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Someone criticized a middle school teacher's behavior. Her comeback was an A+.

When a person commented, "your a teacher act like it," Amy Allen hilariously took the advice to heart.

A rude commenter got a lesson from Ms. Allen.

Being a teacher isn't easy. Teaching middle school students is especially not easy. Teaching middle school students who spent several of their formative years going through a global pandemic in the age of smartphones, social media and a youth mental health crisis is downright heroic.

If you haven't spent time in a middle school classroom, you may not fully grasp the intensity of it on every level, from the awkwardness to the body odor to the delightful hilarity that tweens bring to the table. When you connect with your students, it can be incredibly rewarding, and when you don'tโ€ฆwell, we all read "Lord of the Flies," right?

Skilled teachers bring out the best in young people, and that can be done in many different ways. For Amy Allen, it's by making her middle school classroom a fun, welcoming place to learn and by bonding with her students.

"I love teaching middle schoolers because they are awkward, and Iโ€™m awkward, so we get along," Allen tells Upworthy.

She plays games with students, gets rambunctious with them and creates opportunities for them to expend some of that intense pre-and-early-teen energy in healthy ways. For instance, she shared a video of a game of "grudgeball," an active trivia game that makes reviewing for a quiz or test fun and competitive, and you can see how high-energy her classroom is:

@_queenoftheclassroom

If this looks like fun to you, pick up my grudgeball template (๐Ÿ”— in bio) #qotc #grudgeball #10outof10recommend @Amy Allen โ˜€๏ธ @Amy Allen โ˜€๏ธ @Amy Allen โ˜€๏ธ

"I think for teachers, we always want to create moments for our students that are beyond the standard reading, writing, memorizing, quiz, 'traditional learning,'" Allen says. "Games are a great way to incorporate fun in the classroom."

Allen clearly enjoyed the game as much as her studentsโ€”"I love the chaos!" she saysโ€” and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Fun keeps teachers sane, too. But one person took issue with her classroom behavior and commented, "your a teacher act like it." (Not my typoโ€”that's exactly what the person wrote, only with no period.)

Allen addressed the comment in another video in the most perfect way possibleโ€”by acting exactly like a teacher.

Watch:

@_queenoftheclassroom

Replying to @ูƒู„ ุงู„ูƒู„ุจุงุช ุชุฑูŠุฏ ู…ู†ูŠ Come see me if you have any further questions. #qotc #iteachmiddleschool #weDEFINITELYdonthavefuninhere @Amy Allen โ˜€๏ธ @Amy Allen โ˜€๏ธ @Amy Allen โ˜€๏ธ #Inverted

There are two solid ways to handle a rude comment without making things worseโ€”you can ignore it or you can craft a response that makes the person look like a fool without being cruel or rude yourself. Allen's grammar lesson response was A+ work, right down to the "Come see me if you have any further questions" caption.

In fact, the person apparently went back and deleted their comment after the comeback video went viral, which makes it all the more hilarious. The video currently has more than 4 million views on TikTok and over 18 million views on YouTube.

"Whatโ€™s funny is I left my correction on the board accidentally, and the next day, students asked me what that was all about," Allen says. "When I explained it, they thought it was cool because 'why would anyone go after Ms. Allen'? At that point, the video had maybe 10,000 views. I never imagined the video would go viral."

Two days later, as the video was creeping toward a million views, she upped the stakes. "Some of my students are my ultimate hype people, and they were tracking it harder than I was," she says. "I made a 'deal' with my fifth period if it reached 1 million during their class, they could sit wherever they wanted the entire week. During lunch, I checked, and it reached 1 million. So when they came back from recess, I announced it, and it was like I was a rockstar. They screamed and cheered for me. It was an incredible moment for me."

The irony, of course, is that Allen was acting like a teacher in her grudgeball videoโ€”an engaged teacher with engaged students who are actively participating in the learning process. Just because it doesn't look like serious study doesn't mean it's not learning, and for some kids, this kind of activity might be far more effective at helping them remember things they've learned (in this case, vocabulary words) than less energetic ways of reviewing.

