LAKEWOOD, Ohio — There's no doubt: It's been a rough go for teachers and students during this pandemic. But Cory Streets, a special education teacher we introduced you to last year, found a creative way to make remote learning fun.
You may remember Streets from Lakewood High School with his Creatures in the Classroom animal program.
"It's become part of the schedule, so every day, they have feeding and cleaning, and they have job boards that they follow, and we spend time playing with the animals and everything," Streets said of the program last year.
The impact on students was heartfelt. The community took notice -- and so did Trevor Bauer, former pitcher for the Cleveland Indians.
“We ended up winning a contest with them where we got $10 for each of his strikeouts for the season," Streets said.
Bauer had 253 strikeouts that season. So, the class got $2,530.
Then, like so many other educators, COVID-19 threw a curveball in the lesson plans when school shut down.
“I at first tried to just drive back and forth to Lakewood a few times a week to feed (all the classroom animals). And, that was becoming pretty cumbersome,” Streets said.
Dozens of those creatures needed homes. So, Streets started a foster program.
“I reached out to all the teachers and their families from Lakewood High School. And, the response was incredible," Streets said.
The animals were taken care of, so how were the students holding up? Many, Streets said, were rattled by the pandemic.
“I mean, you hear a lot of different things, and especially at the time, even less was known about it. And, there was a lot of anxiety and a lot of stress," Streets said.
But he needed more than reassurance to keep his growing family safe. Cory's wife, Emma, is expecting their second child. She, and 4-year-old daughter, Naomi, are high risk with health issues.
“It's dangerous for both of them," Streets said.
So, Streets converted an old shed into a remote learning center for his students.
“It's the Mr. Streets Center for Remote Sheducation. The very clever name that I came up."
The shed has everything you would need in a classroom: A TV, desk, computer. Streets will teach from there while Lakewood remains in remote learning.
“Grabbed a few supplies and odds and ends that I thought I might need," Streets said. “So it'll be interesting. It'll be unpredictable. It'll be a unique, it will be challenging, but I think it's also gonna be a lot of fun.”
If you're lucky enough to have Mr. Streets in class, one thing is for sure: “I absolutely love working with my students and every day that I get to go in and see them is rewarding and exciting. And I honestly can't wait to do it in person again."