Hello everyone! Describing 2020 as BLEAK is an understatement. Thankfully, we have people like Gerry Dee looking to make it a little brighter. Gerry Dee is the star of his sitcom, Mr. D, about a gym teacher going through his experiences as an educator, and all eight of its seasons are now available on Amazon Prime!  Gerry joined me on the show to talk about his comedy, how his previous years as a teacher formed his work, and how he attempts to keep his comedy authentic to the real world of teaching. Whether you need a break during the holiday season, or just want to experience a conversation between a current public school teacher (me), and a popular comedian, this is the episode for you.     This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Risk. Fail. Rise. A Teacher’s Guide to Learning From Mistakes by Colleen Cruz. You’ve likely heard the adage, ‘Everyone makes mistakes.’ But knowing why we make mistakes can help us learn from them and improve situations once we’ve made them. In Risk. Fail. Rise. teachers will learn how to address their own teaching mistakes, model with their own mistake-making, and improve their responses to others’ mistakes. Colleen Cruz shares what research says on mistakes as part of learning and what that means for teaching. If we can create school cultures where we talk honestly about mistakes, then we can grow and create opportunities for children to grow in all the ways they deserve. And we deserve those opportunities too. Risk. Fail. Rise. is available as a book and ebook. Look for the audiobook in early 2021. To learn more visit Heinemann.com.