"SkeeYee" — Teachers Share How They Get Students' Attention on TikTok

Picture it: You're going through the school day and your students begin to get antsy and you lose their attention. Some students talk among themselves while others may play around with their personal gadgets.

If you ask old school teachers how to get their students' attention to move forward with the day, many would say that they will simply shout over them and say things like, “Class,” “Students,” or “All eyes on me.”

Others may say the traditional, "Clap once if you can hear me." However, teachers navigating the classroom today recognize that they have to be more creative in their approach to gain back control and attention.

So, various #teachersoftiktok have been giving social media users insight into how they get their students' attention. And of course, TikTok users are eating it up. Here’s the full scoop.

Shout out to the teachers that are in tune with pop culture and today’s music! Instead of shouting at children, many teachers have decided to get their students’ attention by quoting hit songs or funny sayings to regain control.

Case in point: TikTok user Iammemori (@iammemori). In her Aug. 31, 2023, video, the teacher shared how she gets her students' attention and it’s an homage to rapper Sexxy Red.

As the teacher grabs a Sharpie at her desk, she looks towards her students and starts projecting her voice.

“If you see me and you tryna say wassup…” the teacher said.

The students who were talking quickly stopped and responded, “SkeeYee!”

In case you’ve been out of the loop, this lyric is the chorus of Sexxy Red’s hit song “SkeeYee.”

The teacher then told the students, “If your pencils are sharpened, if you’re ready to go to science…”

In another video shared by TikTok creator Marquica (@marquica), she also took a page from the Sexxy Red Book and called out the first lyric of the chorus from “SkeeYee.” And like clockwork, her talkative students stopped talking and yelled “SkeeYee.”

Aside from using popular hip-hop songs, some teachers also opt to use kids' songs that are popular on YouTube. TikTok user Monica & Dakota (@mokochronicles) shared that she uses a particular kids' song from YouTube to get her first graders' attention.

As the video starts, the creator is seen at her desk as she says, “Chicken wing, chicken wing.”

The talkative class then responded by saying, “Hot dog and baloney, chicken and macaroni, chilling with my homies.”

The teacher then told the class to bring their voices down and shared that she has something to say.

Another teacher keeps it simple by saying one word. TikTok creator Christie Gifford (@christiegiff) gives an example of how she commands attention.

“Where,” she said.

“Who? You’ve been where with who? Hmmm, for real?” the class responds in unison.

Truth be told, some teachers understand that to connect with children, you have to find things in common with them. For example, some teachers are in tune with the culture and love hip-hop and R&B. So, if a song becomes a hit, they may use it in the classroom.

Not to mention, some teachers prefer to use popular sayings since it makes it easier to reel kids in and stay on task in the classroom.

So, if you're a teacher, now is a good time to showcase how you get your students to quiet down.