Why This Stylish Elementary School Teacher Is Going Viral on TikTok

Sponsored by Denny’s | This inspiring teacher is showing the world how putting in a bit of extra effort can make a huge impact on students’ lives.

Jennifer Hudson met elementary school teacher Marcus Bornslater — also known as Mr. B — on Wednesday’s episode of “The Jennifer Hudson Show.”

Mr. B. is a fourth-grade teacher at a Title 1 school in Dallas, Texas. He often goes viral on TikTok and Instagram for his videos showing his stylish classroom fashion, and he’s become very popular among his school’s students, staff, and community.

This 24-year-old teacher doesn’t just look good — he does good, too. Many of his students have tough home lives, with some experiencing poverty and homelessness. Many students also lack a positive male role model to look up to.

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Marcus has made his classroom into a safe space. He keeps his classroom stocked with snacks, deodorant, hygiene products, and anything else the kids may need.

“If I see you need shoes, I may pull you aside and gift you a pair,” he told Jennifer.

For Christmas, Marcus had his students write three things they wanted, and he bought each of them one of the items on their list.

Marcus told Jennifer that there is a lot of turnover at his school. The year before he started teaching his class, his students had three different teachers — and all of them quit due to how difficult the job was.

Marcus shares that he sees his students’ self-esteem skyrocket from the beginning of the school year to the end. “The confidence is like night and day,” he said. “When I first got there, it was a bunch of the negative self-talk in my class… They’d say, “I’m stupid, I’m too dumb, I can’t do that.’

“We’re not going to do that,” he said.

Marcus initially had no intention of going into teaching. One day, a friend and co-worker mentioned that he thought Marcus would be a good teacher, mentioning that his children didn’t have anyone that looked like them at their school.

The friend kept pushing him to go into teaching, and finally, Marcus told him that if he pursued a career in education, he would too. Both men are now teachers!

“Growing up, all my teachers were female and older people, so I never saw anyone who looked like me in my classroom,” Marcus told Jennifer.

“I saw a lot of kids who were fatherless, who didn’t have a male figure around. So, I figured, maybe if I’m in there, I could be like a father or a big brother to these kids.”

As thanks for his dedication to his students and by providing whatever they need to thrive, Jennifer surprised Mr. B with $10,000 on behalf of Denny’s.

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“The Jennifer Hudson Show” has partnered with Denny’s to launch “Stacks of Love,” a new segment on the show that shines a light on layered stories that celebrate authentic conversations around mental health — because there’s no better time than now to focus on your well-being.

As America’s Diner, Denny’s is a place that welcomes you as you are. Denny’s is committed to highlighting mental health awareness.

To learn more about how Denny’s is promoting mental health awareness, head to dennys.com.

“The Jennifer Hudson Show” airs weekdays. Here’s when to watch in your area.