, you know, I don't, I don't give homework because of many reasons. One, I think they're children and there's a lot of time that needs to be spent with families.

Two, Some kids don't have an adult at home to help them with their homework, and so it's either going to get practiced incorrectly, or they're gonna stress out about it and it won't get done anyway. So, if I do give homework, like, they'll come up to my table in the morning and sit with me, and like, They can work on it there or like during, you know, recess if they want to.

I don't force them to do that. Or, you know, even like when they finish an assignment early in class, they'll do it like during that little chunk of time that they have. So, yeah, I just, I know that like homework can help with practicing different skills. 

Kevin: Like reading. Reading's a good thing. Yeah. Like a little bit of reading every night is pretty good.

Lauran: Absolutely. Absolutely. I think, you know, I used to do a reading log when I was in, um, when I taught second grade and you know, most of the families would turn it in but like in all honesty, all I want to, all I want you to do is just read together for a few minutes a night. It doesn't have to be anything crazy.

Read a book before bed. That's it. Like, yeah, reading is so much more of a beneficial activity for like a homework activity and it's a family engagement activity. Yeah, and 

Kevin: it's kid's choice, you know what I mean? So the kid gets to like choose something they actually want to read, you know. Right, 

Lauran: completely agree.

Alright, what's next? 

Jordan: Alright, next question. What's your teacher partner's secret weapon for getting students to pay attention?

Katie: I know I'm going to get this one right, actually. 

Jordan: Wait, really? Yeah. Oh, Lauren's writing a book over here. 

Katie: Cause I kind of have two, okay. 

Jordan: You have two? She's got like a stack. I have two, actually. I know, yeah. 

Katie: Kevin's so beloved at his school because he's so outrageous. Because he's such a crazy teacher. So I know for a fact that he throws things at kids and jumps up on tables suddenly if he feels like people aren't paying attention.

Kevin: I jump up on the desk. And when I throw things, it's a paper ball, okay? Okay, I was 

Katie: like, 

Kevin: wait, I was 

Katie: like, hold on, what are you throwing? I jump up on the desk. Oh, look 

Kevin: at that. Yeah, I used to do that all the time. Like, I would just be like walking up in front of them, they'd be like, doing whatever. And all of a sudden, Just like straight, like, box jump, just BOOM!

And they're like, OH! And I'm like, shut up. And they're like, 

Katie: okay. But they'll all tell me about it too. Yeah, 

Kevin: and then they're like, oh my god. Yeah, they still talk about it. 

Lauran: I mean, and you teach high schoolers, so you could totally do that and stuff with them. 

Kevin: 100%. 

Lauran: Oh lord, okay. I just want 

Kevin: to see that now. I 

Lauran: know, like, I'm impressed.

Kevin: I wouldn't do that to like, Fourth graders because then they would want to do it. You know, I mean, yeah, but like yeah, they very much like to imitate They're like, oh, that was, cause they don't like, they don't see you as like somebody that can do something like that. 

Theme: Yeah. So when you 

Kevin: do it, they're just shocked.

They're like, uh, uh, like something in their brain kind of snaps a little bit and you're like, got you. Now I can, I can take that and then repurpose it. 

Lauran: Yeah. Now pay attention and write the notes. Okay. What do you think mine is? 

Jordan: I think it's, uh, so you have a class economy and I think it's just your, uh, money from your class economy that you hand out as a secret.

You pay your students. Okay, 

okay. 

Lauran: Dang, you got about half 

Jordan: economy. Let's go. It works. You got, 

Lauran: you got half of it? I got half. You got half of it. I got half a point. Okay. So one thing I, I kind of started doing is I, you know, you know those little plastic pointers that I have. It's like a pointer and just has like a little hand on the end.

Okay, so, like, because we're co teaching this year, there are times when, like, where, like, one is teaching and one is assisting, so I'm, like, when, when Casey takes the focus on math, I'm walking around the room assisting, and I bring my pointer with me. And sometimes if someone's not paying attention, I'll just like do like pretend my mic is the kid.

I'll just like do one of these where I just like put it close to them and I'm like, are you paying attention? And like get up real near them and poke their book to like show them where we're at. I'll just be like, we're right here. I'll just like, they joke about it and they're like, they're like, Mrs.

Harris, Mrs. Wooley's poking my book. So they do that. But the other one I put is. Bribery! 

Theme: Bribery, yes! 

Lauran: So yeah, we'll give them class economy money, or bear badges, or candy, I mean They 

Jordan: love that stuff! 

Lauran: They're kids! Of course! Especially you guys! 

Jordan: It was the Pokemon cards! Oh! They lost it over Pokemon cards!

