High school teacher's unconventional approach divides the internet as some find her too lenient

Teachers have a crucial part to play in society since they are the ones who shape the minds of children and nurture their talents for a better future. As the next generation of students are growing up in a world changing faster than ever before with knowledge accessible with a few clicks, teachers are adopting creative methods to guide them. But a high school teacher named Christina Pina, who goes by @christina_pina on TikTok, has triggered a debate after sharing her list of practices that she follows at school with her students.

Initially, it seems that Pina is least bothered by several things that other teachers and guardians are stereotypically concerned about. She shares her list of classroom policies that might make her look like one of the most lenient teachers ever. "My classroom still hasn't burned down, and I think it helps my students to learn because I don't enforce these rules," she says in her video. "You don't have a pencil? I have a pencil for you. Take one every day. I have them scattered all around the room. I am not mad at you for not having a pencil."

"It's my job to teach you my content. I'd rather my students grab the pencil real quick and get started," Pina explained. "Bring your breakfast. Bring your lunch. You cannot be effective in my class if you're starving, if you're hungry, eat your breakfast. I had a student bring a full dragon fruit the other day. Just don't interrupt, don't be loud, don't share it, don't throw your chips across the room. Careful of allergens. Eat your breakfast though." Pina avoids assigning homework to her students because she is aware kids use Google to do their homework and end up not learning anything new. "There's almost no research that proves that students are learning, so I never give homework," Pina said.

She made a second video to share how she is not concerned with students who turn up with uncharged computers. Syllabus signatures, per-day late penalties and after-school makeup time are none of her business either. Pina is not bothered about her students maintaining a strict dress code either and gives them the freedom to wear whatever makes them feel comfortable. "I will not be enforcing a dress code in my classroom, in the hallways, anywhere. You know that we're policing women's bodies through this. If you felt comfortable, you felt safe in that outfit, wear it," she adds. "I also don't lie to my students and tell them that everything is graded. I try to build fun activities and things that promote learning. Students see their progress through these games," she said in her third video.

She gave an example of teachers who prefer not to reward their students, and made it clear that she isn't one of them. "You know, some teachers are really against rewards. They think that they promote the wrong things and that students will only work for these incentives. I do not think that's the case. I think everyone, adults included, loves a little candy, a little incentive," she concluded. Users in the comment section of Pina's video were divided about her approach.

@aeonwintermute joked, "Pencils. I don’t care until you start breaking my pencils at the end of class and throwing them away." @oju721 questioned, "What grade do you teach? In my school, we are expected to teach them organizational skills." But @rc0006 commented, "This is amazing! I’ve seen teachers get mad at elementary school students for being late. It’s quite literally not a 7-year-old's fault if the parent brings them late," and @imgonech remarked, "I agree! Just it's hard for me when people eat in class because I have misophonia so it's really hard for me to focus at all. I just get so irritated!"

Follow @christina_pina on TikTok for more videos like these.