I think the fact that Pigeon Man remembers miss Slovak fondly & Olga seems to not think negatively of her lends support to the idea that she used to be more engaged and motivated in her job and burnt out by the time Arnold is in school.
I believe it with pigeon Man but with Olga can be debatable, remember she doesn't think negatively of anyone. And considering she was an excelling student maybe Miss Slovak treated her right unlike the student who struggled.
She definitely doesn't deserve the title of worst character. Oscar does. I'm surprised her advocacy wasn't dived into in this video. She was the leader of the teacher strike and that is significant to her character. She ultimately fought for better conditions for her fellow teachers and by extension her students. It could also be a big reason for her leaving. Doing the right thing can mean being the person that ultimately takes the fall. Not that she was necessarily fired but Wartz could definitely put pressure on her in retaliation. Her stay at P.S 118 could have become untenable by that point, possibly even the entire district.
This is a good response. Yeah totally valid considering teachers dont get the most respect despite how much they spend time with everyone's kids. Burn out in ED is so common and its not like the teachers dont care, just that they're underpiad and expected to do so much. It starts to feel less rewarding. Thank goodness for unions. We love the kiddos, but its rough.
Yes. Even as a kid, I'd groan when an Oscar episode came up. I can get why people found him entertaining, he's extremely over the top pathetic. But for me his absolute refusal to learn, grow, take responsibility was so aggravating.
Oskar was complete manchild who wanted his wife to take care of him hand and foot. He was a bum asshole who never learned anything and was completely selfish. Yes he was there to be over the top comedic but his character was super aggravating. I never hated Ms Slovak at all, she was just a fill in to me really. Oskar is much worse
This is A little story about what you were talking about when teachers go above and beyond for their students. A teacher didn't do that for me but my elementary school principal did. He got word that I was doing poorly in reading since we had to do it out loud in class. I didn't particularly appreciate doing that because I had a problem with my speech and would mess up words, leading to me getting made fun of. My principal had a smart solution. He would sit me in his office across from him and he would let me pick a book. Then told me to read it to him. No one else was around and if I had trouble with a word? He would help me through that one on one. If I read the book all the way through he would give me a candy as a reward. A rootbeer barrel. Thanks to his help I would go through book after book after book. He helped raise my confidence and helped me find my love for reading and writing that I have today. Even today as someone that is pushing 30 this year, when I see a rootbeer barrel candy in a store somewhere I think back on that time all those years ago and sometimes its a little emotional. I can't thank him for all he did for me and the rest of the students he helped. As a side note I think he is now high member in the school board or even the superintendent now. It is much deserved. Thank you so much Mr. Hale. Will never forget you. Oh and happy birthday Shawn
To be honest Ms. Slovak wasn’t a bad character, it just kind of felt like she was just there most of the time. Just being their teacher and nothing more. Mr. Simmons felt like he had a bigger bond with the class, and even as a kid I always loved his mellow and outgoing personality. Definitely someone I would have been very happy to have as my teacher.
I was surprised to find out that Ms. Slovak was an outright hated character, but she is certainly guilty of being a forgettable, one-note character. Hey Arnold was a deep show. I mean, look at Helga's home life. So, I'm glad that the creator recognized that Ms. Slovak wasn't a good fit for the show.
The only reason I remember Miss Slovak is because I remember the episode that Mr Simmons is introduced. I don't actually remember anything about her at all besides the fact that she exists as the former teacher. I didn't even remember her name until watching this video.
I had a teacher who up and bailed in the middle of the school year- it was because his hip finally gave out on him, after 40 years of teaching, and it would've been too much to keep going.. This wasn't the modern times where you could get a surgery, and hopefully get back in the game before the school year is up. He was physically done. And yet he struggled into the classroom one day, doing his best not to cry, and told us, "I'm sorry I couldn't make it through this one last school year, I failed you all and I couldn't be there for you. They told me not to come back and teach this year, but I was too selfish. I just loved teaching too much to give it up even as my body was failing me. Don't be me, kids. Don't be an asshole." Unironically the best teacher I ever had, even if only for a few minutes.
I also had a teacher bail in the middle of the year. Im not sure what happened but she just quit a few months into the year and never came back had a long term sub who i hated. This was when i was in middle school and i swear it was because my class was full of little shitheads who made her life miserable. I felt really bad for her most of the time. the class was only for a semester so im not sure what happened in the next semester however.
Quitting because of health reasons is completely different from quitting out of the blue. Even if something like taking care of a family emergency or having to take care of a sick relative the teacher should still tell the class before leaving.
@@melissamurray8307 Agreed. We had a teacher leave in the middle of the school year because he was still in the army iirc. We were all told ahead of time. We had a party his last day.
Recovering from hip surgery isn’t as easy as you make it out to be. First you have to wait for the wounds from the surgery to heal and you can’t really do anything until the bones are healed as well. After that you need to learn to walk again, likely with a mobility aid like a cane or walker.
9:11 The pfft that escaped me when you said the pigeon man looks 30-35 was so involuntary, if I was drinking something I would've done a genuine spit-take. I was thinking 40s
I had a teacher like her in 9th grade, looked completely fed up all the time, tired and leaves as soon as the bell rings when it's the end of the day. She also kinda... help us cheat our way out of 9th-12th grade so no one in her class ever went below an 80 by just writing all the answers on the board during exam weeks. She was a math teacher.
Miss Slovak quitting to become a pro golfer is the equivalent of Poochie from Itchy and Scratchy saying "I have to go now, my planet needs me" and flies away by sliding the animation cell up.
@robertbarrows6687 hence why in the episode of The Simpsons where Patty comes out as gay, when Marge asks Veronica what she does for a living and she replies that she's a pro golfer, Marge mutters under her breath "no surprise there"
I’ll give Ms.Slovak some value in that her portrayal as a mediocre and sometimes curt teacher helped provide context for how positive of an influence Mr.Simmons was.
As a teacher myself, many of us try to be Mr. Simmons, but get ground down into Ms. Slovaks. It’s a sad reality but Ms. Slovak’s approach is better if you want to survive in the career because that’s what the system wants from you, and trying to have one-on-ones with literally hundreds of students WILL get draining.
I'm pretty sure that of Mr Simmons was Torvak teacher ye would've learned math more easily, he was the kind of teacher that would Tutor him after class and have the patience to do so instead of just dropping him on Arnold.
I completely agree. Growing up watching this as a kid, I always wanted a teacher as supportive as Mr. Simmons. If I had that as a kid, I feel like I would have had WAY more confidence growing up!
Mr Simmons is a cautionary tale of toxic positivity. Being happy all the time isn't right. You might think you want a teacher who's always encouraging and happy and then you see the downside.
@@arthas640 It isn't that Mr. Simmons ever did anything bad or wrong more so that he was at times too positive for certain scenarios he was involved in. It is important to note that he always recognizes his own faults which helps with taking the edge off of the potential toxicity of his positivity. Also the writers ran with his faults pretty well, using them to have him learn from his students almost as often as they learned from him which ultimately led to all of them being more fully realized individuals.