Allen has her thumb on the pulse of her students and goes out of her way to meet them where they are. Last year, for instance, she created a "mental health day" for her students. "I could tell they were getting burnt out from all the state tests, regular homework, and personal life extracurricular activities that many of my students participate in," she says. "We went to my school library for 'fireside reading,' solved a murder mystery, built blanket forts, watched the World Cup, colored, and completed sudokus. Is it part of the curriculum? No. Is it worth spending one class period doing something mentally rewarding for students? Absolutely."

Teaching middle school requires a lot of different skills, but perhaps the most important one is to connect with students, partly because it's far easier to teach someone actually wants to be in your classroom and partly because effective teaching is about so much more than just academics. A teacher might be the most caring, stable, trustworthy adult in some students' lives. What looks like silly fun and games in a classroom can actually help students feel safe and welcomed and valued, knowing that a teacher cares enough to try to make learning as enjoyable as possible. Plus, shared laughter in a classroom helps build a community of engaged learners, which is exactly what a classroom should be.

Keep up the awesome work, Ms. Allen, both in the classroom and in the comment section.

You can follow Amy Allen on TikTok and YouTube.


This article originally appeared in April.

Joy

Third graders wrote these adorably persuasive descriptions for local shelter animals

A Pennsylvania teacher partnered with a shelter to create the purrfect writing assignment.

Kids writing shelter animal descriptions is a win-win all around.

For kids, school assignments can often feel disconnected from the real world. Math story problems that ask how many pancakes could fit on a roof, for example, or essay questions about things they're just not interested in. For teachers, finding ways to engage students in learning in a meaningful way can be a challenge, but one teacher's approach to teaching writing shows how a little creativity and community-mindedness can create a win-win assignment for everyone.

Amy McKinney, a teacher in Pennsylvania, was teaching her third graders about persuasive writing. But rather than have them formulate an argument for an imagined audience, McKinney partnered with a local animal shelter to give her students an authentic audience to write forโ€”and a super compelling reason to persuade them.

"Our class teamed up with an animal shelter to help their pets get adopted!" McKinney wrote on Instagram. "We were sent a short description and a photo of each pet. My students each chose one pet to write about and sent our essays to the shelter to display and post to their social media channels."

โ€œMy studentsโ€™ engagement was tremendous!" she added. "They knew the work they were doing would make a huge difference in a petโ€™s life, so what normally takes us a couple of weeks to do, we completed in just days.โ€

Knowing that something you're doing could have a real-world impact is a strong incentive, no matter what your age, but considering how much kids usually love animals, it's no surprise the kids were into it. Animal shelters are always looking for ways to get furever homes for the animals in their care, so this assignment was truly purrfect.

The first-person (or first-animal) descriptions the kids came up with were cute and clever. Imagine seeing write-ups like these ones and trying to say no to the cute furry faces they go with :

Hi, my name is Peaches & all I want is a family. ADOPT ME PLEASE. Iโ€™m very sweet. I like to be petted. I have a unique color. I have built in highlights. Please can I have a family to love? The months here feel like forever. Obviously, Iโ€™m the best one of all.

Adopt me, please! I love other dogs! Iโ€™m Pete and I enjoy other dogs. To begin with, if you have another dog Iโ€™d be great. Second of all, I am only 20 pounds at 5 years old. Iโ€™m not a big dog so. You could probably lift me up. Lastly, Iโ€™m kind of shy but Iโ€™ll warm up. All I need is a little baby talk and some petting. Please adopt me. All I want is a family. Canโ€™t you just help me?

Have you ever seen a dog as cute as me? HI, Iโ€™m Judd! I would love to be a part of your family. Iโ€™m super cute, Iโ€™m goofy, and love people. I would love to go with an energetic family and Iโ€™m wonderful. I was born on 5/25/2018. Iโ€™ve been in the shelter for about a year and I would love to go home with you. I want to go on adventures with a family! I love spending time with humans and I love running around. That is why you should adopt me. Iโ€™ll be waiting for you to come to get me!

Hi! My name is Julia. Have you ever seen such a cute cat as me? I would love to be in your family. First, I love head scratches. If you bring me home we could cuddle. Next, I am very sweet. I will come up to you to receive love. Last, I am energetic. I love running around. As you can see, I am a really great cat to have!

