What went viral this week: Teachers going above + beyond during the pandemic

For many families being at home all the time is feeling less weird and more like a new normal. This isn't the spring we expected, but new routines are being formed and old relationships are blossoming through new mediums. We are in a period of adjustment. Our kids are adjusting and so are their parents and teachers.

A TikTok user named Liz, who says she teaches first grade, used the app and music to share her feelings about the overnight transition to distance learning.

In the viral video, she says: "As some of you guys might know, I'm a music teacher, and I've found that one of the best ways that I can process the whole transition to online learning and teaching is to write a song. So, I wrote a song, and I'd like to share that with you guys now. Here we go."

What happens next perfectly sums up how so many parents are feeling now.

The little girl in this viral photo is Hannah. She still has Zoom events with her friends from school, but recently she's become withdrawn and her teacher noticed, even without seeing her face-to-face.

Hannah's mom Kelly Close posted this image to Facebook, writing: "Hannah's class has a Zoom session each evening. Last night she got really sad and kinda shut down. Today her teacher came over and hung out for a bit…They chatted, read books, and just talked. This woman has FIVE kids at home and STILL she sat in my driveway for an hour to make sure Hannah was okay."

That teacher is Katie Ricca of North Bay Haven Charter Academy in Florida and she is a hero.

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