Share

Is this the world’s coolest teacher?

accreditation
PHOTO: CATERS/WWW.MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA
PHOTO: CATERS/WWW.MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA

A video showing a high school teacher rapping and dancing with her students has gone viral.

The footage shows forensic science teacher Kendrah Underwood (37) getting her students to sing and dance about their ambitions for the upcoming year after a class at Butler College Prep School in Chicago in the US.

Students were asked to rap about what they’d do to insure they get good grades for the year.

“I’m a creative, think-outside-the educator box, so when I got the green light to teach forensic science to the seniors this school year I was elated,” Kendrah says.

“I automatically started to think of creative and engaging ways to captivate my students. I thought ‘What would you do for that grade’ would be a cool concept the students would gravitate towards, and it would be a good catchy concept we could adopt as we shifted into full throttle for first quarter.

“I literally had the idea on Wednesday, ran it by the students on Thursday and recorded the two-minute video after school on Thursday and uploaded it to my YouTube Channel.”

By the following Sunday the video had taken off on Facebook, receiving more than five million views, and Kendrah says that activities such as this one are one of the main reasons she loves teaching so much.

“I really enjoying doing challenges and actively engaging with my students,” she said.

“I’m constantly looking for ways to make my classroom inviting and conducive for learning. When students are bored it’s impossible for them to learn or to be vested in content.

“We were all students once, so I take a deliberate approach and envision myself as the student and design lessons I’d be interested in.

“The great thing about high school is you get an opportunity to teach and inspire a wide range of students ages 14 to 18, which is hands down during one of the most impressionable periods of their lives. I create a space where leaders feel comfortable coming to me to get the help because they know I’ll reach them where they are.

“In my forensic science class we’re exploring all the elements of a crime scene and I’m working on creating my first escape-the-classroom project. 

“My goal every year is to help students acquire an understanding of science and develop an appreciation of the real-world applications, and sometime a song is the perfect vehicle to carry the message.”

Kendrah, who has an eight-year-old son, was voted teacher of the year by a class of matrics last year and gets lots of positive feedback from parents who say they wish more teachers took such a pro-active approach to teaching.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()