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Teacher parades are exactly what we need right now

Teacher parades are exactly what we need right now

I haven’t done any actual research on this but I’m going to go ahead and stick my neck out and say that Americans are on edge. I am stressed, and I know you are too. So, when I see something happening in my community that brings me joy, I feel a social obligation to share it which is why I bring you…

Teacher Parades

All over the United States teachers at various elementary schools are coordinating driving teacher parades. Cars decorated with balloons and “We Miss You” signs are riding up and down neighborhoods as the teachers inside wave and shout encouraging messages to their students. Much like the proverbial “out in the wild” teacher sightings, seeing their teachers in this uncertain time is exciting and also bringing some normalcy to our young children.

 

A flyer on social media for a parade in Collierville, TN.

A much needed distraction

Elementary kids aren’t the only ones excitedly watching. Much like the bear hunts happening all over American neighborhoods, these teacher parades are helping bring a smile to children and adults alike.

One Huntsville mom posted about a recent parade that came through her neighborhood, “We don’t even go to that school but we came out to wave and yell, and I cried.”

“It’s providing a much needed distraction,” said Kerry Floyd, of Decatur, after her children’s elementary school organized a similar drive-by parade.

A tribute to everyday heroes

Parents who have been trying this sheltering-in-place thing with their kids for the last couple of weeks no doubt have a new appreciation for how difficult a teacher’s job can be. But it’s more than that.

Teachers, especially those of young children, serve in a secondary parental-figure role and the relationship they shared with our kids was cut short unexpectedly. As many students face the reality that they won’t go back to their teacher’s classroom this year, the importance of teachers and the impact they have on their students is becoming crystal clear.

My daughter’s elementary school recently coordinated one of these parades and every neighbor we have, even those without kids, came out to wave and cheer. It felt joyous, it felt sorrowful, it felt cathartic.

Now if we could just figure out a way to do something similar for healthcare workers. How about when this is all over they get to take over the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade? 🙂 

Atlanta Cheering for Healthcare Workers at Change of Shift, March 24, 2020


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