The Conversation
Teachers Are Heroes! See How One Educator Transformed Her Classroom To Make Students Feel Welcome
As students all over the country head back to school, both virtually and in person, educators are working overtime to prepare their classrooms to fit new guidelines.
Jennifer Birch Piersen, a teacher in Texas, took a creative approach in her kindergarten classroom and transformed the children's desks into miniature jeeps. The jeeps, spaced six feet apart, are different colors and the required desk shields are made to look like windshields.
"She set up her classroom desks to look like a bunch of trucks on the road. She even makes the required desk shields look like windshields," a Facebook blogger shared in a post.
The blogger said that Piersen is making "lemonade out of some very sour lemons" with her project, as well as providing some much-needed encouragement to students who will be attending school for the first time under such challenging circumstances.
The post received thousands of comments, most praising the teacher for her thoughtfulness to do something sweet for her students.
"Kudos to this kindergarten teacher," one person commented. "She is helping the children feel ok. God bless her for her big heart and consideration."
Others voiced their concerns that, although it's a great project, the teacher likely paid for the supplies out of her own pocket, and that many classrooms in other parts of the country won't look like that.
"Ok this is cool but so unrealistic. I'm a teacher. Wife is a teacher. There are 16 desks in that room. Put 10-15 more desks in there to be real. Plexiglass barriers? $60 per, teacher funded," another person wrote. "If you think this is what school gonna look like in the fall you are dreaming."
Either way, we still think it's great for the students to enter such a welcoming, safe and creative environment when they return to school. Job well done!
