Georgia teachers celebrate virtual learning with awesome hype videos

(Originally published on Today August 20, 2020)

 

Two Georgia high school teachers who recently started their year online decided they would not let the changes of school this fall hold them — or their students — down.

So they made a hype video about it.

Audrianna Williams and Callie Evans are teachers at Monroe Comprehensive High School in Albany, Georgia, a 75,000-person town three hours north of Atlanta.

Williams and Evans, who started a tradition of back-to-school video several years ago, felt that some positive energy in 2020 would be more important than ever.

“We have been affected dramatically by COVID-19 here, and some of our students lost family members to the virus,” Williams, who teaches AP U.S. History and other social studies classes, told TODAY Parents.

Albany was hit particularly hard by COVID-19 last spring; at one point, it was fourth in the nation for cases per capita.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

We are in for a wild ride this school year, but let’s make the best of it! What better way to release all of the anxiety, doubts & fears of the school year than to dance & turn up What’s poppin’?! 20-21 School Year, Let’s get it! . . @overstreetmediaservices Makeup: @allurebyalex . Go check out @_coolcal vid! . #YourFavoriteTeacher #RapperTeacher #iteach #teachersofinstagram #NadaWay #ThatGreenThatGold #teachersfollowteachers #ellen #theshaderoom #whatspoppin #JackHarlow #WhatsPoppinChallenge

A post shared by Mrs. Williams (@audriwill_) on Aug 16, 2020 at 4:29pm PDT

“We wanted to be able to kind of pick their spirits up and grab their attention to get them excited about virtual learning,” she said. “We didn’t know what virtual learning was going to hold for for us, so we just wanted to get them motivated.”

 

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Tomorrow is the first day of virtual school !! With all the uncertainty these past few months have brought, I want to be able to get my students excited for what’s to come. You all will still be great despite what we’ve been through. Let’s have a great year !! Go check out my sister @audriwill_ video ! It’s DOPE ! Thank you to the @monroecheerleaders for dancing ! Love y’all !! 💚 📸: @overstreetmediaservices #ThirdYearTeacher #WhatsPoppin #iTeach #TeachersOfInstagram #TeachersFollowTeachers Lyrics: What’s poppin’ Mrs. Evans on the beat, so tap in You got options, but you better pass my class no floppin’ Gone log in, everyday, every morning, I’m watchin’ Yeah we virtual, and you know what’s up, so we ‘bout to take it up a notch and Monroe is the best, no comparing We at the top, all truth no daring CTAE, Fine Arts, and sports, man I want it all to my self no sharing COVID-19 had us stressed, but it’s nothing We gon overcome that’s facts no bluffing Wear your masks, wash your hands, keep a safe distance Cause I really thought that a pandemic said sum On the South, we do more than rap Doing all we can, just to get you out the trap Teaching, uplifting, motivating, and engaging Our students going straight to the top, no cap

A post shared by Mrs. Callie Evans (@_coolcal) on Aug 16, 2020 at 4:30pm PDT

The women aimed their message at students and fellow teachers alike.

“We were fearful of what could happen and nervous about trying to make everything virtual ourselves,” said Williams.

Their viral stardom has made quite an impression on their students. “That was literally all they talked about the first day of school,” said Evans. “They’re really excited, and I can see this excitement is not just going to be temporary. I’m hoping it lasts the entire year and shows them we can do creative things and keep this momentum going so they can still have a great year.”

Williams said she hopes the video encourages students and teachers to “be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud,” she said. “Regardless of everything we’re going through — even if you’re nervous, someone else might be more nervous than you are. Keep encouraging others and be a light.”

Evans said as far as she is concerned, virtual learning is “where it’s at. I love it,” she said.

“The first day you may have technical issues, but it’s rewarding to see your students really listening to you even while you’re through a computer screen and to see that they’re already grasping the information,” she said. “We don’t necessarily have to be face-to-face for our students to connect with us and for our students to actually get the information, so I don’t think it’s the teachers have anything to worry about.”