Every. Single. One
February 1, 2017 6:52 PM Subscribe
Barry White, Jr., a fifth grade English teacher at Ashley Park PreK-8 School in Charlotte, North Carolina, has an elaborate, personalized handshake with every one of his students.
Ahhh!!! This is so cool! And it doesn't seem easy to remember that many handshakes.
posted by oceanjesse at 7:17 PM on February 1, 2017
posted by oceanjesse at 7:17 PM on February 1, 2017
My cousin does this. It blows my mind how she remembers them all for everyone. She's not a teacher, but she's been on volleyball and soccer teams her entire life and all her teammates each had personalized celebratory hand jive and she was the one who remembered them all.
posted by nevercalm at 7:18 PM on February 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by nevercalm at 7:18 PM on February 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Yeah I'm two weeks into my semester and I can't even remember half their names yet this puts me to shame
posted by Elementary Penguin at 7:22 PM on February 1, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by Elementary Penguin at 7:22 PM on February 1, 2017 [7 favorites]
I'm guessing these are stored in the part of the brain where I keep the list of WWE Intercontinental Champions and my mother keeps third cousins.
posted by Etrigan at 7:43 PM on February 1, 2017 [35 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 7:43 PM on February 1, 2017 [35 favorites]
This is what I need to see more of these days. There is so much good in the world. Teachers need to be paid more for what the do and what they can do.
posted by anya32 at 7:46 PM on February 1, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by anya32 at 7:46 PM on February 1, 2017 [4 favorites]
I did this at boarding school. I shared a bunkbed with a kid from Taiwan. We had a Terminator 2 poster above this bed. Yes it was long ago. The poster had SCHWARZENEGGER in bold steel caps on the top. He'd ask me all the time how to pronounce a word, English is his second language. This word, Arnold's surname, he'd repeat to me in bed, and I'd say either say it well (like an Austrian?) or tell him I'm tired and let me sleep.
What we did do was develop our own fifteen part secret handshake. Nothing else worked, he wasn't going to name the actor to play the terminator, and I couldn't read his manga comics. Of course, you share a bedroom with someone when you're young, you make a bond. He's like a brother to me.
Our dumb handshake ended with blowing the smoke off fired pistols. Now when we do it, well, it's a sixteen part handshake, it ends in an embrace.
posted by adept256 at 7:59 PM on February 1, 2017 [73 favorites]
What we did do was develop our own fifteen part secret handshake. Nothing else worked, he wasn't going to name the actor to play the terminator, and I couldn't read his manga comics. Of course, you share a bedroom with someone when you're young, you make a bond. He's like a brother to me.
Our dumb handshake ended with blowing the smoke off fired pistols. Now when we do it, well, it's a sixteen part handshake, it ends in an embrace.
posted by adept256 at 7:59 PM on February 1, 2017 [73 favorites]
this teacher is awesome. that is all.
posted by KillaSeal at 8:21 PM on February 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by KillaSeal at 8:21 PM on February 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
I'da been happy t'ave my English teacher remember my name.
In a class of 12.
I get no respect, I tell ya.
No respect.
posted by Floydd at 8:24 PM on February 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
In a class of 12.
I get no respect, I tell ya.
No respect.
posted by Floydd at 8:24 PM on February 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
It's not nearly so elaborate, but every teacher in a Waldorf grade school shakes every. single. one. of her or his student's hands twice each day, both when the kids arrive, and when they leave to go home. This is the best explanation for the practice that I could find online.
posted by LeLiLo at 8:33 PM on February 1, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by LeLiLo at 8:33 PM on February 1, 2017 [4 favorites]
Very Smart Brothas: THIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER WITH A DIFFERENT DAP FOR EACH STUDENT IS THE BLACKEST THING I’VE EVER SEEN TODAY
The next time someone asks how old I am, I’ll tell them I’m “Literally Just Got Winded From Just Watching This Young Teacher Dude Perform All These Elaborate and Energetic-Ass Daps” years old.posted by Lexica at 9:00 PM on February 1, 2017 [17 favorites]
I really am coasting on my Fonzie "ayyyyy" with my students. Gotta up my game.
posted by threecheesetrees at 10:21 PM on February 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by threecheesetrees at 10:21 PM on February 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
My life drawing teacher had "brain surgery" (his words), and lost a lot of short term memory capabilities. He took attendance by sketching everyone while everyone in class drew the life model. I think he would then count up the portraits he made, and, if it didn't match the total in class, he'd ask who was missing.
