Texas elementary school principal Belinda George wanted a way to show students she cared.
The first-time principal at Homer Drive Elementary in Beaumont, Texas, told USA TODAY that her students gave her her “dream job.”
“I guess it’s kind of like the people at Disney World and Google (who) feel like this,” George said.
So she devised “Tucked-in Tuesdays,” in which she opens her phone and reads a children’s story. She began in December and what started as something for a handful of students now racks up 14,000 views from around the country.
She started out reading in pajamas, but kids loved the onesie look so she’s been ordering more on Amazon.
She selects each book from the school’s library by reading a few pages and awaiting the spark of “instant connection.”
George, 42, said while her first desire was to connect with the children, her second was to promote a love of reading and the live stream accomplishes both. When she goes to school on Wednesdays, children want to talk about their favorite parts of the book and check it out. “Hey, if one kid learns, I’ll keep giving,” George said.
George said her weekly story time isn’t meant to replace a parent’s.