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A Texas teacher is going viral on TikTok after she shared a list of the five things she says she no longer cares to hold her students accountable for in the classroom. Although the video has racked up more than 8 million views and over 1 million likes, many netizens did not agree with her methods and even accused her of lowering academic standards.
Here’s What She Listed
The woman, who has spent over two decades teaching in Texas, revealed that she no longer assigns homework to her students. She reasons that, in her experience, students who truly understand a lesson do not need extra work to reinforce it, while those who do not understand it will not suddenly grasp it just because they were sent home with more questions to complete. She even suggested that the practice often ends up frustrating everyone involved, including parents who feel pressured to help, students who may already be struggling, and teachers who, she implied, rarely have the time to grade every assignment anyway meaningfully.
The teacher then turned to dress codes. She bluntly stated that she is less concerned with what students wear and more focused on whether they actually show up to class ready to learn. She said, “As long as you don’t look like you belong on a pole, I don’t care what you’re wearing. I’m just glad you’re here.”
Attendance was another issue she said she no longer stresses over, noting that schools already notify parents when a child is absent through multiple channels. In her view, if a student repeatedly misses class, that becomes a family matter rather than something a classroom teacher can realistically control while also managing dozens of other responsibilities.
The List Continues
The fourth issue the woman raised was students using profanity, which she says she no longer spends time writing up students for. “I don’t have time to care about cursing,” she said. “In the time it would take me to write up a kid for cursing, I could go to the bathroom, make copies, check my email, call a parent, upload grades, write my lesson plans.”
The last item on her list was standardized state testing. The teacher criticized the heavy emphasis placed on the assessment, arguing that measuring a student’s progress based on a single exam does not accurately reflect the learning that takes place throughout the year. “I don’t define my kids learning by one day and one test,” she said. “And the state shouldn’t either.”
Her List Ticked Off Many Netizens
In the comments section under her post, one critic wrote, “Perhaps that’s why education is in the toilet right now…none of the things she has said has improved education.” Another asked, “If they don’t do homework, how will they get better?” Someone else added, “So basically you just work to get a check.”
A few also took issue with her relaxed stance on dress codes. “Don’t agree about the dress code. I dont think kids should be learning that leaving the house in pajamas is okay,” one netizen wrote.
Nevertheless, some viewers supported the Texas teacher’s perspective, seeing it as a realistic reflection of classroom challenges. “Omg finally a teacher who gets it,” one person wrote, while another remarked, “you seem like the coolest teacher ever.” A student also chimed in, commenting, “As a senior in highschool, I would have appreciated a teacher like you.”