Donโ€™t worry Iโ€™m not bad luck even though I am black! My name is Ursula. Please adopt me! First, I like to snuggle. I am nice donโ€™t worry I wonโ€™t scratch! Second, I like head scratches. While we snuggle you can scratch my head. Most importantly, I am really small. When you need something you canโ€™t reach, Iโ€™ll get it! Now you know you can adopt me.

Have you ever seen such adorable eyes and fur? My name is Bandit. Iโ€™ve been here too long. First would love a home to snuggle. If you bring me home we will cuddle. Next, I donโ€™t enjoy being in the shelter. I donโ€™t like being in a small cage. Last I am shy but enjoy being petted. I love getting scratched on the head. Obviously, Iโ€™m the best one!

The kids even drew pictures to go along with their persuasive descriptions, which made them all the more adorable.

Lots of teachers in the comments said they planned to contact animal shelters in their area and do something similar with their students. Here's to teachers thinking outside the boxโ€”and outside the classroomโ€”to help their students apply their learning to the real world.

You can follow Amy McKinney on her Instagram page, The Unique Classroom.

Representative photo credit: Canva

Teachers shouldn't have to work two jobs.

It's been said a million times but bears repeating until it comes true: Teachers deserve to be paid well. Not just enough to get by or even a decent salary, but a lot. Surgeon-level salaries. Engineer-level salaries. Unless you've experienced first-hand what it takes to manage 25 or 30 of immature human beings and engage them in productive learning all day, you probably have no idea. Teaching is one of the hardest jobs there is and arguably one of the most important for the future of humanity.

And yet, many teachers end up working second jobs because their teacher salary doesn't pay enough. Countless educators wait tables or deliver pizzas or take on other part-time work on evenings and weekends to fill in the gaps.

So when Twitch streamers Emily and Emiru found out their friendly server at International House of Pancakes was a teacher, they decided to do something extra special and give her a large tip.


The server, Brenda, was all dressed up for Halloween and she explained that her school had had a party for the students that day. The streamers told her she looked great, but privately expressed concern about her working a second job after teaching all day.

"That makes me sad, she's a teacher and she has to work at night at IHOP," Emiru said. "Let's give her a really big tip."

@extraemily

Emiru and ExtraEmily left her a $2000 tip #extraemily #extraemilyclips #otk #otkteam #emiru #emiruclips #waitress #thousanddollars

They were live streaming at the time and people in the chat started adding money to their tip, which quickly added up to $2,000. The girls helped Brenda get set up on Venmo, then sent the tip electronically with a note that said, "THANK YOU FOR BEING THE BEST HALLOWEEN SPIRIT EVER [HEART EMOJI] W BRENDA."

When Brenda saw the tip amount, her jaw dropped in disbelief. She called it "a blessing" and hugged the girls, saying, "My students will thank you so much!" After Emily and Emiru told her she deserved it, she added, "I'll be able to do a lot for my kids. They're so precious. I'm grandma to so many kids." She said she was thinking of her favorite student and what she was going to be able to do for them for Christmas.

That reaction right there is why teachers deserve to be paid a salary they can thrive on. The first thing she thought of was her students and how they will benefit from this money, not her.

People have reacted with well-deserved praise for Brenda's selflessness, gratitude to Emily and Emiru for arranging the generous tip, and dismay at how dystopian it is for teachers to have to work two jobs while people donate to them through online streamers. Celebrating the human kindness on display while also lamenting the reality of what we're looking at has become such a common occurrence when it comes to helping teachers out. We have teachers pouring their own limited money into their classrooms. We have events where teachers "win" money for their schools. We have crowdfunding campaigns for school suppliesโ€”all in one of the richest countries on Earth.

We can rail about that all day long, but unless we elect legislators who value public education and value what teachers do, things aren't going to change on the compensation front as much as they should. That's a long game, though, so in the meantime, these kinds of gestures can make a real difference in the life of an individual teacher. Kudos to Emily and Emiru for making this humble teacher's day.

Shakespeare slaps in Gen Z slang.

