The Conversation
Teachers Hold Car Parade To Bring Cheer To Cooped Up Students
If there's one thing that families have learned from being stuck at home together due to the coronavirus pandemic, it's that teachers are real-life superheroes.
With schools closed throughout most of the country, parents have been trying their hand at homeschooling, and the overwhelming consensus (at least in my social circles) is that being an educator is not as easy as it might look. Plus schools are kind of like mini-communities, and most kids (although they might not admit it) miss their friends, teachers and the structure of their days.
That's why, when teachers at Prestonwood Elementary School in Dallas, TX announced they would be holding a car parade through their students' neighborhoods, families jumped at the chance to pay their respects.
They announced the parade on Facebook and included a map of the route so that families could participate from a safe distance.
On the day of the parade, students and parents lined the streets holding homemade signs that read, "We Miss You Teachers" and "I Love You." One father held his own poster: "You are a much better teacher than me!"
The teachers waved and blew kisses to their current and former students from their cars as they drove past their homes. Some yelled out, "I miss you so much!" and "Make sure you're reading!"
One teacher shared a message of hope: "We will get through this together."
The parade was a much-needed mood-booster for the students, who hadn't seen their classmates and teachers since early March.
"My children love their teachers and truly feel sad when they don't get to see them," parent Katie Schmidt told the Washington Post.
The caravan of cars drove by single family homes and apartment complexes to try and connect with as many students as possible.
"Seeing faces digitally is nice," the school's vice principal Aaron Ward said. "But something about personal connection, just seeing each other like that, keeps us from taking each other for granted."
Even though the parade only lasted for a short time, it gave families hope to see a few familiar faces and was a reminder that the current situation is only temporary.
"Seeing his teacher and hearing her yell 'Hi, Will! I miss you!' really lifted him up," said Schmidt about her 7-year-old son. "It let him know that while school looks a bit different at the moment, his teacher is still there for him."
Kudos to the PWE staff for (literally) going the extra mile to connect with students and bring smiles during a dark time. Just another reason why teachers are the absolute best!
Teachers Throw Car Parade To Bring Cheer To Students
Students made homemade signs with special greetings for their teachers.
