Amid the outbreak of the corona virus that has most of the country at a standstill, a group of 40 to 50 teachers hopped in their cars and visited the neighborhoods where their students live. From a safe distance, they were able to see their students for the first time since March 13, the last day Rutherford County Schools were in session.
The drive turned into something much more than what Erin Wells, a second grade teacher, may have originally thought it would be. And it was something students and teachers seemed to need.
Wells said, “My heart was just full of so much joy just being able to see them and see that they’re okay and to remind them that I am here for them even if we are not in our classroom together.”
With posters hanging out of their cars with sentiments such as “We are FamiLLE,” teachers were greeted by students both in and out of their houses. Students waved and even had signs of their own telling teachers how much they missed them.
The teachers began planning the effort a week before. They connected with parents and a bus drivers who knew the area. Based on the information they gathered, Wells created a map that she then sent out to the rest of the teachers.
From there, the teachers sent out messages to their classrooms to let parents know where the teachers would be and when.
The drive was a success as both teachers and students enjoyed the reunion even if it was from a safe distance.
It’s an idea that has caught on at other schools around the country,