upworthy

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Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear a bonnet and PJs.

While we often think of test day as purely a stressful day for students, teachers definitely feel the pressure too. Just take middle school teacher Sarah Ashley Winans’ word for it.

Winans recently went viral on TikTok after sharing a video of herself entering the school she works at in the middle of the night, decked out in her pajamas and a bonnet. No, this wasn’t a bizarre episode of sleepwalking—Winans woke up from her pre-test day slumber and realized she had forgotten to plug in her computer charging cart that would be vital for students to take the exam.

Luckily, the crisis was somewhat easily averted. In the clip we see her hop out of her car, unlock the building, walk down the hall and into her classroom, and in two seconds flat she comes out flashing an “all is well” peace sign to the security camera. Phew.

@misswinans_teach

Test taking anxiety isn’t just for the kids. Mind you…this was at 10:15 p.m. 🫠🫠 #itsfineimfineeverythingsfine #viralvideo #teachersoftiktok #teachertok #middleschoolteacher #teacherlife #teacherhumor #middleschool #fyp #trending #sendhelp #whyamilikethis

“Test anxiety isn’t just for kids,” her caption read.

In an interview with Today, Winans shared how this test anxiety comes from a place of wanting all her students to feel at ease. "I don't really sleep the week of testing, because I want them to be OK, and I want them to feel confident, not to be nervous and worried. I know testing can really put a lot of pressure on people."

teachers, teacher of tiktok, test day, test anxiety, state testing, prepping for test, funny teachers, state exam, chromebook Sarah Ashley Winans. Courtesy of Sarah Ashley Winans

Down in the comments, people really felt for Winans’ plight.

"I just know you were stress texting your principal,” one person wrote. Another echoed, "Yall know she was (on the phone) with someone bc she was scared to death."

Indeed, Winans did call her administrator before making her adventure to the school (luckily only a five minute drive away), and that was actually how she got this hilarious footage. "She let me look at it, and then I said, 'I have to record it,'" Winans told the outlet

Viewers who were not feeling secondhand anxiety just chimed in with pure appreciation.

“This is so Janine coded,” one person wrote, referencing Quinta Brunson's character in Abbott Elementary.

teachers, tests, testing, abbott elementary, gif Janine from Abbott Elementary. media.giphy.com

“Not all heroes wear capes, they’re in bonnets plugging in the chromebook cart at 10pm,” quipped another.

Still another said, “Just so you know, you’re an amazing teacher because WHO would go late at night when you’re already in your jammies? You’re awesome.”

Following the huge response to her video, Winans told Today, that she hopes it humanizes teachers a bit and reminds folks they aren’t perfect, but still do everything they can to provide for their students.

"This is just something we do. Teachers, you make mistakes, and you forget to do things and, I mean, you just do what you have to do to make sure your kids are successful. And I was just doing my job."

So, in addition to providing education, therapy, and mentorship, teachers also have to do a little recovery missions from time to time. That’s just reason #509 why they deserve more.

As a new school year is well underway, Winans seems to be doing just fine as she's posted videos of her classroom redesign project and an adorable fit check.

@misswinans_teach

A little ootd to get the week started😂😂 #teachersoftiktok #viralvideo #teachertok #middleschoolteacher #ootd

She certainly looks well rested!

This article originally appeared in May. It has been updated.

Photo Credit: Gelda Waterboer

Gelda Waterboer sings to first grade class about consent.

First grade teacher, Gelda Waterboer, went viral across the world in August of 2025 for passionately singing a song to her students at a school in Namibia. This wasn't just any song, though. It was a cautionary tale about understanding body autonomy and reporting abuse. She sang this with her whole heart—and quite possibly, the most moving aspect of it was that the kids knew every word. There was nothing unclear about the message.

The lyrics of the song, set to a familiar nursery-rhyme melody, were simple: "These are my private parts, private parts, private parts, these are my private parts, no one should touch them." As she sings, she vaguely illustrates the areas that are considered "private." She continues, "And if you touch my private parts, private parts, private parts, if you touch my private parts, I will tell my mother. I will tell my father. I will tell my teacher."

