To say that teachers have been struggling throughout this pandemic is a massive understatement. Learning to keep students engaged while navigating the special challenges of online and virtual learning has proven difficult for many. Even before the pandemic, teachers found keeping students alert and attentive extremely taxing, but now, teachers are working double-time to get their students to pay attention. Even though it’s extremely hard, some teachers are giving it their all.
One example of a dedicated educator has gone absolutely viral in recent days. The TikTok video shows a kindergarten teacher going far above and beyond on Zoom to keep her young pupils focused. The video has garnered over 7 million views and has been shared widely across social media.
You can sense determination, pain, and a genuine struggle in this teacher’s eyes as she tries her very best to keep calm and carry on.
this woman should literally be paid one million dollars a year pic.twitter.com/IA7JJW517c
— maybe: anna (@gxrlreadingthis) September 15, 2020
As she tried to get her students to follow along, this teacher does the vocal and mental equivalent of jumping through flaming hoops. She even uses a laminated sign with a picture of a microphone on it to remind her students to turn on their microphones so they can be heard by her and the other students.
The person who originally shared the video to Twitter did so with an actual fact: “this woman should literally be paid one million dollars a year.” And, we can’t argue with that!
RELATED: Teacher Makes a House Call to Read to ‘Sad’ Student After School Closing
The little laminated signpost w the microphone symbol is the cherry on top. https://t.co/84C6fUhGRE
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) September 15, 2020
Cable news host and father, Chris Hayes of All in with Chris Hayes retweeted the video and provided his own commentary, “The little laminated signpost w the microphone symbol is the cherry on top.”
Someone thoughtfully responded to Hayes’ tweet, “This is what I think of when the word teacher comes to mind. someone with enthusiasm and the ability to see a problem and fix it,” they wrote. “I hope this young lady keeps it as her career because she obviously has a true desire to help kids. as a parent I say thank you for your dedication!”
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Viral Instagram Post Urges Teachers to Reconsider Using ‘Mom and Dad’ as the Default
While the video is, on some levels, hilarious it’s also deeply sad. The video is a reminder to parents and the public more broadly that teachers really are working to educate the country’s children in unprecedented circumstances. They deserve our patience and support as they too are doing the best with what they’ve got.