Viral Sensation Appears on ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’

NBC Kelly Clarkson hosts 'The Kelly Clarkson Show'

While appearing on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” a Wisconsin teacher discussed their thoughts on becoming a viral sensation. Jake Daggett, a first-grade teacher from Milwaukee, made a splash when his classroom video became an Instagram hit.

In his upload, Daggett can be seen leading his class in what he calls the “punctuation chant.” Originally recorded in January 2020, the video was then uploaded again in January 2023. That’s when the post really took off. The clip now has over 11 million views and nearly 700,000 likes on Instagram.

On January 9, Daggett was invited onto “The Kelly Clarkson Show” to talk about his experience.

Kelly Clarkson Shows Her Appreciation for Teachers

This isn’t the first time that Kelly Clarkson has invited a viral sensation teacher onto her show. In November 2023, Clarkson was joined by Arkansas special educator Lacey Schaffer-Thomas, who went viral for singing a Janis Joplin song at a school concert. The duo performed a duet of “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder.

After finding out about Daggett’s internet success, Clarkson offered him a chance to appear on her talk show. “First and foremost, thank you for being an educator. We appreciate you so much,” Clarkson said as she began her interview with a round of applause. She then asked Daggett how he came up with his teaching style.

“Honestly, I am a bit of an extra person, as you can tell,” Daggett jokingly said as the audience laughed. “But honestly, I saw a need for it. You know, we see some huge proficiency problems in America, in reading.” He explained to Clarkson that needing to teach the basics was a must for his students. He just found a way to do it that added a little excitement to his classroom.

Using Education to Become a Viral Sensation

Daggett graduated with degrees in Elementary/Middle Education and Theater Arts from Marquette University in 2015. Since then, he’s worked on incorporating his background into his lesson plans. According to Daggett, making learning fun goes a long way in keeping his student’s attention.

While speaking to TMJ4, Daggett noted the importance of student engagement. “You can be a smart teacher but if they’re not engaged with you, it doesn’t really matter,” said Daggett. “Yes, I’m theatrical and fun, but a lot of the motions are not just made up, they’re related to the articulation.”

“No school is going to tell you that they were thriving after the pandemic,” Daggett said. While the school was struggling to keep the students involved in the virtual classroom, Daggett saw an opportunity. “The magic key has been the motion, the song, the clapping.”

Although his engagement has worked wonders in his classroom, he has also engaged with another demographic. With over 127,000 followers on Instagram, Daggett is quickly building a dedicated fanbase.”

While reflecting on his viral video, Daggett couldn’t help but admire how he was able to reach so many people. “I think it hit like 11 million views,” Daggett said. “So, Sarah Jessica Parker and Sharon Stone were sharing it. It’s just been really wonderful to see literacy shining. And that really was my goal.”