We are Grateful, but not for Learned Helplessness in Students

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You are listening to the Balancing Act podcast. Here's your hosts,

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Jamie Wonko and Joe Vitale.

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All right. So guess what? We're officially recording. No.

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Yes. Woo-hoo. How's it going? Welcome to the Balancing Act podcast.

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I am here with Joseph Vitale.

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I'm Jamie Wonko. Welcome to our afternoon jam.

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Yes, our afternoon jam.

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Get your tickets ready. Oh, my gosh. I mean, if you're listening in the morning,

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then it's a morning jam. I know. I'm on the struggle bus, folks.

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So, you know, it is what it is as we get closer and closer to this holiday season.

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Speaking of seasons, season three is brought to you by our presenting sponsor,

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Teacher's Insurance Plan.

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Make sure to check out their website. that's tagged in this episode

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for more information and to get a quote look at you

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with your little q-zip i am wearing my that's right plan

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merch teacher's insurance plan auto insurance that

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brings exclusive educator savings and exceptional exceptional customer care

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to new jersey and pennsylvania educational employees i'm like am i hearing bells

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what's happening yes i forgot to put myself on do not disturb folks oh my goodness

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i don't even know if i know how to do that and i probably should.

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We're doing it live. Okay. We're doing it live.

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Yeah, we are. Well, happy November, everybody, and December,

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and it's almost January, and it's going to be 2026 before we know it.

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Wild. Yeah, that's crazy. That is crazy.

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What did I see the other day? It was like, if you turned 40 during 2020,

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which I did not, because I'm 106, if you turned 40 during 2020,

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you're now 45. And where did the years go?

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It's like, they really did go fast, if you think about it. Well, I turned 40 in 2019.

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Got it. And so the last big thing that I did before the pandemic was go on a

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trip, which I have to say,

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like for a really long time and even like during that time period of the pandemic

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and throughout and after when travel was so tough and limited and all the things,

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it was like, gosh, I am so glad I took that trip.

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Yeah, that's great. Yeah, because that was November and then COVID was March.

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So, you know, that's where does the time go?

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Today, I heard that there is going to be a live action Moana.

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Yes, there is going to be. OK, this is. And you know that like on my.

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Right. Like, you know that on my Disney profile for Disney Plus,

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it has like my children change the characters all of the time.

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But my name is Mamana because I identify as Moana, but a mom.

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So I'm Mamana. and I cannot believe that the original movie is 10 years old.

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I know that's, that's, that's crazy.

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Um, you know, and I saw like, there was a couple of other things.

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Like I saw a couple of Star Wars trailers over the last week and it was like

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the replay of the original trailers that came out when the new trilogy came out.

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Nerds. Um, so. How exciting. Yeah, it was, it was like, but I remember like

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watching those with my kids. I remember that one came out and they didn't know.

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So like I brought them into our bedroom. room i had the lights off and i

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like sat them on the bed and i was like okay we gotta watch this and

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my they were so excited it's an event to

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be had children yeah but it's like you know 15 years

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ago that those movies came out i know it's just nuts it's nuts

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and they were like just two and a half i know oh my gosh yeah i know it's nuts

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we're just so nostalgic uh because everything yeah everything is like they're

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seniors now and we're old and they're gonna leave us forever So I really feel

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like I don't feel old in the sense in that way.

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But I do feel happy at the age that I had my kids.

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Genuinely. I'm like, oh, man, I should have done it sooner.

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I'm not laughing at you, but I'm so like, because we were joking around earlier.

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I was texting you today and I was like, here's the topic for today.

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Here's the topic for today. Here's the topic. I was like, hot take.

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Our trends when we were younger were awesome. And these trends that these kids have today are stupid.

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Because it's all day. It's 6'7". It's brah.

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It's... Here's the thing. I'm not... I know that I'm older. I understand. Yes.

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However, the last year of this...

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What do they call it? Brain rot culture? Yeah. Yes. Has...

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Become so woven into, it's too much. It's too much.

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And it's not funny.

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And that is all. Well, listen, it's funny. That's the beginning and the end to me. It's not funny.

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So there are things that are very funny that I don't mind repeating. And I love dumb humor.

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This is just dumb. It's not humor.

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No, it's not. It's not funny. It's not clever. It is.

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I know they're It is just repeating numbers and brah, brah, brah, brah, brah.

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We all know the expression jump the shark, right?

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Do we all know the expression jump the shark? You know, maybe everybody doesn't.

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Why don't you give them a little lesson?

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And I'm also, I am scrolling through my phone because I'm trying to find something.

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I'm trying to see if I can find it. Okay.

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Because I actually read it to my students. So the idea of Jump the Shark comes

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from. Can I tell you if I know?

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Sure. Okay. It's from Happy Days. It is from Happy Days. Okay.

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And it has to do with.

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The Fonz. The Fonz. And there was an episode where he was like,

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they were. And I don't remember the exact premise of the episode.

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And it had to do with like, they're at like a beach or a lake somewhere.

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And he had to like, he got either dared or bet. or he had to to be like,

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yeah, I'm going to get you in trouble unless you jump the shark.

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So he's like on skis and my dude is jumping the shark in the sitcom.

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So that's that term. And after that episode.

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Happy days was never the same because people are like, oh, this this crap.

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And it was like it was never really the same nostalgic, wonderful show. Right.

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So and I'm trying to find it. I don't think that I can.

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I got a text message from one of those like like right around the election.

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And it was like, do you want to know what six, seven means?

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Well, we don't know what it means, but there's six days to the election.

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And here's seven things or seven

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places you could drop off your mail-in ballot. And I was like, good God.

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It has a fit. Now, listen, I tried to lean into it, right?

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But you teach middle school. Yes, I teach middle school. So the lean is appropriate.

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Okay. So I tried to lean into it. Well, we're talking about the government. No. But okay.

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I didn't know where you were going with that. But now I get it. I get it now.

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So, yeah, I'm trying to find the actual. We need to encourage more brain rot

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in the government. And then it was like, send a picture of you doing this and

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we'll actually tell you what six, seven means.

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And I was like, just, just, just, just, no.

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So anyway, um...

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Nope. I didn't get it. Anyway, I'm sorry. I was looking for it.

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The students should, kids in general, I think, and this is, I think maybe this

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is part of the greater problem.

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And maybe this is generational. Maybe we are old, but that's okay.

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When we were kids or, you know, when we were younger, there were a lot of things

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that, you know, were slogan, jargon, things that, slogan,

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slang, jargon, things that were, you know, of us,

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for us, by us, among us right we also knew

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things we did the difference being that

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there's this overwhelming feeling right now that

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they don't know anything that's actually true

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no and it's replaced in a really horrifying way by uh being proud of having

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a lack of knowledge yeah and that is really where the issue that i have is i'm

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gonna take my headphones off

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and i'm gonna do it okay because listen we're We're children of the 90s.

