Who knew eating blackberries after Halloween could be so dangerous?

Teachers deserve all the kudos, high fives, raises, accolades, prizes and thanks for everything they do. Even if they just stuck to academics alone, they'd be worth far more than they get, but so many teachers go above and beyond to teach the whole child, from balancing equations to building character qualities. It's impossible to overrate the importance of a truly great teacher. They make a permanent, positive mark on the students they care for.One way dedicated educators do that is by developing relationships and building rapport with their students. And one surefire way to build rapport is to dance with them. Or against them.A viral video shared two years ago by an assistant principal at Sumner High School & Academy in Riverview, Florida shows a group of students gathered around one of their peers as he challenges a teacher to a dance-off."Our 8th grade Stingrays having a well deserved exam dance break," wrote assistant principal Natalie McClain. "Of course our teachers are ending 2022 with a win."The teacher, Ms. Yolanda Turner, took the challenge—and the students went wild.Watch: — (@) The student really thought he had her after he completed his dance, didn't he? It looked as if his soul left his body when he tapped her shoulders and then realized what he'd done. But to her credit, she took it in stride and took him out with her dance moves. The way the students lose their minds when she starts popping her shoulders is a work of art."The music was on, all the kids were pumped," Turner told Fox 13. "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.'""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," she told the outlet.The story went viral to the tune of over 5 million views on Twitter/X. The video had everyone wishing they had a teacher like Ms. Turner, or reminiscing about the ones they did. — (@) "This is just one of the many POSITIVE Things students will remember about their teachers & school! School should never feel like punishment but a place of community, growth, learning, laughter, and love! BRAVO!!!""They really do not pay teachers what they're worth""This teacher is in tune with her students. She will reach them and influence them in a positive manner. Communication is wide open here-she deserves an A+!!!"Ms. Turner gained so much viral fame and notoriety from the video, it eventually landed her a guest spot on the Jennifer Hudson Show. See on Instagram This dance-off video is a prime example of how schools can be places of joyful connection in addition to academic achievement.Gaining students' respect doesn't require being a stuffy authoritarian hard nose, and students generally respond better to teachers they genuinely care for. Meeting them where they are is one of the best ways to reach kids and creating experiences that include for silliness and fun is one of the best ways to keep them engaged.Plus, who doesn't need to blow off a little steam in between exams? What a lovely example of striking a balance between academic rigor and modeling healthy stress relief. Well done, Ms. Turner.This article originally appeared three years ago. It has been updated.

Many people dream of somehow being able to repay their parents for the sacrifices made for them during childhood. Whether that’s something physical, like paying off their mortgage, or simply being the best version of ourselves to make them absolutely proud. For Lindsay Moore, it was finding a “prized possession” her dad once gave up to help the family, and returning it to him once again. Moore still vividly remembers being only seven years old when she saw her father walk into a comic book store to sell a Dan Marino rookie football card from his first season with the Miami Dolphins.In a TikTok that went absolutely viral in 2023, Moore’s father is seen reliving this memory as he holds onto a Christmas bag and a family member reads a card out loud."Money was tight, so you were selling your most prized possession – at least I viewed it as that," Moore wrote. "I felt your sacrifice and it taught me that I would do whatever necessary to ensure my future family never needed anything. It was a lesson that has stuck with me since that moment." Dad and daughter.via Canva PhotosIt was also the moment she became “determined” to pay her father back. Cut to thirty years later, and her father is her Secret Santa. It was the perfect opportunity to fulfill that promise."I will never be able to fully repay that debt," her note continued. "Seven-year-old me would be so elated to see that I finally fulfilled that promise I made to myself. Thank you for everything."As he listened, Moore’s dad began tearing up. Sure enough, he opened his gift to see it was the cherished card he sold all those years ago.The video concludes as Moore and her father enjoy a warm embrace. @lindseyswagmom Im not crying, you’re crying The sweet exchange certainly struck a chord online.“When he started crying I LOST IT,” one person wrote.Another added, “Something about bringing a grown man to tears always gets me.”A few parents shared their own stories of sacrificing prized possessions:“As someone who has sold his prized Gretzky rookie to provide for his kids, I appreciate and respect this a lot,” commented one person.“Just had to sell my signature MacKinnon jersey to pay bills. Sucked so much but kid comes first,” echoed another.On the flip side, some shared their one experience of getting to repay their parents. One wrote:“I got to do this for my mom last year. She won a [Dolce & Gabbana] purse one year at work and sold it to buy my prom dress and never thought twice. She never [got] name brand anything. So this year I took her to get her very first name brand fancy hand bag or her picking, my treat.”But perhaps the best comment belonged to this person, who astutely pointed out: “The card wasn't the real gift to him. It was hearing his impact on you. Priceless.”Moore shared another video showing a close up of the Christmas card for viewers to read, as well as the prized football card in question. @lindseyswagmom Here is the story and card to my last video @NFL @Miami Dolphins @SportsCenter NEXT #danmarino #13 #rookiecard #secretsanta We might not all get to reclaim what our parents sacrificed—and that’s okay. There are so many ways to share just how much of a positive impact they made on our lives. Even saying how much we appreciate them can be an invaluable reward. When all is said and done, letting our parents know how much they mean to us and how much their sacrifices matter to us is the best gift of all.This article originally appeared two years ago.