Knowing the relationship between Craig Bartlett and Matt Groening, it's really easy to interpret Miss Slovak as a poorly done version of Mrs. Krabapple. They have their similarities, but while Mrs. Krabapple had depth to her character, reasons given throughout the show as to why she's become so disillusioned with her career, but had moments showing that the caring educator was still there under the surface, Slovak just felt paper thin. As for her hair color change, considering she would quite her job in that school year, I prefer to think she used to dye it brown, but as she got closer and closer to her breaking point, she just stopped dying it and let her gray hair show.
@@ballorafuntime7567 Yeah, Bartlett is married to Groening's sister Lisa. In addition to claymation shorts on Peewee's Playhouse and, I believe, Sesame Street featuring Arnold, early comics featuring the character appeared in Simpsons Illustrated Magazine.
Edna had her problems, but she genuinely cared about Bart. Or at least, she was able to somewhat handle him at his worst and gave him motivation to become better.
@@rosesweetcharlotte Right. When we saw flashbacks she was clearly more idealistic than she became in the timeframe of the series, but there were moments that made it clear she still cared on some level. Like when Bart, crying over failing fourth grade, made references that showed he genuinely tried to learn the subject matter. Or when he got her nominated for Teacher of the Year, she was genuinly touched. Slovak never seemed to care about anything beyond Olga.
Duuuuuude... I recently started writing all of my own music for my videos. I had a BLAST writing the music for this one!! It took SO MUCH for me to control the urge to sample Wartz saying slippage though lmaooooo. It's just so hilariously catchy the way they used it.
At least Miss Slovak wasn’t the sort of teacher who constantly criticizes and intellectually belittles her students in front of their peers, or treats them with like illiterate idiots who have no hope of a bright future.
Happy birthday! I had a teacher that only taught for one year because he was in the army reserve but still managed to make it work for that entire year. He would return every year until the class graduated to cheer us on and we would be excited by his surprise appearances. I think Principal Warts saying Miss Slovak left to be a professional golfer was a sarcastic way to say she retired and not meant to be taken literally. From a professional standpoint, telling everybody the details for somebody else leaving is unprofessional and violates their privacy. Miss Slovak retiring from full time teaching with poor wages and treatment to later become a part time educator as a substitute makes a lot more sense.
The more I re-watch Hey Arnold as an adult the more I laugh at how bad she was as a teacher (Trash). The episode that I always think about is when she was giving a class announcement towards the end of class about asbestos & then in the middle of her speech the bell rang, she sprinted out of the class, & never finished it. 😑😂😂 Also, Happy Birthday! 😊
Immediately when you mentioned turning 30 tomorrow, that made me gasp because my sister is also turning it tomorrow and she also is a Washington resident like you were! Happy birthday to you as well!
I'm finally starting my first full-time teaching job in September. I'm really nervous but also really excited. This episode could not have come at a better time for me. Thanks Shawn for posting this when you did. And Happy 30th!
Those last lines you took the words right out of my mouth I truly never thought about how horrible Miss Slovak was until I saw this episode as a kid. I didn’t think she was that bad now that I’m an adult my perspective of her has completely changed.
I can understand hating a teacher enough to cheer like that if they quit. Hell, I had a teacher in high school that I hated so much that, if he had quit or got fired (which he TOTALLY deserved), I'd put on a party hat and blow an air horn!
Thank you so much, friend! Nothing on the agenda but some quality time with my wife and kiddos, as well as some relaxation :D I'm so excited lol. Thanks for always being here! Your comments always make my day!
Ms Slovak was very one note and forgettable. Voiced by Tress McNeille, who also voices Arnold’s grandma. Mr. Simmons is probably one of the best characters and I couldn’t imagine school without him. he really made an impact and made the episodes a certain way that wouldn’t have been the same if they had Ms Slovak. This is an example of a character addition that worked.
Love that episode of the budget cuts with the boarded up windows. Made the school look like an increasingly chaotic place to go for anyone. Also just noticed the MASSIVE WALL of coffee cans in the teachers lounge at 26:33
I loved Mr. Simmons because he was also flawed and deep. I always remember that time he won a teachers award and was going to be filmed. He had gone crazy for a bit trying to be “perfect” until Arnold reminded him WHY he was such a great and loved teacher. I also remember his insecurity running the school play Romeo and Juliet. And that really touching Thanksgiving episode where we get a glimpse into his humble life. He has a cranky and maybe even unpleasant family but despite this, he shows Arnold and Helga that you need to still have compassion and appreciation. I think he’s a wonderfully complex character in his own right
That's such a bummer. I used to LOVE Hulu because I swear they had everything back in the day. It sucks when shows start disappearing like that... I've been working on slowly buying the DVD collections of these classic shows for that reason. You never know when they could just get taken off of their streaming platforms! Only problem is that the DVDs get pretty expensive lol.
@@DuskTillShawntrue with some of them starting at $20 a season or more while a complete series in the case of Smallville being $200 or more, you have a lot of classic cartoons shows starting at $50 for the whole series in some cases I was able to get Justice League the complete series for 30 on DVD but it's 50 or so dollars on Blu-ray
Happy birthday Shawn! Keep doing what you're doing. You're the only one on this freaking site I can find that perfectly analyzes each and every Hey Arnold episode that sticks out to you, and that says something. You're one of the many actually good RUclipsrs out there...
@@mechajay3358 and yet he’s there in the vast majority of if not every single classroom episode…they simply didn’t notice him as intended by the writers
Happy birthday! You’re definitely my favorite RUclipsr on this platform. It’s beautiful relieving such nostalgic media that has shaped who I am right there with you! Have a great day Shawn
Ahhh, Happy Birthday, Shawn!! I’ve been watching your videos over the last year in particular, and they’ve gotten me out of some really funky places. I feel I owe you a debt of gratitude for allowing me to understand the characters I grew up with in such profound and nuanced ways. I appreciate all the time you put into your videos, and in spite of a difficult year, I really wish you nothing but the best ahead. Thank you again! 😌
Happy early birthday Shawn! I love how positive and kind you are! You’re definitely a huge inspiration to the cartoon community and I can’t wait for your channel to get bigger!
Exactly, Oskar is definitely is the most hated as a character, that's for sure. I'm sure he would be even more hated as a person. Glad Suzi divorced him as he was basically leeching off of her 24/7.
I'm not gonna lie, I regularly forget Miss Slovak is a character in the show. Like I don't necessarily hate her, I just like Mr. Simmons more. And it really doesn't help that when I was a little kid and Hey Arnold first started airing, I didn't like the show. It was honestly to calm and chill for my over excited child brain to calm down and enjoy. So like, I didn't start watching Hey Arnold until much later in the shows life and only ever saw the episodes from like the first 3-4 seasons through re-runs once I actually got a bit older and gave the show another chance. Like I definitely saw some Miss Slovak episodes when I was a kid, and I also definitely saw Mr. Simmons first episode re-run multiple times, but I still always associate Mr. Simmons as Arnolds teacher because I simply saw him more often than I ever saw miss Slovak as a kid.
