Teacher Student Dance Battle Goes Viral On Social Media

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A Black teacher from Hillsborough County has sparked joy across social media thanks to her epic dance moves.

On Dec. 31, a video of a student challenging his teacher to a dance battle went viral. The short clip captures a student from Sumner High School, busting a few crafty moves in front of his 8th-grade class before challenging his teacher to step in. Surprisingly, the students are caught off guard when the teacher starts popping and locking, sending everyone in the room into an excited frenzy.

Now This News identified the teacher as Yolanda Turner, an 8th-grade teacher at Sumner High in Riverview, Florida. During an interview with Fox 13, Turner explained that the viral video was caught on camera by the assistant principal as students were on break from an exam. The kiddos needed a little time to relax, so she thought she’d do something fun to keep their energy and morale up.

“I really try to emphasize for kids to be their authentic selves and to really never be afraid to express who they are no matter who’s watching,” Turner shared.

“You know, the music was on, all the kids were pumped. So it was like, Let’s have a dance challenge. So I’m like, okay, all right, so everybody’s having fun. And I said, ‘I’m going to tap in. I’m going to tap into the dance.”

The vibrant teacher chuckled:

“I literally got powered up…The more they yell, the more I turned out.”

Across social media, fans and notable figures showered Turner with praise for lighting up her students’ lives.

“I love to see this! Teachers need our support, so they can save the future!” wrote one user. While CNN producer Channon Hodge wrote, “Now don’t be challenging a teacher that knows how to dance.”

Michael Bobo, a close associate of Turner commented:

“I have had the privilege of knowing Ms. Turner for years! SHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT THE WHOLE CHILD! Now the whole world gets a glance of your brilliance. Thank you Ms. Turner

Congrats to Ms. Turner for being an incredible role model and mentor to her students!

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