Where would we be as a society without our educators? Teachers have a difficult and extremely important job for which they do not receive nearly enough praise. Former President Barack Obama did his part in rectifying that by making surprise video calls to three Chicago Public School teachers during National Teacher Appreciation Week.
What We Know:
- The 58-year-old former president, who was a longtime Chicago resident before relocating to Washington D.C., shared the sweet surprise on his Instagram on Tuesday, May 6. In the clip, Obama speaks to three teachers, Jalayne Brewton, a middle school teacher at Parkside Academy, Daniel Michmerhuizen, a U.S. history teacher at Jaurez High School, and Katie Owens, a 2nd grade teacher at Kellman Elementary.
- “Hello?” Brewton says in the video, to which Obama replies, “Hi Jalayne! How are you? It is National Teacher Appreciation Week.”
“There’s no limit to the devotion I’ve seen in teachers like these educators from @ChiPubSchools. Their dedication shapes the best parts of who we become. I couldn’t be more thankful for their work, especially as they shift lessons online to keep students on track during the crisis.” – Barack Obama
- “I am overjoyed, overwhelmed – I am almost speechless,” the high school teacher said about the surprise as Obama laughed and smiled. “I am honored sir, thank you so much for the call. It’s incredible.”
- The clip then circles back to Brewton, who explains that the teachers she had as a child helped motivate her to go into education. “I didn’t grow up in one of the best neighborhoods, and didn’t have the two-parent household, so my school was my outlet,” Brewton said. “So, I said to myself, ‘how can I give back to those that actually helped me growing up?’’”
- “The passion shows, the time and effort,” Obama responded.
Thank you, Mr. President.
