In the world of battle royale games, where killstreaks, competition, and battling for XP are the central mechanical drivers, it’s hard to imagine a group of patient fifth-graders, diligently learning manners and manners. fair play. Colorful and friendly looking, Fortnite at its core continues to slaughter all your rivals and take what you can for yourself. It’s played by millions, but if you want to teach kids to be good sportsmen, Epic’s shooter might not be the best in class. Enter Lori Weber, perhaps better known as Fortnite streamer ‘Slytrue48’.
As a fifth grade teacher from Indiana, she uses custom matches in the multiplayer fighting game to lead by example. Swearing is prohibited. Cooperation is essential. If you get too competitive, she’ll offer you a kind word and maybe a rendition of “Get Griddy.” It all started with the children.
“I started teaching in fifth grade five years ago, and all they talked about was Fortnite,” Weber, or rather, EM. Weber – explains. “Fortnite was relatively new at the time. As I had already played WoW and Assassin’s Creed, I said I would give it a try, so I started watching Ninja. My son is the one who bought me my first game system that I could play Fortnite on. That way I had things to talk about with my students.
It took a few seasons, Weber says, when he started playing Fortnite it was “terrible”, but what started out as a simple way to connect with his students suddenly started to grow. Set up a Twitch stream. The students came to watch. Soon, Fortnite became a useful tool in Weber’s educational arsenal.
“The students think it’s cool,” he explains. “They ask me to do the dances and things like that. “Even my principal, when new kids start school and she wants them to be in my class, she tells them I’m a gamer. Especially some of the guys who play Fortnite, it gives me that instant connection you wouldn’t normally have with them.”
Firmly established as a “Professor of Fortnite,” Weber began to shape his shows to fit his fifth-grade audience, and occasionally younger audiences. Bravado is not necessary. Harassment is prohibited. Above all, positivity reigns.
Through his personalized matches and the Fortnite community, Weber has become something of an online protection leader for his school’s students, the battle royale equivalent of a friendly teacher, overseeing playgrounds and schools. basketball courts during lunch breaks.
“The way I present it is like, ‘Let’s be nice to each other,'” Weber says. “’We’re going to be good humans. And we’re going to play Fortnite together. Many children say, “I feel safe in your community. I feel like I can contact you if other kids are bullying me. They feel like someone is watching them. I always tell them they can come broadcast grandma snipe.
“The traditional streamer, even if it’s a new job, is traditionally male,” Weber continues. “They go overboard with curses and stuff. I don’t have many fans who like it, but when the kids come to play in my customs, I yell at them all the time. “Did you see what he just did? It was amazing. Well done!’ They really enjoy and have fun.
A consummate professional, although students may follow Weber in Fortnite, she makes sure not to follow them. Kids can join their custom matches on the weekends and can often bring their parents and grandparents to watch as well, though their lobby remains off-limits to any of their students.
With her ever-growing community (she has 413,000 followers on TikTok and is officially associated with Epic), Weber says younger kids, those outside of her classes, will come up to her in the school hallways and hand her your piece of paper with your gamertags written on it. It’s a testament to how the show has helped make Weber happy with his students, as well as the positive messages he strives to communicate.
“I don’t get mad when they kill me,” Weber explains. “I’ve seen really tough kids come to my show and say, ‘I’m better than you, 1 on 1 with me!’ And I’m like, ‘Okay, you’re better than me.’ Let’s play Fortnite. And they totally become a different kid. It’s just offering this place to have fun.
“It’s also about teaching them to be good athletes; how to lose gracefully These kinds of things we learn in football or swimming, well these kids don’t want to play football or outdoor sports. They want to play video games, but you still have to be a good athlete in this area.
In five years, Weber could retire from teaching and plans to take up Fortnite streaming as a full-time profession. Meanwhile, providing a safer and kinder online space for young people and teaching his students about kindness and fair play has also helped Weber.
“It’s helped me with students who may have their own challenges and don’t have the best social skills with their peers,” Weber says. “I think about being more patient and meeting the kids where they are. I know I learned from it.”
Check out our Fortnite tips and tricks guide if you want to be top of the class. We also have the Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 2 recap, plus all the new Fortnite weapons, to keep you on top of your game.