Dr. Belinda George, the principal at Homer Drive Elementary in Beaumont, Texas, holds “Tucked in Tuesdays” sessions on Facebook Live to read to her scholars.
By Breanna Edwards, Essence
One Beaumont, Texas elementary school principal has decided to go the extra mile for her scholars, reading books aloud for them on Facebook Live in a series she calls “Tucked in Tuesdays.”
Dr. Belinda George, who serves as the principal at Homer Drive Elementary School in Beaumont, Texas, usually appears on social media at 7:30 p.m. CST with a new book (or two) to read, wearing colorful onesies featuring fantastical characters such as Cookie Monster and unicorns.
Even as she reads, she watches the live comments, doing her best to shout out the scholars who have logged on to watch, and even re-read parts that they particularly liked.
“The idea came from a Facebook group called Principal Principles Leadership Group,” George told USA Today about her weekly story time. “And from the fact that I absolutely love my children.”
George told the newspaper that about 94 percent of her students come from economically disadvantaged homes. Not knowing if they are being read to at home, she’s doing her part to make sure that they have exposure to a wide array of stories.
But now her selfless quest has expanded. Many of her “Tucked in Tuesdays” episodes have now received well over 2,000 views, reaching far outside the Beaumont School District.
In fact, in her latest addition, where she read Howie Has a Stomachache just yesterday, more than 6,000 people have already viewed the Live.
https://www.facebook.com/HomerScholars/videos/1932211400239978/
The videos have been met with applause from commenters who applauded George for her actions and taking the extra time for the students.
“My parents and scholars absolutely love it. They know my love for their children is beyond the end of the day and definitely beyond Friday,” George told USA Today.
Her reach has gotten so far that authors have started reaching out to send books to her so that she can have plenty of material to share with her scholars. She is looking forward to using the momentum created by “Tucked in Tuesdays” to include special guests.
“I will be reading books donated to me by the authors. I have invited authors to read their books online as special guests,” she said.
This article originally appeared in Essence.