Yes! Oh yeah, 

Kevin: last year. Do you ever have like a holographic one that you'd like hold onto for like the best kid? No, I Best behaved, not best kid. 

Lauran: So in my class economy, I had My, like, I let them tell me, like, I took, like, a survey of, like, what items they wanted to have in the class storks so that they would work towards them.

And last year, like, all the boys were super into Pokemon card trading. So, I would buy, like, the packs of Pokemon cards off Amazon. I could get them in, like, a little pack, like, a little cheaper. And I, like, so the thing about the class store, because I get, I got these comments when I was restocking the store sometimes, is like, I would put them in there and show that the Pokemon cards were like, 50, and they were like, What?

You're charging children 50? I'm like, chill, it's paper money, and it's in the store, it's a, like, they have to learn to save up the money for it. Like, that's the whole lesson here. But they would lose their minds. When they got enough money to buy the Pokemon cards and at one point there was one pack left and one of the kids was like, Guys, no one, because I taught them about inflation and I raised the price of, um, the cards.

And then a few weeks later, I was teaching them about supply and demand. And I was like, okay, there's only one pack of cards left, so I think, because I know a lot of you want to buy it, I'm going to raise the price slightly, because I can make a higher profit, because there's a high demand for this item, and there's not a lot of it.

So, I raised it like five dollars or something. And one kid was like, guys, no one buy the Pokemon cards, because when no one buys them, she's gonna have to lower the price. And then, I was like, there's a thought, and then another kid was like, I'll buy them, and they were like, no! Like, you ruined our plan! But, yeah, the bribery, uh, I'm sorry, like, I, sometimes, like, why do we go to work?

Jordan: For money. For money. You go 

Lauran: because you're being paid to do that. So, if kids are, like, not motivated to learn in school, I'm gonna learn why they want, like, what they want, or what they want to be motivated by, and I'm gonna use that to motivate them to do their schoolwork. Because, I mean, otherwise, they're just gonna sit there.

So, I don't want that. So, yeah. Bribery. 

Jordan: Is this a pro bribery podcast now? 

Lauran: No, just with fake paper money. Just with fake 

Jordan: paper money. It's just 

Kevin: so pro motivation, you know? Yeah, 

Lauran: it's a motivation technique. I would 

Kevin: take my students off campus like on a Friday or whatever to go to Starbucks, you know, like if they were good.

You could do that? 

Lauran: That's so cool. Yeah, we could do that. 

Kevin: I had to sign them out and 

Lauran: stuff. It was a walk. 

Kevin: It was a walk. Like, we didn't drive anywhere. How did you 

Lauran: sign them out? 

Kevin: Well, I would sign them out for, like, the period. It would just be like, when Clint talks to class. And then I would have to, like, take a radio with me, and then 

Katie: And it's, like, directly next to the school.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. 

Kevin: It's like, ugh. 

Katie: Oh, okay. I gotcha. We 

Kevin: literally have, like, a strip mall, like, right next to the school. 

Lauran: Gotcha. Oh, cool. I was like, man, like, that sounds Like, I've never had that opportunity. That's cool, I wish we had a Starbucks next to my school. I was 

Kevin: about to say, you also 

Lauran: Nah, I'd rather have a Dunkin Yeah.

Kevin: Oh. You wouldn't want what we have though, because there are like six schools all right next to each other within this like small little area, and so there's like hundreds, thousands of kids, like just everywhere. And then so like, we, so you, that's like the unfortunate part, but you know. That is what it is.

Lauran: You still have coffee in your school. I don't. Not even on my way to work do I have coffee from Jelly. Okay. 

Jordan: All right. The last question. Are you ready? 

Lauran: Ready. 

Jordan: If your teacher partner could go on a dream vacation during the school year, which month would they choose? Month. 

Katie: I don't know. A month of achievements.

That's so niche. I know. 

Lauran: That is a niche question. I heard his pen go like, ch ch ch ch. I know, I felt like I had to doodle something on my paper. You're just listening to the pen strokes, alright, that's an 

Katie: A. to the pen strokes. Short word, short word. 

Jordan: Yep. I'm gonna go with October. 

Katie: Why is that? 

Jordan: Because that's like our wedding month, or our anniversary month.

And you just like the fall. 

Lauran: That's a cute answer. 

Jordan: Is it wrong? 

Lauran: But entirely wrong. 

Jordan: What is it? 

Lauran: March. March. Because. It is my least favorite month of the school year. It's the longest month of the school year. There's not a single long weekend, not a single holiday, other than St. Patrick's Day, but we were at school for St.