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I can't hear you right now. I know who's coming. I know who it is.

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Yeah. Hold on. Get on to MTV.

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I need TP for my bunghole. We all did. Joe has a shirt over his head.

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I have a shirt over my head. I don't have my headphones on.

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And we are acting like Beavis from Beavis and Butthead, which we're listening

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to in the 90s. We all did it, right?

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Ah, I need TP. Yes, except that when we had, you know, I am the great cornhole.

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I need TP for my bunghole.

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Yes, even my dad would say that. That I remember being, and like,

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I'm sure, I don't know that he ever even saw an episode, but it was like something

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he knew and he thought was like, you know, silly and funny.

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However, here's the problem. Today, for example, I am now getting into my Holocaust

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unit, and we're talking about, you know, building some background information.

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And I said, pretty soon, we're going to, you know, come up on Pearl Harbor Day.

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It's December 7th, and we're going to talk about a day that lives in infamy.

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Who was the president?

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Now, to me, there's, you know, there's a lot of presidents, right?

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There's a lot of facts, but they had it in 6th grade and 7th grade.

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So here's a group of eighth graders, and I'm saying to them,

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who was the president during World War II?

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Now, no one can answer me. Now I'm giving clues.

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He was in a wheelchair. He had polio. He had a cousin that was the president

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that was the same last name.

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He was the longest, you know, serving president. They changed the rules after

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him trying to think, like, what will spark?

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I got the following answers, number one. and with authority and confidence, Bill Clinton. Okay.

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I said Bill Clinton was the president when I was in high school, you guys.

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That was in the 1990s. Oh, oh, I'm sorry. George Bush.

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Okay. Okay, 1990s-ish. George Bush was the president just before that president

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and just after that, right?

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So we're still in the completely wrong— we're not even rounding the corner of

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right oh i know abraham lincoln.

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Okay. Okay. What's happening? Okay.

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Oh, boy. So I will give lots of credit and love to my last class of the day.

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I said, you guys are my, you are my only hope.

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And they knew. And then, of course, we had to chuckle about the other kids.

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I mean, when I tell you that I had already seen over 60 kids that didn't know

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that FDR was the president during World War II. I mean, I'm not asking for,

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you know, like don't like name seven battles, but to me, like there's certain things.

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Yes. So it's like we need to shove some of the brain rot to the side because

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it's not the other necessary information isn't getting in. Yeah.

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And again, like I was like, I try to lead, I try to lead into it.

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Those of you that follow us on the socials, like myself and my co-teacher,

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we had like a six, seven T-shirts. Like I was a six and he was a seven,

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like many other teachers across the, uh, yeah, across the country that did that.

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And right before, uh, you know, Halloween and we were getting into the unit

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on the Revolutionary War where we discuss like some of the foundational ideas

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and decoration of independence before we jump into the Constitution.

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So I was like, all right, by the way, just so you know, six,

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seven is banned from now on in this class as of next week. And they're like, what?

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What is it? I was like, no, I said, we're about to start our unit on the Revolutionary War.

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So you can only It's 6-7,

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you're supposed to do this with your hands So now I say It's

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always with the hands It's like you gotta go 7-6 It's like 7-6 You put your

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palms down and go up and down So the ironic thing was that Kids would then see

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me in the hallway Like later in the day I'd be going to cover a class Or walking

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somewhere to use the bathroom And they'd be like hey Miss Vitale 7-6.

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Anytime we said 1776 Everybody would go 7-6 I try to lean into it but like,

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I also try to talk like them because I'm like, maybe if I did this,

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you guys would realize how ridiculous you sound. And then you'll stop doing it.

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But like our trends were fun. Like we did fun things, but we also like, you know, learned.

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And like, and we're, I think, aware enough to know when to put it aside.

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Because when you first started talking about like, you know,

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Holocaust unit and Pearl Harbor Day, I was like, oh, my God.

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Are people like making six, seven jokes during the Holocaust unit? like

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yeah like please learn time

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and yeah please learn time and place uh i've been

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struggling with that's what i mean about me being on the struggle bus like like

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you know we're emotional awareness uh yeah

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i mean yeah situation i mean situational awareness is like i i i know i'm not

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the only teacher that feels this but i feel it in my bones like we're trying

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to do different activities and transition and keep them engaged.

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Well, maybe it's too much. Maybe that's the problem.

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Okay. Explain. Hot take.

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Go ahead. Maybe we're just trying too hard and it's too much and it just can't

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be all the things all the time. Okay.

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I, I'm noticing, oh, and we're, you know, oh, get into this group and then we're

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going to go over here and then we're going to sit down and answer five questions

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on your own without anyone else helping you.

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And they're sitting and staring and waiting for someone to give them the answer.

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What page is it on? And this is, I said, I'm so sorry, but we are,

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I am not going to contribute to your learned helplessness.

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There's, there's the phrase right there. There it is. I'm not going to contribute

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to your learned helplessness. I will not tell you what page it's on.

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I am not going to tell you the answer.

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And I think that they've come to expect, like if they waited out long enough.

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So I've just started collecting things.

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No, time's up. And we're going to collect it. And I'm talking about just for

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anybody that's listening and thinking, wow, she sounds so mean.

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A, I'm not. And B, no, because nobody has any kind of extenuating circumstance.

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This is middle of the road, average learning kids that have,

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they need, they don't have any sort of extra accommodations or any sort.

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It's just your general average learner.

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Read a paragraph and answer five questions. And they're sitting and waiting

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for the answers to be provided for them.

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Yeah. And then they're saying, oh, I'm so tired. Oh, I can't do it.

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Yeah, there, there's, there is a, there is a lot of that.

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Um, and unfortunately that's something that we, we deal with often,

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but you go back to learned helplessness again.

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I mean, I listen, you know, uh, I do a lot of work behind the scenes trying

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to get people on the show and I reach out to people.

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I am trying to find somebody who is either an expert or knows about,

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or has taught about, or has studied about learned helplessness,

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because this is maddening.

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And I go back to that whole thing that you just said about like,

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oh, I have them answer five questions on their own and then I collect it or whatever it is, right?

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I am sure that you have modeled that activity. I am sure that they've done a

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thumbs up. What if I hadn't?

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What if I didn't? Well, you've been in school since kindergarten.

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You can't read one paragraph and answer five questions. No, I'm sorry.

00:15:49.033 --> 00:15:51.993
All right. Good show, everybody. I'm out. No, I'm sorry. Really?

