Local teachers make music video for students while classes are online

TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – Week two has started for students taking all their classes online and a group of teachers is making the best of it.

The staff at Council Grove Junior and Senior High School are having some fun with teaching online and to keep everyone’s spirits up, they decided to make music videos for students.

The fun and games of making these videos wasn’t as easy as it seems.

“There’s been the stress of, OK, now we’re switching to this platform,” Assistant Principal Jay Doornbos said.

He said making the switch to online classes has actually been pretty difficult.

“Now we got to get 7 weeks of lessons ready. And then what do we do about students who don’t have internet access,” Doornbos said.

Lisa Jarvis teaches English and was inspired by a video she saw on TV and rallied their staff to create their own musical master pieces.

She said she wanted the video to help alleviate a little stress for everyone

“Just let them know that we’ll be there for them no matter what and I know that the new norm is different and it can be scary especially for students who are used to a routine,” Jarvis said.

The video is set to the theme song from the show Friends. Her and a few other teachers changed the lyrics to reflect the adjustments they’ve had to make due to coronavirus.

“This way, they know that we’re there for them and that bond that we have with them you know doesn’t end just because we’re not in a physical classroom,” Jarvis said. “That we’re there for them all the time.”

Doornbos said making the video was a fun way for their staff to feel connected to students again.

“For our teachers to lose that contact with them, that’s tough for teachers and that’s tough for staff members and so just having contact with them again has been good,” he said.