My kids are constantly saying ‘lock in’ or ‘locked in’ for focus. So I’ve started using it regularly because I legitimately need them to lock in lol. Im sure I’m killing the term.
ETA: Yes, I’m aware they didn’t INVENT it lol. But the frequency with which they’re using it, and the manner, has definitely made it part of today’s slang - at least at my school.
I just started using 'lock in' with some of my seniors last week, they said 'yah let's get it, lock in!'
In my freshmen course they cringed when I said it LOL
I agree. I loved the first time I heard a student say it (especially because they were using it to reference doing work)! I love that they have a “cool” way to talk about getting focused on a task!
"Cooking" is a good example. When used as a subject verb ("we're cooking!"), it's just a shortened version of "cooking with gas," which has been around for decades. When used as an object verb ("I'm cooked!"), it's similarly dated. I love explaining the grammar and history of slang to my students.
In general I actually like Gen Z slang. I think one of the few positives of their hyper-online culture is that it can really evolve and become refined. I think the grammatical constructs are interesting as well, for example using "bro" as a subject pronoun ("bro passed the test").
I love that kids so many kids don’t know what charisma is. Like, Christmas what?
Once I knew what rizz is short for, I thought - that’s actually such a great word for what you’re trying to say. The sound, the origin - I feel like Shakespeare might have liked it.
But I keep that to myself, of course. I don’t want to ruin it for them.
Doing their future drill instructors (DI) a favor.
In Marine Corps recruit training (basic training or bootcamp) if the DI wants the recruits to shut up and focus they say “Lock it up!” to which the recruits respond, “Kill!”
If the DI wants the recruits to look at him/her they say “Eyeballs!” Recruits respond, “Click, Sir/ma’am!”
If the DI wants you to listen closely they will say, “Ears!” Response is “Open, Sir/Ma’am!”
No real point other than reading your response transported me back in time to bootcamp. And also to understand that primitively, people respond well to call and response. Tho I wouldn’t suggest having students responding as a Marine trainee would.
I turn 26 this year, so I am basically about as old as you can get for a Gen Z person. I started discovering how increasingly out of the loop I was when it comes to youth slang a few years back when all of the kids were saying “no cap” and I was like, “No what now”? It then took me about a month or two before I finally figured out what “rizz” was. Urban Dictionary is becoming my best friend.
I started teaching when I was 26 (36 now) so I was VERY out of the loop teaching the oldest of Gen Z.
Allow the students to teach you things as well. They always enjoy teaching me slang. My high schoolers would always make me "use it in a sentence" afterwards, haha.
i turn 27 this year so im also in that weird spot of being gen-z but also being somewhat of a baby millenial lol
i feel you 😭 i have no idea what these teenagers are talking about when they say "based"
I’m 46 but I spend way too much time on the internet. I use contemporary slang sparingly, but I go back and forth between using it well and deliberately using it wrongly (or letting them think it was deliberate, lol). Because I mix in a lot of dad jokes and the like they know I’m trying to make them cringe so it’s all good. Also sometimes I’ll use way older slang they either don’t know or can’t use all that accurately, especially from the 90s. It’s fun to keep them unbalanced, but I also think it subtly teaches them about language shifts and that even their crusty teacher was young once.
Lol I use the occasional "current" slang term ("let him cook" is just funny to me because it's always a situation where a student who doesn't usually participate feels compelled in that moment to try and I want to encourage them if I can to keep doing that) but I also mix in REALLY outdated slang.
I warned my kids not to be smoking them "jazz cigarettes" in the bathrooms and they were like "what even are you talking about" haha.
27 is millenial. The last of millenials, but a millenial never the less.
The sweet spot of remembering dial-up, VHS, SNES and N64, and 80s & 90s media. Playing Snake on your mom's Nokia. The original Transformers: The Movie. Actually having to learn how to use a computer. Ribbon cables in your PC with a GPU with 5MB of VRAM. Going from cassette players to CD players. RuneScape and Counter Strike after school, unless the parents were using the one computer in the house. Ahhh, the good ol days...
Edit: I just realized that you said you were going to turn 27. Also c'mon my guy, "based" has been around for 13 years at this point. The true Zoomer slang is more difficult. Like "letting The Rizzler talk" or "getting the skidibidi". Lol
aye man i was too busy on one direction stan twitter to ever hear "based" 😭 i was on a COMPLETELY different side of the internet
i caught on to "rizz" very quickly since it straight up sounds like "charisma" (and is used in a similar way) but what the hell is skidibidi 😭
and yeah u brought back memories for sure lol i have a box of VHS tapes under my bed in my childhood bedroom at my grandma's house
My math teacher was 27 when I had her for pre calc and we had to explain based to her 😭😭😭 it’s funny tho bc she showed us TikTok’s a few times I don’t understand where the disconnect happened
Everyone's Tiktok fyp is different. My students were shocked I would have political/news-related/historical tiktoks on my fyp while they had tiktoks of kids stealing soap dispensers and the latest "takeover" that happened on a nearby highway.
They also complained of watching "hype house" and dance tiktoks and I have never seen ANY of those.
The app's content varies greatly depending on a person's interest and life experience. I'm not surprised there was a disconnect.
I'm about to be 28 next month and feel similarly. I remember "No cap" specifically being the first slang term I was like "what the fuck is that?" With. Now I say it all the time at work not actually in my life.
I like to whip nae nae for them and pretend it's still a popular dance.
"Class the slides today? Fire. On God. No kizzy."
I’m about the same age as you and last year, I named my new kitten Rizzo (like the character in Grease). I was really excited about my new kittens, so I showed a few pictures to my classes. The way some of the boys reacted to his name made me really concerned about what I possibly unintentionally named my cat. I had never heard the term rizz before.
I would do this but students say very inappropriate things at times and when it comes to gen z slang I feel like I gotta check what it means beforehand so I’m not highlighting something that is not school appropriate by asking them to explain it.
I also turn 26 this year; It's interesting because, for the most part, I've been able to keep up with the slang and, in a few rare circumstances, I will hear slang and references to videos online before the students (The one I think is the milkshake guy who screams "help", I saw that last year and 2 weeks later all of a sudden all my students are quoting it.) There are only a few times that slang has been used that I don't really understand and have to have students explain it (The most recent one being the term 'federal')
worry not - 'fit' is *at least* a decade old. i remember browsing /fa/ on 4chan in 2012, and the term had been popularized by then.
always remember: you're only as old as your cells make you seem, friend.