Honestly, I'm not gonna lie, as a kid that had to catch Hey Arnold via late midnight reruns on 90s are all that, the splat, etc or DVR them, I don't think I remember seeing any episodes with Miss Slovak at all until I binged the series on Hulu years later
Meanwhile gumball just erased characters and threw them into the void. Though it's interesting when and how a cast get rotated in or outed to the background when the show grows or finds it's main group
hahahaha right? Gumball was such an interesting show. I love the bit where Rocky the bus driver is explaining the difference between Grindcore, Black Metal, and Viking Metal 🤣 I was LOOOSING it hahahahah.
Happy birthday dude. It’s been awhile since I last spoke on your channel. A lot has happened and now I’m back. I can’t believe you are now in your third decade. And guess what??? By this Saturday it’s my time joining the 3 decade club.
This was an interesting video. As aa kid I never gave much thought to Miss Slovaki as a character in the show. After watching the video I agree she was the worst teacher, I actually do think the episode The Flood would have been interesting with her if the character had been written a little better, I think had they leaned into the "burned out" teacher angle there could have been something there to show she's frustrated at her job, but at the end of the day she won't let the kids actually be hurt/ scared when it REALLY counts. Back in the 90s I don't think it was fully grasp how damaging those throw away comments like in Spelling Bee could harm a child's emotionally in the way it's understood now. But yes I'm glad the actress still got to be a big part of this show as Grandma who was aa great character. So thank you for this video and looking forward to more. Also Happy Birthday Shawn and many more to come :)
My mom’s a teacher, so I can offer a bit of insight to the Torvald example since I witnessed this firsthand. You’re spot-on with some (actually many) of the parents of students and what happens when teachers reach out to parents. Most people are in denial about helping their kids get help because they believe their children are perfect, even though they’re not. It’s highly possible Torvald’s mom is a Karen towards Miss Slovak and she already tried those avenues, based on her attitude towards her son. She seems in denial about Torvald’s struggles with school, or at the very least the extent of the situation. Even if Miss Slovak tried to reason with Torvald’s mother and explain in detail what’s going on, Torvald’s mother would not be able to comprehend the extent of the situation. So I feel for Miss Slovak and have sympathy for her people outside this career field would - yes, especially in this age of hateful critics where it’s trendy to shit on everything/everyone. That said, a teacher also has resources and references for students who struggle, and had those even before Hey Arnold. She could have provided those resources without possibly endangering another child, and also avoid speaking to the parent. If a parent is unreachable there are things a teacher can do to help students on the down-low. (I strongly recommend not doing this though unless a student is in danger or neglected; the repercussions could be dire.)
I totally appreciate your insight, friend! The side of the teacher is definitely one I admit gets WAY TOO easily overlooked in most shows, but especially in Tutoring Torvald. I honestly didn't think about it too much myself until I was researching for this video. I found some insight online in the Hey Arnold community from a few teachers about their interpretation of Miss Slovak in general and it was really eye opening to see from a perspective that has actually walked in her shoes for even a second! Millions of teachers go through a lot more then they get credit for and are far underpaid for doing it. Do me a solid and tell your mom I said thanks for what she does.
@@DuskTillShawn my mom appreciates what you said. She teaches classrooms full of Torvald-like kids in this exact scenario, which has a unique set of challenges. Some of those kids can get violent or distracting if they feel they’re incapable of learning the subject/subjects they’re studying. My mom suffered injuries from these same students who felt this insecurity, and I speak from personal experience when I say teaching is not for the faint-hearted. The parents are much worse than the kids, however, and if there’s a difficult child there’s an insufferable parent supporting that kid’s behavior. This next paragraph may shock you, but just because I understand the exhaustion Miss Slovak experiences doesn’t mean I automatically take her side; in fact I absolutely do not agree with her on involving another child. I’m not alone in thinking this way either; my mom commented this was a mistake of Miss Slovak’s due to Arnold being at risk for injury. The last thing a teacher should do is rope in another student to teach them unless they’re demonstrating to the whole class. I don’t know if your teachers would have you demonstrate a lesson with how you learned the subject or how your brain works, but mine did often (especially with me as the teacher, which is how I was encouraged to become a teacher in turn; I’m quite good at explaining lessons). Doing it one-on-one is a very dangerous, and frankly unprofessional, move - and certainly not one I’d dare attempt. But! The rest of the video is spot-on regarding Miss Slovak. She’s a teacher who’s taught for so long she likely doesn’t even realize she has burnout, but has experienced it for the past 5+ years of her career before her retirement (seen plenty of those too). Teaching is an extremely passion-driven career, and unless a teacher is passionate about their particular subject it dies fast. No one wants a teacher like Miss Slovak. As I mentioned earlier, she’s experienced so much burnout she’s becoming unprofessional. The Torvald incident is the only instance that has any kind of defense for her. In every other case she’s in the show she’s emotionally checked out and going through the motions. It’s honestly refreshing to see such a well-researched video that sees things from more than one perspective. Opinions are important, but only if they can adapt to new information. You clearly have that going for you. I don’t know what I expected from this video, but your analysis of this character - and why she’s bad at her job - is sympathetic but factual. You have a gift. I’m glad your teachers encouraged you to nurture it. I hope to inspire students half as much.
Happy Birthday! I'll be turning 30 this year too so it's amazing people my age grew up with Hey Arnold and are now hitting their 30s. Even as a kid I always wondered why they replaced Ms. Slovak with Mr. Simmons. Your video analysis helped me gain a better understanding. I think all us had a teacher like Ms, Slovak at one point and sadly I have as well. I do love kids and my dream job is to be a teacher. I have two friends who are elementary school teachers and they give me advice for that career choice.
Honestly I kinda wish Ms. Slovak had gotten an episode dedicated to her burnout and decision to quit. Even a retrospective episode where Arnold meets her later and learns why she quit. It just seems like an interesting topic that this show could have handled perfectly, just like the Thanksgiving episode with Mr. Simmons. Exploring the way students affect their teachers over time and the person behind a disliked character. Showing how a person is human, even if heavily flawed and even unlikable, feels like Hey Arnold's bread and butter. And Happy Birthday, Shawn!
Happy Birthday!!! You made me remember how it was to me as a kid watching Mr. Simmons get totally broken down on his first day despite being so kind and positive about his job and even moreso the kids that his job allowed him to teach. I know things eventually worked out, but yeeesh! Mr. Simmons is definitely the better and more memorable teacher, at least for me!
To sum it up, Ms. Slovak was bland and really had nothing going for her character wise. Most teachers in animation, whether they are depicted as antagonistic to the main characters or supportive, had a varied personality and were given a life outside of their classrooms. It didn't matter if you had Mr. Ratburn or Ms. Fowl or Mr. Crocker or Ms. Bitters, these characters had a certain level of depth that made them memorable. What's also notable is how generally the viewer's perception of these teacher's can change as the viewer ages. For example, I had viewed Mr. Ratburn from "Arthur" negatively as a kid because he always seemed to assign a bunch of homework and did not do any fun activities in his classroom, at least compared to the other teachers at Arthur's school. But as an adult, I appreciate a lot more now because he does have a strong passion for teaching, challenges his students, and encourages them to step out of their comfort zones. I even understand Ms. Bitters better than I did when I was younger and that her cynical and abrasive attitude may largely be the result of living in an insane version of human society as we saw in "Invader Zim." Now teacher characters don't necessarily need to be super developed, they can just sufficiently fill the role as the main character's teacher. Ms. Wingo from "Doug" is a good example of that. In fact, I think Ms. Wingo is Ms. Slovak done better.