00:15:52.173 --> 00:15:57.973
I have to say that because it's now this is I'm sort of like blown away this

00:15:57.973 --> 00:16:00.793
year by the overwhelming majority of kids.

00:16:00.853 --> 00:16:03.073
So I'm tired of people. Don't say COVID.

00:16:03.953 --> 00:16:08.053
Stop carrying your kid's backpack. Is that learned helplessness? Yes.

00:16:08.533 --> 00:16:12.073
Do you shove your backpack in your parents' arm the minute that you see them?

00:16:12.253 --> 00:16:15.153
Stop doing it. There's like, there are levels to this. And I,

00:16:15.393 --> 00:16:18.673
you know, I'm obsessed with people carrying their kids' backpacks. I hate it so much.

00:16:19.033 --> 00:16:25.573
And it really bothers me. And it's like, why can your child not figure out another way?

00:16:26.173 --> 00:16:32.053
Somebody was telling me today that there's a car company and they have something

00:16:32.053 --> 00:16:38.973
like 5,000 open jobs or some like ridiculous number and they can't get any mechanics. Yeah.

00:16:39.613 --> 00:16:44.153
And so, no, not everybody needs to be like in these accelerated classes.

00:16:44.153 --> 00:16:46.533
Not everybody needs to be going to advanced placement.

00:16:46.733 --> 00:16:50.553
Like, no, we don't need to model 77 things, 80 hundred different ways.

00:16:50.993 --> 00:16:52.973
That's right. I said 80 hundred. Yeah.

00:16:53.633 --> 00:16:57.613
But here's the thing, though. I'm sure you have. So I'm sure you have modeled.

00:16:57.793 --> 00:17:02.633
I'm sure you've given them examples. I'm sure you have have done all the things

00:17:02.633 --> 00:17:06.413
and now it's like okay now you're gonna do this on your own great so we're now

00:17:06.413 --> 00:17:09.973
that's what i mean like yeah no no we're in the 11th week of being together

00:17:09.973 --> 00:17:11.793
and so now my answer is like.

00:17:12.893 --> 00:17:18.193
No i'm i can't and they're like what what what what do you mean so they were

00:17:18.193 --> 00:17:22.073
trying to wait me out they were just trying to wait me out to see like oh she's

00:17:22.073 --> 00:17:26.353
just gonna give us the answers like i can't find it like but you have to look

00:17:26.353 --> 00:17:32.393
for it i don't know where it is what tell us what page on. Tell me what to write. I said, well.

00:17:33.979 --> 00:17:38.779
No, I'm not going to tell you what to write. So when I pulled the,

00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:40.079
okay, now I'm going to collect it.

00:17:40.159 --> 00:17:42.819
It was like as if, and they're like, she's doing it.

00:17:43.179 --> 00:17:48.579
She's taking the papers. I said, I'm she and she can hear you. And so stop saying she.

00:17:49.439 --> 00:17:53.619
I'm like, for real, she's taking. I'm like, it's me, I'm she.

00:17:53.999 --> 00:17:57.819
Right? So it is, and they were, they couldn't believe.

00:17:58.159 --> 00:18:05.979
And also, it's okay to be wrong. See, that's the other part that is twisted and turned into this.

00:18:06.199 --> 00:18:11.259
It's okay to be wrong. It's not okay to just not try.

00:18:12.199 --> 00:18:15.019
Yeah we've thought and that's what i keep right it's like keep going through

00:18:15.019 --> 00:18:18.039
it and going through it but i was i was very happy with

00:18:18.039 --> 00:18:23.359
the end of the day and my the redemption and uh and you know and i have to hope

00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:28.299
also the part of like the immaturity is did you really think that bill clinton

00:18:28.299 --> 00:18:33.679
was the president during the 1940s or did you just want to try to be funny as

00:18:33.679 --> 00:18:35.899
funny as like bro six seven,

00:18:37.130 --> 00:18:41.830
Everybody is, everybody's on stage wanting to be a. Everybody's trying to be

00:18:41.830 --> 00:18:43.190
dumber than the other person.

00:18:43.550 --> 00:18:45.470
Yeah. It's like, why can't we try to be smarter?

00:18:46.150 --> 00:18:50.070
Why can't we all read? Just read a book. Just get a book and read it.

00:18:51.690 --> 00:18:59.290
Maybe five, maybe six. Yeah. I think for me, it's, again, model the activities, given them examples.

00:18:59.350 --> 00:19:03.790
And then like when you do a project, for example, I'm big on giving them all the.

00:19:04.790 --> 00:19:08.770
Yeah, I know your husband loves this word. All the scaffolding that you could possibly imagine.

00:19:08.890 --> 00:19:12.970
So they understand exactly what the expectation is.

00:19:13.110 --> 00:19:17.610
I've given them sample activities. I've given them, you know,

00:19:17.730 --> 00:19:21.610
I've modeled what I think the presentation would look like.

00:19:22.250 --> 00:19:25.510
I've given them the slides that I used during that presentation.

00:19:25.650 --> 00:19:28.430
Like, hey, you could do something like this with your project.

00:19:29.710 --> 00:19:33.130
Still, read directly from slides. like

00:19:33.130 --> 00:19:35.970
it's it's like it is it is and when

00:19:35.970 --> 00:19:40.130
i give them a grade that represents that because when i tell them when i grade

00:19:40.130 --> 00:19:45.850
this like if you don't do what i'm asking for based on the rubric and the scaffolding

00:19:45.850 --> 00:19:55.170
and the the uh the examples that i've given you then that's a you problem like i i can't like i'm not.

00:19:56.665 --> 00:19:59.465
I was having a conversation with my co-teacher today and I'm like,

00:19:59.505 --> 00:20:03.805
I just don't understand. I just don't know a different way to approach this.

00:20:04.385 --> 00:20:12.045
And there isn't one. There's not. That's my point. That's why sometimes the only answer is no.

00:20:13.425 --> 00:20:19.125
Because you're not going to be able to continue like another 10 years doing this.

00:20:19.285 --> 00:20:22.225
This is what I tell myself. Hey, hey. Oh, there she is again. It's she.

00:20:22.985 --> 00:20:26.045
You're not going to be able. Well, hey, Shay, you're not going to be able to

00:20:26.045 --> 00:20:29.005
do this and do it and do it and do it and keep doing it and doing it well.

00:20:29.125 --> 00:20:34.025
And then like providing and giving everybody what they need when those little

00:20:34.025 --> 00:20:38.325
things are genuinely like sucking the life out of us as teachers.

00:20:39.405 --> 00:20:44.945
So I'm saying it's OK to say no. And I gave directions the other day and I talked

00:20:44.945 --> 00:20:45.925
about what we're going to do.