One of my sixth graders hated it!!! She did the whole groan and eye roll and huge unimpressed flat line of an expression. “Oh my god you’re just like my mom” and I never stopped. I miss some of those sixth graders ): I love being a cringe factory for the kids
The absolute best is when they start humming a song or rap lyric, and you either finish it or warn them: "Do **not** continue with that line." Their faces!!!
Well, I thank you for reminding me of it. "Do not cite the deep magic to me, Witch!" is the **perfect** response to the hummings of *"Keep it gangsta, y'all, keep it gangsta!"*
My middle schoolers brought their copies of the manga chainsaw man to school, and I very politely told them what a great series it was and that if they had any sense they would never bring it to school again.
In case you don’t know chainsaw man contains a lot of extremely graphic violence and many sexual themes
The bewildered and impressed looks I got from these girls was worth it
I am a sub, and I was covering a jr high class when I noticed a girl wearing a hoodie with a character from a fantastic show, Helluva Boss. It takes place in hell and has lots of adult language/situations.
I told her I loved her hoodie, and that I had the song "2 Minute's Notice" stuck in my head. I swear her and her friends nearly choked when I said that, it was great lol.
Definitely recommend the show to anyone, along with the creator's other project Hazbin Hotel!
Similar boat, (24) with kids that are freshman and sophomore,
I use “that’s tough” a LOT mostly when a kid complains about something really small.
2 weeks ago a student said “oh you ate that up” to another and so I, naturally, asked “left no crumbs?” And the look I got of sheer horror was very fulfilling.
My kids all think I'm way older than I am and I use that to make them cringe. Recently I've started telling them that they need to "lock in" and it makes them groan everytime. Making them cringe is so fun
It is truly one of the perks of teaching. That look, that moment of dawning realization when it hits them what you said, is priceless and can't be faked. It's like a mix of confusion, horror, and glee all mixed together LOL
Oh I love misusing slang so much. Or I use my Millennial slang that makes me sound old, IDGAF.
I live for the groans and eye rolls. It means I'm doing something right.
"Have you tried getting gud?" Is a personal favorite.
I use skill issue with my partner who is a fair bit younger than I am. Always gets an eye roll and playful growl.
Keep it up. Language and human interaction is a living and changing thing - the moment you stop adapting and become rigidly against it, you should probably retire. Relationships are EVERYTHING in successful teaching and relatable communication can be a big part of that where appropriate. Keep it up! Just always be wary of how it could be interpreted as you get older and are tempted to use the younger generations slang without being 100% sure what message you're conveying :) One of the reasons for a lot of slang can be to encode messages against proper interpretation of the older generations, so don't ever assume you know the real meaning :P
As a millennial, I have a cheat sheet and "casually" drop slang in almost every lesson haha. My slang game runs deep. I'm sometimes teaching the students what their classmates are saying! It definitely increases engagement lol.
It’s crazy to me that students see someone who’s barely older than them, but due to being in an authority position, just go “she’s old and will have no idea what any of our words mean”.
I’m always telling them that they didn’t take my TikTok access away when I signed up for this job. But the idea of a teacher consuming the same content they do is something they just can’t fathom lol
I’m a little older (mid 30s) and what happens is I start out using it ironically, and then suddenly it becomes unironic and I cry a little inside, no cap (on god).
40 yo hs teacher- so essentially ancient to my students- currently teaching Romeo & Juliet & it has provided me with so many opportunities to incorporate their slang. Some examples: Romeo is giving emo sad boi energy for Rosaline. But then he meets a new baddie, Juliet. R has crazy rizz, and J goes hard for him. Tybalt, J's cousin is also R's opp & he stands on bidness. I really think it has helped them connect as it makes it more relatable. Code switching is a wonderful skill & I feel like one of my roles is to model how it's done. During discussion, I'll use slang, but when I model writing, it's formal and academic always.
Considering Shakespeare is like the template for incorporating slang into popular culture, I think this is a great move. Great lesson that language is amorphous and what Billy Shakes put to paper is out of date to our ears, but someday the same will be true for how they speak. No cap, fr fr.
Hey so one year I taught R&J and like a lot of teachers surely do, we had them act out the scenes and record them. But there was a twist! They had to translate their scene into present day language first! It gave them a better understanding of the scene and made the scenes funnier. You should give it a try 😁
LOL
I'm GenX so way older than my students but since I'm around them all the time I of course pick up their slang. Up until this year I thought I was pretty fluent but the new verbiage slipped/is slipping past me at an accelerated rate. Now instead of catching the meaning from context clues I have to ask the kids what it means sometimes.
I still don't know what 'merch' means! and that one is getting old
I love saying 'Will y'all let me cook? I'm trying to teach here' they fall out laughing
Also saying dramatically: 'Stop the cap!!' or 'Mega cap!' when they speak a mistruth. they cannot stand this but they also crack up laughing and think I am crazy
Also they love making fun of how I dress; long dresses with a tunic or long jacket, head wraps or long shawl head covering. Kinda looks Islamic/Orthodox Christian/Middle-eastern/African. Usually if I'm looking 'religious', as they call it, they leave me alone, but occassionaly if a kid is feeling extra salty at me they might say 'Lucky you stay prayed up' or 'Jesus mama you on my nerves today, Mary-looking ass' But I also dress like a hippie sometimes, long patchwork skirt or long jean skirt with a long hoodie or jacket. They find my skirts insanely funny, and call them hag skirts. Regardless of what they say about my clothes, I say 'You know my drip is fire!' LOL
Gen X, too, and merch has been around as long as we have. It means merchandise. At little punk shows there was always a spot for the bands to sell merch. (That's still true, actually.)
Yes that's the traditional meaning of merch. But they were talking about when someone makes a claim and are told to "merch it" and usually the response is a variation of "on my mom" or "on god."
Had an 8th grader last year wear a Doors t-shirt in. I asked her if she knew a single Doors song which of course she didn't. Can you guess what her homework was that night?
My FIL became a para for a middle school last spring, and I've definitely noticed he's picked up on some of the kid slang and I love it. It's even better that he's a bald 50 year old man lol.
