‘Mr Janitor said, who’s chasing her?’: Assistant principal instantly kicks into action mode when there’s an emergency at opposite end of the school

The everyday heroism of educators is heinously underappreciated in this celebrity-obsessed society of ours, so kudos to the people of TikTok for helping redress the balance a little by turning an action hero of an assistant principal into a social media star.

One tenacious teacher is earning some well-deserved love from TikTokers thanks to her reaction to a medical emergency at her high school — apparently, at the other end of it, in fact. Identified as the assistant principal in the caption, security camera footage depicts the woman sprinting through the corridors at top speed, like an underpaid and overworked version of Tom Cruise, all while wearing a pair of heels.

Thanks to her high-octane performance, the whole thing plays out like a Hollywood action blockbuster in miniature, complete with a scene-stealing cameo. At one point, our heroine dashes past the school janitor who’s busy mopping the floors, minding his own business. Clearly taken aback by seeing Assistant Principal Heels acting as if she’s either in hot pursuit or fleeing someone, the confused custodian gingerly looks up and down the corridor for the apparent commotion.

Hilariously, by the end, Ms. Heels has elected to remove her eponymous footwear and runs the rest of the way barefoot. Nobody can deny this teacher’s dedication to her students and their well-being. Someone give her the Educator of the Year Award now. Also, some more sensible shoes. And maybe a three-picture deal with Warner Bros.

The assistant principal is receiving a lot of love in the comments, as those still scarred from their own schoolteacher experiences favorably compare her to their former coworkers. “That’s a real assistant principal,” one user wrote. “At the last campus I worked at. The principal nor the assistant principals cared to help.” Another quipped, “She switched to sports mode.” Others had some handy shoe-related advice to impart: “Girlfriend, we’ve gotta get you in our convertible heels!”

For many, though, Janitor Man is deserving of an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his rib-tickling turn here. “Man said ‘Why we runnin’? Do I need to run?'” one comment joked, with another writing, “you scared him poor guy was thinking something happened.” Some compared him to much-missed Marvel legend Stan Lee: “The custodian is like Stan Lee in a Marvel film trying to decide if he’s going to get mixed up in the action.” One TikToker got a bigger shock than anyone, though, when they realized who this scene-stealing star was. “LMAO that’s my Dad!!” they exclaimed.

While some women have mastered the art of running in high heels without toppling over, generally those two things don’t go together. Podiatry experts, for instance, warn that pro-runners should avoid wearing high heels if they can, as over time it will restrict ankle dorsiflexion, “the movement that allows your shinbone to pivot over your foot.” A teacher risking her long-term ankle health for the good of some student in need. See what I mean? Actual hero.