Last month it was Monroe teachers and other school staffers’ turn as they stepped up to an open microphone in a hallway of Monroe’s 2-12 school building and shared with the world their joys of educating the next generation.
“Our original teacher video has reached more than 315,000 views since it was posted on Valentine’s Day,” said Adam Marcum, spokesman for Monroe Schools.
“In total, we posted four videos in the series because we had 76 staff members participate, including members of our custodial team, teachers, instructional coaches, intervention specialists, English learner specialists, principals and the superintendent. Across the entire teacher video series, we’re approaching 384,000 views,” said Marcum.
Brooke Davidson, English learner specialist at Monroe Junior High School, said she appreciated the opportunity to share her thoughts and passion for teaching.
“I love that this mic series gave our staff the opportunity to highlight some really special things about our district, students, community, and the simple joys found in each school day,” said Davidson.
“I don’t think I had ever really taken the time to reflect on why I love what I do until this video. It was a meaningful experience for me to share my own reasons and to hear countless others, from a variety of roles across our buildings, speak about their love for their work. Monroe is truly a special place, and these videos remind me of that,” she said.
Natalie Woodruff, a first-grade teacher at Monroe Primary School, echoed the appreciation of the rare chance to speak directly to the public.
“I feel very privileged to share my thoughts and experiences openly with our community. It’s a unique opportunity to be given an open mic by your employer, and I’m thankful that Monroe values each of us as educators and trusts us to share our voices with the world,” said Woodruff.
“I am passionate about my job as a teacher, and education as a whole, and I will take any opportunity to bring a little positive light and awareness to what we do every day,” she said.
Marcum said “after our student hallway microphone video went viral in November, the number one question I kept getting was ‘What are you going to do next?’”
“I knew that I wanted to do something a little different if we were to do it again, and I knew that I wanted our staff to be a part of it. Who better to tell your district’s story than the people who write it every single day?”
The teacher video can be viewed on Facebook.
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