Patrick's Day. And it's, you know, I, not that I don't want to be at work, but like, It's always fun when you have little long weekends here and there and March for every teacher is the longest month So I would go on vacation then 

Katie: for me my Instinct was also October. It's also our anniversary and Took two weeks off two years ago and we did get married and we went to Costa Rica stroke length.

I'm gonna go with May. That 

Kevin: is 

Katie: correct. Look 

Kevin: at that. 

Katie: Oh my gosh. 

Kevin: That's when the kids 

Katie: get out. 

Kevin: So like, if I could take my dream vacation, I would just start summer early. Oh that's a good idea. That's a smart answer. I just leave. Oh no. No, 

Lauran: that's a smart answer. Like 

Kevin: May 15th is like the last day of school or whatever for the kids and we stay until like May 30th.

I'm like, let me get out, dude. Hold on, 

Lauran: hold on. Let's, let's roll that back. Your kids get out of school on May 15th and then teachers stay for two more weeks? 

Kevin: Yeah, something like that. 

Lauran: What do you do for two weeks? 

Kevin: Planning, um, 

Katie: Planning what? 

Kevin: We have a lot of in service. Compared 

Katie: to other schools, they have them like monthly.

They have so many. It's like bi 

Kevin: weekly actually. Oh wow. Like every, um, like tomorrow, they've got an in service because there's like a half day. So the teachers will be doing an in service. It's kind of normal, like I'm sure you guys do it too, but. 

Lauran: They do a lot though. 

Kevin: Yeah. 

Lauran: Nah. We have in service, like, I think three, we have three in service days a year, like, within the school year, and then we have like three at the start of the school year and one at the end.

So I think it's like a full week or so of in service days, but 

Kevin: yeah, no, our kids 

Lauran: get out like the following week, they get out like May 24th or something like that. And then it always falls around Memorial Day. And then like, if it, if the last day of school is before Memorial Day and there's a day after that in the week, then that's the teacher's last in service day.

Then it's, um, the day after Memorial Day. So 

Theme: yeah, 

Lauran: yeah, that's smart idea. I would do that too. See, here's the thing though. My teacher anxiety would be like, you know, March might be the longest month of the year, but then if I'm gone in the middle of March, that's also like test prep season. And so I think I picked a, I picked a bad month.

So, 

Kevin: so this is my month is May. Is like, you're basically done. The kids aren't learning anymore. You've prepped them all you can. What are you gonna do? Sit there and proctor a test? Or like, come on, like, I'm gonna go on vacation. I'm gone. Peace out. Love you. I'll see you next year. 

Theme: I've 

Kevin: done all I can do.

That was like my AP thing too. Like, literally, there was, we did a Disney trip. 

Theme: We 

Kevin: got invited on a Disney trip. Like, I forget which one it was, but. We went to one and it was like literally, like I was teaching AP US history and the kids were like, you're ditching, you're leaving us for that? Exam is like in two weeks.

And I'm like, yeah, I literally, we've gone through everything that we can do. It's just review now. And I've got reviews, like you've got all the reviews you need. I'm like, I don't, I'm sorry. There's nothing more I can teach you. And they're like, yeah, fine. 

Katie: I'm sorry. We got to go on a 

Kevin: cruise. Sorry, we got to go on a cruise.

Like, I'm sorry. 

Lauran: There was a teacher who used to teach at my school who, um, she and her husband would go on like a European cruise for two weeks in September every year. So it was just like a given. She was going to take off two weeks in September. So they always had a sub lined up for her, but I was always so jealous and like, I want to go on a European cruise for two weeks.

That sounds amazing. Well, anyway, okay, so check out the score. Who was the winner? I feel like we have to be disqualified. No, don't disqualify yourself. If you're not 

Kevin: cheating, you're not trying, okay? Stop! I would literally say that to the kids, like, as a joke during a test. Oh my. And they're like, wait, really?

And I'm like, no. No. Come on. 

Jordan: All right. Eight, an amazing score. Of one and a half,

that would be me, 

Theme: and the winner, 

Jordan: and the winner of today's game with three points, Katie!

Lauran: Look at that, see, she was like, I'm not having to do, proceeds to get everything correct. 

Kevin: She's a therapist, it's how she does it, she like reads minds. Very intuitive. 

Katie: Gotta set your expectations low. 

Kevin: Oof. 

Katie: That is 

Kevin: not good advice. Don't 

Katie: tell 

Kevin: kids 

Lauran: that. Don't 

Kevin: tell 

Lauran: kids that. This was super fun. I like this game.

Well, thank you guys so much for coming on the show. We would love to have you back sometime. And good luck with everything you guys are doing. Um, and yeah, keep in touch for sure. 