The clip, which has now received over 16 million likes on TikTok alone, has been described as brave and essential, albeit for some, it's a bit divisive. Many in the comments mention what they describe as "aggression," so Waterboer took to TikTok to address it.

As you hear the sound of kids playing in the background, Waterboer points out how many views (and counting) the clip has. "This makes me (to) realize, that there is a great need of awareness that needs to be spread when it comes to the safety of the kids. I wish I had a teacher like me growing up."

Referring to the comment section, "Some of the comments are really funny. But some are like 'the teacher is taking this personal. The teacher is so aggressive. I'm so scared.'" She adds, "I wish I had a teacher who would firmly tell me that it is okay to say no to people you also trust. That you have the right over your body. I take this personally because I wish I knew that growing up. And if you are someone that grew up in a safe environment, if you are someone that is privileged enough not to undergo certain things these kids are going through, you would sit there and say that she's so aggressive."

"Guys, I'm telling you some matters need to be addressed with seriousness. They need to know the value in their 'no.'"

She also notes how taboo the topic has traditionally been, which might halt children from speaking up and may be the root cause of some of the negative comments. "As Africans, we take such topics as taboo...For me, as long as I'm a teacher, I have vowed that I will be the teacher that I never had growing up...I will make sure that I'm that teacher that I needed when I was growing up. I will be that teacher that will provide protection for these kids. I will be that teacher that will make sure that they will come to their highest potential of their self. So excuse me, if I was so 'aggressive.' Because yes, it's personal for me. It's very personal."

Waterboer spoke with Upworthy and shared that the kids' parents were grateful for the song. "None of my parents showed negative emotions. They were rather glad and happy that such education and awareness is being brought to their children." She also noted that while this was the first time she recorded the song, she does it every year. "At the previous school I was at, all of the teachers at the time (grade 2) did the song in the classes. It was something we used to do together as an awareness for our learners. I encourage teachers to introduce this song to their leaners as early as possible."

Joe Vercellino, voted Detroit's Teacher of the Year in 2021, shared his thoughts on the video with Upworthy, heaping praise on Waterboer. "In a world where parents are wondering what their kids are being taught in school about their own body, you should be grateful to have this in the playlist."

Vercellino tours schools, visiting nearly half a million students a year, with his group The Lion Heart Experience. They provide much-need positive programming to students, also sharing catchy songs about self-worth with lyrics like, "I have worth, I have value, I have a beautiful future."

The Lion Heart Experience shares their song about self-worth. www.youtube.com, The Lion Heart Experience

With regard to the people who find it offensive, he says, "It almost throws you off-guard at first, you are almost hit with a wave of offense then you realize, this is exactly what I want my kid to know and believe."

Ciara Bogdanovic, LMFT, also spoke with Upworthy, adding how valuable these kinds of difficult conversations with children are. "Talking about this is not a one and done conversation. It’s an ongoing teaching of helping children say no, assert their own boundaries, and to learn that they have agency over their bodies."

It's a vulnerable topic for sure, but one that must be continued for the safety of kids. Oprah Winfrey has been extremely open on the subject, sharing her own experience with childhood molestation to caution children and their parents on how insidiously common it is. Just a few years ago, she re-broached the topic on her Apple+ TV series, The Me You Can't See, which was co-produced by Prince Harry. After sharing her story of being sexually assaulted by a cousin starting at age nine, she told Harry, "I had no idea what sex was, I had no idea where babies came from, I didn’t even know what was happening to me, and I kept that secret."

Oprah Winfrey shares vulnerable thoughts about trauma on The Today Show www.youtube.com, The Today Show

But it was a teacher who intervened and saved her from the situation. "It’s the reason why for so many years I wanted to be a teacher, to be able to give to other kids what my teachers had given to me.”

A viral TikTok argues that women don't want to give up the joy of their own personal peace and freedom for anyone.

