Parents and students alike have all needed a little motivation to get geared up for the 2020-2021 school year in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic. Well, two Georgia teachers took it upon themselves to get kids hyped and ready to return to learning to the sound of Jack Harlow’s “What’s Poppin.'”
The two high school educators, Callie Evans and Audrianna Williams wrote, rapped, and danced to their own vibe over the popular song in a new TikTok video that has gone viral, garnering as of now, 6.2 million views on Twitter.
The pair first started end-of-year jams four years ago, but in the face of the pandemic, they wanted to do something special to welcome students back to the virtual classroom at Monroe Comprehensive High School in Albany, GA.
“We wanted to get them excited about virtual learning,” Evans said in an interview with nbcnews.com. “We wanted to grab the students’ attention, meet them where they were and write about what was affecting them.”
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To help take the video to the next level, the teachers recruited the cheerleading team as their backup dancers while they were on the mic.
“You better pass my class no floppin’/ Gon’ log in, every day, every morning,” the teachers rap. “COVID-19 had us stressed, but it’s nothing/ We gon’ overcome, that’s facts no bluffing/ Wear your masks, wash your hands, keep a safe distance.”
So, just how long did their entire production take to produce from concept to final product? Well, it all took place over a week with a tight schedule.
“It was a tight schedule and a lot of work, but so rewarding for our students,” Williams said in the same interview. The music video, first posted on Evans’ Instagram before classes started Monday, provided the “perfect icebreaker.”
“Students were so excited to meet us,” Evans said. “They wanted to know who we were, ask us questions. It’s amazing to just vibe and connect with my students through a screen.”
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What do the teachers think about their internet fame? Well, Williams said that, “The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. It’s kind of crazy and unbelievable to see how much love we’ve received, just to see how far the video has reached.”
It even looks like Evans and Williams have recruited the entire administration team for a remix.
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And of course, their school director, Jamel Overstreet, is nothing less than excited about the teachers’ overwhelming viral success. On Instagram he stated, “If Mrs. Evans or Mrs. Williams is not your teacher, please contact your advisor.”
Monroe Comprehensive High School is one of three within the Dougherty County School System. Georgia has been one of the hardest hit states affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.
