Classroom Ideas
Teachers have always worked hard to ensure their students are getting the absolute best educational experience. Pandemic teaching has them working harder than ever. Distance learning is exhausting! The amazing effort teachers put forth is clearly evident through a viral TikTok video from this kindergarten teacher in Washington, Mackenzie Wenz.
Remote kindergarten facial gymnastics!
Ms. Wenz shared a clip of her teaching a math lesson virtually. The caption says, “My facial expressions trying to keep kindergarteners engaged in online learning.” The video starts with her enthusiastically discussing different addition combinations that equal four with animated facial expressions, an excited voice, and large arm gestures. She then asks students to raise their hands to share what kinds of pictures they see by number four on the screen.
“Grayson, go ahead and turn your microphone on for me!” she encourages with a big smile while hiding up a “Microphone On” sign. She waits oh, so patiently, repeating the question while Grayson struggles to figure out the microphone. Grayson gets double thumbs up when he’s finally able to chime in. Ms. Wenz asks again, “What’s a picture you see?”
Grayson sees, “a class of kids.”
This obviously wasn’t the answer Ms. Wenz was looking for, but she cheers him on anyway. After all, he did see a class of kids on his screen, even if they didn’t quite relate to the number four.
The level of facial gymnastics, body language, and energy this teacher exhibits to her remote kindergarten class in less than a minute was truly worthy of an Oscar nomination.
TikTok is amazed!
The video has over 13 MILLION views and over 23 thousand comments! Most are so impressed with Ms. Wenz. Comments include:
- I can’t imagine doing this all day when I’m having a great day, let alone a rough day. How do you maintain this? I’m so impressed with you!
- My mom is also a remote kindergarten teacher. I can attest that her whole day is spent like this and she often has no energy left to even eat dinner at the end of the day.
- Can I send you a Starbucks gift card? This looks so tiring!
- This proves teachers keep our society going and absolutely deserve to be paid more.
- Your students must feel so special with the enthusiasm and patience you give them even through a screen.
- The patience is off the charts!
- Teachers deserve the whole world!
- Your warmth and commitment really come through!
- The effort required to maintain that level of energy for more than a few seconds is epic!
- The fact that teachers don’t make more than surgeons is unreal.
- I will never complain about my child’s teacher again. Period.
- Teachers deserve all the gold stars and big raises!
Remote kindergarten superstar!
Grayson now has an unofficial fan club on TikTok. Here are some of the comments:
- Grayson’s wifi and mic are better than what I have at college!
- My heart melted when I heard Grayson’s little voice! I’m so glad he has such an amazing teacher in his corner.
- Good job, Grayson!
- Grayson is the big twist here! I thought it was a dramatic POV video until he chimed in! What star power!
- Grayson is going places!
- Don’t want to be dramatic or anything, but I would die for Grayson.
Be kind to teachers!
Can you imagine keeping a remote kindergarten classroom of 20+ five-year-olds engaged and learning all day, every day? How about a group of teenagers who just want to crawl back into bed to sleep, play video games, or text their friends? Plus, many teachers are working on a hybrid schedule with in-person students in addition to those online. They’re adapting lesson plans, hosting Zoom tutoring sessions, taking calls from parents, and trying to keep up with constantly changing information about what the rest of the school year will look like. Oh, and many have their own children at home doing virtual school while they’re teaching.
Thank you, Ms. Wenz (and Grayson!), for helping the world see all the energy teachers put into every single minute of remote teaching! Check out some of her other viral teaching videos on TikTok at @kenziiewenz!