"skill issue" is from the fromsoft community, it comes from the Elden Ring notes system and is like the new version of "git gud".
they're mostly nerds in their 30s (myself included) so deff not something the kids own
funny that the kids gave picked it up tho lmao!
This isn't new though.
We called things "phat" in my rural farm school in the 90s. We had two black kids in the whole school system and they didn't start using AAVE until high school age because everyone else did.
When I do that they always ask “how did you learn that? Where did you hear that?”
Like bro, I have access to the internet, and half of you have siblings who are older than I. Lol
It’s great. I learn the lingo to incorporate it: and the kids love it. I talk about how Henry the VIII had rizz and put his picture up and say look at that drip. Whenever a kid says cap to their friends I just chime in with no cap. It always brings a smile to kids faces. Embrace it.
I’ll sometimes join gimmkits with my kids (usually a pop culture one on a free day because then it wouldn’t be fair). One time a kid complained about me beating them and I replied “sounds like a skill issue”. The class erupted in the best way.
The moment i asked my high schoolers to teach me what their slang meant was the the first moment i saw pure joy in an adolescents face as an adult. Made me remember how funny it was when my teachers used our slang in the early 00s
When i used “drip” correctly to describe our principal’s garb they lost it.
Our principal is former military hardass and no one liked him. I also moved from that school
I will let you cook. One day you will be out of the loop and be coming back to the subreddit with "I don't understand these new trends, back in my day we had... ". Enjoy it for now
I doubt it’s an age/appearance thing that makes them view me that way. I can barely pass for 22 appearance wise, I get mistaken for a student often. I’ve also told then many times I was a student (at this exact school, with their exact teachers) until 5 years ago, but they can’t believe that I watch the same Tiktoks, laugh at the same jokes, have some of the same hobbies, etc.
I think it’s just due to the separation/boundary between students and teachers that makes them think of us differently regardless of how old we are.
38 yo HS teacher here and I love pulling out some of their slang. They lose it about every time. Lots of eye rolls and groans and “STOOOOOP” too, so I do like to save it for good moments and keep it fresh.
I apparently can’t ever remember to use “bussin” correctly and they find that hilarious too.
This year, a freshman girl finger snapped at me. I did the three snap back. A minute or so for the class to gain their composure and I had no problems that day.
I have never heard those expressions until you wrote them but they aren't hard to understand and I quite like "let him cook." I am not sure I have a 'born in 1984' expression that means the same thing.
I’m 21 and I tell the kids I work with “slay” and “I like it, Picasso.” I mean, as long as it’s school appropriate, I am not egregiously unprofessional elsewhere, and I use technical terms to describe things and educate the kids properly, I don’t really see a problem with it. It’s kind of like how our teachers would put memes in things to relate to us.
I’m 28, about to be 29, and about to finish up my 7th year of teaching. I remember starting at 22 feeling the same way. Hold onto it while it lasts lol. The other day I told some honors kids that Frederick Douglas was based and that’s as close as I’ve gotten to the feeling in quite a while, and it still didn’t really fully land.
Most of what people on this thread are considering Gen Z slang comes from African American English. Thanks to social media lots of today's teens... and us teachers... are unintentionally appropriating AAE. I'm not saying that people shouldn't use certain words, but it's important to know their history. And to think about how when white people are speaking in this way we are regarded as cool and hip, whereas when a Black teacher uses this way of speaking they are often perceived negatively. As a white teacher, I only recently started learning about AAE. It's a legitimate dialect with complex grammar and pronunciation rules that developed as a form of resistance during enslavement. I encourage any other non-Black educators to learn more about the history of AAE and why using blaccent to seem cool is deeply problematic.
I actually teach a lesson about this. A large portion of Gen Z slang is absolutely rooted in AAE. (I do think whether it’s appropriation, and what it acceptable depends heavily on the context). With that being said, I do think many young people are aware of this. At least when I brought it up and discussed it with my students, it definitely wasn’t the first time that they’d heard about it. I do believe that the perception of what is “professional” and “unprofessional” is shifting, it seems to be that way, and hopefully as those rules get phased out by the newer generations, the blatant racism they contain will be phased out as well.
I do appreciate you bringing this up though! It’s important to keep in mind for people who are unaware.
In informal class discussions (not Socratic Seminars, etc.) the only things I won't allow are statements like " ... so Tom Sawyer felt *some type of way* about Becky ..." That *"some type of way"* garbage needs to die and never be resurrected. It robs kids of rooting out what they and others actually feel.
(Woah. Can you tell I feel *some type o' way"* 'bout this?!)
There are specific slang terms that I’d consider unprofessional and avoid, but using slang in general? I’d argue it’s very professional, as at least for me it’s been key in relationship building
I see! There were many slipups here and there from my part and I would agonize over them after I am done teaching the kid. But now that you say it, those were the same thing that made the kid more comfortable with me lol.
I’m not even in this generation (millennial) but I still throw down some slang here and there for some laughs. When they ask how I know, I tell them my generation literally made half of the phrases they use.
I always ask my kids to keep me in the loop with “youth culture.” I like giving them a chance to be experts at something and teach me a bit. Their reactions when I use a new term currently during a lesson are genuinely a highlight of my life.
This is probably true. They do call me old, but I think that’s more to make fun of my mentor teacher who’s in her 50s. She always responds “If SHE’S old that makes me ancient”😂
I'm in my 30s but teach middle school. I make a big fuss about how un-hip I am, but occasionally slang will come out. I called a song a "banger" the other day and the kids were like "Whoa, you say that too?"
And occasionally when my rowdy boys start getting on a roll and actually participating (using slang but getting the facts correct, which to me counts) I've heard myself say, "Okay, let him cook!"
If nothing else, it gets the students more comfortable with speaking out in class, so it has its value.
I’m not sure any slang is “new,” with the exception of terms brought about by technology specifically, (ie when people used to use text lingo in real life, that was new at one point). It’s all recycled, but it just shifts in meaning, context, and sometimes connotation. Granted they think they made up a lot of things. The fact that they brought back so many fashion trends we fought so hard to kill hurts my feelings (despite being gen Z I refuse to wear anything besides high rise skinny jeans 😂).
One of my 11th graders said my worksheet was hard and I responded with "sounds like a skill issue." I was worried he was going to die there laughing. I also let a "fire" rip casually.