Hopefully this is on time, happy birthday Shawn! You're genuinely my favourite youtuber to watch while i work or just need a calming video to distract myself. Love your stuff man, I wish you many more happy and healthy birthdays 😁!!!
I dunno, I think all the hate for Ms. Slovak was in comparison to how upbeat and dedicated Mr. Simmons was. I actually think some aspects of her character reflect that she was a lot like him in the beginning. Like how neither Olga nor PM spoke badly of her, and the fact that PM asked if she was still there. Like he expected her to be one of those “teachers for life”. Or how she’s still pretty gentle in how she speaks to them. Shes also from 2 teaching generations back. Not saying that justifies her blunt responses in some things, but they make sense for her. I think being a Burnt Out teacher makes the most sense and seeing/thinking about how she got there makes me feel more sorry for her than anything. And I don’t blame her for leaving how she did everyday and her quiet overall exit. I think there’s a general attitude overall of not valuing the teachers as people who also need to take care of themselves, and that yeah, they are in charge of kids, but at the end of the day outside of school aren’t their problems. And they are allowed to leave the kids behind like with any other job if the teacher needs to take care of themselves. It doesn’t always have to be a big announcement, and a lot of times I think they prefer quiet exits, but are forced to make a spectacle of it. Basically the parentification of teachers being used to then critique them when they decide to be done. I can’t IMAGINE how many parents she’s had to deal with or how many home situations that she’s expected to fix with limited resources.
Happy birthday Shawn!! Seeing a new video of yours on my homepage always puts a smile on my face. It’s crazy I barely remember this character but I guess she was only in the very first episodes
I think the fact that Pigeon Man remembers miss Slovak fondly & Olga seems to not think negatively of her lends support to the idea that she used to be more engaged and motivated in her job and burnt out by the time Arnold is in school.
I believe it with pigeon Man but with Olga can be debatable, remember she doesn't think negatively of anyone. And considering she was an excelling student maybe Miss Slovak treated her right unlike the student who struggled.
She definitely doesn't deserve the title of worst character. Oscar does.
I'm surprised her advocacy wasn't dived into in this video. She was the leader of the teacher strike and that is significant to her character. She ultimately fought for better conditions for her fellow teachers and by extension her students.
It could also be a big reason for her leaving. Doing the right thing can mean being the person that ultimately takes the fall. Not that she was necessarily fired but Wartz could definitely put pressure on her in retaliation. Her stay at P.S 118 could have become untenable by that point, possibly even the entire district.
Oscar was The Worst as a human being, but at least he was entertaining to watch. Ms Slovak was as interesting as unseasoned mashed potatoes.
Oskar was just a bum but its characters in the show worse than him morally
This is a good response. Yeah totally valid considering teachers dont get the most respect despite how much they spend time with everyone's kids. Burn out in ED is so common and its not like the teachers dont care, just that they're underpiad and expected to do so much. It starts to feel less rewarding. Thank goodness for unions. We love the kiddos, but its rough.
Yes. Even as a kid, I'd groan when an Oscar episode came up.
I can get why people found him entertaining, he's extremely over the top pathetic. But for me his absolute refusal to learn, grow, take responsibility was so aggravating.
Oskar was complete manchild who wanted his wife to take care of him hand and foot. He was a bum asshole who never learned anything and was completely selfish. Yes he was there to be over the top comedic but his character was super aggravating. I never hated Ms Slovak at all, she was just a fill in to me really. Oskar is much worse
This is A little story about what you were talking about when teachers go above and beyond for their students. A teacher didn't do that for me but my elementary school principal did. He got word that I was doing poorly in reading since we had to do it out loud in class. I didn't particularly appreciate doing that because I had a problem with my speech and would mess up words, leading to me getting made fun of.
My principal had a smart solution. He would sit me in his office across from him and he would let me pick a book. Then told me to read it to him. No one else was around and if I had trouble with a word? He would help me through that one on one. If I read the book all the way through he would give me a candy as a reward. A rootbeer barrel.
Thanks to his help I would go through book after book after book. He helped raise my confidence and helped me find my love for reading and writing that I have today.
Even today as someone that is pushing 30 this year, when I see a rootbeer barrel candy in a store somewhere I think back on that time all those years ago and sometimes its a little emotional. I can't thank him for all he did for me and the rest of the students he helped. As a side note I think he is now high member in the school board or even the superintendent now. It is much deserved. Thank you so much Mr. Hale. Will never forget you.
Oh and happy birthday Shawn
What a great guy!
Thank you for sharing
To be honest Ms. Slovak wasn’t a bad character, it just kind of felt like she was just there most of the time. Just being their teacher and nothing more.
Mr. Simmons felt like he had a bigger bond with the class, and even as a kid I always loved his mellow and outgoing personality. Definitely someone I would have been very happy to have as my teacher.
I was surprised to find out that Ms. Slovak was an outright hated character, but she is certainly guilty of being a forgettable, one-note character. Hey Arnold was a deep show. I mean, look at Helga's home life. So, I'm glad that the creator recognized that Ms. Slovak wasn't a good fit for the show.
She was meh. Mr.Simmons was easily the better character/teacher
I totally agree!
Thanks for watching, friend. I really appreciate it! :D
@@DuskTillShawncould you please do a part 2 on as told by ginger?
Oh wow! I forgot Miss Slovak was even a character on the show. I remember Mr. Simmons way more.
By the way, happy birthday Shawn!
She really was so forgettable lol.
Thank you so much, friend. I appreciate it more than words could ever say!
@@DuskTillShawnhappy bday! Welcome to your 30s :)
@@DuskTillShawn happy bday fellow 90's child. Much love man hope its a great one!
The only reason I remember Miss Slovak is because I remember the episode that Mr Simmons is introduced. I don't actually remember anything about her at all besides the fact that she exists as the former teacher. I didn't even remember her name until watching this video.
@@Jeremo-FDtrue I sure didn't remember her name until this video
I had a teacher who up and bailed in the middle of the school year- it was because his hip finally gave out on him, after 40 years of teaching, and it would've been too much to keep going..
This wasn't the modern times where you could get a surgery, and hopefully get back in the game before the school year is up. He was physically done. And yet he struggled into the classroom one day, doing his best not to cry, and told us, "I'm sorry I couldn't make it through this one last school year, I failed you all and I couldn't be there for you. They told me not to come back and teach this year, but I was too selfish. I just loved teaching too much to give it up even as my body was failing me. Don't be me, kids. Don't be an asshole." Unironically the best teacher I ever had, even if only for a few minutes.
I also had a teacher bail in the middle of the year. Im not sure what happened but she just quit a few months into the year and never came back had a long term sub who i hated. This was when i was in middle school and i swear it was because my class was full of little shitheads who made her life miserable. I felt really bad for her most of the time. the class was only for a semester so im not sure what happened in the next semester however.
