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4th Grade Science Teacher Performs 'Welcome Back' Rap for Students
Summer’s flown by, and some schools are already back in session. Many students dread returning to the classroom—but Dwayne Reed, a fourth-grade science teacher at Skokie, Illinois's Jane Stenson Elementary School, wanted his pupils to look forward to a year of learning. Instead of crafting a typical “Welcome Back” letter, ABC News reports, he wrote and recorded a rap song, and filmed a music video of himself performing the tune.
"I just kind of wanted to spice up the old-fashioned newsletter, so I thought, 'Man, I'm kind of good at music, I know how to put lyrics together well,'” Reed, a first-year teacher, told ABC News. “Let's go ahead and put a song that will get the kids excited."
Some of the video’s scenes feature Reed dressed in a lab coat, rapping in front of a white board covered with chemistry formulas. Others show him sitting at a desk, his sneaker-clad feet propped up, or standing in a locker-lined hall. At the video’s end, Reed even dons a costume that makes him resemble Albert Einstein.
“Welcome to the fourth grade/So happy to meet you/Can’t wait ‘til I see you/We’re going to have a good time,” Reed raps. He describes himself as a stylish, sneaker-wearing instructor who likes to eat pizza, and promises students that they will “Learn about science/Find ways to apply it.”
Reed shared the rap last week, IBT reports, and it ended up going viral. More importantly, his musical chops received positive feedback from parents and other teachers.
"I think I’m somewhat gifted at music," Reed told Chicago's NBC5. "It’s simply a way for me to try to connect with my students. Regardless of how cheesy it is, if it helps them remember something, if it helps them excel on the test, or in life, I’m fine with it, I’m backing it."
Watch Reed’s entire music video below, or watch the teacher’s interview with Good Morning America over at ABC News.
[h/t ABC News]
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