A video of Barry White Jr, who teaches at Ashley Park PreK-8 School in Charlotte, US, greeting his students in this special way, has now gone viral.

ABC News quoted Barry as saying he always felt pumped-up himself at meeting his students every day and that what started out as a simple handshake with them ended-up with elaborate, unique moves the students themselves introduced into the exchange.

In the video, White, dressed in a white, long-sleeved shirt, vest and tie, is seeing greeting every single one of his students and they queue-up to exchange their personalised handshake with their teacher which at times is so elaborate, it is amazing how the teacher remembers all the moves.

“I started with one simple handshake last year with a fourth grader. This year I started making handshakes with the kids at recess. It was just one or two students and then it became contagious,” he was quoted by ABC News as saying.

“I saw how much it meant to them, so I said, ‘Come on. Everyone come on.’ Then it was my full class, then it was kids from other classes. Now I have third graders wanting to do it too,” he said.

Barry was inspired by his favourite basketball player LeBron James after observing how this practice had increased the bond between the players.

In an interview with WCNC.com, White says: “A lot of students come in with situations at home that’s not ideal. So therefore when they come into school, I want this to be their sanctuary. I want them to be excited to come to school.”

White also believed that in order for his students to be receptive to what he taught them in class, they had to “buy into him” and “invest in the teacher itself”.

“(The handshake) kind of draws them (students) in and once I have them in and have their trust, and they’re invested in me, then I can deliver my content and see the academic side of it increase.”

White’s hope is that more educators in the US and around the world, see the value in bonding with their students in some special way so that school is something kids look forward to and becomes a place where they can excel academically in.

“Hopefully everybody can start doing it in their classroom. Make it a big thing, or worldwide thing.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JueNr1e0H4