Kevin: We'll do. Thanks 

Lauran: for having us. Thanks for having us, guys. We'll be right back, guys.

We are back. So it is time for our special bond of this week, and it's a pretty long one. Yep. So let's get right into it. And you're 

Jordan: making me read the long one. Oh 

Lauran: no. Take it away. 

Jordan: My fifth grade science teacher, Mr. Teddy, or as we kids called him, Mr. Teddy Bear. 

Well, I like 

that, 

Mr. Teddy Bear. It's a fun nickname.

I moved out of Colorado after my fifth grade year, but during this year we were losing multiple family members and we finally decided to move after my uncle passed away. During the year, we were stressing between leaving or not leaving. When we were going to leave and so many other things. I always remember Mr.

Teddy as a big impact during the year as he was my comfort teacher. Another reason I will remember him is because towards the end of my 5th grade year, a mother brought her toddler and teenagers to the park that was open to the public outside of school hours. As it was close to the end of the day, it was time for 5th grade recess, we had two playgrounds, the one for kindergarten through 2nd grade and the 3rd grade and up.

Played at the big playground. We were put on lockdown halfway through recess due to teenagers becoming more and more aggressive with Mr. Teddy. As he told some of them, they had to leave. Mind you, these kids should all be in school at this time. After some fists were thrown at Mr. Teddy, we were locked down in the classroom.

I don't remember him coming back that day, but I do remember him coming back after a day or two. When we had fifth grade, Graduation, he was there to celebrate with us. Also, Mr. Teddy gave me student of the month for handling the moving situation so well in other reasons. 

Lauran: Wow. Sounds like he was a really, really big figure in your life.

I mean, especially with like, going through family members, passing away, moving, like those are all major life events. 

Jordan: Yeah, that's big. And then of 

Lauran: course, like, Going through a lockdown situation, which we all know, in the American public school, and not even just public school, in American school systems, is just way too common.

Well, I was gonna 

Jordan: say, we both can speak on that, because we both went through it in our middle school year. 

Lauran: Yeah, we did. And 

Jordan: I'll never forget. 

Lauran: Like, which, let me preface by saying Thankfully, it was not due to a shooter situation. So, you know, lockdown was scary enough. I cannot fathom what it feels like to go through that kind of situation.

So, although we were in lockdown, we were in lockdown for several hours. 

Jordan: Yeah, I think it was like four hours. I was about to say it was like four hours we were in lockdown for. 

Lauran: Yeah, so I mean that's always a stressful situation when you have to deal with something like that. So, I mean, kudos to your teacher for keeping you safe.

It sounds like, you know, he put you guys first and was really, you know, trying to make sure that you guys were safe. So, um, And then him coming back for your 5th grade graduation, that's just so special. I remember when I did, um, my student teaching, I student taught a 1st grade class, and then I went back when they were in 4th grade because that was the last grade level at the elementary school before they moved to the middle school.

And for my final project in, in college, we did a time capsule and they buried it in the schoolyard, so at, um, the end of the year, when they were in fourth grade, I came back to the school and they were all grown up and it was like, made me feel really sad because it was like, It was just, I couldn't believe that that much time had passed already.

Jordan: I remember when you told me you were going to that. I was like, it hasn't been that long yet. It 

Lauran: has, yeah. I'm like, yeah, it's already been four years, dude. 

Jordan: Yeah, I was gonna say, uh, it definitely time had passed because when you broke into that. Three years. 

Lauran: Oh my gosh, yeah. So we went back and like the newspaper was there and everything because it was like the unveiling of the time capsule.

Well, because it came 

Jordan: for the first time. Yeah. Yeah, they came and we 

Lauran: buried it so they came again when we dug it back up and yeah, we Just a word to the wise if you're gonna bury a time capsule make sure it's not Biodegradable, a Tupperware box, make sure you put it in something that is waterproof because all of their stuff they put in there was all muddy and wet and it was kind of funny like we all were like, eugh, like, but the kids, like they got a kick out of it because they got to see all of the things they had put in there from first grade.

Jordan: I did survive. 

Lauran: I know. 

Jordan: Covered in worms. Just 

Lauran: covered in mud and worms. You know, it's all good. Which is 

Jordan: funny because that was the class. 

Lauran: Oh my god, we'll save that story. Ugh, Jordan likes to torment me. Okay. In, in joking forms. Okay, hold on here. Because he, you get a kick. Out of teasing me. 

Jordan: Yes. 

Lauran: In loving fun ways.

Jordan: Okay. 

