I've been there. Trying to silence a bunch of raucous kids in a classroom is a Herculean task. However, a teacher in Argentina might have found a perfect method to achieve it. And she was generous enough to share her secret with other colleagues on a TikTok video.
A hint? All she had to do was mention Lionel Messi.
Teacher silences students thanks to Messi (and Mbappé)
In the clip, the teacher – @MargaritaPla on TikTok – is in front of a noisy classroom. The situation seems out of control, but she quickly brings the ace up her sleeve: "El que siga hablando prefiere a Mbappé sobre Messi" (Those who keep talking prefer Mbappé over Messi). And boom! Dead silence in milliseconds.
@margaritapla Duro 10 segundos pero fue espectacular, lo que es el poder del #fypシ #parati #foryoupage #messi #mbappe #funny #maestra ♬ sonido original - MargaritaPla
"It took 10 seconds, but it was spectacular," she captioned. "That's the power of the GOAT."
Some users congratulated the teacher for her wit in the comments section, while others kept the joke rolling. "I haven't talked since," wrote one of them.
Margarita, however, is not the first Argentine teacher to use the success of the current World champions as a method to calm down their students. Last October – even before the 2022 WC – a high-school philosophy teacher in Cordoba used a similar message. Facing some rowdy students, Amadeo Laguens wrote on the whiteboard, "El que habla odia la Scaloneta" (Those who speak hate the Scaloneta) in reference to Argentine's coach Lionel Scaloni, and silence was instantaneous.
Entender todo, nivel Amadeo Laguens, profesor de Filosofía de una escuela de Córdoba.
"El que habla odia a la Scaloneta". pic.twitter.com/Ohf2O8DVO2— VarskySports (@VarskySports) October 6, 2022
Sure, Messi is only Argentine, but other teachers around the world could take note, find equivalents in their countries, and finally tame the kids and enjoy a classroom where silence is king.