PROTESTERS HAVE GATHER PEACEFULLY FOR MULTIPLE NIGHTS. >> IT’S YOU, YOU FOUND MY VIDEO, I’M SO EXCITED! I AM COACH RIOS -- JASON: THIS VIDEOS IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS PANDEMIC, TEACHERS ARE HAVING TO FIND DIFFERENT WAYS TO ADAPT AND ADJUST TO EDUCATE THEIR STUDENTS. ONE PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER IN YUKON IS TURNING THINGS UP A NOTCH TO CONNECT WITH HIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSES. JOINING ME LIVE AARON RIOS HE’S A P.E. TEACHER AT SKYVIEW ELEMENTARY. AND ALSO PRINCIPAL CARLA SMITH. GOOD MORNING. AARON: GOOD MORNING. CARLA: GOOD MORNING. JASON: THAT VIDEO, WE HAD TO REACH OUT TO YOU. SO MUCH ENERGY AND THAT. TELL US ABOUT THAT AND WHY YOU MADE IT. CARLA: -- AARON: THINGS ARE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR, WE ARE ALL ROOKIES THIS YEAR WHETHER YOU HAVE BEEN TEACHING FOR ONE YEAR OR 20. I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT WAY TO DO THIS IS TO BE PASSIONATE AND SHOW KIDS YOUR PASSION FOR WHAT YOU ARE DOING. THEY WAIT ALL WEEK TO SEE ME AND I WANT THEM KNOW THAT I AM READY AND EXCITED AND FIRED UP. SO LET’S DO PE. JASO I LOVE THE ENTHUSIASM, HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ADJUSTING TO THE PANDEMIC? AARON: I TRY TO MIND THE THREE P’S, BE PASSIONATE, HAVE PERSPECTIVE, AND KEY PLANNING. I’M A TEACHER AND I A PASSIONATE ABOUT KIDS, I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT SEEING THOSE LIGHT BULBS GO OFF. I TRY TO KEEP EVERYTHING INTO PERSPECTIVE, EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN THING GOING ON AT HOME AND THIS IS WEIRD FOR ALL OF US. I’M JUST TRYING TO BE MINDFUL OF WHAT IS ARE GOING. THAT REALLY HELPS ME PLAN. TODAY WE MIGHT USE PILLOWS, OR DIRTY SOCKS. SO I AM CONSTANTLY GOING THROUGH THOSE THINGS AND IT MAKES EVERYTHING AT MY HOME EASIER TO GO THROUGH BECAUSE I AM FILLING A NEED FOR STUDENTS. JASON: PRINCIPAL SMITH, HOW ARE OTHER TEACHERS ADJUSTING? CARLA: A LOT OF TIMES IT’S HOW EVERYBODY ACTS TOWARDS EACH OTHER AND THAT WILL CATCH. HIS ENTHUSIASM, WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN FROM COACH RIOS, I MULTIPLE TIMES UP AND DOWN THE HALL. WE MOTIVATE EACH OTHER TO KEEP US GOING. JASON: THAT’S NEEDED AT THIS TIME. COACH, HOW ARE YOUR STUDENTS RESPONDING? CARLA: --AARON THE VERY FIRST WEEK THEY WERE EXCITED AND THEN THEY KIND OF STARTED TO GET TIRED AND ANXIOUS TO BE HERE WITH US. THEY ARE DOING A GOOD JOB, AS WELL AS TO BE EXPECTED IN THIS ENVIRONMENT. THEY ARE HAVING TO LEARN HOW DO I STAY HOME AND LEARN MATH AND PE. THEY ARE GOING THROUGH AS MUCH AS WE ARE WITH THE TIME. AND I MEAN THEY ARE THE BEST STUDENTS IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA. JASO WE APPRECIATE YOU BOTH BEING ON TODAY. I’M SURE YOUR STUDENTS APPRECIATE YOU. AND PARENTS APPRECIATE YOU SO MUCH. I HAVE TO TE YOU, THEY APPRECIATE YOU SO MUCH HERE THAT YOU ARE OUR AUGUST TEACHER OF THE MONTH. CONGRATULATIONS. AARON: OH MY GOSH! THAT’S AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. JASON: I HAVE TO REDO SOME OF THESE COMMENTS. SOME OF THESE ARE AMAZING. HIS ABILITY TO AFFECT THE LIVES OF EVERY CHILD IN THIS BUILDING ASTOUNDS ME EVER YEAR, THAT’S THE PERSON