Lauran: But we'll have to definitely tell you guys that the story of the time he 

Jordan: Making sure with our schedules being right. Brought worms to my classroom. We will share that the next episode. Yes. Because I can't sit on that one, that one's just too funny. No, that is 

Lauran: such a good story, it's hilarious. Yeah.

Okay, so we'll tell that one the next time, but I mean, I'm just glad that you had a figure that helped you through those really tough times in your life, Soraya, and I wish you all the best, and I hope that you're doing well, and your family's well, and, yeah, thank you for sharing your special bond. 

Jordan: Thanks, Soraya, for sharing the story with us, and if you have a story you want to share with us, you can email us at Email it to us at hello at wearefinepod.

com. 

Lauran: Yep. And we also want to know how you think of the show. What, what do you think about it? Do you like it? Are there things that you want us to include that we haven't included yet? 

Jordan: If you don't like it, it's her fault. Oh, 

Lauran: it's 

Jordan: always, it's always my fault. I got it out first. So it's now your fault. Not my fault, your fault.

Lauran: Rude. It's 

Jordan: probably my fault. I'm sorry. No, 

Lauran: it's not. It's not. It's nobody's fault. Anywho. Is there anyone 

Jordan: There's another one. 

Lauran: Is there anyone that you want us to have on the show that we haven't yet? Contact our human content family over on Instagram at humancontentpods or you can also submit your requests via email.

or any kind of reviews and feedback you want to give to hello at wearefinepod. com as well. 

Jordan: All right. Is it time to read names? 

Lauran: Almost. 

Jordan: Don't 

Lauran: forget. If you want to watch the episode in all its visual glory, then you can head over to my YouTube channel at mrswillian5th. To see the full episode there.

Jordan: That's a cool place to hang out. I heard 

Lauran: it is. It is a pretty cool place. I hang out there occasionally. 

Jordan: Your name's on the building. I would hope you're there a lot. 

Lauran: Uh, I'm there like every 24 hours. That's 

Jordan: good. So is it time to read names now? 

Lauran: It's time to read names. It's the name 

Jordan: reading. 

Lauran: It's the name game.

Judy. Judy, Judy, Buh Booty, 

Jordan: Buh Booty, Buh Booty. All right. I 

Lauran: love that song. 

Jordan: You know, okay, I just want to stop because you brought it up. American Horror Story did like the best sequence with that in its asylum season. I think that was the second season. Did they? Yeah. They had a whole like, uh, it was like a part of an episode.

It was a bit where they did the name game. 

Lauran: I don't remember. Oh, wait. 

Jordan: Yeah. 

Lauran: I think I do remember this. It was a cool 

Jordan: little sequence. I like that one. 

Lauran: Anyway, thank you to Kevin and Katie McClintock for joining us. Today, if you guys want to check out their channel and all of their funny, hilarious videos that they make together, you can check them out at Mr.

McTickTalk on TikTok and Instagram. 

Theme: So now I read names? 

Lauran: Now we 

Theme: read names. Do you want to know what this podcast is? What is it? It's the We Are Fine podcast. Wow! We're your hosts. Lauren Woolley, Lauren 

Jordan: Woolley. Oh, I 

guess I'm Jordan now. 

Special thank you to our guests today Kevin and Katie and our executive producers are 

Lauran: Myself, Lauren, and my husband Jordan Woolley.

I thought you were 

Jordan: Jordan. 

Lauran: Oh, yeah, sorry myself Jordan and my Are you my wife? Okay, my wife Lauren Woolley. Yeah, Aaron Korney, Rob Goldman, and Shahnti Brooke are 

Jordan: Our editor is Andrew Sims, 

Lauran: our engineer is Jason Portizo, and 

Jordan: our music is by Omer Bear, 

Lauran: nope, Omer Ben Zvi. 

Jordan: Our music is by Omer Ben Zvi, what are you laughing about?

1. K. A. 

Lauran: Omer Bear. Omer, I'm so sorry. To learn about our program disclaimer and ethics policy and submission verification and licensing terms, go to wearefinepod. com or reach out to us at hello at wearefinepod. com. With any questions or concerns, 

Jordan: this podcast discusses sensitive and challenging topics, including mental health and personal struggles.

If you are in crisis or need someone to talk to, please reach out to the suicide hotline at 988. The suicide in crisis lifeline. You are not alone. 

Lauran: We are fine as a human content. Production.

Theme: Hey you! Hey! I love that shirt you're wearing. And you know what would go great with that shirt? What? A nice big virtual hug. And you can get that by hitting some of these buttons down here. Subscribe, like, comment. We'll give you a big ol virtual hug. 

Lauran: Thank you so much for listening and we will see you guys next Wednesday.

Bye! Bye!