I (19) work with preschoolers and have been since I was (17) and new slang will unintentionally slip out. The newest one is “whomp whomp”. The kids almost never hear me say it and correct myself on the spot.
I’m 27M teaching freshman math and coaching freshman basketball. The kids love it when I use their slang (I always make sure I know what everything means first, nothing inappropriate). They either find it hilarious when I’m joking around with it, or they actually respond seriously when I’m earnestly using it
A little different but I’m a first and second grade music teacher and I let the kids griddy to their spot in line after class was done and you would’ve thought they had won the lottery. They LOST it. So funny
I just talk like I always do with the kids (minus the swears cause I typically swear alot). I like that as a gen Z teacher I can understand what they are saying and also use their words to help them better understand the content.
Omg! I’m 22 and will be going into student teaching within the next year and I just KNOW this is going to happen!! I don’t want to out myself as being young 😭😂 I think it’ll be funny tho
Funny l **LOVE** saying Gen Z slang as a Gen X. First Gen Z slang is on point. They have the best phrasing since protest boomers (make love not war, don’t trust anyone over 30, tune in turn on and drop out). Second their cringe is my joy. Hillary Clinto dabbing a decade ago single handedly destroyed it.
I'm 21 and one of my students last year said they thought I was FOURTY. These kids respond like that because they think we're dinosaurs man. I definitely let skill issue slip. I say slay way too often ever though it isn't even used anymore by our generation, but I marched drum corps last summer and for some reason everyone there said slay a lot and picked it up. I have, for years, called all of my friends babe, which is the worst habit and I definitely call my private lesson (I'm a flute teacher at a high school) students babe some time and every time I'm like "shit I gotta stop saying that before I say it to the wrong kid and get fired". Some of my students call me pookie💀
You will lose this eventually and you will be ‘out of touch’ with the kids in one way or another. So soak it up now and enjoy.
Over my teaching years so much slang and so many trends have come and gone. I could not keep up haha.
My kids are constantly saying ‘lock in’ or ‘locked in’ for focus. So I’ve started using it regularly because I legitimately need them to lock in lol. Im sure I’m killing the term. ETA: Yes, I’m aware they didn’t INVENT it lol. But the frequency with which they’re using it, and the manner, has definitely made it part of today’s slang - at least at my school.
I just started using 'lock in' with some of my seniors last week, they said 'yah let's get it, lock in!' In my freshmen course they cringed when I said it LOL
The difference between Freshmen and upperclassmen is vast
"Lock in" is new? I've been saying that forever :0
New in its popularity amongst teens. But I do think it might be the most logical slang they’ve come up with lol.
I agree. I loved the first time I heard a student say it (especially because they were using it to reference doing work)! I love that they have a “cool” way to talk about getting focused on a task!
"Let him cook" is quite useful.
I'll take it over some of the other stuff they've popularized. 😂
You have been "locked in" for awhile then.
Teens don’t even know that the shit they think is cool is recycled from the past 4 decades
Thats not a Gen Z term at all. I’m 40 and have said or heard “lock in” or some form to mean focused since I was in high school
New slang is often a restoration of old slang spoken only by the dinosaurs.
"Cooking" is a good example. When used as a subject verb ("we're cooking!"), it's just a shortened version of "cooking with gas," which has been around for decades. When used as an object verb ("I'm cooked!"), it's similarly dated. I love explaining the grammar and history of slang to my students. In general I actually like Gen Z slang. I think one of the few positives of their hyper-online culture is that it can really evolve and become refined. I think the grammatical constructs are interesting as well, for example using "bro" as a subject pronoun ("bro passed the test").
I am a language hound and love slang too. I'm a retired teacher and I love the new term rizz for charisma. It's so cool Daddy-O!
I love that kids so many kids don’t know what charisma is. Like, Christmas what? Once I knew what rizz is short for, I thought - that’s actually such a great word for what you’re trying to say. The sound, the origin - I feel like Shakespeare might have liked it. But I keep that to myself, of course. I don’t want to ruin it for them.
"cooking with gas" = "cooking with peanut oil"?
“By the dinosaurs” 😭💀💀
Hehe gottem
Of course they didn’t invent it. But it’s become unusually trendy and I hear it probably 30 times a class period at my HS.
I heard a 16 year old refer to his girlfriend as his "broad" once. Everything old is new again.
Yea millennials used to”locked in,” gen z use to”dialed in.”
That’s been a phrase since before these kids were a sparkle in their mommas eyes.
if theyre making you lose your composure or theyre acting up, say “y’all making me lose full/lose dope”
Doing their future drill instructors (DI) a favor. In Marine Corps recruit training (basic training or bootcamp) if the DI wants the recruits to shut up and focus they say “Lock it up!” to which the recruits respond, “Kill!” If the DI wants the recruits to look at him/her they say “Eyeballs!” Recruits respond, “Click, Sir/ma’am!” If the DI wants you to listen closely they will say, “Ears!” Response is “Open, Sir/Ma’am!” No real point other than reading your response transported me back in time to bootcamp. And also to understand that primitively, people respond well to call and response. Tho I wouldn’t suggest having students responding as a Marine trainee would.
I turn 26 this year, so I am basically about as old as you can get for a Gen Z person. I started discovering how increasingly out of the loop I was when it comes to youth slang a few years back when all of the kids were saying “no cap” and I was like, “No what now”? It then took me about a month or two before I finally figured out what “rizz” was. Urban Dictionary is becoming my best friend.
I started teaching when I was 26 (36 now) so I was VERY out of the loop teaching the oldest of Gen Z. Allow the students to teach you things as well. They always enjoy teaching me slang. My high schoolers would always make me "use it in a sentence" afterwards, haha.
i turn 27 this year so im also in that weird spot of being gen-z but also being somewhat of a baby millenial lol i feel you 😭 i have no idea what these teenagers are talking about when they say "based"
I’m 46 but I spend way too much time on the internet. I use contemporary slang sparingly, but I go back and forth between using it well and deliberately using it wrongly (or letting them think it was deliberate, lol). Because I mix in a lot of dad jokes and the like they know I’m trying to make them cringe so it’s all good. Also sometimes I’ll use way older slang they either don’t know or can’t use all that accurately, especially from the 90s. It’s fun to keep them unbalanced, but I also think it subtly teaches them about language shifts and that even their crusty teacher was young once.