00:20:46.125 --> 00:20:51.065
And we started and I kind of like, OK, got three minutes because we're doing rotations.

00:20:51.285 --> 00:20:53.705
OK, let me just I'm going to sit on my desk for two seconds.

00:20:53.705 --> 00:20:55.465
I got to write that down. I'm going to get this together.

00:20:55.645 --> 00:21:00.825
And all of a sudden I turn and I look and there's a student standing next to

00:21:00.825 --> 00:21:08.085
me who I, who I, who I have, who I have repeated directions to multiple times.

00:21:08.885 --> 00:21:14.145
And I literally was, I literally was back. Why are you standing here?

00:21:15.192 --> 00:21:20.312
Like I was like, there should be no reason to you, but there is someone presenting right now.

00:21:20.592 --> 00:21:25.012
You got up and interrupted their presentation and walked over.

00:21:25.152 --> 00:21:27.532
And I was like, what's your question? And they're like, nevermind.

00:21:27.632 --> 00:21:28.372
I was like, no, no, no, no.

00:21:29.052 --> 00:21:34.772
What is it? I want it to be spoken out loud so we can understand why this is happening.

00:21:34.972 --> 00:21:39.092
And why is it happening? Because the people who did not pay attention to the

00:21:39.092 --> 00:21:41.732
directions did not know what to do.

00:21:41.732 --> 00:21:46.212
And when I said I'm doing this once, I'm giving directions once,

00:21:46.432 --> 00:21:50.312
then you have whatever's in Google Classroom to refer back to or whatever is

00:21:50.312 --> 00:21:52.092
on the worksheet to refer back to.

00:21:52.472 --> 00:21:55.652
Give them and work through through a morning meeting.

00:21:55.912 --> 00:22:01.072
That's also the very important part of the piece of this is that it's written,

00:22:01.072 --> 00:22:05.872
most likely, projected somewhere on the board or somewhere hanging in the room.

00:22:06.012 --> 00:22:09.752
It's on a piece of paper that was physically handed out, and it's also posted

00:22:09.752 --> 00:22:14.232
in an electronic space. So it's not like you're not hitting the nonverbal,

00:22:14.712 --> 00:22:18.632
you know, non-capable of listening to verbal directions, kids.

00:22:18.872 --> 00:22:21.412
You're giving it in multiple forms. Yeah.

00:22:21.972 --> 00:22:26.892
And still we're waiting for someone to do it for us.

00:22:26.972 --> 00:22:31.612
Yeah. We have a lot of hot takes. I'm kind of in like my little like petty, petty princess mode.

00:22:32.732 --> 00:22:39.172
I got a couple other people that are getting on my water bottle garage train.

00:22:39.332 --> 00:22:43.192
Nice. Um, cause we're, you know, again, today it was like, I know I had somebody

00:22:43.192 --> 00:22:46.312
spill an entire bottle of water today all over.

00:22:46.432 --> 00:22:49.172
And he said, I, I spilled water.

00:22:50.364 --> 00:22:57.084
I said, oh, yeah, good thing it wasn't fire because it would start burning.

00:22:57.364 --> 00:23:02.144
When I tell you, it was just like he sat there with the puddle. I spilled.

00:23:06.124 --> 00:23:12.124
Well, what are we going to do about the spill? I don't know.

00:23:16.004 --> 00:23:19.724
Okay. I said, now let me tell you, and let's remind.

00:23:20.384 --> 00:23:24.544
Weeks and weeks and weeks, they know where everything is in my room.

00:23:24.684 --> 00:23:26.664
I have a closet that's labeled cleaning.

00:23:27.184 --> 00:23:31.104
They know that's where Lysol wipes are and paper towels aplenty.

00:23:31.444 --> 00:23:35.864
And so it's not like this isn't like somebody who just arrived in the room yesterday.

00:23:37.124 --> 00:23:42.584
I said, so you're going to get up. Okay. You're going to go over to the closet.

00:23:42.944 --> 00:23:47.864
You're going to get paper towels and you're going to clean it up. Yep.

00:23:49.301 --> 00:23:55.501
Oh, I, you know, there's just like this general disconnect of,

00:23:55.641 --> 00:23:59.381
I really, it's like, did you think I was going to come over and clean it up?

00:23:59.461 --> 00:24:02.881
I mean, obviously it's like, it was on the table. It wasn't,

00:24:02.981 --> 00:24:04.661
and it, and again, it's water.

00:24:04.841 --> 00:24:09.401
It's, you know, it's not, um, acid. So it's not like it was going to, you know, hurt anybody.

00:24:09.821 --> 00:24:13.641
Every paper was wet. And I, you know, maybe the garage is a, is a good idea.

00:24:13.821 --> 00:24:17.141
Maybe I'll have to look into that. Um, you know, I said, you know, I,

00:24:17.261 --> 00:24:20.321
let's all just pause a moment for my greatest wish water bottle

00:24:20.321 --> 00:24:27.861
garage which my real true dream is

00:24:27.861 --> 00:24:30.821
like leave it in your locker listen i have

00:24:30.821 --> 00:24:33.541
i was walking from your room after we have we

00:24:33.541 --> 00:24:36.981
have lunch every other day so i was walking from your room and a student had

00:24:36.981 --> 00:24:41.001
her water bottle a regular poland spraying plasticky water bottle whatever had

00:24:41.001 --> 00:24:45.121
taken her pen stabbed the hole in the top of it oh yeah and was literally like

00:24:45.121 --> 00:24:48.381
squirting it up in the air so it would land on other people i was like yep i'll

00:24:48.381 --> 00:24:51.761
take that thank you and i just walked and i walked down the hallway and threw it in the garbage,

00:24:52.221 --> 00:24:56.621
and then today i had someone in class who had a line of water down the front and back of himself,

00:24:57.441 --> 00:25:00.221
oh because they're squirting each other we're squirting each other with the

00:25:00.221 --> 00:25:03.921
gatorade the gator oh that they're not supposed to have yeah that they're not

00:25:03.921 --> 00:25:07.461
supposed to have yeah which is a whole other i mean i didn't realize that we

00:25:07.461 --> 00:25:11.461
were going to be um complaining so much yeah this is not a grind.

00:25:11.801 --> 00:25:13.981
I know this is not a grind. It's not a grind.

00:25:14.801 --> 00:25:17.821
That's for special occasions. No, I'm just, I'm just in my mood.

00:25:17.941 --> 00:25:20.461
I'm just in my mood. And we do a little gratitude.

00:25:21.001 --> 00:25:24.541
Let's let's turn this bad boy around. Okay. Let's do like a little morning gratitude,

00:25:24.541 --> 00:25:26.521
a little afternoon gratitude.

00:25:26.981 --> 00:25:29.241
And I'm going to ask you some.

