Teaching at the high school level, I’ve not only had the pleasure of teaching students, but I have also enjoyed having students teach me about how this new generation works. This could be music, trends, memes, or my personal favorite: slang. I grew up in the early 2000’s, and seeing how things have changed or in some cases returned has been fun and sometimes confusing. This has earned a lot of laughs from students when I say things wrong or in some cases ‘props’ when I get something right. Of course, sometimes my bestie Mr. Toscano helps tutor me just a little bit because sometimes, he says the new words to me before students do, so I get my lack of understanding out early.

Still, it’s amazing how quickly things change. Back in the 2000’s, the language my classmates and I spoke were heavily influenced by the Internet boom. You had phrases made popular by celebrities like “That’s Hot” from Paris Hilton. You also saw the growth of text speech like LOL and BRB. This wasn’t even just through text but spoken in real life as well. Today, social media like TikTok and Instagram are heavy influences on language. Celebrities still have influence, but of course the words are different. Words go in and out of fashion a lot faster, and it can be hard to keep up. The power of memes also adds to this phenomenon.

It’s interesting to see how slang has changed between my teens and now it means that there are times I don’t understand everything. It’s fun though because students will teach me, and I’ve seen them teach other teachers too. I’m not sure if my classmates and I were that good. As a teacher, I try to stay updated so I can keep up with what my students are interested in. Of course, with a child on the way, I’m sure that will shift a little because as much as I try, I doubt I’ll be the ‘cool mom’ when it comes to slang. By then, who knows what new words will emerge in the next decade? Hopefully my students will still be teaching me or maybe helping my child ‘slay’ in the new age.