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The Teacher's Lounge Live

The Teacher's Lounge Live

By: Zo Johnson Matt Jones Chris Dunham
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 Welcome to The Teachers Lounge—where the coffee’s cold, the kids are wild, and the teachers are… barely holding it together. Let’s laugh through the chaos!TheTeachersLoungeLIve Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Teachers Have ZERO Power (But Infinite Stress) | Middle School Chaos | Teacher’s Lounge Ep. 59

    Teachers Have ZERO Power (But Infinite Stress) | Middle School Chaos | Teacher’s Lounge Ep. 59
    Feb 2 2026
    Welcome back to **The Teacher’s Lounge**, where the faculty is tired, the kids smell like Hot Cheetos, and somehow we’re still expected to submit attendance on time. In **Episode 59**, the Three Amigos are back together, running on fumes and ranting about the real middle school experience: * Hosting family in LA like you’re a Four Seasons tour guide * Credential hoops that feel like the teacher bar exam * Snacks being banned because… liability, of course * Bathroom pass policies turning schools into TSA checkpoints * And the truth: teaching is basically law enforcement stress… without the handcuffs If you’ve ever felt like a security guard trapped in a bouncy house full of hormones… welcome home. Pull up a chair. The lounge is open. --- 00:00 – Intro & welcome back 05:41 – Viewer comments + getting into teacher life 13:39 – Snacks banned because districts fear lawsuits 15:24 – Kids are “starving”… but refuse the burrito you buy 20:16 – Attendance stress + kids asking 14 questions at once 22:15 – Bathroom pass madness = Six Flags steam bath line 23:14 – Strict hall pass system + dean sign-offs 29:32 – Square school pizza causes hemorrhoids (apparently) 45:17 – Cutting WiFi is the ultimate parenting discipline 47:32 – Final thanks + keep sending questions --- #teachersloungepodcast #teacherpodcast #teacherlife #educationcomedy #teacherburnout #classroomstories #schoolculture #funnypodcast #teachinginamerica #publiceducation #facultylounge --- If this episode made you laugh, cringe, or whisper *“yep… that’s teaching”*: 👉 **Like** the video so more exhausted teachers find the lounge 👉 **Subscribe** for weekly therapy disguised as comedy 👉 **Comment** your worst bathroom-pass or interruption story 👉 **Share** with a coworker who smells like dry erase markers and despair We’re building the lounge one stressed-out educator at a time. ---
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    48 mins
  • Teacher Burnout, Coreys, & Why Schools Feel Like Gotham City | The Teacher's Lounge Live | Ep. 58

    Teacher Burnout, Coreys, & Why Schools Feel Like Gotham City | The Teacher's Lounge Live | Ep. 58
    Jan 26 2026
    Welcome back to **The Teacher’s Lounge**. In this episode, Chris and Matt spiral (lovingly) through the absolute madness of modern teaching: **high-needs classrooms, behavior chaos, co-teaching, stress eating, caffeine addiction, and why teachers can’t even turn their backs for two seconds without Gotham City breaking out behind them.** We also get into: * Why LA is full of “slash people” (comedian/actor/entrepreneur/mentally ill) * Why small class sizes should be the standard (16 kids max, fight us) * Teacher lounge horror stories (powdered donut vomit… yes, really) * Bathroom crimes committed by adults who apparently were raised by raccoons If you’re a teacher: this episode is a pressure valve. If you’re not: congratulations — you’re about to understand why we look exhausted in every photo. --- **00:00 – Intro & welcome back** Testosterone talk already happened off-camera 💀 **00:04:02 – Matt’s short week + TPUs stress begins** Teacher credentialing chaos explained **00:10:25 – The REAL fix: class sizes should be 16 max** High needs + low scores = behavior fireworks **00:11:43 – Low scores = higher behavior (every time)** And you finally feel like you’re actually teaching **00:14:03 – iPad + Apple TV = never turn your back again** Teacher tech survival strategy **00:15:26 – Teacher lounge story: powdered donut vomit** Stress + sugar = instant regret **00:25:06 – Coreys vs Gordons explained (again, because it’s real)** Coreys = chaos, Gordons = quiet wall-staring kings **00:33:17 – Least Restrictive Environment explained** Longest leash possible before they burn it down **00:41:28 – District “experts” who couldn’t hack teaching** They write books instead **00:49:58 – Outro + sketches coming back after TPUs** New sketches every week once Matt survives --- #teachersloungepodcast #teacherpodcast #educationpodcast #teacherburnout #teacherlife #teacherhumor #publicschoolsystem #classroommanagement #teachermentalhealth #teachercommunity #comedypodcast #schoolstories --- If this episode made you laugh, cringe, or whisper **“bro SAME”** under your breath — hit **LIKE**, **SUBSCRIBE**, and drop a comment with your most unhinged teacher moment. Share this with: * A teacher who’s surviving on caffeine and vibes * A coworker who has “Coreys” every period * Or someone who thinks teaching is “easy” because we sit down all day 😌 ---
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    51 mins
  • Why Teachers Are Quitting and How to Survive the Classroom - The Teacher's Lounge Live | Ep. 57

