Viral TikTok teacher breaks down Gen Z and Gen Alpha slang

Educator and TikTok star Philip Lindsay translates Gen Z/Gen Alpha slang | ChicagoNOW

If you've ever scrolled TikTok and landed on a hilarious classroom moment that had you saying "that's so real," there's a good chance today's guest was behind it. Educator and TikTok star Philip Lindsay (@mr_phlindsay_sped) discusses his viral Gen Z-inspired classroom posters that are equal parts educational and "cringe," in the best way possible.

CHICAGO - In an era where generational divides feel increasingly wide, one middle school teacher is narrowing that gap—with TikTok trends, Gen Alpha lingo, and a good dose of humor.

Philip Lindsay, a special education math teacher by day and a viral content creator by night, is winning hearts across social media with his playful yet insightful approach to connecting with young minds. 

His online videos decode youth slang and internet culture in ways that resonate with both kids and parents—while managing to stay just the right amount of "cringe."

Teaching By Day, Trend-Tracking by Lunch Duty

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"I hang out with kids almost every day, so I'm a middle school teacher, and I am with kids throughout the school year," said Lindsay. "Actually, where I hear most of it is — I do lunch duty every day, so I go out and play football with the kids, throw a Frisbee with the kids, and just being around them those words kind of start to naturally come out in their conversation and when I hear one I ask about it, do some research and, uh... But yeah, just being around kids, the content kind of rights itself, and I don't usually have to dig very deep to find an idea for a video."

It’s through these everyday interactions that Lindsay uncovers trends like "aura farming"—a term that initially meant trying too hard to be cool, but thanks to a viral "boat kid" dance, now signals something more aspirational. Or "skibidi," a word rooted in the bizarre world of YouTube’s Skibidi Toilet series, which today refers to something "bad"—unless, of course, it’s paired with "sigma," in which case it’s suddenly admirable.

Why He Started Creating Content

The backstory:

Lindsay’s journey into social media wasn’t originally about slang. As a special education teacher, he saw a pressing need for tailored curriculum and instructional tools. 

"It all started because, as a special education math teacher, there's a big need for curriculum specific to kids with learning disabilities because they learn a little bit differently, at a different pace, they need some more explicit instruction and guidance and practice and like all those types of things," said Lindsay. "And as a special education teacher, there's a lot of paperwork involved in the job, and it's usually very overwhelming for a teacher to manage the paperwork side and the legal compliance side of things, and make sure that you're giving specially designed good instruction to kids. It's a big thing to kind of balance. The reason I started social media was I have ideas and plans for some curriculum things and some tools that would make a special education teacher's life a lot easier. And I figured, well, let's start a social media platform and let's build a platform so that when I have those tools, I have a way to sell it, to get it out there, that kind of thing. But then as I started building it, it's kind of shifted. Those things are still in the works, just on the back burner a little bit."

But as he grew his online presence—now topping 1.6 million followers across platforms—his content evolved to meet his audience. 

Lindsay’s growing influence has also opened doors beyond the classroom. 

Long harboring a dream of doing stand-up comedy, he recently sold out his first solo show and joined a comedy trio called "The Teacher’s Lounge."

Starting this fall, he and his fellow educator-comedians will hit the road for some shows. 

The Message: Let Kids Feel Seen

Dig deeper:

Despite the occasional backlash from students whose parents learn "too much" from his videos, Lindsay says the response has been overwhelmingly positive. 

Parents and teachers often thank him for giving them a way to connect with their children or students. 

His school district is equally supportive. His superintendent follows and engages with his content online, and Lindsay uses his platform to highlight not just issues in education but the joy and possibility within it.

He’s also quick to remind fellow teachers and parents that beneath every viral trend or nonsensical meme is a deeper opportunity.

"I think a big piece of it that's allowed me to connect with them so well is not writing off the fact that they have these weird and sometimes absurd words and some of the memes that the words come from are there's a reason we call it brain rot, but you can either choose to write it off and say, 'Oh, the world is doomed, we're in trouble,'" said Lindsay. "Or you can embrace it a little bit and dig below the surface. And when you do that, you actually find that most of these kids are not like, ‘I just love Brain Rot.’ They're using it ironically, and it's a little of their humor. And it allows you to have a foot into some more meaningful conversations and connecting on deeper levels."

At the heart of Lindsay’s mission is one core idea: to make kids feel seen and understood. 

With humor, heart, and an arsenal of internet slang, Philip Lindsay isn’t just decoding Gen Z and Alpha for bewildered parents—he’s helping build bridges across generations.

And he’s doing it with a smile, a football in hand, and maybe even a Skibidi Sigma dance move or two.