Quitting because of health reasons is completely different from quitting out of the blue. Even if something like taking care of a family emergency or having to take care of a sick relative the teacher should still tell the class before leaving.
@@melissamurray8307 Agreed. We had a teacher leave in the middle of the school year because he was still in the army iirc. We were all told ahead of time. We had a party his last day.
That happened with me. This teacher just bailed like the 1st or 2nd quarter of the school year. It was when I was in the 9th grade.
Recovering from hip surgery isn’t as easy as you make it out to be. First you have to wait for the wounds from the surgery to heal and you can’t really do anything until the bones are healed as well. After that you need to learn to walk again, likely with a mobility aid like a cane or walker.
9:11 The pfft that escaped me when you said the pigeon man looks 30-35 was so involuntary, if I was drinking something I would've done a genuine spit-take. I was thinking 40s
Yeah, if you factor in the toll that a life of hardship takes on your appearance, Pigeon Man looked like he was early 40s at the very least
I had a teacher like her in 9th grade, looked completely fed up all the time, tired and leaves as soon as the bell rings when it's the end of the day. She also kinda... help us cheat our way out of 9th-12th grade so no one in her class ever went below an 80 by just writing all the answers on the board during exam weeks. She was a math teacher.
That is awesome for the class, and unfortunate for her to have hit that point.
Miss Slovak quitting to become a pro golfer is the equivalent of Poochie from Itchy and Scratchy saying "I have to go now, my planet needs me" and flies away by sliding the animation cell up.
I thought it was a lesbian joke
@@punklover99what's golf have to do with lesbians? 😭 I'm genuinely bamboozled
@@AleTitan Its one of the stereotypes lesbians got in the 90s.
@robertbarrows6687 hence why in the episode of The Simpsons where Patty comes out as gay, when Marge asks Veronica what she does for a living and she replies that she's a pro golfer, Marge mutters under her breath "no surprise there"
To this day I still have no idea why it was related to lesbians lol
Not sure what the correlation to golfing and being a lesbian
I’ll give Ms.Slovak some value in that her portrayal as a mediocre and sometimes curt teacher helped provide context for how positive of an influence Mr.Simmons was.
As a teacher myself, many of us try to be Mr. Simmons, but get ground down into Ms. Slovaks.
It’s a sad reality but Ms. Slovak’s approach is better if you want to survive in the career because that’s what the system wants from you, and trying to have one-on-ones with literally hundreds of students WILL get draining.
I'm pretty sure that of Mr Simmons was Torvak teacher ye would've learned math more easily, he was the kind of teacher that would Tutor him after class and have the patience to do so instead of just dropping him on Arnold.
Honestly I'm glad they replaced miss Slovak as a teacher, Mr Simmons is one of my favorite characters.
I completely agree. Growing up watching this as a kid, I always wanted a teacher as supportive as Mr. Simmons. If I had that as a kid, I feel like I would have had WAY more confidence growing up!
Mr Simmons is a cautionary tale of toxic positivity. Being happy all the time isn't right. You might think you want a teacher who's always encouraging and happy and then you see the downside.
It was a serious upgrade.
@@robinkholmes7127did he do something bad in the show? I've got a vague memory of him being ineffectual but xant remember any details
@@arthas640 It isn't that Mr. Simmons ever did anything bad or wrong more so that he was at times too positive for certain scenarios he was involved in.
It is important to note that he always recognizes his own faults which helps with taking the edge off of the potential toxicity of his positivity.
Also the writers ran with his faults pretty well, using them to have him learn from his students almost as often as they learned from him which ultimately led to all of them being more fully realized individuals.
Happy Birthday Shawn! Love the content and love that you are a 94 baby!!!
Knowing the relationship between Craig Bartlett and Matt Groening, it's really easy to interpret Miss Slovak as a poorly done version of Mrs. Krabapple. They have their similarities, but while Mrs. Krabapple had depth to her character, reasons given throughout the show as to why she's become so disillusioned with her career, but had moments showing that the caring educator was still there under the surface, Slovak just felt paper thin.
As for her hair color change, considering she would quite her job in that school year, I prefer to think she used to dye it brown, but as she got closer and closer to her breaking point, she just stopped dying it and let her gray hair show.
The art styles even look similar, I knew there was a connection!
@@ballorafuntime7567 Yeah, Bartlett is married to Groening's sister Lisa. In addition to claymation shorts on Peewee's Playhouse and, I believe, Sesame Street featuring Arnold, early comics featuring the character appeared in Simpsons Illustrated Magazine.
@@theotakux5959 I always knew there was something eeriely similar in how both shows are written
Edna had her problems, but she genuinely cared about Bart. Or at least, she was able to somewhat handle him at his worst and gave him motivation to become better.
@@rosesweetcharlotte Right. When we saw flashbacks she was clearly more idealistic than she became in the timeframe of the series, but there were moments that made it clear she still cared on some level. Like when Bart, crying over failing fourth grade, made references that showed he genuinely tried to learn the subject matter. Or when he got her nominated for Teacher of the Year, she was genuinly touched. Slovak never seemed to care about anything beyond Olga.
"If I hear the word slippage one more time" 😡
"SLIPPAGE SLIPPAGE SLIPPAGE" 🕺🏽
Duuuuuude... I recently started writing all of my own music for my videos. I had a BLAST writing the music for this one!!
It took SO MUCH for me to control the urge to sample Wartz saying slippage though lmaooooo. It's just so hilariously catchy the way they used it.
@@DuskTillShawn 😂😂😂
I'm weak 😂 Principal Wartz and I are on the same level of pettiness.
@@DuskTillShawn Jim Lang felt the same way since he remixed "slippage" in the credit song for the episode lmao
@@MoreMallardshe did i remember lol
24:17 she also could have been dying her hair and wearing contacts, but just became so fed up that she gave up trying to look younger.
I think it's funnier that teaching these kids was simply so stressful that she aged very quickly.
You are right I never didn't notice this teacher very much. I guess Mr Simmons episodes were just better.
I didn't notice Mrs Slovak either, Mr Simmons was a more unique and distinctive character
At least Miss Slovak wasn’t the sort of teacher who constantly criticizes and intellectually belittles her students in front of their peers, or treats them with like illiterate idiots who have no hope of a bright future.
Except she literally did belittle 2 students in front of their peers and was shown in this video but ok
Happy birthday!
I had a teacher that only taught for one year because he was in the army reserve but still managed to make it work for that entire year. He would return every year until the class graduated to cheer us on and we would be excited by his surprise appearances.
I think Principal Warts saying Miss Slovak left to be a professional golfer was a sarcastic way to say she retired and not meant to be taken literally. From a professional standpoint, telling everybody the details for somebody else leaving is unprofessional and violates their privacy. Miss Slovak retiring from full time teaching with poor wages and treatment to later become a part time educator as a substitute makes a lot more sense.