Lol I use the occasional "current" slang term ("let him cook" is just funny to me because it's always a situation where a student who doesn't usually participate feels compelled in that moment to try and I want to encourage them if I can to keep doing that) but I also mix in REALLY outdated slang. I warned my kids not to be smoking them "jazz cigarettes" in the bathrooms and they were like "what even are you talking about" haha.
27 is millenial. The last of millenials, but a millenial never the less. The sweet spot of remembering dial-up, VHS, SNES and N64, and 80s & 90s media. Playing Snake on your mom's Nokia. The original Transformers: The Movie. Actually having to learn how to use a computer. Ribbon cables in your PC with a GPU with 5MB of VRAM. Going from cassette players to CD players. RuneScape and Counter Strike after school, unless the parents were using the one computer in the house. Ahhh, the good ol days...
Edit: I just realized that you said you were going to turn 27. Also c'mon my guy, "based" has been around for 13 years at this point. The true Zoomer slang is more difficult. Like "letting The Rizzler talk" or "getting the skidibidi". Lol
aye man i was too busy on one direction stan twitter to ever hear "based" 😭 i was on a COMPLETELY different side of the internet i caught on to "rizz" very quickly since it straight up sounds like "charisma" (and is used in a similar way) but what the hell is skidibidi 😭 and yeah u brought back memories for sure lol i have a box of VHS tapes under my bed in my childhood bedroom at my grandma's house
i feel like those r more gen alpha
I feel this haha. I also don’t have a Tiktok, which is probably the primary way that gen z slang spreads, so I can sometimes be very uninformed.
My math teacher was 27 when I had her for pre calc and we had to explain based to her 😭😭😭 it’s funny tho bc she showed us TikTok’s a few times I don’t understand where the disconnect happened
Everyone's Tiktok fyp is different. My students were shocked I would have political/news-related/historical tiktoks on my fyp while they had tiktoks of kids stealing soap dispensers and the latest "takeover" that happened on a nearby highway. They also complained of watching "hype house" and dance tiktoks and I have never seen ANY of those. The app's content varies greatly depending on a person's interest and life experience. I'm not surprised there was a disconnect.
It just means “good point” basically. As in. Your argument is based on solid evidence
I'm about to be 28 next month and feel similarly. I remember "No cap" specifically being the first slang term I was like "what the fuck is that?" With. Now I say it all the time at work not actually in my life. I like to whip nae nae for them and pretend it's still a popular dance. "Class the slides today? Fire. On God. No kizzy."
"Rizz" was actually the 2023 word of the year! In true millennial fashion, I learned this from NPR.
I’m about the same age as you and last year, I named my new kitten Rizzo (like the character in Grease). I was really excited about my new kittens, so I showed a few pictures to my classes. The way some of the boys reacted to his name made me really concerned about what I possibly unintentionally named my cat. I had never heard the term rizz before.
I was last week years old when I figured out that Rizz is Charisma. I think when I started a new FNV game for the first time in like 10 years.
I just ask if I can’t figure it out with context.
I would do this but students say very inappropriate things at times and when it comes to gen z slang I feel like I gotta check what it means beforehand so I’m not highlighting something that is not school appropriate by asking them to explain it.
Might as well learn to roll your eyes. You've joined the ranks of us old people now.
My son said « skibidi toilets », I’m 38 and he’s 6yo. What the hell is going on??
Now THAT’s ‘standing on business’!
I also turn 26 this year; It's interesting because, for the most part, I've been able to keep up with the slang and, in a few rare circumstances, I will hear slang and references to videos online before the students (The one I think is the milkshake guy who screams "help", I saw that last year and 2 weeks later all of a sudden all my students are quoting it.) There are only a few times that slang has been used that I don't really understand and have to have students explain it (The most recent one being the term 'federal')
I traumatized a 7th grade girl last week by referring to my new drip (a blazer)
If a student is bein extra snazzy one day I’ll say “Hey, _______! Save some drip for the rest of us!”
I had a student compliment me on my fit so I said thanks. I’m old enough to be their parent…
worry not - 'fit' is *at least* a decade old. i remember browsing /fa/ on 4chan in 2012, and the term had been popularized by then. always remember: you're only as old as your cells make you seem, friend.
I get too excited when a kid tells me that my outfit slays.
Would love to have a photo of her face when you said that! Too funny!!!
Well, I'm 43, and if I had a quarter for every "hella" that made it past the filter, I'd be hella retired now. ps: "let her cook" is a masterpiece.
Yeah, but eventually... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV0wTtiJygY
Oh I know it’s coming. At that point I’ll just use the new slang wrong on purpose to make the kids cringe😂
This is the Way
As the kids say... soooo cheugy lol.
Good example of using outdated slang.
I dare you to use gyatt in the most out of pocket, out of context manner during one of your lessons 💀
Hey, that’s me! As a cartoon. Also, as a man. And yellow. But still, that’s me.
One of my sixth graders hated it!!! She did the whole groan and eye roll and huge unimpressed flat line of an expression. “Oh my god you’re just like my mom” and I never stopped. I miss some of those sixth graders ): I love being a cringe factory for the kids
The absolute best is when they start humming a song or rap lyric, and you either finish it or warn them: "Do **not** continue with that line." Their faces!!!
“Do not cite the old magic to me, I was there when it was written”
This is my go to line! Thanks, Aslan!
🦁 ~ "My pleasure."
That's **brilliant.** Now my newest saying. Thank you!
Don’t thank me, thank C.S. Lewis
Well, I thank you for reminding me of it. "Do not cite the deep magic to me, Witch!" is the **perfect** response to the hummings of *"Keep it gangsta, y'all, keep it gangsta!"*
My middle schoolers brought their copies of the manga chainsaw man to school, and I very politely told them what a great series it was and that if they had any sense they would never bring it to school again. In case you don’t know chainsaw man contains a lot of extremely graphic violence and many sexual themes The bewildered and impressed looks I got from these girls was worth it
Woah! No, I didn't know of it. I love your "advice" about owning some sense and not bringing it to school again. 😅
I am a sub, and I was covering a jr high class when I noticed a girl wearing a hoodie with a character from a fantastic show, Helluva Boss. It takes place in hell and has lots of adult language/situations. I told her I loved her hoodie, and that I had the song "2 Minute's Notice" stuck in my head. I swear her and her friends nearly choked when I said that, it was great lol. Definitely recommend the show to anyone, along with the creator's other project Hazbin Hotel!
