Students were upset their favorite teacher's shoes were stolen from classroom — their response moved him to tears

We all have some items that are dearest to us, be it a favorite pair of PJs or a bracelet. But what happens when you lose this prized possession? Something inside of you shatters. Logan Fontenelle Middle School teacher Trey Payne, too, held a pair of basketball shoes close to his heart, per Bellevue Public Schools. The pair was a good one and was unfortunately stolen from his classroom. Empathizing with the teacher, the students knew how bad he felt about the loss. As a result, they came up with a heartwarming plan to cheer him up. 

A student named Jasmin (@seasturtles420) shared a video on TikTok revealing what their plan of action was for their favorite teacher. They couldn’t get back the pair that was stolen nor figure out who was behind the robbery. However, they came up with something mesmerizing. Surrounding Payne in the classroom, the students presented him with a note and a bag. Confused as to what this unexpected gift might be, the teacher looked at them distorted. He read the card and was still aloof about what was in the bag. With excited students recording and waiting eagerly for him to open the bag, he was nervous. As soon as he peeked into the same, he realized there was a shoe box. 

“The students pooled their money together and bought their teacher a brand new pair to replace the ones that were stolen. The students said they were upset that it happened and wanted to help,” the Facebook post explained. Seeing that the gift was a shoebox, Payne was immediately moved to tears. He looked around in disbelief, unable to comprehend the gesture. As the excited students urged him to open it, he quickly looked at the bright, new pair of shoes and melted. Unable to further control himself, he kept the box aside, covered his eyes and broke down. 

The students immediately got emotional with their teacher and huddled closer. A girl exclaimed, “Group hug,” after seeing her teacher unable to hold back tears to give him the biggest supportive hug.

Payne said that the gesture overwhelmed him more than anything. He remarked, "It's more than a pair of shoes, it's about doing things to build everyone up around you. I try to show my kids this and I think the lesson has sunk in for many, in turn, reaffirming my purpose and my ideals." The post also revealed the names of the students who dedicatedly pitched in to successfully deliver the memorable gift. “Way to go...Emma Mitchell, Carlo Kemper, Miguel Caceres, Elicia Fenner, Ka'Maiya Hunt, Jacob Perrin, Mia McVay, Braylen Hurley, Colin Osborn, Therese Chandler, Michaela Miller, Pressly Schoenherr, Cyrus Cheshier and teacher Mr. Rob Lavalleur,” the post read.

@de2.net exclaimed, “That reaction is priceless.” @lip.sync.queen added, “You don’t understand how that makes a teacher feel. He was so proud of them.” @jusscico remarked, “The whole class deserves an A.” @lmaotbhidkeither said, “He’s not my teacher. I don’t know him but he still made me cry.” @veryoldrat remarked, “Mr. Payne was my all-time favorite teacher. He totally deserved you guys doing that.”

You can follow Jasmin (@seaturtles420) on TikTok for more content on lifestyle.