When “Chicago Today” co-host Matt Rodrigues posted footage of his experience trying to film a segment with a group of children on “Bring Your Kid to Work Day,” he knew his hilarious experience was far from unusual, even though it was captured on live television.
With more than two dozen kids, live animals and more, Rodrigues struggled to maintain order.
“This is like a romper room right now,” Rodrigues said in the clip.
He posted a compilation of moments on social media soon after and the clip quickly garnered plenty of attention — particularly from a group of people who knew exactly what Rodrigues was going through.
“POSTING THIS FROM REHAB. They said, we’ll have a “few” kids on set… God bless parents and teachers!” Rodrigues captioned the video.
Teachers began commiserating with Rodrigues, acknowledging the similarities between the clip and their own experiences.
“As a pk/kindergarten teacher for 14 years I have to admit I thought this post was from one of those “teacher jokes” accounts at first. Welcome to our daily life! Can you sign the petition for us to make as much as professional athletes?” one user wrote.
“Welcome to our Teachers’ World!” another commented.
“I seriously thought this was a video of my first year teaching first graders,” one user stated.
Rodrigues described how the moment actually unfolded, saying it is now “really funny for me to look back on.”
“As the show began, I immediately knew it was going to go off the rails because none of the kids were listening to us or being quiet when we told them to. I don’t blame them because they didn’t even really know who I was before they walked in,” he said. “Cortney [Hall] and I just looked at each other at one point during the show with terror in our eyes. We knew were not in control.”
The viral moment came just before Teacher Appreciation Week, which is currently underway, continuing through May 8.
“It’s hard for me to think about a teacher having to do that every single day. I bow down to them,” Rodrigues said. I always remember my teachers being so kind and warm and caring as I grew up. To keep that mentality while dealing with 25 other students… you are a miracle worker.”
Rodrigues said the attention has led to the potential for a new opportunity.
“A lot of people have asked if I would want to come and babysit their kids and film it so maybe that’s the next step in this funny journey,” he said.
