Right now, teachers across the nation are bracing for schools to reopen — and bracing themselves for what that means. While some are gearing up to teach virtually from home, others are coming to terms with what the school year will look like when they re-enter the classroom. One thing's for sure: The 2020 school year is bound to be packed with challenges both big and small, but one teacher is doing everything she can to make the classroom feel like a welcoming place again, by creating socially distanced "truck desks" for her incoming students.
The desks were created by Jennifer Birch Pierson, a kindergarten teacher from Texas who clearly has a knack for thinking outside the box.
A photo of her classroom, all set up and ready to go, was shared on the popular parenting Facebook page Maybe I'll Shower Today on Wednesday, where it quickly went viral.
"No playing. Masks all day. Six feet apart at all times," the caption reads. "School seems like a frightening place, when you read about all the safety measures kids will have to adhere to this year."
But it appears that Ms. Pierson is "making lemonade from some very sour lemons," the post continues.
In the photo, desks stand 6 feet apart and desk shields are placed in front of each one, as required by the district's guidelines. But instead of looking like boring old desks with weird plastic barriers in front, Pierson used cardboard, paint, and a little creativity to turn them each into trucks that look like they're all driving down the road.
(How adorable is that?!)
"Those students who enter her classroom may have a tough time, but clearly they are in the hands of a caring teacher, and that's something all parents can be grateful for," the post caption continues. "Thank you to the teachers, who, like Ms. Pierson, are doing all they can and more to make our kids feel safe and happy."
Ms. Pierson's compassion and creativity was certainly not lost on many people who saw the post.
To date, it's been shared more than 15,000 times and received more than 1,000 comments.
Many of them came from people who wanted to thank Ms. Pierson themselves.
"Thank you for making it an inviting place to come especially for kindergarten, it is so sad and inappropriate to expect kids to not play when we know thats how they experience the world around them," one person wrote.
"I love your classroom," added another. "Glad they're making it a fun thing even though there's all kinds of restrictions good luck … sending you my love."
"We need more teachers like her," someone else added.
Others pointed out that little things like this are often paid out of pocket by the teachers themselves — yet another reason Ms. Pierson's desk project deserves all the applause.
"Is this all paid for on her own dime?" one person asked. "I'm betting so. Surely the school did not fund this."
Still, for all the love the post got, it also got a bit of pushback from others who questioned the safety of sending kids back to school so soon.
"Still better to keep them home," wrote one person.
"Sad that they have to be having school face-to-face like this," another said.
Others noted that modifications to safety equipment isn't allowed in every district, making fun things like this an impossibility, even if it will help kids acclimate.
"Many schools aren't allowing that type of decorating — they will come in and mist with sanitizer which could ruin it," one person wrote.
The state of Texas, where Ms. Pierson teaches, has seen an alarming spike in virus cases over the last two months.
To date, Texas has reported more than 481,000 positive cases and more than 8,100 deaths. Just last week, it was reported that the state was actually undercounting virus deaths due to an "automation error," and after it was fixed, the number jumped by 8%.
As for a return to in-person learning, Gov. Greg Abbott had been pushing for schools to reopen fully until as recently as mid-July. But after the state's recent virus surge led to outcry, he eased up, saying that schools would be permitted to offer a virtual learning option, too. That same week, the Texas Education Administration also announced that schools will be allowed to delay reopening for up to eight weeks without risking loss of funding.
This week, Abbott amended his position further, stating that schools need to decide for themselves whether or not to stay closed.
"As it concerns when schools open, we need to make sure they're not bound by any date dictated months in advance by a local public health authority," Abbott said, according to NBC local affiliate KXAN.
"What may apply to one school district in one region of Texas could be completely different from what may apply to a different school district in different region," he continued. "Hence, there will be the local flexibility — so local school districts will be able to meet the education needs of their students, parents and teachers."
In addition, schools will be supplied with PPE from the state.
During the same press briefing, Abbott announced that the Texas Division of Emergency Management has armed Texas schools with more than 59 million masks, 567,948 gallons of sanitizer, 511,294 face shields, and 24,017 thermometers.
Abbott added that some of the PPE is being paid for by the federal CARES Act and the state.