Texas elementary school principal Dr. Belinda George’s job doesn’t stop when the school bell rings at the end of the day.
And she’s more than happy about it because she said her role at Homer Drive Elementary in Beaumont is her “dream job.”
“I guess it’s kind of like the people at Disney World and Google (who) feel like this,” George told USA Today.
That’s why every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. George hosts “Tucked-in Tuesdays” where she gets on Facebook Live to read bedtimes stories to her students.
She does this all because she loves her students.
She loves her students so much that she wants to make sure that they are read to at home.
“The bottom line is I love, love kids,” George told The Washington Post. “I know if I don’t reach them outside of school I never reach them in school.”
She makes sure to don a onesie every time so the children think that she’s getting ready for bed too. She’s worn a unicorn and even Cookie Monster onesie.
“I guess you could call me like a Peter Pan,” George says. “Never stop being a kid because as old as I am, I’m 42 and putting on a onesie and reading and relating to kids. You can still do that and be a great role model and they listen to you more when there is a relationhisp. So that’s my big thing. Don’t ever lose sight of your childhood. Ever!”
George’s Facebook Live sessions got hugely popular in her school district.
“Kids will come up to me Wednesday and say, ‘Dr. George, I saw you in your PJs reading!,” she said. “They’ll tell me their favorite part of the book.”
Media outlets started picking her story up and now up to 2,000 families tune in from across the country to hear George read them bedtime stories.
George is also happy to see that her Tucked-in Tuesdays promote family time since parents watch along with the scholars (it’s what she calls her students).
She even asks questions during her reading that students can answer online.
Sometimes she’ll bring in props, like an inflatable astronaut for when she read “Astronaut Handbook.” She even offers quizzes children can take on the books she reads.
Other times she’ll bring up topics to try and relate to her students.
“How many of you have ever been told that you’re too little to do something?,” she asked. “I have three older sisters, and they used to tell me I was too little to do something. But guess what? I did it anyway.”
She says student literacy has improved in her school but her goal is to make sure all of her students feel loved and valued.
“I understand some of these kids will never go to college, but I don’t want them to feel like they’re not successful. Whatever you choose, just be good at it,” she said. “If you’re a ditch digger, be the best ditch digger there is. Anything I can do to build relationships. If a child feels loved they will try. There’s no science about it.”
So basically, George is our hero.
We can’t wait to see all the children she inspires to be just like her and make sure that children feel special just for being them.
See George in action in the video below.You can also learn how to help children get access to books through Disney’s The Magic of Storytelling initiative by posting a selfie here.
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