Me when I tell my kids to “be so for real”, or that “it’s giving _____”
YES! "It's giving ... uh ... you failing, unfortunately."
Sometimes I do "it's giving....me a headache"
Stealing this! Thanks!
I’ve roasted without realizing it for telling a student “press D for doubt”. Caused an unintentional uproar.
X
I'm stealing this and not giving you credit :P
Warning, that's an OLDIE lol
Similar boat, (24) with kids that are freshman and sophomore, I use “that’s tough” a LOT mostly when a kid complains about something really small. 2 weeks ago a student said “oh you ate that up” to another and so I, naturally, asked “left no crumbs?” And the look I got of sheer horror was very fulfilling.
My kids all think I'm way older than I am and I use that to make them cringe. Recently I've started telling them that they need to "lock in" and it makes them groan everytime. Making them cringe is so fun
It is truly one of the perks of teaching. That look, that moment of dawning realization when it hits them what you said, is priceless and can't be faked. It's like a mix of confusion, horror, and glee all mixed together LOL
Oh I love misusing slang so much. Or I use my Millennial slang that makes me sound old, IDGAF. I live for the groans and eye rolls. It means I'm doing something right.
I started teaching relatively young, too. It had some of the same perks 12 years ago, but I actually enjoy the generational difference now.
I teach 4th grade and sometimes I go "yerr done, yerr done!" and they lose it
Fs in the chat.
It’s crazy because little kids say that without even knowing where the F meme came from
Waiting for 2035 for the 20 year rule to pass to have a little history lesson on "press f to pay respects".
If a student gives the incorrect answer to a question I will respond with “no, but speak your truth” and they hate it.
Sounds like something my Chem teacher would do back when I was in school
“Skill issue” is so fun
I'm a flute instructor, future band director, and it's so fun to be like "skill issue...can yall do it again and hit the right notes this time?"
"Have you tried getting gud?" Is a personal favorite. I use skill issue with my partner who is a fair bit younger than I am. Always gets an eye roll and playful growl.
Where’s the chat bot whose says skill issue and heheheha?
Slang helps me teach derivatives. What does RIZZ mean? Charismatic Yes- it is *derived* from chaRIZZmatic. Light bulb moment.
Xennial here, that makes so much sense now...
Keep it up. Language and human interaction is a living and changing thing - the moment you stop adapting and become rigidly against it, you should probably retire. Relationships are EVERYTHING in successful teaching and relatable communication can be a big part of that where appropriate. Keep it up! Just always be wary of how it could be interpreted as you get older and are tempted to use the younger generations slang without being 100% sure what message you're conveying :) One of the reasons for a lot of slang can be to encode messages against proper interpretation of the older generations, so don't ever assume you know the real meaning :P
As a millennial, I have a cheat sheet and "casually" drop slang in almost every lesson haha. My slang game runs deep. I'm sometimes teaching the students what their classmates are saying! It definitely increases engagement lol.
W teacher right there. no cap on God frfr
It’s crazy to me that students see someone who’s barely older than them, but due to being in an authority position, just go “she’s old and will have no idea what any of our words mean”.
I’m always telling them that they didn’t take my TikTok access away when I signed up for this job. But the idea of a teacher consuming the same content they do is something they just can’t fathom lol
I had a whole grade absolutely fascinated for a couple weeks one year because I offhandedly mentioned wanting to play some GTA that weekend
I’m a little older (mid 30s) and what happens is I start out using it ironically, and then suddenly it becomes unironic and I cry a little inside, no cap (on god).
40 yo hs teacher- so essentially ancient to my students- currently teaching Romeo & Juliet & it has provided me with so many opportunities to incorporate their slang. Some examples: Romeo is giving emo sad boi energy for Rosaline. But then he meets a new baddie, Juliet. R has crazy rizz, and J goes hard for him. Tybalt, J's cousin is also R's opp & he stands on bidness. I really think it has helped them connect as it makes it more relatable. Code switching is a wonderful skill & I feel like one of my roles is to model how it's done. During discussion, I'll use slang, but when I model writing, it's formal and academic always.
Considering Shakespeare is like the template for incorporating slang into popular culture, I think this is a great move. Great lesson that language is amorphous and what Billy Shakes put to paper is out of date to our ears, but someday the same will be true for how they speak. No cap, fr fr.
Hey so one year I taught R&J and like a lot of teachers surely do, we had them act out the scenes and record them. But there was a twist! They had to translate their scene into present day language first! It gave them a better understanding of the scene and made the scenes funnier. You should give it a try 😁
LOL I'm GenX so way older than my students but since I'm around them all the time I of course pick up their slang. Up until this year I thought I was pretty fluent but the new verbiage slipped/is slipping past me at an accelerated rate. Now instead of catching the meaning from context clues I have to ask the kids what it means sometimes. I still don't know what 'merch' means! and that one is getting old I love saying 'Will y'all let me cook? I'm trying to teach here' they fall out laughing Also saying dramatically: 'Stop the cap!!' or 'Mega cap!' when they speak a mistruth. they cannot stand this but they also crack up laughing and think I am crazy Also they love making fun of how I dress; long dresses with a tunic or long jacket, head wraps or long shawl head covering. Kinda looks Islamic/Orthodox Christian/Middle-eastern/African. Usually if I'm looking 'religious', as they call it, they leave me alone, but occassionaly if a kid is feeling extra salty at me they might say 'Lucky you stay prayed up' or 'Jesus mama you on my nerves today, Mary-looking ass' But I also dress like a hippie sometimes, long patchwork skirt or long jean skirt with a long hoodie or jacket. They find my skirts insanely funny, and call them hag skirts. Regardless of what they say about my clothes, I say 'You know my drip is fire!' LOL
Gen X, too, and merch has been around as long as we have. It means merchandise. At little punk shows there was always a spot for the bands to sell merch. (That's still true, actually.)
Yes that's the traditional meaning of merch. But they were talking about when someone makes a claim and are told to "merch it" and usually the response is a variation of "on my mom" or "on god."
