A teacher made social distance greetings to promote in-person interaction with students. She tasked her students to make a personalized greeting over the weekend to get back to their normal morning routine. She wants to eliminate the awkwardness after returning to school from not seeing each other for such a long time.
Used to greet on another in the morning
Mary Schulz told Good Morning America that they used to greet her students when they enter the classroom in the morning. She said that they would give hugs, a handshake, or high fives with one another, saying that it has been their thing.
However, after months of relying on virtual learning, Schulz explained that it was kind of awkward for them to do the same after not seeing each other for so long. She said that they wanted to reach out to one another when they came back.
Asked students to make social distanced greetings
The teacher came up with a solution one week after they returned to physical schooling. She asked her 20 third-grade students to come up with a socially distanced greeting as a weekend homework assignment.
She wanted that they could do the normal thing they used to do before the pandemic happened. Each day, Schulz would be standing at the classroom's front door and be enthusiastically doing the new greetings with her students.
Since then, the 30-year veteran has made her personalized greeting with each of her 20 students. She explained that now she sees a connection with each of the kids. She shared that when she is not yet at the door in the morning, her students would all stand and wait for her to arrive.
Different types of greetings
According to the teaching veteran, the children's greetings range from a quiet wave to the Iowa State University chant. Others would do a ballerina curtsy to greet their homeroom teacher. Schulz said that students from other classes would also do the same as hers.
She explained that some kids choreographed what her homeroom students do each morning. They would also greet one another while safely following social distancing. Schulz said that they are just trying to make things fun, just like they usually do. Admittedly, it has brought her joy too.
Amazed at how her video has become viral
The teaching veteran's video has now become viral. For her, what she is doing is pretty simple, and it has amazed her how it has reached the other parts of the world. She was glad that it had brought joy to many people outside of the country.
Schulz said that bringing joy to other people's lives is what everyone needs right now.