00:25:30.595 --> 00:25:33.495
I'm going to ask you some questions. Sure. Let's do it. I'm going to call this

00:25:33.495 --> 00:25:37.015
section the Gobbler. The Gobbler? Yes.

00:25:37.755 --> 00:25:41.275
Oh, they have a thing called the Gobbler at Wawa. I have to get that. It's not great.

00:25:41.435 --> 00:25:44.155
I'm going to tell you. Sorry, Wawa. We love you. I love all things Wawa.

00:25:44.235 --> 00:25:47.015
But I will tell you that locally to us in Woodbridge Township,

00:25:47.255 --> 00:25:51.295
the sandwich station has a terrific Gobbler. Oh, do they really?

00:25:51.895 --> 00:25:55.555
Highly recommend. All right. That may need to be tried. Okay. Please and do.

00:25:55.815 --> 00:26:00.515
I mean, the Wawa one is good, but if it's equidistant, hit up the station.

00:26:00.595 --> 00:26:03.495
I'm also going to say, before you get into your gobbler question,

00:26:03.675 --> 00:26:06.755
really quick, hot take as well.

00:26:07.715 --> 00:26:11.735
If you got a waffle maker, stuffing in the waffle maker. We talked about this

00:26:11.735 --> 00:26:14.975
the other day. I did it last year, and everybody loved it. It was delicious.

00:26:15.195 --> 00:26:18.135
You take leftover stuffing, put it in a waffle maker, get those little crispy

00:26:18.135 --> 00:26:21.035
edges, and then you do like gravy and your turkey.

00:26:21.335 --> 00:26:23.595
Yeah, all over it. Love it.

00:26:23.915 --> 00:26:26.655
I look forward to doing that. Yeah, me too.

00:26:26.655 --> 00:26:28.595
I'm going to do that this year, if there's any stuffing left.

00:26:28.595 --> 00:26:29.875
We usually have a stuffing deficit.

00:26:29.875 --> 00:26:32.675
It well you got to make extra so you have it i mean

00:26:32.675 --> 00:26:35.975
it's just it's so delicious i know oh darn

00:26:35.975 --> 00:26:40.995
it okay all right okay gobbler the gobbler so this is a little would you rather

00:26:40.995 --> 00:26:48.835
gobbler edition oh are you ready yes okay would you rather never celebrate thanksgiving

00:26:48.835 --> 00:26:55.615
again or prepare a full thanksgiving feast every month for the rest of your life um oh wow.

00:26:58.772 --> 00:27:03.992
Okay. I'm going to choose option B. Okay. Full Thanksgiving feast.

00:27:04.192 --> 00:27:07.432
You know, if I was a bedding lady, I, uh, yeah, I would do that.

00:27:07.552 --> 00:27:10.492
I would do it every month. So once a month, I would do it once a month.

00:27:10.652 --> 00:27:14.572
Although right now I'm actually doing Thanksgiving at our house and I'm,

00:27:14.672 --> 00:27:15.892
I'm like, okay, I'll take care of it.

00:27:15.972 --> 00:27:19.072
I got all the stuff, but I'm like, I got to do the shopping and the thing.

00:27:19.212 --> 00:27:21.972
And like, I know what I got to do and I have to do it. And it's just figuring

00:27:21.972 --> 00:27:24.992
out what time that means that everything needs to be done to get it done.

00:27:25.272 --> 00:27:29.972
I almost, we, so we do this really super fun thing at our school where the kids

00:27:29.972 --> 00:27:32.512
all learn how to do something and the teachers teach them.

00:27:32.772 --> 00:27:37.232
And I do my, you know, will it waffle, like after school snacks and a waffle iron.

00:27:37.412 --> 00:27:43.952
I actually am. And I'm, I was so tempted to say, can I have my waffle stuff

00:27:43.952 --> 00:27:45.812
delivered here to the building?

00:27:46.072 --> 00:27:50.072
Because the thought of like getting it delivered to my house or going to get

00:27:50.072 --> 00:27:54.172
it and then have it, then have to put it in my car and then drive it to school

00:27:54.172 --> 00:27:57.872
and then walk and then bring it in the building and ask, is that allowed?

00:27:59.332 --> 00:28:03.192
Is that allowed? I'm asking you. Oh, I have no idea. Like, Walmart delivery,

00:28:03.312 --> 00:28:04.412
like, directly to the school.

00:28:04.612 --> 00:28:07.772
I mean, we get food. We get, you know, people order DoorDash all the time.

00:28:08.012 --> 00:28:11.032
How different could it be? You could leave it outside. I was like,

00:28:11.132 --> 00:28:14.492
oh, if I don't do that this time, I'm going to ask for next time because it's

00:28:14.492 --> 00:28:16.892
so much stuff for waffling. And anyway.

00:28:17.372 --> 00:28:21.712
I think if you did it during the school day. I mean, if you did the time to

00:28:21.712 --> 00:28:24.832
switch, somebody was at the building, you don't want to leave it outside and let the raccoons get it.

00:28:25.892 --> 00:28:29.252
Never all right i'm gonna i'm gonna ask i'm gonna see like is this allowed

00:28:29.672 --> 00:28:32.512
all right what about you what would you no no no what would

00:28:32.512 --> 00:28:39.732
you do oh oh oh oh i would do the once a month gotcha i i would i like thanksgiving

00:28:39.732 --> 00:28:44.892
i like the i like turkey i like stuffing i like gravy i like potatoes oh this

00:28:44.892 --> 00:28:48.832
one this next one is i mean this one is an easy answer for me would you rather

00:28:48.832 --> 00:28:52.212
eat turkey every day for the rest of your life or never have potatoes again,

00:28:55.856 --> 00:28:58.176
All right. So if I eat the turkey, I can still have potatoes.

00:28:59.176 --> 00:29:02.116
Yeah. So absolutely. Cause I can't not eat potatoes.

00:29:02.376 --> 00:29:05.776
Like, so you would, you would have turkey every day. Okay.

00:29:06.216 --> 00:29:09.416
Very good. Because you know, I need potatoes in my life. And you?

00:29:10.896 --> 00:29:15.896
I heart potatoes. Yeah. I mean, yeah. In all forms. In all forms.

00:29:16.316 --> 00:29:19.436
All, all forms. Mashed or fried or whatever. It doesn't matter.

00:29:19.536 --> 00:29:20.516
Chips. It can be anything.

00:29:21.936 --> 00:29:29.076
It's so true. All the things. Yeah. I mean, you know, baked potatoes in your house.

00:29:29.936 --> 00:29:34.676
I'm a lonely potato, baked potato eater here. All right. Next one.

