Woodbridge High School staff are taking a new approach in an attempt to better connect with their students, incorporating a new component into all faculty meetings called “What’s Tea with Gen-Z”. 

This new addition to the meetings entails that all staff members rotate into different groups of trendy activities. The groups include learning the latest TikToks dances and trends, rehearsing the most recent phrases and ‘slang’, doing extensive research on Pinterest to find out what fashion trends are “in”, and using Urban Dictionary to break down complicated acronyms.

The staff has seemed to enjoy the new change. Sophomore English teacher Ms. Pannullo looks forward to the meetings every week, saying, “I’m glad we started incorporating this component into our meeting.”. Ms. Pannullo said her favorite part is learning the TikTok dances with Mr. Jacovinich, who is set to teach a news class on the matter.

Mr. Modeszto, a history teacher at WHS teaching for over two decades, said, “These meetings keep me feeling alive! I’ve learned so much.” The history teacher added, “I feel young again!”

Mr. Hoyer, a Robotics teacher at Woodbridge High, is enthused about the new initiative. “I never thought I’d know terms like cap, BING BONG, or even ‘you thought you ate?’” Mr. Hoyer has even started to include a few of these phrases in conversation with his students. 

Since the start of “What’s Tea with Gen-Z”, teachers have seen a significant change in the dynamic with their students. Staff have reported that students are more likely to open up and talk when they need help. Teachers have also seen an increase in academic development. 

Dr. Lottmann, WHS Principal, said “Since the start of the program, students have found they can now relate to their teachers. This makes them more likely to turn in work, try harder, and perform better overall.”

The program will continue until the end of the school year, then, at the end of the school year, then, the Board of Education will determine if it’s effective enough to run for another school year.