WHO NOMINATED YOU. HIS PASSION FOR HI KIDS IS UNPARALLELED. ANOTHER, THEY MADE HERE. COACH, TELL US ABOUT THAT PASSION? AARON: THAT PASSION JUST COMES FROM BEING A STUDENT MYSELF WHO NEEDED A TEACHER WHO COULD GUIDE ME AND GIVE ME MENTOR SHIP, NOT JUST IN THE CLASSROOM BUT OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM. EVERY TIME I COME ACROSS A STUDENT, AND YES I AM INSTILLING MY KNOWLEDGE BUT I AM LOOKING FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO TEACH THOSE LIFE LESSONS THAT THEY CAN USE BEYOND THE CLASSROOM. WHEN YOU SEE THOSE STUDENTS COME BACK IN A YEAR OR FIVE AND THEY TELL YOU HOW THE CHANGED THEIR LIVES. IT FUELS THAT FIRE TO KEEP GOING AND JUST KEEP SEEING KIDS EVERY DAY. THAT’S WHAT MAKES ME PASSIONATE, SEEING KIDS EVERY DAY. JASO AND HE LOVES HIS STUDENTS, PRINCIPAL SMITH, WHY IS HE SO DESERVING? CARLA: I THOUGHT THERE WAS REALLY NOBODY BETTER WHEN I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS. HE PROMOTES WITH HIS ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM, HOW TO HAVE AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE AND HE’S A ROLE MODEL. A LOT OF THESE KIDS LOOK UP TO HIM. THEY WANT TO SHARE WITH HIM WHAT’S GOING ON IN THEIR LIVES AND KEEP REACHING BACK TO HIM. HE’S DEFINITELY A DESERVING RECIPIENT. JASON: COACH, YOU USUALLY HOST A BIG FUNDRAISER THAT BENEFITS THE ENTIRE SCHOOLS. AND UNFORTUNATELY YOU CANNOT DO THAT THIS YEAR, THAT MUST HURT. AARON: THAT DID HURT A LITTLE BIT. WE HAVE DONE A BIG FUNDRAISER IN TO PUT ACTIVE LEARNING MATERIALS IN THE CLASSROOMS SO STUDENTS CAN MOVE AND LEARN WHILE THEY ARE LEARNING FROM TEACHERS. WE HAVE SEEN THAT HELP IMMENSELY WITH STUDENT LEARNING AND SOME OF OUR BEHAVIOR ISSUES. NOT HAVING THOSE FUNDS HAS BEEN A LITTLE DAUNTING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE WILL DO THAT, BUT WE ARE GOING TO FIGURE IT OUT BECAUSE WE ARE TEACHERS AND THAT IS WHAT WE DO. THIS AWARD IS GOING TO HELP SO MUCH IN MY CLASSROOM AND TO HELP ALL OF THE TEACHERS AT OUR SCHOOL. IT’S AMAZING. JASON: AND NOT JUST TH TITLE, I HAVE A BIG CHECK TO PRESENT TO YOU. $1000 FOR QUILL CREEK BANK -- FROM QUILL CREEK BANK. THIS IS ALL FOR YOU. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU BE DOING WITH US? AARON: WE’RE GONNA LOOK AT GETTING MORE THINGS INTO THE CLASSROOMS SO THAT WHEN STUDENTS ARE LEARNING -- WE KNOW THAT STUDENTS ARE STAGNATING AT DESKS ALL DAY, THEY GET TIRED AND LOSE FOCUS. I REALLY LIKE INFUSING EVERYTHING I TEACH IN MY CLASSROOM INTO THEIR CLASSROOM SO THAT THE TEACHERS CAN ALSO BENEFIT. JASON: I AM SURE YOU WILL PUT THIS MONEY TO GOOD USE. BEFORE WE LET YOU GO, ANY ADVICE FOR TEACHERS WHO ARE TRYING TO NAVIGATE THE CHOPPY WATERS JUST NOW. AARON: THEY ARE CHOPPY WATERS. STAY PASSIONATE. IT’ OK IF TH KID IS IN THE CORNER AT THEIR DAD’S OFFICE AND THEY ARE HAVING A HARD TIME LEARNING. YOU’RE ALL GOING THROUGH IT. STAY T COURSE. STAY STEADY. IT’S OK THAT WE ARE BUILDING THE AIRPLANE WHILE WE ARE FLYING. WE WILL FIGURE IT OUT AND WE WILL GET THERE. HANG ON, STAY PASSIONATE. JASON: AND HONOR TO SPEAK TO BOTH OF YOU TODAY. AS THE PERSON THAT NOMINATED YOU SAID, YOU ARE THE GOLD STANDARD. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AA