A US teacher by the name of Barry White Jr. has made headlines the world over this week, after a video of his amazing before-class ritual went viral.
White, an English teacher at Ashley Park Elementary School in North Carolina, has created a distinct and well-choreographed secret handshake with each of his 42 (!!) students.
“They know when they get to the front door we do our ‘good mornings,’ and then it’s time to go,” White told ABC News of the enthusiastic routine.
WATCH: The incredible routine has reached millions of people. Post continues after video…
“I’m always pumped up and then we start doing the moves and that brings them excitement and pumps them up for a high-energy class.”
“I started with one simple handshake last year with a fourth grader,” he explained. “She would wait for me every morning before she’d go to class. She’d get in trouble sometimes for being late because she’d wait on the handshake.”
“This year I started making handshakes with the kids at recess. It was just one or two students and then it became contagious,” he added.
“I saw how much it meant to them, so I said, ‘Come on. Everyone come on.’ Then it was my full class, then it was kids from other classes. Now I have third graders wanting to do it too.”
Combining a tricky combination of fist bumps, salutes, shimmies and even twirls of the hip, White says it’s easy to remember the epic-routine because he “does it everyday.”
“It’s muscle memory at this point,” he said. “I do it so much with them. They love coming up to me and doing it. I just know the certain moves that go with certain kids because it’s personalised. For example, I started a step team at the school. Some of my fifth graders I teach are on that step team and you’ll notice we step a little bit in their handshakes.”
Incredible! We bet these kids are ALWAYS eager to attend class.
