Level Up: Memphis teacher’s unique class ritual featured on Access Hollywood

SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — David Jamison is a teacher with style.

His goal is to make students want to be just like him when they begin to LevelUp.

Jamison told FOX13 he was in trouble every day when he was a student. Now he wants to be the teacher he always needed to help him straighten out.

Jamison was featured on Access Hollywood this week, for the unique way he welcomes his students to class.

Before a pencil or sheet of paper is picked up, before you even get into Jamison's Hickory Ridge Elementary English and Arts class, the customized, handshake has to happen.

Students seem to love it. It's like a Memphis street dance extravaganza.

Many of you have already seen the inspiring ritual Mr. David Jamison (@thedopeeducator) of Hickory Ridge Elementary performs each day with his students - and now the world will! Tune into Access Hollywood tonight at 10:30 to see his story! Access⁣ ⁣ ——————⁣ ⁣ #Repost @thedopeeducator⁣ ・・・⁣ More black men are needed in the school system! In my 3 years of teaching I’ve never had discipline problems because I make sure that all my students feel counted for. The foundation in maximizing the fullest potential of all students is through love and human interaction. I make it my priority to remember the handshakes of all my students every year. Check out this clip of my new group of students and myself doing what we do! This is not even half of my students, and yes I remember all 3 groups of students handshakes! You have to be able to catch the fish before you can clean it. #thedopeeducator #SCSis901 #realmenteach #bethechange #theeducatorsroom #myblackisbeautiful #setthestandard #blackeducatorsrock #teacheroftheyear #blackeducators #menteachmemphis #HRE #ourboysneedus #teachersfollowteachers #teach #tedxtalks #teachersofinstagram #worldstar #postoftheweek #postoftheday #scsis901 #iteach5th #peopleareawesome #explorepage ⁣ Be sure to subscribe to my new YouTube channel, The Dope Educator, for the full video.⁣ ⁣ Facebook: David Jay
Posted by Shelby County Schools - SCS on Monday, December 9, 2019

“I didn’t really have a male teacher growing up. Someone that inspired me to want to become a teacher,” Jamison told FOX13. “ So I want to inspire all my students to become educators because education is the profession that creates all other professions.”

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Jamison told FOX13, if you ask a student what they want to be when they grow up, many will say I want to be an athlete. One student we asked, said he wanted to be an entertainer.

Jamison said he plans to change that.

His handle on social is the dope educator and he wants followers, not likes -- followers who will eventually leave him and want to be like him.

“I want to take the students on a vacation every single day when they come to my class,” he said.