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A middle school teacher who suspected her students did not pay attention to directions left on the whiteboard put her theory to the test by also posting odd instructions as seen in a now-viral video.
TikToker @miss.guevarez shared the video, which amassed more than 100,000 views at the time of publication since it was posted in late March. The directions she left for her students left many in stitches, while some offered new directions she can post.
The skill of having sharp attention to detail is one that children can shape and develop.
A piece published for Success at School noted that those with this skill can find errors and improve weaknesses in their own work.
"Thorough checking is one way to catch silly mistakes," the article stated. "It could make all the difference in an exam situation, where correcting errors may help you pick up a few extra marks and even push you over a grade boundary."
In her video, @miss.guevarez showed different sets of instructions, which included one odd direction over the course of several days.
"If you say Mooo at your desk today I will give you a sticker," one point of direction stated.
Another read, "If you jump at your seat one time I will give you a sticker."
Commenters offered some suggestions on what @miss.guevarez can do next, while others said they wanted to try to test their students' attention to detail skills.
"Try quiz answers," one viewer suggested.
Another wrote that she should write instructions on a test not to answer any of the questions as an April Fools Day joke.
A commenter wrote their own students informed them that they don't pay attention to what is written on the board, and they were tempted to write quiz answers on it.
"You should!" @miss.guevarez encouraged. "We don't put things [on] the board for nothing!"
A commenter who said they teach second grade wrote that their students also don't read the directions that are posted.
Although @miss.guevarez wrote that none of her students noticed the odd instructions, one commenter who said they were a student of hers said they saw it but did not say anything.
She wrote to Newsweek that about 10 other students have noticed the instructions and are on the lookout for them when they come into school.
Many of @miss.guevarez's students have seen her video, and she explained that they enjoy watching her other content to keep up with her.
Others suggested that students may be more inclined to follow the strange directive for a different reward.
"I would do it for a chocolate not a sticker [to be honest]," a viewer wrote.
Other viewers suggested that @miss.guevarez could offer extra credit points, and she said she loved to hear the additional ideas.
In addition to the instructions, @miss.guevarez said she's posted "code words" that students can use to get a prize.
"Others saw those students get prizes and wanted the prize, but they had to tell [me] the code word and how they knew it so they couldn't 'cheat,'" she said.
@miss.guevarez said she enjoys teaching middle school, but said there are times she has to entertain herself and not just the students.
"This was my way of doing that," she said. "My hope is that eventually my students would start reading the directions and see how helpful they are. Doing it in a silly way shows that I'm a teacher willing to help them but also sometimes joke around too."
Teachers have shared some insight into what goes on in their classrooms, and at times some of these moments have gone viral.
A teacher posted a TikTok where she shared a note she received from students who wrote that they were there for her and included the phone number of a psychiatrist after urging her to get "help."
Another teacher shared a video that has since gone viral showing the moment that she and her co-teacher discovered a turtle was behind a mysterious scratching sound.
One teacher who recently got back to work after maternity leave showed the questions she received from students about pregnancy and her baby.
Update: 04/12/22 3:18 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comments from @miss.guevarez.
About the writer
Catherine Ferris is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Her focus is reporting for the U.S. Trends Team. She ... Read more