00:29:35.036 --> 00:29:40.156
Eat sweet potatoes with marshmallows or topped with brown sugar and pecans.

00:29:40.436 --> 00:29:46.996
Oh, I mean, I would take both, but I'd probably go brown sugar and pecans just because like.

00:29:47.436 --> 00:29:50.416
Can I tell you something? That's my jam. What? I've never had either.

00:29:51.236 --> 00:29:56.696
You don't eat sweet potatoes? I like a sweet potato, but I've never had it with

00:29:56.696 --> 00:29:58.936
marshmallows or like brown sugar.

00:29:58.976 --> 00:30:01.356
You have to know what you're getting when you do that.

00:30:01.496 --> 00:30:04.716
And it, like you have to like expect it to be sweet.

00:30:04.936 --> 00:30:08.336
And if people don't like, that's not a normal side dish.

00:30:08.876 --> 00:30:13.736
You know what I mean? Like people don't like, normally people don't eat sweet

00:30:13.736 --> 00:30:16.556
side dishes. You do that on Thanksgiving or like Christmas time.

00:30:16.716 --> 00:30:19.496
Like you don't do it like yeah i just i've never been served either

00:30:19.496 --> 00:30:23.536
one i have i like sweet potatoes and i

00:30:23.536 --> 00:30:26.376
remember in college like having sweet potato french fries like

00:30:26.376 --> 00:30:30.056
for the first time yeah i love those and being like these are delicious but

00:30:30.056 --> 00:30:36.736
i've never had those other two do you make them that way or no um i do but honestly

00:30:36.736 --> 00:30:41.496
i i probably i have made them like that in the past but nobody not a lot of

00:30:41.496 --> 00:30:46.256
people really eat them yeah i get it yeah so i get it Yeah. Okay.

00:30:46.876 --> 00:30:55.176
Would you rather walk around with a pocket full of stuffing for a day or a pocket

00:30:55.176 --> 00:30:58.896
full of mashed potatoes for the day? Um...

00:31:00.267 --> 00:31:05.767
Stuffing. Just because I could pick little pieces out of it and nibble on it all day.

00:31:06.327 --> 00:31:10.747
I actually have a kid who was taking a lot of fruit out of the cafeteria and

00:31:10.747 --> 00:31:13.027
he was coming to class with like several.

00:31:13.327 --> 00:31:16.607
Yeah, fruit pants. And I like to call him fruit pants. And he hasn't been fruit

00:31:16.607 --> 00:31:19.827
pants in a long time. And then this week he actually came back and he had some

00:31:19.827 --> 00:31:22.367
oranges. And I was like, fruit pants, we've talked about this.

00:31:22.507 --> 00:31:25.007
And he's like, I wanted you to call me fruit pants.

00:31:29.647 --> 00:31:32.767
Oh kids are so funny okay they are sometimes

00:31:32.767 --> 00:31:40.087
well this is crazy would you rather sit at the kids table or talk politics uh

00:31:40.087 --> 00:31:44.427
kids table kids table kids table kids table kids table great agree agree agree

00:31:44.427 --> 00:31:47.167
greatly i don't want to talk politics with anyone because the whole world is

00:31:47.167 --> 00:31:50.987
a mess and i don't want to do it anymore would you rather cancel thanksgiving,

00:31:51.987 --> 00:31:53.107
or halloween.

00:31:56.414 --> 00:32:00.534
Okay. Halloween. You'd cancel Halloween.

00:32:00.794 --> 00:32:04.594
Yeah. Because like Halloween is a teacher is I've talked about this,

00:32:04.694 --> 00:32:07.754
right? I've talked about this. I just, no, I just, it's not for me.

00:32:08.134 --> 00:32:12.174
Dear Robin, Joe still loves you. Oh, I mean, of course. Okay.

00:32:12.234 --> 00:32:15.834
You know, she was just personally offended. Oh, yes.

00:32:17.074 --> 00:32:21.974
Um, you did say today, actually, um, it's my holiday. So I don't come to work

00:32:21.974 --> 00:32:23.514
that day. So that, that was her thing.

00:32:23.694 --> 00:32:26.614
She said, it's my holiday. Yes. Yeah.

00:32:27.054 --> 00:32:29.114
Yeah. Oh, big deal. It's a big deal for her.

00:32:29.894 --> 00:32:36.694
All right. Would you rather spend Thanksgiving Day all alone or Christmas Day all alone?

00:32:36.894 --> 00:32:38.934
Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving. I agree.

00:32:39.674 --> 00:32:43.094
I immediately, I'm like, neither. But that's not a choice. Yep.

00:32:44.894 --> 00:32:53.054
Would you rather spend Thanksgiving on a cruise or at Disney World?

00:32:55.114 --> 00:32:58.054
I probably i would love to spend it at disney world

00:32:58.054 --> 00:33:00.794
however i could not

00:33:00.794 --> 00:33:03.774
deal with like i know it's always crowded but

00:33:03.774 --> 00:33:09.014
like the holidays at disney world are like are straight yeah ridiculous bananas

00:33:09.014 --> 00:33:13.894
like i just i can't yeah it's too many people and everything's packed and you're

00:33:13.894 --> 00:33:19.074
waiting online not just for rides but for food and for snacks and no i know

00:33:19.074 --> 00:33:21.434
i mean it would be cool to do it like once,

00:33:21.494 --> 00:33:23.674
but I don't think I could do it every year.

00:33:23.874 --> 00:33:27.674
So probably a cruise. Then I wouldn't have to cook anything. Okay. Yeah.

00:33:28.254 --> 00:33:31.654
If there was one person.

00:33:33.810 --> 00:33:39.650
That's no longer living that you could have at your Thanksgiving table, who would it be?

00:33:46.150 --> 00:33:51.310
I think right now it would probably be my father-in-law because I'd like my

00:33:51.310 --> 00:33:58.610
family to be together for a holiday like that again. Oh, nice.

00:33:59.610 --> 00:34:04.250
See, you went, I was thinking more of like someone that you like didn't know,

00:34:04.310 --> 00:34:09.850
like history, but you pulled someone in your family. That's really sweet.

00:34:10.150 --> 00:34:15.290
Or maybe I'd go Ben. Now, if Tracy listened to the podcast, she would enjoy hearing that.

00:34:16.070 --> 00:34:20.390
I would go with. So if we're going that route, I would say.

00:34:22.190 --> 00:34:27.370
I think I'd go with like like I'd want it like have Ben Franklin because because

00:34:27.370 --> 00:34:30.970
he argued that the turkey should be the. national bird.

00:34:31.250 --> 00:34:35.190
So I'd like him to give me his arguments and hear about it. And my dude was

00:34:35.190 --> 00:34:37.470
a womanizer. So you get to hear all of his crazy stories.