High schoolers have been studying Shakespeare plays for generations, grappling with the bard's language as they learn to appreciate his brilliance. The further we get away from Shakespearean English, though, the more challenging it is for young people to understand it, giving teachers the formidable task of helping their students relate to 400-year-old English.

What better way to prep them for it than to translate Shakespeare's storylines into their language?

That's what comedian Richard Franks did by summarizing "Romeo and Juliet" entirely in Gen Z slang, and teachers are praising him for it. Watch him leave no crumbs:



From Juliet seeing Romeo as "an absolute snack" to the Capulets and the Montagues "beefing hard" to "it's giving bruh, just check your messages" when Romeo mistakenly believes Juliet's really dead, it's modern translation perfection.

It's meant to be comedy, but it has real educational value

English teachers in the comments were thrilled to find a fun, engaging way to introduce "Romeo and Juliet" to their students:

"As an English teacher, this is going into my lesson on R&J with Year 9 next week. ๐Ÿ’ฅ"

"I'm humiliating year 10 with this first thing Monday morning."

"This is brilliant. I had a professor who would sit on the edge of his desk and tell us all about The Canterbury Tales. Just the major highlights, some interesting background and then say go read it. They are such hilarious raunchy tales that everyone went off, struggled through the Middle English and read it. I was an English teacher and this is how you keep them engaged. Amazing."

"I have spent 40 years working with high school in college students, editing, papers, grading papers, and this honest goodness is the best explanation of Romeo and Juliet I have ever heard. I am laughing tears.๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚"

"As someone who has majored in Shakespeare, this is downright hilarious ๐Ÿคฃ"


A lesson in Shakespeare, but also a lesson in Gen Z slang

People are also loving Franks' skit as much for the Gen Z slang lesson as the other way around:

"This is beyond brilliant because it works two ways: kids can understand Shakespeare, and olds can understand kids. The level of your intelligence and comedic genius is off the charts!"

"You think you're teaching Gen Z Shakespeare. But really you're teaching Gen X modern slang. Thank you for your service."

"As a 52 year young Olds, I actually finally understood some of the new young slang taken in the context of the play recap!"

"YAAASSS!!! ๐Ÿ˜‚ My knowledge of Shakespeare was translating the Gen Z lingo for me ๐Ÿ˜…"

"This is the best break down of Romeo and Juliet I've ever heard...And I'm Gen X ๐Ÿ˜‚."

This is not Franks' first foray into translating Shakespeare into Gen Z. He also has a Macbeth breakdown that's equally brilliant:

Arguably, that one's even more impressive as "Macbeth" is a harder plot to follow in many ways than "Romeo and Juliet."

As one commenter wrote, "This is brilliant - and beyond the humor, it is a fascinating study of language. Shakespeare as written is not really anything close to any kind of modern English at all, and even many familiar words had different meanings or usages/connotations. But the story itself, if we can manage to understand it at its core, is tragic and brilliant. Language is constantly evolvingโ€”if he were alive today, I bet Shakespeare would get an enormous kick out of this.๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘"

Shakespeare probably would have loved this

Several commenters shared that they thought Shakespeare would enjoy this, and considering the way he played with language, invented words and used slang himself in his writing, they may be right. Language is ever-evolving, but few people in history have had more of a direct impact on the English language than Shakespeare. As much as English has changed since the late 1500s, there are many words widely believed to be created or first used by Shakespeare that we use regularly today, including "lonely," "rant," "obscene," "gossip" and more.

So Gen Z's distortion or invention of words to communicate is right up Shakespeare's alley. The famous poet and playwright didn't just invent words but created phrases we use today as well. "Breaking the ice" and "heart of gold" are Shakespeare's babies, so Gen Z phrases like "main character energy" are basically giving Shakespeare vibes.

From an educational standpoint, Franks' videos are great for illustrating how ideas can be expressed in various ways, even when people speak the same language, in addition to helping hook young people into Shakespeare's stories by putting the plot into terms they relate to. What a fun jumping off point for a lesson on Shakespeare, all from the mind of a comedian. Shakespeare would surely be proud.

You can follow Richard Franks on Instagram for more comedy.