Teacher who nailed “jerk dance” shares backstory

If we look back on our time in school, most of us have that one favorite teacher from middle school or high school.

Oftentimes, they were the reason that we learned so much in class or looked forward to coming to school at all.

Teachers can be a lot of fun.

Without likable teachers, school is much more difficult.

If you asked the students at Tenaya Middle School in Fresno, California, who their favorite teacher was, many of them would say the same thing.

Austin LeMay.

He is a former student of the school and has made it his mission to create an environment of learning for the students that’s both fun and interactive.

And he’s doing a great job!

One way that he does this is by setting up a sound system outside in the quad every Friday so the kids can dance and have some fun.

But it’s not just for them.

Mr. LeMay usually joins the fun.

A recent video of him went viral when he started to perform the popular dance craze, The Jerk, during one of their Friday dance parties.

The video racked up over a million views.

Although the video itself is fun to watch, the story behind it is even better.

According to LeMay, Tenaya Middle School had taken a downward turn in the years before he started teaching there.

Remember, LeMay is a previous student of the school and wanted to return to his alma mater and transform it back into a school that kids would be excited to go to.

It’s LeMay’s belief that “whether or not students enjoy coming to school here is kind of a direct reflection of the work that I’m doing and I take a lot of pride in knowing that my kids like coming to school every single day.”

The principal at the middle school is also a former student and the two of them together are doing everything that they can to create a positive change in the culture at Tenaya.

They are even working towards rebuilding the connection between the teachers and the community.

LeMay said this about the principle:

“It was really his vision to change this middle school for the better, right? I went to Tanaya, he went to Tanaya, we both grew up in this area. And for a long time, uh, you know things were just kind of off here. You know, a disconnect between teachers and students and, really, a disconnect between students and students and teachers and teachers. And then the community at large really not having a lot of good things to say about this school.”

So, Mr. LeMay has been putting in the work (in the classroom and on the dance floor) to make sure that the students have a positive experience while at school.