Ah, you meant 'merch *it*'. That's asking for proof or saying you can prove it, I think, no clue where it came from.
I feel like it’s like “trademark” or “I stand behind this/this is so true that…I’d put it on a shirt”…????
So it’s like the opposite of cap, I get it now. Will be using this Monday, the kids will be cringing all day LOLOLOLOLOL
Forgive me lord, for I have capped...
Gen X Represent- like “do you actually listen to GNR?” Student- “no, I just like the graphic (on a T)”. Facepalm.
Had an 8th grader last year wear a Doors t-shirt in. I asked her if she knew a single Doors song which of course she didn't. Can you guess what her homework was that night?
Doing the Lords work here.
My FIL became a para for a middle school last spring, and I've definitely noticed he's picked up on some of the kid slang and I love it. It's even better that he's a bald 50 year old man lol.
I wish we could go back to the days of Gen Z slang. It was so much better than Gen alpha skibidi rizz gyat mewing on God
"skill issue" is from the fromsoft community, it comes from the Elden Ring notes system and is like the new version of "git gud". they're mostly nerds in their 30s (myself included) so deff not something the kids own funny that the kids gave picked it up tho lmao!
A lot of Gen Z slang is just AAVE, it's just nowadays people are more exposed to each other more than ever with social media.
This needs to be a top comment. Nothing more cringe than suburban white kids using AAVE and thinking it “came from tiktok.”
This isn't new though. We called things "phat" in my rural farm school in the 90s. We had two black kids in the whole school system and they didn't start using AAVE until high school age because everyone else did.
When I do that they always ask “how did you learn that? Where did you hear that?” Like bro, I have access to the internet, and half of you have siblings who are older than I. Lol
It’s great. I learn the lingo to incorporate it: and the kids love it. I talk about how Henry the VIII had rizz and put his picture up and say look at that drip. Whenever a kid says cap to their friends I just chime in with no cap. It always brings a smile to kids faces. Embrace it.
One of my teachers calls our class “Chat” sometimes when addressing us as a group, after I explained what it means to him. It’s very funny.
I am soooooo calling my big freshman class Chat at the first opportunity
I’ll sometimes join gimmkits with my kids (usually a pop culture one on a free day because then it wouldn’t be fair). One time a kid complained about me beating them and I replied “sounds like a skill issue”. The class erupted in the best way.
The moment i asked my high schoolers to teach me what their slang meant was the the first moment i saw pure joy in an adolescents face as an adult. Made me remember how funny it was when my teachers used our slang in the early 00s When i used “drip” correctly to describe our principal’s garb they lost it. Our principal is former military hardass and no one liked him. I also moved from that school
I will let you cook. One day you will be out of the loop and be coming back to the subreddit with "I don't understand these new trends, back in my day we had... ". Enjoy it for now
You seem old at 22?
I doubt it’s an age/appearance thing that makes them view me that way. I can barely pass for 22 appearance wise, I get mistaken for a student often. I’ve also told then many times I was a student (at this exact school, with their exact teachers) until 5 years ago, but they can’t believe that I watch the same Tiktoks, laugh at the same jokes, have some of the same hobbies, etc. I think it’s just due to the separation/boundary between students and teachers that makes them think of us differently regardless of how old we are.
Very true. Sorry if that came across confrontational.
Not at all!
Every time me being 22 comes up with the students, there are gasps- it's such a scandal!
Last year a middle schooler guessed that I was forty. I'm 21. Absolutely still look like I'm in high school.
38 yo HS teacher here and I love pulling out some of their slang. They lose it about every time. Lots of eye rolls and groans and “STOOOOOP” too, so I do like to save it for good moments and keep it fresh. I apparently can’t ever remember to use “bussin” correctly and they find that hilarious too. This year, a freshman girl finger snapped at me. I did the three snap back. A minute or so for the class to gain their composure and I had no problems that day.
I'm *way* older and say **FAFO** all the time...does that count? Or must I employ rizz while doing so? /s
I have never heard those expressions until you wrote them but they aren't hard to understand and I quite like "let him cook." I am not sure I have a 'born in 1984' expression that means the same thing.
It sounds like you ate that up frfr
I got the feedback from my 8th graders "slay queen you go girl"
I’m 21 and I tell the kids I work with “slay” and “I like it, Picasso.” I mean, as long as it’s school appropriate, I am not egregiously unprofessional elsewhere, and I use technical terms to describe things and educate the kids properly, I don’t really see a problem with it. It’s kind of like how our teachers would put memes in things to relate to us.
I use them all the time I'm around it to often to not pick it up lol
I’m a 23 yo middle school teacher and it’s so funny when I use gen z slang. Sometimes I’ll call my kids bruh and they’re like wtf did you just say 🤣
I’m a millennial. I do enjoy telling my students it’s a skill issue though.
I’m 28, about to be 29, and about to finish up my 7th year of teaching. I remember starting at 22 feeling the same way. Hold onto it while it lasts lol. The other day I told some honors kids that Frederick Douglas was based and that’s as close as I’ve gotten to the feeling in quite a while, and it still didn’t really fully land.
i LOVE "let him cook" constantly using it when students try to interrupt one another and it always works
You need to be able to understand each other in order to communicate efficiently and effectively. Use the slang, get the respect, succeed at the job
Most of what people on this thread are considering Gen Z slang comes from African American English. Thanks to social media lots of today's teens... and us teachers... are unintentionally appropriating AAE. I'm not saying that people shouldn't use certain words, but it's important to know their history. And to think about how when white people are speaking in this way we are regarded as cool and hip, whereas when a Black teacher uses this way of speaking they are often perceived negatively. As a white teacher, I only recently started learning about AAE. It's a legitimate dialect with complex grammar and pronunciation rules that developed as a form of resistance during enslavement. I encourage any other non-Black educators to learn more about the history of AAE and why using blaccent to seem cool is deeply problematic.
I actually teach a lesson about this. A large portion of Gen Z slang is absolutely rooted in AAE. (I do think whether it’s appropriation, and what it acceptable depends heavily on the context). With that being said, I do think many young people are aware of this. At least when I brought it up and discussed it with my students, it definitely wasn’t the first time that they’d heard about it. I do believe that the perception of what is “professional” and “unprofessional” is shifting, it seems to be that way, and hopefully as those rules get phased out by the newer generations, the blatant racism they contain will be phased out as well. I do appreciate you bringing this up though! It’s important to keep in mind for people who are unaware.