The more I re-watch Hey Arnold as an adult the more I laugh at how bad she was as a teacher (Trash). The episode that I always think about is when she was giving a class announcement towards the end of class about asbestos & then in the middle of her speech the bell rang, she sprinted out of the class, & never finished it. 😑😂😂
Also, Happy Birthday! 😊
He literally gives that example in the video
Immediately when you mentioned turning 30 tomorrow, that made me gasp because my sister is also turning it tomorrow and she also is a Washington resident like you were! Happy birthday to you as well!
I'm finally starting my first full-time teaching job in September. I'm really nervous but also really excited. This episode could not have come at a better time for me.
Thanks Shawn for posting this when you did. And Happy 30th!
Happy Belated Birthday Shawn! You are the best cartoon reviewer, nostalgia-based RUclipsr, and and animated giraffe on RUclips.❤🎉😊
Aww, thank you so much, friend! I really appreciate you!
Happy birthday, dude!! I’ve been subscribed to your channel for about 2+ years now. It’s been an honor seeing you get the attention you deserve
Happy birthday, Shawn! I also didn't realize Ms. Slovak was hated and now I can't wait to see your deep dive on this.
Happy Birthday! It's like a gift to us uploading so close to it!
Aw, thanks friend! I really appreciate that. :D
I hope you're having an awesome day!
Those last lines you took the words right out of my mouth I truly never thought about how horrible Miss Slovak was until I saw this episode as a kid. I didn’t think she was that bad now that I’m an adult my perspective of her has completely changed.
I can understand hating a teacher enough to cheer like that if they quit. Hell, I had a teacher in high school that I hated so much that, if he had quit or got fired (which he TOTALLY deserved), I'd put on a party hat and blow an air horn!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAN your 30s are just an extension of your 20s and I hope you have a good one!
Love your videos so much! Genuinely! ❤❤❤
Happy Birthday, Shawn! 🎁🎈🎂🎉 Hope you enjoy your special day, as you see fit!! Thank you for all of your hard work and for keeping us entertained!
Thank you so much, friend!
Nothing on the agenda but some quality time with my wife and kiddos, as well as some relaxation :D I'm so excited lol.
Thanks for always being here! Your comments always make my day!
Happy birthday! your channel brings so much nestalgia, joy and positivity!
Aw, thank you so so so much for your support, my friend. All of these birthday wishes are bringing me so much joy.
Ms Slovak was very one note and forgettable. Voiced by Tress McNeille, who also voices Arnold’s grandma. Mr. Simmons is probably one of the best characters and I couldn’t imagine school without him. he really made an impact and made the episodes a certain way that wouldn’t have been the same if they had Ms Slovak. This is an example of a character addition that worked.
Love that episode of the budget cuts with the boarded up windows. Made the school look like an increasingly chaotic place to go for anyone. Also just noticed the MASSIVE WALL of coffee cans in the teachers lounge at 26:33
I loved Mr. Simmons because he was also flawed and deep. I always remember that time he won a teachers award and was going to be filmed. He had gone crazy for a bit trying to be “perfect” until Arnold reminded him WHY he was such a great and loved teacher. I also remember his insecurity running the school play Romeo and Juliet. And that really touching Thanksgiving episode where we get a glimpse into his humble life. He has a cranky and maybe even unpleasant family but despite this, he shows Arnold and Helga that you need to still have compassion and appreciation. I think he’s a wonderfully complex character in his own right
I still haven't been able to watch the show because most episodes got taken off hulu and disney+ but I'm obsessed with your Hey Arnold videos.
That's such a bummer. I used to LOVE Hulu because I swear they had everything back in the day. It sucks when shows start disappearing like that...
I've been working on slowly buying the DVD collections of these classic shows for that reason. You never know when they could just get taken off of their streaming platforms! Only problem is that the DVDs get pretty expensive lol.
@@DuskTillShawntrue with some of them starting at $20 a season or more while a complete series in the case of Smallville being $200 or more, you have a lot of classic cartoons shows starting at $50 for the whole series in some cases I was able to get Justice League the complete series for 30 on DVD but it's 50 or so dollars on Blu-ray
Try Paramont + if you can get it.
Luckily its on paramount+, from what I recall it's not an expensive subscription either
Buy a DVD collection: One time payment and NO internet connection required.
Happy birthday Shawn! Keep doing what you're doing. You're the only one on this freaking site I can find that perfectly analyzes each and every Hey Arnold episode that sticks out to you, and that says something. You're one of the many actually good RUclipsrs out there...
Nah, the worst character was iggy, he was so bad, that I don't think we saw him that much afterwards
had to look him up and he was always around in the background but only had five or six speaking roles total…he was simply forgettable as a character
He was just trying to cop Arnold's style
@@bostonrailfan2427 Probably because fans wanted to forget he existed in general.
Oh yeah I remember Iggy, especially from “Arnold Betrays Iggy”. Awful episode, worse character.
@@mechajay3358 and yet he’s there in the vast majority of if not every single classroom episode…they simply didn’t notice him as intended by the writers
Happy birthday! You’re definitely my favorite RUclipsr on this platform. It’s beautiful relieving such nostalgic media that has shaped who I am right there with you! Have a great day Shawn
Ahhh, Happy Birthday, Shawn!! I’ve been watching your videos over the last year in particular, and they’ve gotten me out of some really funky places. I feel I owe you a debt of gratitude for allowing me to understand the characters I grew up with in such profound and nuanced ways. I appreciate all the time you put into your videos, and in spite of a difficult year, I really wish you nothing but the best ahead. Thank you again! 😌
Happy early birthday Shawn! I love how positive and kind you are! You’re definitely a huge inspiration to the cartoon community and I can’t wait for your channel to get bigger!
Thank you so much, my friend.
@@DuskTillShawn I woke up for some reason around 5:00 a.m.
Happy birthday dude! I hope you have a good one and that all your wishes come true! Thank you for gracing us with your videos!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Hey Arnold is my favorite show, so I love watching your videos about it :) hope you have a great birthday weekend!
The worst character on the show was definitely Oscar. He was just someone you despised.
The only episode I like him in is "Baby Oskar".
Exactly, Oskar is definitely is the most hated as a character, that's for sure. I'm sure he would be even more hated as a person. Glad Suzi divorced him as he was basically leeching off of her 24/7.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHAWN! LOVE LOVE LOVE YOUR CHANNEL! THANK YOU
I'm not gonna lie, I regularly forget Miss Slovak is a character in the show. Like I don't necessarily hate her, I just like Mr. Simmons more. And it really doesn't help that when I was a little kid and Hey Arnold first started airing, I didn't like the show. It was honestly to calm and chill for my over excited child brain to calm down and enjoy. So like, I didn't start watching Hey Arnold until much later in the shows life and only ever saw the episodes from like the first 3-4 seasons through re-runs once I actually got a bit older and gave the show another chance. Like I definitely saw some Miss Slovak episodes when I was a kid, and I also definitely saw Mr. Simmons first episode re-run multiple times, but I still always associate Mr. Simmons as Arnolds teacher because I simply saw him more often than I ever saw miss Slovak as a kid.
