This 7th Grade History Teacher’s ‘Fit Checks’ Are Going Viral
A 7th grade history teacher, Thomas Ward has discovered a stylish way to engage his students: He dresses the part to illustrate his history lessons.
Ward, 58, shares his daily classroom “fit checks” on the TikTok account “MrWardStyle,” an edited index of thrift store treasures from the 1950s to the 1980s.
“I want the kids in our rural community to know that you don’t need money to look or feel good,” Ward tells TODAY.com.
Ward’s videos are played to music from decades that correspond to his “Outfit of the Day:” Sears-brand shirts with exaggerated ‘Elvis collars,’ skinny ties, monochrome tracksuits, original Florsheim shoes and vintage Timex watches.
A viral video, with more than 9 million views, has people — including many of Ward’s former students — racing to the head of the class.
This 7th Grade History Teacher’s ‘Fit Checks’ Are Going Viral
- “Now, that’s how teachers should dress.”
- “A man of taste.”
- “The only teacher with a waiting list for ‘Meet the Teacher Day.’”
- “The aura is absolutely nuts.”
- “Even your classroom is giving retro.”
- “I thought there was no eating in class.”
- “Not only are you teaching history, you are reflecting history.”
- “Ethan Hawke vibes.”
- “That 70s swag never left your soul.”
Ward tells TODAY.com that he started thrift shopping as a kid in Nebraska, as the second youngest of 13 siblings.
“No one was going to take me shopping,” says Ward. “Thrifting was the only way I would get anything.”
Showing up to school in the 1980s wearing clothes from the 1950s made Ward look different, just as it does today.
“Either people love it or they don’t know what to think or say,” he says.
Ward says thrifting is his “lifestyle,” as he spends his off-time buying and selling old clothes at vintage stores.
“Thrifting fills me creatively,” says Ward. “My favorite period is from 1958 to 1965 — the ‘Rat Pack’ era.”
Ward remembers the “horrible” angst of middle school, ironically during 7th grade, the grade he now teaches. He knows history is a hard sell to kids, so he wears antique clothing like capes and military gear, to breathe life into his lessons.
“You have to bring some energy to class ... and get the kids going,” says Ward. “It can be boring ... so if you can give them a daily show, they get excited about it.”
He adds, “I’m not afraid to wear anything ... and I know how to style it, because I lived through it.”
Ward started his TikTok account in May 2024, at the insistence of his 21-year-old daughter Priscilla.
“She said, ‘Just be you ... be yourself and everyone will like you,’” says Ward.
Ward’s school community — students, parents and administrators — are his loudest supporters.
“My old students, who are adults, want to see my classroom again,” says Ward. “It’s very nostalgic for a lot of them.”