He was magical. I miss that dude.
posted by alex_skazat at 12:27 AM on February 2, 2017 [12 favorites]
He was magical. I miss that dude.
posted by alex_skazat at 12:27 AM on February 2, 2017 [12 favorites]
Plus his name is Barry White. Ohhhhhh yeeeeaaaahhhh baby.
posted by briank at 3:08 AM on February 2, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by briank at 3:08 AM on February 2, 2017 [5 favorites]
Maybe the reason I hate seeing this everywhere is that I was an unpopular child with few friends, and other kids in elementary and middle school would make fun of me not just for not knowing their stupid secret handshakes, but also for not having any friends to make my own with.
No, I'm not bitter.
posted by wakannai at 3:29 AM on February 2, 2017 [4 favorites]
No, I'm not bitter.
posted by wakannai at 3:29 AM on February 2, 2017 [4 favorites]
You logged in to metafilter, with your secret password, and now someone in Australia sees what you typed. You're not alone. We'll support you.
posted by adept256 at 3:52 AM on February 2, 2017 [24 favorites]
posted by adept256 at 3:52 AM on February 2, 2017 [24 favorites]
This is fantastic. You can tell by the way that the kids are all on-point and he occasionally struggles, that these are handshakes the kids made up and he had to learn - so it's not just a memory challenge for him, it's also incorporating body language / moves he may not have done before when he first saw them.
posted by Mchelly at 4:00 AM on February 2, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by Mchelly at 4:00 AM on February 2, 2017 [3 favorites]
I'm guessing these are stored in the part of the brain where I keep the list of WWE Intercontinental Champions and my mother keeps third cousins.
That must be where I have defunct sports leagues (whaddup WLAF) and NES game strategies.
posted by Rock Steady at 4:52 AM on February 2, 2017
That must be where I have defunct sports leagues (whaddup WLAF) and NES game strategies.
posted by Rock Steady at 4:52 AM on February 2, 2017
I was prepared to hate this because I was an anxious child who hated being the center of attention, even just briefly, even in a one-on-one situation. The expectation that I needed to "perform" would have made me deeply uncomfortable because mostly, I just wanted to be invisible as a child.
(By high school, I'd mostly gotten rid of that, fortunately. Not that my anxiety didn't manifest in other ways. But I felt better once I just started embracing my inner freak.)
So I was happy to see that he and one of the students just saluted each other because it seemed like something she was comfortable with doing. It's like he understands that maybe not all his students want to be doing this. It seems like they don't have to if it's not fun for them. I really appreciated that. I would like more teachers to be that understanding about who their students are.
posted by darksong at 5:19 AM on February 2, 2017 [30 favorites]
(By high school, I'd mostly gotten rid of that, fortunately. Not that my anxiety didn't manifest in other ways. But I felt better once I just started embracing my inner freak.)
So I was happy to see that he and one of the students just saluted each other because it seemed like something she was comfortable with doing. It's like he understands that maybe not all his students want to be doing this. It seems like they don't have to if it's not fun for them. I really appreciated that. I would like more teachers to be that understanding about who their students are.
posted by darksong at 5:19 AM on February 2, 2017 [30 favorites]
I got a "video not available in your region" for the ABC link, but I think this YouTube link is to the same video.
posted by tallmiddleagedgeek at 5:53 AM on February 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by tallmiddleagedgeek at 5:53 AM on February 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
I was happy to see that he and one of the students just saluted each other because it seemed like something she was comfortable with doing. It's like he understands that maybe not all his students want to be doing this. It seems like they don't have to if it's not fun for them. I really appreciated that. I would like more teachers to be that understanding about who their students are.
