A TikTok video of an energetic teacher shows how much effort it takes to keep kindergarteners engaged during virtual classes

• Teachers are embracing new techniques to keep students engaged as they learn virtually.
• Mackenzie, a kindergarten teacher, posted a TikTok video of her classroom learning numbers.
• The video quickly went viral, and people caught a glimpse at the lengths teachers go to encourage students to learn.

While in-person learning has its own challenges, virtual teaching involves a whole new set of obstacles.

As schools across the country switch to virtual learning, teachers are embracing new tactics to keep children engaged and help students learn from their computer screens.

Mackenzie, a kindergarten teacher in Washington, posted a video on TikTok of her virtual teaching, and it quickly went viral. Over 9.5 million people have watched the 24-year-old teach kindergarteners the number four.

"Oh! I see Brin is holding up the number two and two," she says in the video."That will also make four."

The teacher's overly cheerful voice and attitude show what it takes to keep the students focused on learning.

In the video, Mackenzie also stays calms as a student named Grayson figures out how to unmute himself. Mackenzie grabs a placard with an unmute symbol, and eventually, Grayson gets the button to work.

"It sounds like I can hear you," she says in the video. After Grayson answers the question correctly, Mackenzie exclaims, "Oh my goodness!"

@kenziiewenz

my facial expressions trying to keep kindergarteners engaged in online learning ##onlineschool ##fyp ##teacher

♬ original sound - kenziiewenz

The teacher told Buzzfeed News that she took the quick video to see if she was projecting the right energy.

She uploaded it to TikTok in between classes, and it quickly caught millions of people's attention. Commenters were quick to applaud the teacher's work.

"Y'all aren't paid enough for this. You're amazing," one user said.

"The amount of patience in this video is astronomical," another person commented.

"The response has been wonderful," Mackenzie told BuzzFeed News. "I think the video has really given people insight into what early education looks like online."

The teacher has shared other videos of her virtual teaching

Mackenzie uploaded another video in which she teaches her classroom the letter "T" using words like "peach" and "toe."

@kenziiewenz

thanks for all the kind words about teachers in case anyone wanted to stay on kindergarten TikTok here’s a lesson from today ##onlineschool

♬ original sound - kenziiewenz

She asks the students in her classroom if peach has the letter "T." She then voraciously shakes her head "no." When they get it right, she encourages the students to give themselves a pat on the back.

"In order to keep 5- and 6-year-olds engaged, you really have to do a performance for them," the teacher told Buzzfeed News. "I do think that teachers are actors and we have to put on a show for these kids to keep them engaged when they're in their homes."

This school year, teachers are working hard to keep kids engaged and safe

Whether in person or virtual, teachers across the country have found new ways to put a smile on students' faces as classes restart for the year.

For example, two teachers in Florida transformed their school-issued plastic dividers into mini Jeeps for their students to sit in.

In Wisconsin, another teacher built an outdoor classroom so students could social distance and learn in nature.

It's clear that teachers are doing everything this year to keep students learning.

If you're a teacher, student, or parent who wants to share their story on what it's like to go back to school right now, get in touch at mhumphries@insider.com.

• Read more:
• Inside teachers' first week back in US classrooms: Nerves, disorganization, and exhaustion
• A Vermont teacher swapped desks and chairs for hammocks and tree stumps so her students could learn outside year-round
• 2 teachers in Florida transformed their desks into Jeeps to ease students into social distancing
• Before-and-after photos show how the pandemic has changed classroom setups