Educator_Andrea's show a must-hit pre-PD PD for tired teachers

Cassiopeia Guthrie
Jun 17
2 min read

by Cassiopeia Guthrie, June 17, 2025

Every teacher knows the ruthlessness of June. Meetings drag, Expo markers cling to life, and inboxes overflow with last-ditch pleas from students who’ve only now decided to care. Final essays pile up, corners rumpled from too many commutes in an overstuffed tote. Baskets of broken colored pencils — more weary soldiers than caretakers of creativity — get shoved into cabinets to be ignored until August.

Now picture a roomful of educators shedding that chaos, sipping Alice in Wonderland-themed cocktails, and buzzing in anticipation for their favorite TikTok teacher’s new solo show. They were READY. And when @Educator_Andrea took the floor at Mic Drop Comedy on June 7, she met all of their expectations with her sharp wit, impeccable timing, and a set filled with stories from the trenches of the education system.

A former high school English teacher and current university educator, Andrea Forcum understands the unique biz of education, and she isn’t afraid to ruthlessly and dryly leverage her time in the classroom and the idiosyncrasies of the profession to get her laughs. This is the same formula she used to build a robust social media following and comedy brand online, and it translates well to the comic stage.

While questionable PD practices and hazardously clueless leaders write their own punchlines in this field, Andrea's strength is in her personalization as she weaves in self-deprecating truths, shocking stories, and ubiquitous criticisms, building camaraderie and collective cackling that, frankly, rarely exists for teachers in those final weeks of the year.

Furthermore, Forcum is warm and personable, making everyone in the audience feel welcome and in on the joke, rather than using her mic to exclude them. It’s a fresh and very teacher-like approach to the stand-up environment, where oftentimes audience members become the punchlines. In this space, the laughter is not only universal across grade levels, subject areas, and neighborhoods, but also a little feral and tinged with tears of truth. At the basest level, this is a space where humor, heartbreak, and hard truths collide and everyone feels like a little bit more seen and heard.

Forcum returns to Southern California on August 10 as part of The Teacher’s Lounge, her trio show with fellow educators Philip Lindsay (@mr_phlindsay_sped) and Gaspare Randazzo (@standuprandazzo). Teachers in search of a little fortitude to galvanize their return to school might want to pencil this in with their teacher besties… a much-needed dose of pre-PD PD.