What teachers really need? A good laugh

Teachers sure could use a good laugh.

The “Bored Teachers: We Can’t Make This Stuff Up! Comedy Tour” is here to provide just that. The touring teacher-comedy stand-up show comes to TPAC’s James K. Polk Theater at 7 p.m. July 28, bringing Nashville area teachers some much-needed comedy relief.

Featuring award-winning comedians who are also current or former educators, the show is about giving teachers “a night out where they can laugh and get the stress out,” said Devin Siebold, the tour’s headliner. He said he loves giving educators an outlet to laugh about the reality of teaching.

“It’s better than just crying about it all. The number one thing we hear from teachers after a show is ‘I really needed that.'”

Siebold was a middle and high school social studies teacher in Florida for 13 years. For 10 of those years, he moonlighted as a stand-up comic. A lot of his material came from his teaching experiences, and it paid off. He toured all over the country and says he got to open for some big names, like Peter Cetera, Gilbert Gotfried, Bert Kreischer, and Tom Segura. He got involved with Bored Teachers after making a few teacher-themed comedy videos that went viral.

“I was the first comedian that Bored Teachers brought on to produce content for them,” he said. “They helped promote me and I helped build their brand.”

Bored Teachers is a popular online platform full of funny memes, videos, podcasts and other content with titles like “10 Things Parents Do That Teachers Hate,” “What Wine Pairs Best with Your Teaching Style” and “35 Most Ridiculous Excuses Teachers Have Heard from Students This Year.”

The platform began its live comedy tour in 2022 and Siebold said the response was “massive.”

“We sold out every show within the first 20 minutes of being on sale.”

The 2023 tour is packing theaters as well. The comedians joke about everything from students talking back and principals who don’t know what they’re doing to parent interactions and ridiculous email chains. The humor is mostly teaching-centric, but Siebold said you don’t need to be an educator to enjoy the sets.

“They’re all over the place and each comedian does their own thing. If you’ve been a student in a school, you’ll laugh, too.”

For KC Mack, the show’s MC, the goal is to “create the ultimate teacher party.”

“We’re going to be dancing and laughing. You’re not just going to come and sit still.”

Mack has been a special education teacher in Dallas since 2015. He said the show’s inbox stays full of messages from teachers thanking them.

“Teachers are overworked, underpaid, and undervalued. So, we celebrate them with music, laughter, and camaraderie.”

For both Siebold and Mack, The Bored Teachers Comedy Show is especially needed these days. From school shootings and increased workloads to micromanaging and lack of support, the already tough education profession has become even harder in recent years. Teacher burnout is at an all-time high. Both comedians said they have received messages from teachers telling them that the Bored Teachers Comedy Show kept them from quitting.

“There’s comedy and tragedy in this job,” Mack said. “It’s not for the weak. You have to find your ‘why’ and stay grounded in it.”

For Siebold, the culture wars are making matters worse.

“Teachers used to be the heroes,” he said. “Now they’re under a microscope and people think they want to hurt kids. It’s just not true. Teachers are good people who want to help kids and build a better future. But they don’t control their own narrative. Social media and other media outlets do.”

Both teacher-comedians know first-hand how much a big dose of the best medicine can help.

“Comedy has healing power. People forget that,” Siebold said. “A good laugh can change your entire day.”

Mack said he wants teachers to “walk out of the show feeling valued, seen, and not alone.”

“We may be the ones on stage, but we want the teachers to feel like the real celebrities.”

If you go

What: “Bored Teachers: We Can’t Make This Stuff Up! Comedy Tour”

When: 7 p.m. July 28

Where: TPAC’s James K. Polk Theater at 505 Deaderick St.

Tickets: Starting at $35

Other: Some comedians may use adult language.

More information: https://www.tpac.org/event/2023-07-28-to-2023-07-28-bored-teachers-comedy-tour/

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What teachers really need? A good laugh with Bored Teachers Tour