This, this, a million times this. That was the moment I thought he must be a terrific teacher.
posted by Burn.Don't.Freeze at 7:46 AM on February 2, 2017 [10 favorites]
This, this, a million times this. That was the moment I thought he must be a terrific teacher.
posted by Burn.Don't.Freeze at 7:46 AM on February 2, 2017 [10 favorites]
*sigh* We white folks will just never be that cool.
posted by Mental Wimp at 9:21 AM on February 2, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by Mental Wimp at 9:21 AM on February 2, 2017 [3 favorites]
NEVER READ THE COMMENTS!
posted by Shmuel510 at 10:54 AM on February 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Shmuel510 at 10:54 AM on February 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
Those moves are keeping everyone in shape too! Did you see how FIT everyone looked?
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 12:45 PM on February 2, 2017
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 12:45 PM on February 2, 2017
LeBron James & co. on the Cleveland Cavaliers do personalized handshakes as well before games. Link to some video
posted by gucci mane at 1:07 PM on February 2, 2017
posted by gucci mane at 1:07 PM on February 2, 2017
Cool and I know a LOT of teachers who do this or variations of this.
As a teacher, though, I would be fired in a hot second if EVER I allowed my students to be filmed and broadcast in any way. I always wonder about stuff like this -- I've worked in rich suburbs, private schools and in Boston Public, and there's NO WAY I would ever be allowed to film my kids.
Maybe a thing like this is a PR move -- a wonderful PR move, but a PR thing nonetheless because like I said, I know a lot of teachers who greet their kids like this.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 1:26 PM on February 2, 2017
As a teacher, though, I would be fired in a hot second if EVER I allowed my students to be filmed and broadcast in any way. I always wonder about stuff like this -- I've worked in rich suburbs, private schools and in Boston Public, and there's NO WAY I would ever be allowed to film my kids.
Maybe a thing like this is a PR move -- a wonderful PR move, but a PR thing nonetheless because like I said, I know a lot of teachers who greet their kids like this.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 1:26 PM on February 2, 2017
So I was happy to see that he and one of the students just saluted each other because it seemed like something she was comfortable with doing. It's like he understands that maybe not all his students want to be doing this. It seems like they don't have to if it's not fun for them. I really appreciated that. I would like more teachers to be that understanding about who their students are.
Yes! That was my favorite part. And not just because I have a habit of saluting my coworkers in passing because I'm too drained to make that passing in the hall small talk.
posted by Ruki at 3:22 PM on February 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
Yes! That was my favorite part. And not just because I have a habit of saluting my coworkers in passing because I'm too drained to make that passing in the hall small talk.
posted by Ruki at 3:22 PM on February 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
thought I'd cry at any # of other things today... this got me!
I totally would've been speed-salute kid. and then, at the end of the year, been the one who screws up the courage to ask him to sign my yearbook and start crying uncontrollably. although who knows? he's such an outward joy-bringer that everyone feels safe with him from the get-go. in which case, lemme cry again now, because kids deserve that!
posted by cluebucket at 4:16 PM on February 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
I totally would've been speed-salute kid. and then, at the end of the year, been the one who screws up the courage to ask him to sign my yearbook and start crying uncontrollably. although who knows? he's such an outward joy-bringer that everyone feels safe with him from the get-go. in which case, lemme cry again now, because kids deserve that!
posted by cluebucket at 4:16 PM on February 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
I love this. ♥
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 5:28 AM on February 3, 2017
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 5:28 AM on February 3, 2017
« Older u mad bro? | Like a horse in a noodle factory Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by Hermione Granger at 7:06 PM on February 1, 2017 [5 favorites]