    Why Teachers Are Quitting and How to Survive the Classroom - The Teacher's Lounge Live | Ep. 57
    Jan 19 2026
    Welcome back to **The Teacher’s Lounge** — the only podcast where grown adults talk about teaching, stress, and classroom chaos...while also debating whether being too good-looking is a curse. (It is. Apparently.) In this episode, Matt, Chris, and Zo are back in full teacher mode, breaking down what it’s *really* like being “on” all day, managing stress, dealing with impossible expectations, and trying not to lose your mind because a kid just broke a table and another one is chewing on a Chromebook like it’s beef jerky. We also dive into: * Why attractive people are “untrustworthy” (science apparently said so) * Teacher life being like celebrity life (except with less money and more trauma) * How first-year teachers survive (union reps, mentors, and LETTING GO) * The difference between a “Gordon,” a “Corey,” and a “John-John” in your classroom ecosystem * Why teachers don’t hate teaching… they hate being forced to be security guards, therapists, and firefighters If you’re a teacher, this episode is group therapy. If you’re not a teacher… welcome to the circus. 🎪 --- **00:00 – Intro & welcome back** Immediate chaos, immediate vibes **00:00:08 – The Teacher’s Lounge intros + “middle schoolers hate everything”** Teaching theater to kids who don’t care about anything **00:01:04 – Phone caddy drama = relationship stress** “Put your phone up… but my girl texted me!” **00:01:22 – Good-looking guy trust issues (apparently scientific)** Too handsome to be believed **00:02:26 – The hot mugshot criminal phenomenon** Crime is wrong… unless you’re fine **00:03:18 – Parent-teacher conferences must be wild for attractive teachers** Respectfully, focus is impossible **00:04:16 – Matt gets measured at the doctor’s office** Breaking news: he’s taller than he thought **00:06:14 – Posting younger selves (and looking mentally unwell)** “I look like a serial killer” 💀 **00:07:18 – Back to school stress check-in** Everyone is busy, everyone is cooked **00:08:04 – CBD explained + Charlotte’s Web mention** Relaxation without the “I’m in space” part **00:09:22 – Teaching is like being a celebrity (but sadder)** Ben Affleck energy but in a classroom **00:12:14 – CalTPA stress + teaching full-time + school full-time** The “I’m losing my mind” speedrun **00:13:09 – The week was fine… until someone broke a table** And then it all went downhill on a sled **00:14:19 – Standing 5.5 hours a day + teacher body fatigue** Also: eating anything and not gaining weight?? **00:16:22 – Kids watching teachers like zombies through blinds** No privacy, ever **00:17:01 – Viewer comment: 24-year-old teacher having a breakdown** Real advice for surviving year 1–3 **00:18:16 – The #1 survival skill: LET IT GO** Control what you can, release what you can’t **00:18:55 – Union reps + mentors + therapy support** Practical help teachers forget exists **00:20:10 – You can’t save every kid (and it’s not a movie)** Even Robin Williams couldn’t fix everything **00:20:44 – Classroom archetypes: Gordons, Coreys, John-Johns, Angels** The Teacher’s Lounge Extended Universe expands **00:23:05 – If your school sucks… leave it** GreatSchools ratings and “shop around” **00:24:15 – The guilt teachers carry (“the kids need you”)** You can’t pour from an empty cup **00:25:15 – Angry comment: “Teachers should reach every kid”** Teachers get blamed for EVERYTHING **00:31:00 – Grade inflation: it’s not teachers, it’s policy** Equitable grading explained **00:34:20 – Social promotion + No Child Left Behind** Why grades “don’t matter” until they do **00:41:09 – Google Gemini makes retake tests insanely easy** Instant test + answer key = teacher cheat code **00:43:14 – “We don’t hate teaching… we hate the extra jobs”** Security guard, therapist, firefighter = not in the contract **00:46:20 – Teacher self-care reality check** You cannot survive on donuts and Netflix alone **00:47:01 – Outro + gratitude to the community** Support teachers, share clips, stay alive --- #teachersloungepodcast #teacherpodcast #educationpodcast #teacherburnout #teacherlife #teacherhumor #comedy #publicschoolsystem #classroommanagement #stress #teachermentalhealth #schoolstories #teachercommunity #comedypodcast --- If you laughed, related, or felt your eye twitch because this episode is TOO REAL… **hit LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and drop a comment** so we know you’re out there surviving too. Share this with: * A first-year teacher who’s currently in fight-or-flight * A veteran teacher who’s mastered “calm but dead inside” * Or a non-teacher who thinks we “get summers off” 😌 ---
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    47 mins
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