There's been a lot of discourse on the state of modern dating and a lot of theories on why it seems harder than ever for people to find connection with romantic partners. Could it be that the achievement and education gaps between men and women are altering the dynamics? Have social media and dating apps broken our brains and hearts? Do we all have unrealistic expectations and unlimited options, leading to never feeling satisfied with anything or anyone?

Those are all intriguing options, but an alternate theory has recently arisen that's quickly gaining steam: Maybe being single isn't as lonely as we think. Maybe being single is actually freaking awesome.

A guy on TikTok who goes by @gettothepointbro shared a hilarious monologue on why women who have been single for a long time "don't want to date anymore." Women say he absolutely nailed it.

dating, women, single, discourse, happy single Sassy I Know GIF by ABC Network Giphy

At first, it might seem like he's poking fun, either at single women or at the men who can't seem to win them over. But not so! What he's done is perfectly captured the joy many people find in being single and, frankly, able to do whatever the hell they want.

"Some women have been single for so long they don't date anymore, they grant you access to their peaceful little empire like a reluctant queen handing you a visitor's badge," he says. "You text her good morning and she's already annoyed, like 'Why are you disturbing the sacred silence of my personal growth journey?'"

He goes on, "Bro she's been sleeping diagonally in her bed for three years, she's not giving up that territory because you opened the door and paid for coffee."

"You plan a cute date, she's thinking 'That sounds nice but also I could stay home, deep clean my apartment, do a 12 steps skincare routine, order sushi and not have to listen to a man breathe.'"

"You try to check in emotionally, 'How are you feeling?' She's feeling fantastic because you're not here."

"You're not competing with other guys. There are no other guys. You're competing with her weighted blanket, her peace, her cat named Chairman Meow, and the simple joy of not having to share her fries."

These are just a few of the best lines from the nearly 2-minute rant, all delivered in the most amazing French accent you can imagine. Please, enjoy:

@gettothepointbro

DATING A GIRL WHO IS USED TO BE ALONE CAN BE VERY HARD .

The best thing about the video is the discussion in the comments. Women want to know how this man got access to this top-secret information. The rant is so eerily, frighteningly accurate that women are convinced this French guy is living in their heads. That, or someone's secretly leaking intel.

"dammit. somebody call a meeting of the council. he knows too much."

"I dont often offer this compliment to the male species but you explained it better than I ever could."

"Alright, who’s told him this info??? So exposed right now"

"The joy of sleeping diagonally across my bed cannot be fully explained."

"This is the most accurate profiling I’ve ever heard. You absolutely ailed it."

Clearly, we've tapped into a real phenomenon here, with users lovingly calling him The Croissant King.


@gettothepointbro

CAN YOU RELATE LADIES ? THAT’S WHY WE LOVE YOU ❤️

The truth is that many people—both men and women—are disillusioned with the sad state of the dating scene these days. App burnout is a real thing, and meeting new people in real life is a ton of work. So, it's no surprise that more and more people are just choosing to stay single and enjoy all the perks that come along with it. This is a stark change, especially for women.

According to FiveThirtyEight, "Women were also more likely than men to say that they weren’t dating because they have other priorities right now." Priorities like travel, career, friendship, and even just self-care—all things that wind up taking a backseat when people get involved in relationships. It wasn't too long ago that women of a certain age that were still single were called "spinsters," but that word has lost a significant amount of power. This new generation of women aren't embarrassed or ashamed to be single; they're loving it for exactly all the reasons this video describes.

This article originally appeared in April. It has been updated.

Body Image

Plus size figure skater with unreal moves is inspiring girls everywhere

So many kids have been told they can't figure skate because of their body shape. The doubters were clearly wrong.

This figure skater is something else.

Is there anything more beautiful and graceful than ice skating? It's got the gorgeous aesthetics of gymnastics and dance combined with an almost other-worldliness as the skaters glide and fly around the ice. There's a reason people can't seem to look away from the rink when the winter Olympics roll around every couple of years.