00:34:37.870 --> 00:34:43.370
I think he could probably really get down on like a big, like 20 pounder by himself. Yeah.

00:34:43.670 --> 00:34:46.230
Be frank. Right. I mean, you're talking about, you're talking about a Turkey.

00:34:46.810 --> 00:34:49.510
Yeah. I got it. All right. Yes. I understood.

00:34:51.650 --> 00:34:54.890
Look, the guy liked his ladies. That's, that's, it's not rumor.

00:34:55.010 --> 00:34:57.130
It's true. That's true. That's very true. Yeah.

00:34:57.370 --> 00:35:02.530
Fascinating specimen of a, I mean, you know, interesting, interesting. Yep.

00:35:03.710 --> 00:35:08.870
So if you had to make a list of the things that you're most grateful for—.

00:35:10.377 --> 00:35:14.037
This holiday season coming into Thanksgiving. Okay.

00:35:14.977 --> 00:35:22.877
Aside from stuffing, what might your, what might some of the items on your list be? Oh, goodness.

00:35:23.317 --> 00:35:26.217
Uh, right now I'm really, you know, I'm really proud of my kids.

00:35:26.617 --> 00:35:31.157
Uh, they've, they've, I don't, I don't want to say they've dealt with a lot,

00:35:31.297 --> 00:35:37.097
but like, you know, the start of senior year is, is a, is a white knuckle rollercoaster for these kids.

00:35:37.097 --> 00:35:42.497
It's like, it's, and, and your son is in the same boat because of like the applying

00:35:42.497 --> 00:35:44.697
for colleges stuff, but also his course load, right?

00:35:44.817 --> 00:35:49.837
Like we've talked about this, like our, our kids course loads in the fall are like heavy.

00:35:50.417 --> 00:35:53.317
Like they're not, they are not phoning it in.

00:35:53.437 --> 00:35:56.917
They're taking classes that are like, they're challenging their dual enrollment,

00:35:57.217 --> 00:36:00.737
their, their R-Track, their journalism. It's all, all those things. Right.

00:36:02.217 --> 00:36:05.097
Um you know and they've done all the applying to schools and the

00:36:05.097 --> 00:36:07.837
and you know some of those acceptances are starting to come in

00:36:07.837 --> 00:36:11.037
and stuff like that but i just know like it it they're managing

00:36:11.037 --> 00:36:14.117
that um i don't

00:36:14.117 --> 00:36:17.497
want to say better than i thought they would but i'm proud of how and how they

00:36:17.497 --> 00:36:21.157
are managing that and i've also said to them like you should be proud of yourself

00:36:21.157 --> 00:36:25.777
by how you're handling it not just your grades but like getting the applications

00:36:25.777 --> 00:36:31.097
done and and um you know my wife is kind of high energy and high strung.

00:36:31.417 --> 00:36:34.637
No, she's not. I never said that. And.

00:36:36.937 --> 00:36:41.197
We've talked about this her and I. I would describe her more as intense.

00:36:41.677 --> 00:36:45.237
Yeah, not high strung. No, high energy. More so intense.

00:36:47.057 --> 00:36:52.337
She's very focused and driven, so it comes with it like sort of a heat to it

00:36:52.337 --> 00:36:55.877
that's very no-nonsense. I retract my earlier statement.

00:36:57.597 --> 00:36:59.917
And none of those things are bad or negative at all. No, no,

00:37:00.037 --> 00:37:04.617
not at all. Yeah. But like, and we, I talked about this. It's like, it comes from like her,

00:37:05.804 --> 00:37:12.064
her worry comes from a place of happiness, excitement, worry. Yes.

00:37:12.684 --> 00:37:16.684
Uh, you know, wanting the best for them, wanting to get into the school they

00:37:16.684 --> 00:37:21.304
want to go to and do what, like it all comes from in a, a heartfelt,

00:37:21.924 --> 00:37:24.664
deep down good place. Yes.

00:37:25.084 --> 00:37:30.584
Right. But sometimes it, it adds another layer of stress.

00:37:30.784 --> 00:37:34.544
And I sometimes can see, but my kids are doing a very good job of,

00:37:34.684 --> 00:37:38.124
okay, I got it. Like, I got it. I got it. I know what I got it.

00:37:38.324 --> 00:37:41.104
It's I know. Yes, I got it. I have heard my son say, Hey, I got it.

00:37:41.184 --> 00:37:43.484
I got it. I know that I got it. I got it.

00:37:44.004 --> 00:37:49.364
So I'm very proud. I'm thankful for, you know, the work and the time that they're putting in. Um,

00:37:50.104 --> 00:37:55.244
I'm also, I mean, I do want to say that there's been a lot of stuff happening

00:37:55.244 --> 00:37:58.684
with the show recently, which I think is really awesome.

00:37:58.844 --> 00:38:04.124
Some of the stuff we're not ready to announce yet, but we were at the convention

00:38:04.124 --> 00:38:07.104
earlier in the month. And man, what a day.

00:38:08.044 --> 00:38:13.304
Next week, we're going to have a great episode coming out where we ask teachers

00:38:13.304 --> 00:38:15.064
some questions and ask them advice.

00:38:15.204 --> 00:38:17.304
So it's direct from the floor of the convention.

00:38:17.684 --> 00:38:20.464
It is must-see TV. Yeah, like it is. It is not to be missed.

00:38:20.704 --> 00:38:22.264
It might be the best thing we've ever done.

00:38:22.664 --> 00:38:26.464
I mean, I know that's me saying it, but I mean, Grind Your Gears was pretty

00:38:26.464 --> 00:38:28.344
great. But this is. Yeah, this is.

00:38:28.604 --> 00:38:32.604
So we got a chance to talk to like some amazing people that wound up turning

00:38:32.604 --> 00:38:34.464
into like, yep, you're going to be a guest.

00:38:34.724 --> 00:38:37.704
Like, and or like, we need you to be on for a full time. Like,

00:38:37.764 --> 00:38:40.984
there's so many people that we met that we talked to and walked around.

00:38:41.164 --> 00:38:43.884
And they're teachers, teachers, you know, they are, you know,

00:38:43.944 --> 00:38:46.224
it's kind of like, are you a girl's girl? And it's like, yes.

00:38:46.344 --> 00:38:47.484
Like, are you a teacher's teacher?

00:38:47.884 --> 00:38:55.424
Yes. Yeah. And they are really, uh, among the top, uh, championing our profession

00:38:55.424 --> 00:39:00.044
in every way, you know, in every good light that there can be.

00:39:00.204 --> 00:39:03.904
Um, and sometimes what is seen as a pretty dark time to be a teacher too.

