You've heard of fat shaming, you've heard of mommy-shaming, but have you ever heard of teacher-shaming?
Middle school teacher Ms. Amy Allen was on the receiving end of some serious hate when it came to how one stranger thought she conducted herself in the classroom. Thankfully, Ms. Allen was ready to teach this shamer a lesson — and in the most hilarious way possible.
This Middle School Teacher Just Wanted To Make Learning Fun Again
"I love teaching middle schoolers because they are awkward, and I’m awkward, so we get along."
- Amy Allen
Woman drinking from a pink cup and a woman wearing a jerseyAmy Allen/@_queenoftheclassroom
The comment read: "your a teacher act like it." For those who paid attention in English class, you'll notice the glaring grammatical errors. It was almost too easy. School was in session, and this was one teacher-shamer who was not going to be saved by the bell.
Ms. Allen's response was a classic teacher move. In a follow up video, she wrote the troll's comment on the whiteboard, then humorously corrected the errors, turning it into a mini-lesson for everyone watching. She added proper punctuation, fixed the grammar, and even included a tongue-in-cheek reminder to "Come see me if you have any further questions." Talk about schooling the critics!
The video quickly went viral, garnering millions of views and cheers from her followers. It wasn't just her clever correction that resonated; it was the way she handled criticism with grace and a touch of humor. After all, teachers are no strangers to spelling and grammar lessons, even when they come from unexpected places.
Watch Ms. Amy Allen's Video:
@_queenoftheclassroom Replying to @كل الكلبات تريد مني Come see me if you have any further questions. #qotc #iteachmiddleschool #weDEFINITELYdonthavefuninhere @Amy Allen ☀️ @Amy Allen ☀️ @Amy Allen ☀️ #Inverted
"My Students Are The Ultimate Hype People" – Her Class Was On Her Team
Despite the rude comment, Ms. Allen's students were firmly in her corner. They rallied behind her, tracking the video’s growing views like they were monitoring a pop quiz's success rate. As her comeback video gained traction, her class grew even more excited.
"What’s funny is I left my correction on the board accidentally, and the next day, students asked me what that was all about. 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."
- Amy Allen
The views were racking up, so Ms. Allen made her fifth-period class a deal. If the video reached 1M views during their class time, they could sit wherever they wanted for an entire week. It was a deal too good to pass up. When the millionth view hit, the room erupted in cheers. Ms. Allen shared she was a classroom "rockstar." The support from her students was overwhelming, and it showed that a teacher's connection with their class goes beyond the four walls of the classroom.
It is moments like these that remind us why teachers do what they do. It's not just about teaching math, science, or grammar — it's about building a community where students feel supported and valued.
From Troll to Triumph — Ms. Allen Keeps It Cool and Classy
Despite the negativity from an online troll, Ms. Allen's response turned a mean-spirited comment into a viral success story. By demonstrating her teaching skills and her ability to laugh in the face of criticism, she showed everyone that the classroom is a place for learning, not just for the students, but sometimes for the critics too.
In the end, it's clear that Ms. Allen knows how to turn a classroom into a lively, welcoming space. She isn't afraid to play games, encourage laughter, and build a supportive environment. And when she faced an online troll, she handled it with the same playful energy that makes her classroom so special.
Her story is a reminder that even when faced with negativity, the best response is often a little humor, a lot of class, and a touch of teacher magic. So keep up the amazing work, Ms. Allen, because you're definitely teaching us all a thing or two about how to respond to haters with style and a smile.
Mind the Comparison Trap: Why Life's Race Is Only Against Yourself
Social media can be a wonderful tool for staying connected. It allows you to catch up with old friends and make new ones. However, it can also be a dismal place for your self-esteem. In this article, I share a time in my life when I was consumed with social media, and with the feelings of inadequacy that came from constantly comparing myself with the way others were portraying their lives. From the experience, I’ll share how I broke free of the comparison trap, and how you can, too.
Mind the Comparison Trap: Why Life's Race Is Only Against Yourself
I looked at my phone in disdain. What I had hoped for was a short recess from the grind to catch up on the news and the happenings from my circle of friends. It turned into a long and depressing chronicle of self-loathing and discouraging self-sabotage.
It wasn’t the bad news. On the contrary, it was the good news and, specifically, the abundance of it that had me in a tizzy.
On Facebook, it seemed as though everyone I knew was making excellent progress on his/her dream. The dizzying array of feel-good headlines threw me into an abyss of inadequacy: “I’m so thankful for everyone who believed in me because I just became the new blah blah blah”; “I’m happy to announce that we have launched blah blah blah”; and on it went.
I had to escape the bombardment. Unfortunately, Linkedin was my ill-advised choice for the escape route. For within that realm, I realized how many of my colleagues and friends who started at the same time as me have become managers. And while I’d already made the decision long ago to forgo the management path, the sight of everyone else making it there unnerved me.
I panicked.
I threw the phone and myself on the bed, covered my face with my hands and let go a long sigh. Every piece of someone else’s good news was a dagger to my self-esteem. Where have I been? Have I done nothing? Why is everyone else getting ahead and I’m lagging behind? The questions buzzed around me like a locust swarm.
I sank into the comforting embrace of the bed and fell asleep.
Giving ourselves credit and painting the path forward
After that episode, I gave social media a rest. Over the next few days I went back over my personal timeline and realized that while I was ogling over others’ achievements, I had foolishly devalued my own worth and successes, of which I had many.
I came to learn, first, how easy it was to fall into this self-deprecating trap -- to feel stuck in place, anxiously watching your peers wave good-bye as they speed ahead. Second, it became clear to me that I ought to give myself more credit for the incredible journey I’d already taken, and for the stones I've laid for the steps ahead. And lastly, I realized that the path each of us takes is unique to our situation, and that our worth shouldn’t be calculated based on skewed comparisons with others.
Behind the scenes of the airbrushed facade
Imagine two new drivers embarking on a journey. James is gifted a brand new Tesla Model S by his family; Jessica inherits a ten year-old Honda Civic. They take off from the same starting place, full of excitement and hope for the road ahead. Unfortunately, Jessica’s car breaks down 100 miles down the road. As she struggles to fix the flat tire, James passes her by. While they started together, their path diverge from that point on.
Feeling frustrated, Jessica trudges on with one bad tire, resenting her place in the world. But unbeknownst to her, James was pulled over for speeding in a residential zone. After the setback, he cautiously hobbles his way back onto the freeway just as Jessica makes the exit. Their paths cross for a moment and they share their successes so far -- neither mentioned the obstacles they had cleared.
This analogy provides a few important lessons:
Competition is ingrained in cultures all over the world, so it’s difficult to get away from comparing yourself to others. And while it can drive us to improve, it can also cripple our motivation and hope. Because we don’t know where our peers have been or where they might be going, the best bet is to focus on our own path -- do the work to understand our emotions and try to take a step forward every day, no matter how small that step might be.