However, the sport of ice skating comes with certain expectations of what the skaters body should look like. For women, most high level skaters are almost always extremely petite and slight. It stands to reason that this body type must be a requirement to perform at a high level, right?

Wrong. Laine Dubin is one skater who's out to prove that there's no "right way" for an athlete to look.

Dubin, most recently a student at Quinnipiac University where she was a standout on the skating team, began posting videos of her routines online in 2018. Believe it or not, she didn't set out to start a body-positive revolution—she just wanted to document her progress and free up some space on her phone,

But almost instantly, she began to develop a following. No one had ever seen anyone like her pulling off the moves that she could, all with so much personality and showmanship that sucked people in. Not only that, but Dubin displays outstanding power and grace on the ice. If you've only ever watched the "prototypical" Olympic skaters perform, what Dubin does almost looks impossible. It's really amazing to behold.

One clip in particular recently went mega viral to the tune of over 30 million views:

@lainedubin

THE WINNER TAKES IT ALLLLLLLLL🏆🥇 🎥 @Emma #figureskating #figureskatingtiktok #iceskating #iceskatingtiktok #plussizefigureskater #figureskatingtiktoks #iceskater #figureskater #adultfigureskater #adultsskatetoo

Dubin has undoubtedly found her people on social media. The responses to her videos could bring tears to your eyes. Not only are viewers in awe of her skill on the ice, they find so much hope and inspiration in what Dubin is doing:

"Ok but as a bigger Asian girl who has always dreamed of ice skating this made me tear up 😭 so proud of you"

"I NEVER see plus sized rep in figure skating, YOU ARE INCREDIBLE THIS IS SO COOL!!"

"the fact no one knows how absolutely impressive this is especially with girls our size I love ice skating I've been a fan forever the power and strength you need to pull your up and spin like that"

"wait! someone with my body type figure skating?!!! like a GODDESS may I add, this makes me feel so seen, and like, maybe I could do this with some practice as well!!!!!???"

"As a plus sized girl who had the idea of figure skating shot down, thank you for making the lil girl in me happy and I'm so damn proud of you. You're awesome."

Comments just like these roll in on Dubin's videos every single day. But that doesn't mean that general attitudes across the sport are ready to change.

Women skaters, especially, are mercilessly mocked, fat-shamed, and picked apart by viewers, coaches, and even judges of the sport. Five-time Olympic medalist Tessa Virtue has dealt with people nitpicking her body her entire career, calling her either too fat or too muscular. Bronze medalist and two-time US National Champion Gracie Gold had to take a hiatus from the sport to get help with an eating disorder. One of the most promising young figure skaters in recent memory, Yulia Lipnitskaya, was forced to retire at just 19 due to anorexia along with injuries.

There are a lot of factors that contribute to this major problem. The norm is for female skaters in competition to wear incredibly skimpy dresses and outfits that accentuate their form and technique, which would make anyone self-conscious about their body. Canadian skater Kaetlyn Osmond adds that less body mass also helps them achieve sky-high jumps on the ice.

@lainedubin

the greatest thing you’ve ever seen since sliced bread🍞 (thats a joke people) #figureskating #figureskatingtiktok #iceskating #iceskatingtiktok #plussizefigureskater #figureskatingtiktoks #iceskater #figureskater #collegiatefigureskating

Dubin is living proof, though, that a plus-sized body can be athletic, graceful, and beautiful. It means so much to all the kids who think they shouldn't bother pursuing their love of the sport because their own body type will never allow them to fit in.

“It’s just people seeing representation in the media of themselves being represented first,” Dubin told US Figure Skating in 2023. “That’s what will make people feel validated and that’s what will lead to change with body inclusivity in the skating space.”

The way she's racking up millions and millions of views, it's fair to say she—along with other plus-sized skaters—could have a real, tangible impact on the next generation of skating athletes.

Keep up with Dubin and watch her progress, play, and fashion on TikTok and Instagram and visit her Linktree for even more.

This article originally appeared in April.