Whole school gives teacher standing ovation on her last day after 50 years
The students and faculty showed their appreciation by giving this teacher a send off she'd never forget.

Sheridan Steelman started teaching high school English when she was just 22. After a a fifty-year career, she was finally ready to step into retirement – but not without receiving a standing ovation from the entire school and faculty. Here's how it went:
Dr. Steelman prepared herself for an emotional exit – it would be her finally time, leaving Kent County School in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after a fifty year career. Her daughter Katherine, had come to help her celebrate her last day and there was no doubt that it would be emotional. But she never expected a send-off like this.
Wholesome teacher content 🥺❤️ love you mom!!!! #teachersoftiktok #teacherappreciation #mymom
@katherineinmanhattan Wholesome teacher content 🥺❤️ love you mom!!!! #teachersoftiktok #teacherappreciation #mymom
As she walked toward the exit she was greeted by the entire school and faculty who stood an applauded her. Like the millions who watched her daughter's video afterward, it brought tears to her eyes and theirs!
As Dr. Steelman left school for the very last time she waved to her students and hugged her coworkers, even twirling down the aisle of applauding pupils. After five decades, the now 72-year-old left a legacy of thousands of students who matriculated through her classes.
One of them, Jake Kooyler, commented on Katherine's viral video saying:
"I was her student 5 years ago, she is a wonderful woman with so much passion for her work and love for her students. Send my best to your mom :)".
Dr. Steelman taught both advanced placement English and English 11. She was very involved in her school and departments and was a Curriculum Teacher Leader, Department Chairperson, a Co-Chair of the District Language Arts Committee, and the facilitator of the West Michigan AP Language and AP Literature Networking Group.
While teaching has no doubt filled a large portion of her life, Dr. Steelman also raised six children during her career. At 67, she earned her PhD to "enhance [her] own learning to better prepare [her] students for today's world", according to an interview she gave to Western Michigan University's Bronco Spotlight column.
As for how she's managed a career in teaching for fifty years, Dr. Steelman had this to say about her greatest challenges, successes and her advice to future teachers hoping to achieve a similarly longevous career:
"My students are by far the most rewarding and the most challenging part of the job. It takes passion, dedication, motivation, compassion, and a sense of humor to stay in teaching and to remain current. Today's students are connected to the outside world and savvy enough to use technology in both their personal and academic lives. Teachers who learn to facilitate learning in today's world with the demands placed upon our young people will be the most challenged and the most fulfilled."
As for what's next in Dr. Steelman's retirement plans there's still some things we don't know. We do know, however, that the 72-year-old is publishing her first book this year! Which leaves us thinking that maybe, just maybe, there's still a few things she'd like to teach us...
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.