00:39:04.364 --> 00:39:09.964
Um, and so it was extremely inspirational and I am really excited to hear,

00:39:10.004 --> 00:39:14.564
um, you know, and to feel that and see the glow that will come from people listening

00:39:14.564 --> 00:39:17.684
and watching that episode. Yeah, we did some cool things down there.

00:39:17.884 --> 00:39:20.864
So like, I'm just thankful, you know, I'm thankful and appreciative of this

00:39:20.864 --> 00:39:24.144
journey that you and I are going on. Yeah. Um...

00:39:24.673 --> 00:39:31.393
You know, that just a lot of cool things that kind of have that will be coming

00:39:31.393 --> 00:39:37.433
our way that I think are going to help our show grow and get more listeners as well as, you know,

00:39:37.533 --> 00:39:41.433
get our show into the ears of as many people that we want to help as possible.

00:39:41.653 --> 00:39:45.553
Like, it's just a great journey that I think that we're continuing to go on.

00:39:45.673 --> 00:39:48.913
And I don't know where it's going to end up, but it definitely is something

00:39:48.913 --> 00:39:52.173
that I'm very proud of. I'm proud of what we're doing.

00:39:53.213 --> 00:39:56.333
Um i'm you know and i'm excited

00:39:56.333 --> 00:39:59.193
to continue you know in the new year as

00:39:59.193 --> 00:40:04.313
well um but we got some really cool we got some cool stuff coming some good

00:40:04.313 --> 00:40:08.153
opportunities for you and i as well as you know things that we're going to do

00:40:08.153 --> 00:40:12.853
to talk about our profession more like there's just stuff happening that we're

00:40:12.853 --> 00:40:16.933
that we're excited about so i'm thankful for that and um i'm also thankful for,

00:40:17.193 --> 00:40:19.093
you know, just in general,

00:40:19.413 --> 00:40:22.833
like the support I get at home from, from my wife, from my kids,

00:40:23.193 --> 00:40:27.173
like not to sound hokey, but all that stuff is very important.

00:40:27.873 --> 00:40:32.873
I'm very thankful for my kids and my spouse and my.

00:40:34.279 --> 00:40:38.539
Co-workers and, you know, people who can help me to balance everything.

00:40:38.559 --> 00:40:46.639
I'm happy to have some family that had gone, that was away, living out of state, moving back.

00:40:46.699 --> 00:40:49.259
And so I'm happy, you know, like the band is back together.

00:40:49.499 --> 00:40:52.979
And that, you know, really is, means so much to me.

00:40:53.279 --> 00:40:58.699
I am so thankful for like how self-sufficient my kids are.

00:40:59.019 --> 00:41:02.019
And I, you know, when I hear other people or I see the kids and,

00:41:02.079 --> 00:41:03.519
you know, we talk about learned helplessness.

00:41:03.699 --> 00:41:07.379
I'm really happy that the people that I'm trying to raise and put into the world

00:41:07.379 --> 00:41:09.379
are, like you said, capable.

00:41:09.899 --> 00:41:13.379
And a lot of the things that, you know, our kids are able to do and handle on

00:41:13.379 --> 00:41:16.879
their own is, you know, it doesn't come easily to anybody.

00:41:17.159 --> 00:41:20.259
And so, yes, it can be modeled, but it doesn't mean they always have to do it,

00:41:20.399 --> 00:41:21.199
you know, or follow through.

00:41:21.379 --> 00:41:26.099
And so I am so grateful for my own kids and how responsible they are and how

00:41:26.099 --> 00:41:30.679
they are really, truly actively participating in their own lives and trying

00:41:30.679 --> 00:41:33.719
and doing and, um, and, and for the, for those things.

00:41:33.779 --> 00:41:41.039
And of course, you know, I am so excited to continue on this journey from,

00:41:41.039 --> 00:41:42.779
uh, you know, from my house to yours.

00:41:42.979 --> 00:41:47.239
And, um, and of course we wish all of our listeners a wonderful,

00:41:47.379 --> 00:41:52.639
healthy, happy Thanksgiving with gobbles galore.

00:41:52.939 --> 00:41:57.779
Yeah. I do want to mention one other thing. Uh, you know, you and I talk often

00:41:57.779 --> 00:42:03.899
about how we go through this life with our spouses. And we need a team, right?

00:42:04.139 --> 00:42:08.699
There's no way we do this on our own. Like when we talk about balancing our

00:42:08.699 --> 00:42:12.379
work life and our responsibilities and all the things that we do,

00:42:12.579 --> 00:42:17.099
it doesn't work if we don't have all those supportive pieces that you put in, right?

00:42:17.279 --> 00:42:21.059
Supportive coworkers, supportive spouses and kids and family members,

00:42:21.299 --> 00:42:26.519
and people that you You can just be like, I need to vent and talk about something

00:42:26.519 --> 00:42:27.339
that's going on right now.

00:42:27.559 --> 00:42:32.059
That is such a huge part of what we do and how we do it.

00:42:32.339 --> 00:42:37.439
Like it doesn't, it does not go unnoticed. So even those small passing conversations, you know.

00:42:38.789 --> 00:42:42.929
You know, kind of reset us are the things that help us balance this crazy lifestyle

00:42:42.929 --> 00:42:46.689
each and every, every week. So for sure. Yeah. Yeah.

00:42:47.169 --> 00:42:50.509
Yeah. So, uh, anything else we got there, buddy?

00:42:51.229 --> 00:42:58.009
You know, I, uh, I would like to tell you that season three is brought to we're

00:42:58.009 --> 00:43:00.509
the king of the sick way. All right, let's start that. Okay.

00:43:00.909 --> 00:43:03.849
Yes. Season three is brought to you by our presenting sponsor,

00:43:03.929 --> 00:43:04.969
teacher's insurance plan.

00:43:05.169 --> 00:43:08.209
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00:43:08.749 --> 00:43:12.449
teacher's insurance plan, auto insurance that brings exclusive educator savings

00:43:12.449 --> 00:43:19.309
and exceptional customer care to New Jersey and Pennsylvania educational employees, just like me.

00:43:19.929 --> 00:43:23.669
Yeah. I love my teacher's insurance plan and all the parts that go along with

00:43:23.669 --> 00:43:26.409
it. So Mr. Vitale, I appreciate you.

00:43:26.809 --> 00:43:30.849
I appreciate you very much, friend. And I want to remind our listeners,

00:43:31.509 --> 00:43:34.549
thank you again for listening, but definitely, definitely, definitely check

00:43:34.549 --> 00:43:38.249
out next week's episode that we got coming up from the convention it's it's

00:43:38.249 --> 00:43:41.469
awesome and we really hope you guys are going to like it so uh we will.