Honestly, I'm not gonna lie, as a kid that had to catch Hey Arnold via late midnight reruns on 90s are all that, the splat, etc or DVR them, I don't think I remember seeing any episodes with Miss Slovak at all until I binged the series on Hulu years later
Looking back on my schooling, I realize now that through grade school I had a lot more Ms. Slovaks than I did Mr. Simmonses.
Happy birthday Shawn!
Meanwhile gumball just erased characters and threw them into the void. Though it's interesting when and how a cast get rotated in or outed to the background when the show grows or finds it's main group
hahahaha right? Gumball was such an interesting show.
I love the bit where Rocky the bus driver is explaining the difference between Grindcore, Black Metal, and Viking Metal 🤣
I was LOOOSING it hahahahah.
And that became a major plot point.
Still holding out hope for that movie🤞
Happy birthday dude. It’s been awhile since I last spoke on your channel. A lot has happened and now I’m back. I can’t believe you are now in your third decade.
And guess what??? By this Saturday it’s my time joining the 3 decade club.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY i love your vids so much keep going✊✨
Happy birthday! Mine was just a few days ago too, I’m 29 now! I hope you enjoy your day!
That's awesome! Happy belated Birthday, my friend! I hope it was an excellent day for you :D
Thank you so much for the birthday wishes!
Happy Early Birthday Shawn, I turned 30 in May. Hope you’ll have a great birthday, please take care and have a great rest of your day as well!
Thank you so much, friend! I really appreciate your kind words! :D
I hope your weekend is amazing!
@@DuskTillShawn you’re very welcome man, take care!
Happy birthday!! Thanks for all your amazing content!
Thank you so much, friend! I appreciate it so much :D
This was an interesting video. As aa kid I never gave much thought to Miss Slovaki as a character in the show. After watching the video I agree she was the worst teacher, I actually do think the episode The Flood would have been interesting with her if the character had been written a little better, I think had they leaned into the "burned out" teacher angle there could have been something there to show she's frustrated at her job, but at the end of the day she won't let the kids actually be hurt/ scared when it REALLY counts. Back in the 90s I don't think it was fully grasp how damaging those throw away comments like in Spelling Bee could harm a child's emotionally in the way it's understood now.
But yes I'm glad the actress still got to be a big part of this show as Grandma who was aa great character. So thank you for this video and looking forward to more.
Also Happy Birthday Shawn and many more to come :)
My mom’s a teacher, so I can offer a bit of insight to the Torvald example since I witnessed this firsthand.
You’re spot-on with some (actually many) of the parents of students and what happens when teachers reach out to parents. Most people are in denial about helping their kids get help because they believe their children are perfect, even though they’re not. It’s highly possible Torvald’s mom is a Karen towards Miss Slovak and she already tried those avenues, based on her attitude towards her son. She seems in denial about Torvald’s struggles with school, or at the very least the extent of the situation. Even if Miss Slovak tried to reason with Torvald’s mother and explain in detail what’s going on, Torvald’s mother would not be able to comprehend the extent of the situation.
So I feel for Miss Slovak and have sympathy for her people outside this career field would - yes, especially in this age of hateful critics where it’s trendy to shit on everything/everyone.
That said, a teacher also has resources and references for students who struggle, and had those even before Hey Arnold. She could have provided those resources without possibly endangering another child, and also avoid speaking to the parent. If a parent is unreachable there are things a teacher can do to help students on the down-low. (I strongly recommend not doing this though unless a student is in danger or neglected; the repercussions could be dire.)
I totally appreciate your insight, friend! The side of the teacher is definitely one I admit gets WAY TOO easily overlooked in most shows, but especially in Tutoring Torvald.
I honestly didn't think about it too much myself until I was researching for this video. I found some insight online in the Hey Arnold community from a few teachers about their interpretation of Miss Slovak in general and it was really eye opening to see from a perspective that has actually walked in her shoes for even a second! Millions of teachers go through a lot more then they get credit for and are far underpaid for doing it.
Do me a solid and tell your mom I said thanks for what she does.
@@DuskTillShawn my mom appreciates what you said. She teaches classrooms full of Torvald-like kids in this exact scenario, which has a unique set of challenges. Some of those kids can get violent or distracting if they feel they’re incapable of learning the subject/subjects they’re studying. My mom suffered injuries from these same students who felt this insecurity, and I speak from personal experience when I say teaching is not for the faint-hearted. The parents are much worse than the kids, however, and if there’s a difficult child there’s an insufferable parent supporting that kid’s behavior.
This next paragraph may shock you, but just because I understand the exhaustion Miss Slovak experiences doesn’t mean I automatically take her side; in fact I absolutely do not agree with her on involving another child. I’m not alone in thinking this way either; my mom commented this was a mistake of Miss Slovak’s due to Arnold being at risk for injury. The last thing a teacher should do is rope in another student to teach them unless they’re demonstrating to the whole class. I don’t know if your teachers would have you demonstrate a lesson with how you learned the subject or how your brain works, but mine did often (especially with me as the teacher, which is how I was encouraged to become a teacher in turn; I’m quite good at explaining lessons). Doing it one-on-one is a very dangerous, and frankly unprofessional, move - and certainly not one I’d dare attempt.
But! The rest of the video is spot-on regarding Miss Slovak. She’s a teacher who’s taught for so long she likely doesn’t even realize she has burnout, but has experienced it for the past 5+ years of her career before her retirement (seen plenty of those too). Teaching is an extremely passion-driven career, and unless a teacher is passionate about their particular subject it dies fast. No one wants a teacher like Miss Slovak. As I mentioned earlier, she’s experienced so much burnout she’s becoming unprofessional. The Torvald incident is the only instance that has any kind of defense for her. In every other case she’s in the show she’s emotionally checked out and going through the motions.
It’s honestly refreshing to see such a well-researched video that sees things from more than one perspective. Opinions are important, but only if they can adapt to new information. You clearly have that going for you. I don’t know what I expected from this video, but your analysis of this character - and why she’s bad at her job - is sympathetic but factual. You have a gift. I’m glad your teachers encouraged you to nurture it. I hope to inspire students half as much.
Happy Birthday! I'll be turning 30 this year too so it's amazing people my age grew up with Hey Arnold and are now hitting their 30s. Even as a kid I always wondered why they replaced Ms. Slovak with Mr. Simmons. Your video analysis helped me gain a better understanding. I think all us had a teacher like Ms, Slovak at one point and sadly I have as well. I do love kids and my dream job is to be a teacher. I have two friends who are elementary school teachers and they give me advice for that career choice.
Happy birthday Shawn! Love your hey Arnold videos Mr Simmons was a great addition to the cast
Thank you so much, friend. I really appreciate the birthday wishes! :D
I totally agree, Mr. Simmons was a fantastic addition!
Honestly I kinda wish Ms. Slovak had gotten an episode dedicated to her burnout and decision to quit. Even a retrospective episode where Arnold meets her later and learns why she quit. It just seems like an interesting topic that this show could have handled perfectly, just like the Thanksgiving episode with Mr. Simmons. Exploring the way students affect their teachers over time and the person behind a disliked character. Showing how a person is human, even if heavily flawed and even unlikable, feels like Hey Arnold's bread and butter.
And Happy Birthday, Shawn!
Happy Birthday!
