An English teacher in Montgomery County, Maryland, has been rapping his way through the coronavirus pandemic — and it just paid off in a big way. Michael Doggett, a teacher at Hallie Wells Middle School in Clarksburg, has been using his “Hey Students” rap videos to highlight those in his school and keep them entertained and educated as classes transitioned online. On Friday night, he found the spotlight turned on himself. Streaming live to his almost 12 million followers on Instagram, Chance the Rapper hosted his Inaugural Twilight Awards to honor educators who go above and beyond to creatively teach their students. “This is Teacher Appreciation Week, so, first of all, shout out to all of the teachers going the extra mile,” Chance said in a video announcing the awards. He gave the final of 10 awards to Doggett on Instagram Live, which included a $30,000 prize with the help of Box Tops for Education. He responded after the awards on Twitter:
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Doggett created the Hallie Wells Middle Hip Hop Program, inspired by HipHopEd, a nonprofit that works to empower students by utilizing youth culture.
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