Feeling like I’m just “there” during student teaching

I’m currently student teaching, and honestly, I just feel like I’m there. My mentor teacher and her team are all really good friends, so most of their conversations are about things they have in common which are inside jokes, personal stories, etc. Meanwhile, I’m just standing there, nodding along, feeling like an outsider.

It’s not that I don’t want to talk, but I literally have nothing to contribute. The other day, an aide even pointed out that I don’t say much, and I didn’t know what to say other than… laugh and say I’m just listening. I’m not trying to be rude, but I’m also not going to force a conversation just to fill silence.

It’s just awkward. I don’t know if this is normal for student teachers or if I should be doing something different. Anyone else been in this situation? How did you handle it?