We all have mixed feelings about school.
Most teenagers dread it – I know I was when I was in high school. The long hours stuck inside the classroom, bored to death, and just wanted to go home. Some kids, especially grade schoolers, enjoy school a lot because they love learning new things.
School can be fun, too, especially by the end of the term.
Exams can be grueling and mentally draining, and students would love to get over it right away to enjoy their much-needed break. But this school in Hillborough had quite a treat during their exam break.
Students from Sumner High School played a “Dance Telephone” game in their cafeteria.
Dance Telephone is like the famous classroom telephone game where one student would pass the message to the next until the end of the line by whispering to their ear.
This is the dance version of it. Students were getting their groove on and didn’t spare their teacher from it, and we’re glad this was caught on camera.
The school’s assistant principal Natalie McClain posted the video on her Twitter account.
Our 8th grade Stingrays having a well deserved exam dance break. Of course our teachers are ending 2022 with a win. Love my Stingrays 💙💚 Happy Holidays @HCPS_SumnerHS pic.twitter.com/Mps92JPJAU
— Natalie.McClain (@McClainEducates) December 23, 2022
It started with 8th grader Orion Pearson dancing to Missy Elliott’s “Lose Control” in the middle of the cafeteria with his peers circling the supposed dance floor.
They were cheering him on as he moved towards his contender – their teacher Yolanda Turner.
Yolanda was Sumner High’s study skills teacher.
The 51-year-old faculty member has served the school for 23 years.
For a teacher who’s been in the school that long, it seemed like students already knew her fully.
But they’re in it for a surprise.
According to Yolanda, the students asked if they could go for a dance battle, and she couldn’t turn it down.
As Orion “tagged” Yolanda for her turn (aka accidentally slapping her slightly), she was ready for battle.
Yolanda started showing off what she’s got – popping, locking, and dropping!
The students cheered and screamed as they saw how good their teacher was.
Little did they know that dear Ms. Turner used to be a vibe dancer, and her daughter is a professional dancer.
The secret’s out, much to the students’ delight.
Yolanda said that the song and the crowd hyped up her performance.
“That song, Lose Control, is like one of my favorite songs. It definitely gets everybody off their feet. So, when it came on, I was just so hyped, and the crowd was hyping me up,” she told ABC Action News.
Ms. McClain’s tweet went viral instantly with over 1.2 million views.
🔥🔥🔥🔥
— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) December 24, 2022
Her daughter also posted it on her TikTok and earned thousands of views daily.
The video even caught the attention of Missy Elliott herself, who replied to Natalie McClain’s tweet with four fire emojis because that performance was just lit!
Since then, Yolanda has been doing interview after interview.
The school’s new superstar has been spreading positivity despite others who tried to comment otherwise.
On rare occasions, people question the quality and state of education these days, but most of us know that light moments like this one helps students feel like they are in a safe space.
It’s clear that Yolanda won people’s hearts – and that dance battle!
Watch their dance-off in the video below.
