A new global survey has found that 1 in 10 people believes that the end of the world will occur sometime in 2012, when the Mayan calendar ends. Whether inspired by media attention or conspiracy theories, the anxiety about an impending doomsday extends beyond just a tiny fringe group of believers.
Tags
advertisement
More for You
-
Second-grade teacher asks her students for marriage advice. Here’s their 7 best responses.
You couldn’t get better advice from a team of professionals.
Children form strong worldview opinions at a very young age. Naturally curious, their thinking and insights can lead to blunt but brilliant relationship advice.
Klarissa Trevino, a second-grade teacher, had a fun idea: to ask her students for advice ahead of her marriage. In a TikTok post, she shared some of their favorite responses, which they were genuinely thrilled to share.
Teacher hands out worksheets
Trevino wanted to find a way to involve her second-grade students in her wedding, so she printed out worksheets with the prompt, “The marriage advice I give my teacher is…”
Sharing some of her favorite responses in a TikTok post, Trevino quickly went viral. She told People, “Being able to get a glimpse of their version of marriage and love was very sweet. It made me so happy that they have homes that have shown them the true meaning of it.”
One of her favorite responses was, “do not eat each other’s snacks.”

Students write.
Photo credit: CanvaMarriage advice from second graders
This is the best marriage advice these second graders had to offer—some might argue it’s as helpful and supportive as any professional’s opinion. Here are some of their responses to the prompt, “The marriage advice I give my teacher is…”:
“to be kind and love each other.”
“care and care for each other! Happy marriage!”
“do not eat each others snacks.”
“is to give her flowers.”
“get her Starbucks evrey day.”
“to take her on a date/ and go to a five star restraunt.”
“care for [each other] And Love her. do not hurt her!”

Students raise their hands in class.
Photo credit: CanvaPeople are delighted by insightful second graders
Viewers in the comments were delighted by the second graders’ advice, and some of their own responses were just as insightful as the kids’.
“Kids are so smart.”
“The best advice ever..”
“Imagine how many marriages could’ve been saved if ppl just left eachother’s snacks alone”
“This is legitimately better marriage advice than you see on TikTok.”
“You should publish this, because people could really learn a thing or two from your students”
“I’m teaching the wrong grade!!”
“These are signs that these kids have wonderful parents and figures in there life’s …. and a wonderful teacher who loves and cares for them”

Students pose for a picture.
Photo credit: CanvaStudies show that kids have meaningful insights
These second graders shared straightforward, thoughtful insights. Yet research shows that children offering meaningful perspectives is nothing new. A 2025 study found that kids begin to understand other people’s feelings, beliefs, and even motivations at a very young age. They aren’t boxed in by adult expectations, which helps keep their thinking fresh and profound.
A 2025 study found that even children as young as four understand far more than we might think. They’re capable of problem-solving and experience “aha!” moments that can make others grin.
Kids often cut straight to the truth because they’re naturally curious. A 2025 study found that adults underestimate how organized children’s ideas can be. Like adults, kids’ beliefs shape how they act and feel, forming a worldview that is surprisingly detailed, consistent, and stable.
These young students’ advice may seem simple, but that’s exactly what makes it so powerful. They remind us that kindness and honesty don’t require much effort to make a lasting impact on any relationship. Sometimes the truth comes from the smallest voices, and Trevino understood the value of listening.
-
Teacher spots suspicious bare feet under a school bench, but the ‘lockdown’ scare has a surprising explanation
This is equal parts chaos and comedy.
Teachers are trained to expect the unexpected. One day, Alissa, a history teacher who posts on TikTok under the name @teachinginstyle, looked out the window of her high school classroom and noticed a pair of bare feet hanging from a school bench.
She knew something wasn’t right. In a split-second decision most teachers hope they’ll never have to make, she locked her classroom door. Then Alissa called the school’s safety number, which nearly triggered a lockdown.
“One: stranger danger,” she explained in a video. “And two, I have a room full of sixteen-year-olds that I need to keep safe.”
Nearly causing a school lockdown
A pair of unfamiliar, bare adult feet resting on a school bench is enough to warrant further investigation by any responsible teacher.
“Outside my classroom, there were these wooden benches. And kids would sit there during break,” she continued. “My class was quietly working, and I glance outside, and I see a pair of bare feet. Like just feet, sticking out from the bench.”
Wondering whether it was a student and if they were okay, she headed outside to investigate, only to find an unfamiliar adult asleep on the bench. Immediately frightened, she recalled, “Three things come to mind. One: Are they alive? Two: Why is there a random adult on campus? And three: Oh my God, are we going to have to go on lockdown?”
Alissa locked her classroom door and called the safety number, describing the situation over the phone. It turns out the feet belonged to a substitute teacher. She concluded, “It was a sub—a substitute teacher—taking a nap on the bench, like wanting to get some sun on the dogs (their bare feet). Oops. How was I supposed to know that?”

Teachers pose in the hallway.
Photo credit: CanvaA story that’s both chaotic and funny
Viewers had mixed opinions about Alissa’s story. Some thought she did the right thing, while others were more concerned about the substitute teacher’s behavior. Here are some of the comments:
“I would do the same…”
“OK, but as a sub, I could never imagine taking a nap.”
“not just any nap, a nap on a bench with your shoes off”
“You are 100”
“What on EARTH????”
“there is NOT enough diet coke to handle this..”
“I think anybody would’ve done the same thing in that situation”

A school building on a sunny day.
Photo credit: CanvaPrepared for school safety
To prepare for the unexpected, teachers must go through training. A 2025 study analyzed a training program designed to help teachers and staff prepare for emergencies. The results showed that participants felt more psychologically prepared and ready to handle a crisis.
It’s important for students to feel safe and prepared, too. But do the drills help, or do they cause more problems for kids? A 2023 study found that 27% of children said the drills made them anxious. Overall, caregivers still supported the preparation, even though some kids felt uncomfortable.

A teacher talks with students.
Photo credit: CanvaThe substitute teacher’s bare-feet fiasco turned out to be far less dangerous than it first appeared, but it highlights a real challenge teachers face every day. Alissa’s story is a lighthearted reminder of the serious nature of school preparedness, though sometimes there can be a surprisingly simple explanation.
Anyone with concerns about handling different kinds of disasters can visit the FEMA website, where many free preparedness videos are available.
advertisement





