Teacher lists the 10 basic skills she says 3rd graders no longer have, and it's eye-opening

"If y'all can help us out, we need to go back to basics."

By Heather Wake

When elementary school teacher @mommy_n_zachy went on TikTok to talk about the skills her students struggle with, it wasn’t to shame anyone. It was an honest cry for help. Her short video, which has now been viewed nearly five million times, has sparked a wide conversation about what children are, and are not, prepared for when they walk into a classroom.

In the clip, she listed 10 basic skills many of her 3rd graders couldn’t do. Some forgotten skills, like reading an analog clock, counting physical money, or writing in cursive, aren’t entirely surprising given how technology has shifted daily habits for all of us. Many adults rarely use cash, handwritten letters, or wall clocks themselves.

7️⃣ People reveal how much happier they are after ditching these 7 so-called 'required' things

"I find such peace in not forming opinions about a lot of things."

By Mark Wales

There can be a lot of pressure to do what our communities and peers expect of us. Some people find absolute bliss by letting go of peer pressure. Imagine the joy in doing less of what is "required" and more of what's right for you.

A question was posed in a recent r/AskReddit thread: "What's something you didn't realize was optional in life until you saw someone simply not doing it?" Comments ranged from common-sense opinions to valuable life lessons. It's a curious thought about what things we might be engaging in that aren't actually serving us. Perhaps you will remove a few of these from your behavioral patterns.

When a simple thank-you turns into a moment of belonging. 💛

🥞 14 English words students learn differently if their teacher is American vs. British

When a chip isn't a chip and a flapjack isn't a flapjack.

By Annie Reneau

Even though Americans and British people technically speak the same language, there are some major differences in our English vernacular. For instance, if you were to give someone from the United States and someone from England this prompt:

Draw a kid in a jumper eating chips, biscuits, and flapjacks while watching football.

You would end up with two very different drawings. The words jumper, chips, biscuits, flapjacks, and football all have completely different meanings in American English vs. British English. Most of us know the football vs. soccer difference, but the others may be unfamiliar.

🦁 Three lions have the most beautiful reaction to a man singing a Guns N' Roses song to them

"What a beautiful interaction to witness.”

By Erik Barnes

There are several stories written about music taming the savage beast, but this is no fairy tale. A video shows a small pride of lions in an enclosure hear the acoustic guitar and soothing singing of a French singer-songwriter covering Guns N’ Roses’ “November Rain.” One would think that the animals would be annoyed or ignore the music period. Instead, something heartwarming happened.

One by one, the lions approached the musician known as Plumes as he performed. They calmly laid down and started yawn-singing to the tunes while nuzzling one another, with two lions cuddling less than a yard from where Plumes sat and played. The lions were relaxing and enjoying the concert along with their afternoon nap, showing off the gentler side of the predatory wild cats.