My Birthday was on August 14th. I enjoy watching your videos. It's a warm feeling of nostalgia but more in-depth.
Always makes my day to see you upload.
Happy Birthday!! Gonna put a playlist of your content on all night 😉 hopefully give a nice algor boost
Happy early 30th YT bud! Thanks for answering all the questions of my childhood!
Thanks so much, friend. I really appreciate it! :D
Happy Birthday, DuskTilShawn!! May you Have A VERY BLISSFUL Day of Your Special Day!! 🥳🎈🍰🎂 🎉🎁🎊
Thank you so much, friend! I really appreciate it! :D
happy birthday Shawn! thank you for being a huge source of nostalgia in my life
Happy birthday! Always love watching your videos!
Thank you so much for the birthday wishes, my friend! I really appreciate your support
Happy Birthday Shawn! 🥳
I stumbled across your content earlier this year and instantly became hooked. I particularly LOVE the Hey Arnold! videos 🥰
Awww, thank you so much, friend! I'm so glad you enjoy the videos :D
I really appreciate your support!
Happy dirty 30 dude! Mines coming up in October! Love your videos and can't wait for the next one!
Thank you so much, my friend!! I hope your birthday is a blast! :D
Howdy Shawn! And happy birthday!🎉🎉🎉
Thank you sooooo much, my friend!!! I really appreciate it
Feliz aniversário, Dusk! 🇧🇷
Happy birthday, Dusk! 🎉
Happy early birthday Shawn hope you are having a great day hope you’re family is doing well
Happy Birthday, Shawn! Turning 23 on the 29th!
Thank you so much, my friend! Happy early Birthday to you! :D I hope your day is fantastic!
Happy birthday!
I was neutral on Miss Slovak, but I loved Mr. Simmons, so I was ultimately happy that they made the switch.
Happy Birthdayyyyy! I hope your 30th is going well and I wish you many many more!
Happy Birthday!!!
You made me remember how it was to me as a kid watching Mr. Simmons get totally broken down on his first day despite being so kind and positive about his job and even moreso the kids that his job allowed him to teach. I know things eventually worked out, but yeeesh!
Mr. Simmons is definitely the better and more memorable teacher, at least for me!
To sum it up, Ms. Slovak was bland and really had nothing going for her character wise. Most teachers in animation, whether they are depicted as antagonistic to the main characters or supportive, had a varied personality and were given a life outside of their classrooms. It didn't matter if you had Mr. Ratburn or Ms. Fowl or Mr. Crocker or Ms. Bitters, these characters had a certain level of depth that made them memorable. What's also notable is how generally the viewer's perception of these teacher's can change as the viewer ages. For example, I had viewed Mr. Ratburn from "Arthur" negatively as a kid because he always seemed to assign a bunch of homework and did not do any fun activities in his classroom, at least compared to the other teachers at Arthur's school. But as an adult, I appreciate a lot more now because he does have a strong passion for teaching, challenges his students, and encourages them to step out of their comfort zones. I even understand Ms. Bitters better than I did when I was younger and that her cynical and abrasive attitude may largely be the result of living in an insane version of human society as we saw in "Invader Zim."
Now teacher characters don't necessarily need to be super developed, they can just sufficiently fill the role as the main character's teacher. Ms. Wingo from "Doug" is a good example of that. In fact, I think Ms. Wingo is Ms. Slovak done better.
Happy birthday, Shawn. Man, this one takes me back as I recall the switch. XD LoL
Happy Birthday! Thank you for making really relaxing videos. I am currently cleaning while watching you.
Lets go I just got home from a haircut and you posted! Happy birthday.
Nothing like a fresh haircut! 💇♂️
Thanks for the birthday wishes, friend. :D I hope you're having an awesome day!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎉
Also love the Hey Arnold figures especially stoop kid in the background
Happy birthday man!! Your videos are such a calming joy to watch/listen to
Happy birthday 🎉 1:04
Happy birthday!!!!
Love the videos bro, 💯 have a good one
🎉❤❤❤ Happy birthday fellow leo ♌ mine was the 16. Love your channel great job.
Happy 30th b-day, Shawn 🎉
Have a great b-day 🩷❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
Well I'm about three months late but happy belated birthday! :'D
Happy 30th birthday, shawn!
Happy 30th Birthday!! You are such an amazing content creator!!
Yoo happy birthday, Shawn.
welcome to the 30s club 🤘
Thanks, family. I appreciate you 😁
Hopefully this is on time, happy birthday Shawn! You're genuinely my favourite youtuber to watch while i work or just need a calming video to distract myself. Love your stuff man, I wish you many more happy and healthy birthdays 😁!!!
Happy birthday man, you’re one of my favorite RUclipsrs, and listen to your videos while gaming :)
I dunno, I think all the hate for Ms. Slovak was in comparison to how upbeat and dedicated Mr. Simmons was. I actually think some aspects of her character reflect that she was a lot like him in the beginning. Like how neither Olga nor PM spoke badly of her, and the fact that PM asked if she was still there. Like he expected her to be one of those “teachers for life”. Or how she’s still pretty gentle in how she speaks to them.
Shes also from 2 teaching generations back. Not saying that justifies her blunt responses in some things, but they make sense for her. I think being a Burnt Out teacher makes the most sense and seeing/thinking about how she got there makes me feel more sorry for her than anything. And I don’t blame her for leaving how she did everyday and her quiet overall exit.
I think there’s a general attitude overall of not valuing the teachers as people who also need to take care of themselves, and that yeah, they are in charge of kids, but at the end of the day outside of school aren’t their problems. And they are allowed to leave the kids behind like with any other job if the teacher needs to take care of themselves. It doesn’t always have to be a big announcement, and a lot of times I think they prefer quiet exits, but are forced to make a spectacle of it. Basically the parentification of teachers being used to then critique them when they decide to be done. I can’t IMAGINE how many parents she’s had to deal with or how many home situations that she’s expected to fix with limited resources.
Quitting your job as a teacher to become a pro golfer sounds like she was having a midlife crisis. Also Happy Birthday.
Happy 30th birthday! I turned 31 on the first. We're actually super close in age...
That's awesome! I love that lol.
Happy belated Birthday, my friend. :D I hope you had an awesome day!
I'd be surprised if that pigeon man episode didn't win an award. Great episode
Happy (belated) Birthday from one of your OG subscribers. Glad to see how much your channel has prospered over the last few years. Take care! - Tony
Happy Birthday! Thank you for being nostalgic with us! 🎉
Thanks, friend! I really appreciate the birthday wishes! Thanks for coming along for the nostalgic walk down memory lane with me 🤙
I would love to see more shows about anthropomorphic beings….anything at this point would be cool
Happy Birthday Shawn thank you for all the content you’ve put out even through hard times you are loved and very unappreciated❤🎉
Awww, thank you so much, my friend. You guys make me feel so appreciated and that means the world to me
Sorry for the late comment but, good video and Hey Arnold is a classic
Happy birthday Shawn!! Seeing a new video of yours on my homepage always puts a smile on my face. It’s crazy I barely remember this character but I guess she was only in the very first episodes
also happy bday