There is no argument that teachers are heroes. They dedicate their lives to educating our children, but it’s not only their minds they touch. Some teachers go so far above and beyond, and they put a mark on their students’ hearts and souls. They don’t think twice about stepping into danger to protect their students and do what they believe is right.
When teacher Joshua Filiatrault heard a fight had broken out in a classroom at Johnston Heights Secondary in Surrey, British Columbia, he ran. The students saw him running and began recording. Without a second thought, Mr. Fili, as the kids call him, was in the middle of the brawl, ready to break it up, but a huge surprise was waiting.
After The Prank, The Teacher Was The Guest of Honor
The fight was a prank aiming to get the teacher in the room to celebrate his birthday. There was cake, confetti, and singing students who couldn’t wait to celebrate their favorite teacher. A video of the prank was posted on TikTok, where it has been viewed 52 million times.
The video’s caption reads in part, “We are all so incredibly grateful to have such a kind-hearted teacher who is always down to have fun, without him our Eagles family wouldn’t feel complete. Happy birthday, Mr. Fili!”
“I really just didn’t want them to get in trouble for being in a fight, so my thinking was to stop it as early as possible so they wouldn’t do something they would regret,” said Filiatrault in a statement to the Vancouver Sun from Surrey Schools. My feeling, originally, was relief, then maybe mild irritation that they got me.”
TikTokers loved the sentiment and the student’s love for their teacher.
“That was probably that man’s highlight of the year. The expression on his face melted my heart,” someone wrote.
“Only reason i miss high school, wish i could go back and tell my favorite teacher how much she meant to me,” it made this person miss high school.
“It’s rare to find HIGH SCHOOL teachers who actually care and aren’t just doing their jobs – as students, we can tell who’s who, and we appreciate them,” someone added.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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