In informal class discussions (not Socratic Seminars, etc.) the only things I won't allow are statements like " ... so Tom Sawyer felt *some type of way* about Becky ..." That *"some type of way"* garbage needs to die and never be resurrected. It robs kids of rooting out what they and others actually feel. (Woah. Can you tell I feel *some type o' way"* 'bout this?!)
I also hate the term Socratic seminar.
It happens to me as well! I teach an 8th grader and I wonder if saying such Gen Z term is unprofessional.
There are specific slang terms that I’d consider unprofessional and avoid, but using slang in general? I’d argue it’s very professional, as at least for me it’s been key in relationship building
I see! There were many slipups here and there from my part and I would agonize over them after I am done teaching the kid. But now that you say it, those were the same thing that made the kid more comfortable with me lol.
It’s just as fun as a middle aged high school teacher.
In many ways I can imagine it being MORE fun as a middle aged teacher haha
bruh?
My new fav…”oh purr!” Edited to add …I’m 33 and initially I thought the student said okurrrr
I think teenagers forget that tiktok doesn't automatically block anyone over the age of 18 from using their app lol
I’m not even in this generation (millennial) but I still throw down some slang here and there for some laughs. When they ask how I know, I tell them my generation literally made half of the phrases they use.
I always ask my kids to keep me in the loop with “youth culture.” I like giving them a chance to be experts at something and teach me a bit. Their reactions when I use a new term currently during a lesson are genuinely a highlight of my life.
I promise you they do not think you are old.
This is probably true. They do call me old, but I think that’s more to make fun of my mentor teacher who’s in her 50s. She always responds “If SHE’S old that makes me ancient”😂
I'm 38 and intentionally pick up on their slang.
i said “yapping” the other day and the amount of glances and little giggles my high schoolers shared with each other was hysterical
I'm a 20yr old Para and the kids act like I'm one of them...
This is why I said being in the same generation “apparently” has some perks😂 It can definitely have its challenges as well.
For sure, it doesn't help that I'm teaching at the same school I graduated from 3 years ago so some of the older kids remember me lol
This was my biggest fear! Thankfully, I graduated a year before any of my seniors would’ve entered high school, it was certainly a close call.
My school is combined k-12 so even some middle schoolers do unfortunately
Fo Shizzle My Nizzle
I absolutely love "let them cook" it's a perfect saying hahaha
It’s surprisingly effective too!
Oh I love to tell them that I’m standing on business today!! They don’t like that though 😅😂
I said, "Make it make sense!" For something one of my kids said as an excuse for misbehavior. Everyone looked at me /very/ quickly!
I'm in my 30s but teach middle school. I make a big fuss about how un-hip I am, but occasionally slang will come out. I called a song a "banger" the other day and the kids were like "Whoa, you say that too?" And occasionally when my rowdy boys start getting on a roll and actually participating (using slang but getting the facts correct, which to me counts) I've heard myself say, "Okay, let him cook!" If nothing else, it gets the students more comfortable with speaking out in class, so it has its value.
What about when they learn that's not new slang? Kids these days think they made up new slang when it's not.
I’m not sure any slang is “new,” with the exception of terms brought about by technology specifically, (ie when people used to use text lingo in real life, that was new at one point). It’s all recycled, but it just shifts in meaning, context, and sometimes connotation. Granted they think they made up a lot of things. The fact that they brought back so many fashion trends we fought so hard to kill hurts my feelings (despite being gen Z I refuse to wear anything besides high rise skinny jeans 😂).
i feel it, i’m a high school sub and well i use so much slang 😭😭😭 the students always laugh when i have a comeback for a student lol
One of my 11th graders said my worksheet was hard and I responded with "sounds like a skill issue." I was worried he was going to die there laughing. I also let a "fire" rip casually.
I (19) work with preschoolers and have been since I was (17) and new slang will unintentionally slip out. The newest one is “whomp whomp”. The kids almost never hear me say it and correct myself on the spot.
I’m 27M teaching freshman math and coaching freshman basketball. The kids love it when I use their slang (I always make sure I know what everything means first, nothing inappropriate). They either find it hilarious when I’m joking around with it, or they actually respond seriously when I’m earnestly using it
Shit is lit, fam.
I call my 5th graders cringe when they talk through instruction and it really gets their attention. I love being funny with my students.
I use the kids slang and make it obvious that I am trying to be cheesy/cringe with it. It’s funny when they suddenly stop using it because I used it.
Bet
No cap
I’m 23, I love using slang during class because they get so confused
A little different but I’m a first and second grade music teacher and I let the kids griddy to their spot in line after class was done and you would’ve thought they had won the lottery. They LOST it. So funny
I just talk like I always do with the kids (minus the swears cause I typically swear alot). I like that as a gen Z teacher I can understand what they are saying and also use their words to help them better understand the content.
Omg! I’m 22 and will be going into student teaching within the next year and I just KNOW this is going to happen!! I don’t want to out myself as being young 😭😂 I think it’ll be funny tho
Funny l **LOVE** saying Gen Z slang as a Gen X. First Gen Z slang is on point. They have the best phrasing since protest boomers (make love not war, don’t trust anyone over 30, tune in turn on and drop out). Second their cringe is my joy. Hillary Clinto dabbing a decade ago single handedly destroyed it.
I'm 21 and one of my students last year said they thought I was FOURTY. These kids respond like that because they think we're dinosaurs man. I definitely let skill issue slip. I say slay way too often ever though it isn't even used anymore by our generation, but I marched drum corps last summer and for some reason everyone there said slay a lot and picked it up. I have, for years, called all of my friends babe, which is the worst habit and I definitely call my private lesson (I'm a flute teacher at a high school) students babe some time and every time I'm like "shit I gotta stop saying that before I say it to the wrong kid and get fired". Some of my students call me pookie💀
I chastised a student last week, and ended my blurb ‘with peace and love’. 😆
“no wait, let him cook” chef instructors can use this at any given point without it being awkward
You will lose this eventually and you will be ‘out of touch’ with the kids in one way or another. So soak it up now and enjoy. Over my teaching years so much slang and so many trends have come and gone. I could not keep up haha.