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It’s back to school time, and in my husband’s classroom, that means a chicken. It’s not because students are chicken to take his class, or to face the advanced placement curriculum, or to be part of his no-nonsense approach, but because there is a literal chicken in his classroom. And not just any chicken, but a famous one, one that serves a purpose for his students. Every test day, the chicken is vitally important, and students look for the chicken.They look for Hei Hei.

Hei Hei – Moana Screenshot

Hei Hei, from Disney’s Moana, is quite possibly the stupidest character ever penned into animated glory by Disney’s Imagineers. But even that stupidity serves a purpose, as Hei Hei ultimately saves the day for Moana, and in my husband’s classroom, Hei Hei also serves a purpose as the “reservoir of stupidity” for students. As classroom legend has it, Hei Hei will absorb all a student’s stupidity if they touch or pat the chicken before taking a test. This week was the first test for all my husband’s classes, and already the practice has taken hold – students were even asking about Hei Hei before test day, hoping he’d make an appearance.

Is the legend of the chicken true? Does Hei Hei absorb students’ stupidity? What truly matters is that he’s an enjoyable part of the classroom, and helps students relax before the stress of test-taking. And if you need to relax in the middle of the work week, be sure to enjoy Hei Hei’s Dumbest Moments – he might not be able to absorb the stupidity of coworkers, bosses, clients, projects, deadlines, or other workplace stresses, but at least he’ll make you smile.

Need your own stupidity absorber? Get your own Hei Hei!