Emmanuel Robinson, a middle school math teacher in Atlanta, has gone viral after posting a video of a day in his classroom to social media. Though he’s been nicknamed “Teacher Bae” online, Robinson told Atlanta’s Fox 5 News he didn’t think he would get as much attention as he did.
“I’m not doing anything I thought people would be interested in. It was just me going live on my [Instagram] interacting with people and saving it and posting to Twitter,” Robinson told the outlet.
His video has gotten over a million views online so far, but Emmanuel says his connection with his students keeps him motivated.
“It’s my babies that keep me coming back because we aren’t paid and we work from sun up to sun down but it’s my babies and kids that keep me coming back,” the Jean Childs Young Middle School educator said.
He attributes his connection with students to getting them to have a better understanding of material.
“I talk to them like they are at home like I’m their uncle or brother and in doing so, I break the barrier,” he explained.
Black males make up about two percent of all teachers in the US. Advocacy groups are working to get more Black teachers in the classroom so that more students can have enthusiastic educators like Emmanuel, who share similar backgrounds.
Throughout the pandemic, Robinson said it’s been hard to keep up his teaching style in virtual lessons.
“For my teaching style it was hard because I’m about connection first and understanding why you are mad in the morning or learning the student hasn’t eaten since you left class yesterday,” he said. Despite the difficulty, Robinson said he’s willing to work with parents and students to ensure continued growth.
“Education is full circle. It’s the parent. It’s the student and the teachers. I think if we all get on the same team then we can all help our babies be more successful,” he said.
Photo Credit: Emmanuel Robinson Instagram @_mannymoves