Teachers at Lehigh Acres school encourage students through fun videos

Southwest Florida teachers are showing their students we are all #GulfshoreStrong. The teachers at Mirror Lakes Elementary School in Lehigh Acres wanted to make sure their students felt encouraged and loved. The teachers say e-learning has been challenging, but they are making the best of it.

We spoke to two Mirror Lakes Elementary teachers Thursday about why it’s more important than ever before amid the coronavirus pandemic.

When you’re used to seeing your students or teachers faces every day, it can be hard when now you are stuck at home. That’s why Mirror Lakes teachers thought they would put a little something together to keep everyone’s spirits up.

“So I, as the PBIS coach and am in charge of keeping the kids pumped up and motivated in school,” said Allison Ventura. “So I wanted to put something out, since they’ve been home working, that would get them excited, so they could see their teachers and let them know we miss them.”

Over half of the Mirror Lakes staff participated, sending in videos with messages saying, “We can do this together.” And teachers sent in other videos of themselves at home jamming out.

“I know one teacher did watch it with her students through a zoom meeting, and she said they were all crying,” said Kelli Stumps, a second-grade teacher.

The video meant a lot to the students who miss seeing their teachers every day.

“My daughter has watched it probably at least 50 times,” Ventura said.

And, for the teachers, it was the perfect pick me up.

“I watched it when I was getting kind of down and trying to figure out how to help the kids,” Stumps said. “I watched it again, and it was like, ‘OK, now I can do this. It lifts your spirits right yes for sure.”