Teacher Prohibits Gen Z Slang Terms Such as ‘Aura’ and ‘Pookie’ to Encourage Students to Improve Language Skills

A science teacher has gained attention on TikTok for prohibiting Gen Z slang terms like “aura” and “pookie” in her classroom to encourage her students to speak more formally and “be better.”

In today’s digital age, keeping up with various slang terms across different social media platforms such as TikTok can be challenging, especially as terms evolve among younger generations.

Gen Z has redefined many words, including “bop,”turning them into entirely new expressions, complicating the understanding of current slang.

To address the growing list of Gen Z slang and promote a more educated dialogue, Florida science teacher Angela Santalo has decided to ban several slang words in her classroom, including “pookie,” “aura,” “bro,” and “womp womp.”

@thatpinkscienceteacher
Words that are forbidden in my class after hearing them a million times #teacher #teachersoftiktok #middleschool #teachertok #middleschoolslang

♬ original sound – thatpinkscienceteacher

Santalo shared her classroom rules on TikTok, captioning the video, “Words that are forbidden in my class after hearing them a million times.”

The footage, which has garnered over 3.3 million views, features Santalo presenting the banned slang words through a PowerPoint.

In her video, she emphasized, “I am nobody’s pookie. Do not call me pookie. Stop addressing people as pookie,” and explained her reasoning for wanting to remove these words from students’ dialogue.

Upon announcing the ban on terms such as “bro” and “aura,” students responded with groans and protests.

In an interview with The Sun, Santalo expressed that her decision stemmed from hearing those words repeatedly in class.

She explained, “The reason I’m doing this is because I want you to speak like you’re more educated.”

She elaborated, “We’d be lining up for lunch, and I’d hear students saying, you’re so skibidi, or that’s so sigma… I don’t get how those terms fit into a regular conversation.”

Since enforcing this rule, Santalo noted that while her students occasionally slip up and use the banned slang, they quickly recognize and correct themselves.

Overall, she believes the ban has been effective in helping her students develop restraint and communicate more appropriately.

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