When we see someone dealing with the loss of a loved one or some other major life crisis, it's instinctual for many of us to ask how we can help. Often, the conversation looks something like this:Us: I am SO sorry you're going through this. What can I do to help? Person in crisis: I honestly don't know right now. Us: Okay…well…you let me know if you need anything—anything at all.Person in crisis: Okay, thank you.Us: I mean it. Don't hesitate to ask. I'm happy to help with whatever you need.And then…crickets. The person never reaches out to take you up on the offer. Was it that they didn't really need any help, this person going through a major life crisis? Unlikely. As sincere as our offer may have been, the problem may be that we didn't really offer them what they actually needed. One of those needs is to not have to make decisions. Another is to not have to directly ask for help. When a person is in a state of crisis, they can feel like they're drowning. They might be disoriented and fatigued, and doing anything other than keeping their head above water long enough to breathe can feel like too much. If someone is drowning, you don't ask them what you can do to help or wait for them to ask. You just take action. Here are some specific ways you can take action to help someone who you know needs help but isn't able or willing to ask for it: 1. Make them foodIt may be tempting to ask if you can make them a meal and wait for them to say yes or no, but don't. Simply ask if they or anyone in their household has any dietary restrictions, and then start shopping and cooking. Easy-prep meals are great.Photo credit: Engin Akyurt/PexelsMeals that can be popped in the refrigerator or freezer and then directly into the oven or microwave are going to be your best bets. Include cooking or reheating instructions if it's not obvious. Disposable aluminum trays are great for homemade freezer-to-oven meals and can be found at just about any grocery store. Casseroles. Stir fried rices. Soups. Comfort foods. If you don't cook, you can buy them gift cards to local restaurants that deliver, or give them a DoorDash or UberEats gift certificate (large enough to cover the delivery, service fees and tip as well, which combined can be as much as a meal sometimes).If you want to make it a community-wide effort and no one else has done so yet, set up a "meal train," where different people sign up for different days to bring meals to spread out the food help over time. There are several free websites you can use for this purpose, including Give In Kind, Meal Train, and Take Them a Meal. These sites make it super easy for anyone with the personalized link to sign up for a meal.2. Clean their kitchen and/or bathroomsKitchens are always in use, and keeping up with dishes, especially in a house full of people, is a challenge even under normal circumstances. Same with keeping the refrigerator cleaned out. Same with cleaning the bathroom. There are always dishes to wash.Photo credit: Karola G/PexelsRather than asking if they want it done, as many people won't want to say yes even if they would appreciate the help, try saying something like, "I want to come and make sure your kitchen is ready for you to make food whenever you want to and that your bathroom is a clean space for you to escape to whenever you feel like it. Is Tuesday or Wednesday at 1:00 better for you?" The fewer complex decisions a person in crisis has to make the better, so saying, "Is this or that better?" rather than offering open-ended possibilities can be helpful.3. Do laundryOffer to sit and chat with them, let them vent if they need to…and fold their laundry while you're at it. There is always laundry to do. Photo credit: RDNE Stock project/PexelsAre they the kind of people who might be embarrassed by you seeing or handling their underclothes? Fine. Wash, dry and fold towels or bedsheets instead. Just keep the laundry moving for them. And if it doesn't feel appropriate or desirable for you to do their laundry at their house, you can offer a pick-up laundry service, either yourself or an actual hired service. Tell the person to put bags or bins of laundry at the door and you (or the service) will come pick it up and bring it back clean and folded the next day. That's a great way to be of service without feeling like you're intruding.4. Run errands for them"Hey, I'm heading out to the store, what can I grab you while I'm there?" is always a welcome phone call or text. Let them know when you're going to be running your own errands and see if there's anything they need dropped at the post office, picked up from the pharmacy, or anything else. Offer to pick stuff up when you're on a grocery run.Photo credit: Polina Tankilevitch/PexelsYou can also offer to run errands with them. "Hey, I've got some errands to run. Do you want to join me?" They may have no desire to leave the house, or they may desperately want to leave the house, so be prepared for either answer, but the offer is solid. Even just not having to drive might be a relief if they have things they need to pick up or drop off places.5. Provide childcareIf the person is a parent, taking their kid(s) out for a chunk of the day can be a big help. Caring for yourself is hard when you're going through a difficult time, and the energy a person might use to actually do that often gets usurped by caring for others. Obviously, parents can't just neglect their children, so anything you can do to relieve them of that responsibility for a while is gold. Caring for someone's kids is one of the most helpful things you can do.Photo credit: Atlantic Ambience/PexelsOffering to take the kids to do something fun—a day at the park, ice skating, etc. is even better. A parent knowing their kid is safe, occupied, and happy is its own form of relief. 6. Ask what they're struggling with and focus your help thereWhile all of these practical household things are helpful, there might be some people who find comfort or solace in doing those things themselves. If that's the case, talk with them about what their immediate needs are and what they're having a hard time dealing with. Then focus your energies there. "What can I do to help?" may not be as effective a question as "What are you having a hard time doing right now?" They may not know what kind of help they need, but they probably know how they're struggling. A hug can go a long way. Photo credit: Ketut Subiyanto/PexelsOne person might be lonely and just want some company. Another person might need a creative outlet or a mindless distraction or something physical like going for a walk or a hike. Someone else might have pets they need help caring for, a garden that needs tending, or the oil changed in their car. Someone might even need a person to serve as a shield or buffer between them and all the people coming to offer their condolences. Note that many of these things are basic life maintenance stuff—those are often the things that get hard for people when they're dealing with the emotional and logistical stuff surrounding whatever they're going through, and they're often the easiest things other people can do for them. A time of crisis is not a normal time, so normal etiquette, such as asking if you can or should do something rather than just letting them know you're going to do it, doesn't always apply. If there's a specific thing with specific tasks, such as planning a funeral, that might be a good opportunity to ask how you can help. But people deep in the throes of grief or struggle often need someone to take the reins on basic things without being asked to. Again, there's a good chance they feel like they're drowning, so don't wait for an invitation. Just grab the life preserver, put it around them, and do whatever needs to be done to get them to shore.This article originally appeared last year.

Illegals want FREE healthcare after blowing $130K