I don’t know about the requirements of other teacher education programs, but my program included 50 hours of community service at a local Boys and Girls Club after-school program. Since I wasn’t much of a sports fan, I was quickly reassigned to tutoring. Although I was active with middle school students, kindergartners and first graders often asked me for help. As I sat in front of their creatively written worksheet, I was perplexed and thought to myself: How do I decipher that? ” This experience led me to appreciate TikTok videos by @iam.mrluke. This video humorously reflects the daily challenges some educators face in creative ways.
what’s that? Have you ever heard of Mr. Luke? Here’s a great introductory video he created, but in short, he’s a hugely popular TikTok teacher (with 1.7 million followers) who teaches primary school in Australia. He is known for his enthusiasm, joy, and overall positive attitude, and we are huge fans.
In this TikTok, Luke challenges the internet to a round of Tiny Human Writing. Can you understand what these creative spellings were trying to say?
Each doodle or misspelled word by your little learners reveals unique insights into their developing minds. This funny teacher invites us to this fun challenge he calls “007 Code Reading.” This is a test of your patience and ability to see English through your child’s eyes.
Task 1: “It’s past 5pm.”
He starts us off with questions like softball, but every first question should be a warm-up, right? The correct translation of this would be “It was 5 o’clock at night.” How was it? Did you understand right away?
Task 2: “Hmm, hmmm.”
Now, to spoil the fun, I only got one of these three right. This confused me! The correct translation of this is “I was at home.” Is it 2 vs 2 so far? The challenge heats up even more!
Task 3: “Please pay me.”
This last part may confuse you. Or maybe your child is already fluent in kindergarten. The correct translation of this creative spelling is “I had my face painted.” Was it 3 on 3?
English is difficult!
Luke concluded the Tiny Human Writing session with a light-hearted nod to the complexities of the English language. “English is hard!” he laughs, recalling his playful and sometimes confusing early education journey. Here’s what some fellow teachers feel about his game:
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I agree! Watching Joe Dombrowski crack creative spellings is my favorite pastime.
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Several of my classmates who volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club said the same thing.
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Another friend confirmed this same thing. English is difficult!
So how did you fare in this language game? Did you find yourself giggling or furrowing your brows in concentration? This is a great example to remind children how to creatively interpret the sounds around them. If you enjoyed getting a glimpse into the minds of our youngest learners, give it a try on your own or with a friend. After all, who would have thought that reading creative spelling in kindergarten would feel like cracking a spy code?
