Some students at Lebanon Junior High School got out of one of their final tests this past week thanks to a viral TikTok video.
On Tuesday, LJHS health teacher Josh Chasteen posted a video on his TikTok account @mr_chasteen101, saying, "I told my students I'll cancel our last test if a pro sports team comments."
As of Saturday, the video reached 46.7 million views, 7.6 million likes and over 140,000 comments, including comments from just about every professional sports team on the social media app.
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Some of the top commenters include the Detroit Lions, the NFL and the Olympics account. WBNA commented on the video as well, saying "At this point... just cancel ALL the tests."
Pizza Hut was also among the commenters, and plans to provide free pizzas when LJHS returns from winter break, said Chasteen.
Viral TikTok video 'exceeded expectations,' Lebanon teacher says
Chasteen had first made a TikTok account in the fall of 2019 with the help of a few of his students during lunch periods.
"I kind of got hooked," Chasteen told the Enquirer Saturday. "If you've ever been on TikTok, you know it's hard to get off of it."
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Since starting, Chasteen's account has grown to over 249,000 followers. He said that a few of his videos in the past have "blown up," some reaching a few million views here and there. But this past week's video surpassed all the others.
"I was pretty confident that at least one team would comment," Chatseen said. "Definitely exceeded expectations, to say the least."
Why did Chasteen post the TikTok video? To connect with students
Chasteen said the inspiration for his viral TikTok came after he sensed his students were growing worried about the final test. His goal was to provide a break for students during the stressful week.
Last year, Chasteen posted a TikTok video of similar format, saying that he would cancel a test if the Cincinnati Bengals commented on his video. According to Chasteen, the Bengals did not disappoint then, either.
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Chasteen said that TikTok has become a way to connect with his students and spread positivity on an app that can sometimes be crowded with inappropriate content for teenagers.
"Lebanon's mission is building community, and they really put a big emphasis on building those relationships with students, staff members, families," Chasteen said. "It was kind of an out-of-the-box way to do that."
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