A teacher is going viral on social media for her unconventional, yet epic, style in the classroom.
Zahra Hassan, an 8th-grade educator in Toronto, has gained popularity over the years for posting her wardrobe to platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
A video of an outfit of the day compilation posted last month reached over one million views. Another one from last year hit nearly two million views.
“I did not know I would go viral for being myself, especially teaching. In September 2021, I was offered my first official LTO, a long-term occasional teaching position for the year. It was my first time having my class. I was so excited,” Hassan told Now Toronto in an email statement.
“Throughout the second week, my students just blurted out that they loved my outfits and I should create a TikTok. When I posted my first-ever outfit of the week, it blew up overnight, and I was shocked. So now it just turned into a page where I can showcase fits, relatable teacher comedy while also reflecting and sharing my passion for teaching and resources/lessons that worked for me in my classroom,” she continued.
The 28-year-old teaches gifted math to 8th graders, rotary art to all grade levels and is also a special education resource teacher who supports grades 6, 7 and 8 in their homeroom classes with math and language.
Hassan said she draws inspiration from various things, such as the 90’s era, music and movies like Poetic Justice and Fresh Prince of Belair as well as Japanese and Korean street culture.
Hassan’s style has been praised for changing the status quo and the way many view teachers.
However, she’s also received some criticism too for dressing outside the box.
Still, her only concern is how she and her students feel about it. Hassan believes that the way she presents herself helps her connect to her students better and feel seen.
“All my students come up to me, and they always tell me that they find it easy to talk to me because I don’t look intimidating at first glance. If my style allows my students to see a representation of them, then that is all that matters to me,” she shared.
Hassan proves that you can be stylish, comfortable and still have an air of professionalism.
Outside her classroom, she works with “incredible” staff and administrators and even has a great working relationship with the school’s principal who shares a similar teaching philosophy.
This formula, according to her, is what will create authentic and genuine success for her students.
“I’m glad this is only the beginning.”
