Despite in-person visits to the zoo being restricted by the pandemic, a kindergarten teacher from Seattle found a way to bring his class along for an epic adventure!
In a TikTok video, Garrett Talcott can be shown taking his class on a virtual field trip to the Woodland Park Zoo. With his laptop and face mask, he walked through the zoo and showed his class of 27 students the different animal habitats.
The video has gone viral and currently has over 900,000 views.
“I was excited to take them all there,” Talcott told Today. “There is a lot we can learn from the zoo. Our school is brand new, we’re in our third year, and we don’t currently do a field trip to the zoo. Myself, living ten minutes away from the zoo, and teaching remotely, I wanted to use those resources.”
Talcott posted a second video that shows the students eagerly participating as he asks them about the animal habitats.
“This is a great trip,” one student said during the virtual meeting. Another student said that the field trip was “amazing.”
When the teacher asked the class if they would be open to going on another virtual field trip, they all replied, “Yes!”
Talcott shared that the class was learning about animal habitats over Zoom and got the idea to take the students on a surprise field trip. He contacted the zoo to see if it would be safe for him to visit. In addition, he wanted to confirm that he would have a good internet connection for the trip.
“The thought was rather than showing videos, let’s bring the zoo to the students,” he said. “Teachers are the experts in their areas. How great to bring them to the zoo and learn directly from zookeepers.”
Talcott strives to be a teacher that creates an environment for students to engage and have fun while learning.
“These students are at home — who knows what’s happening in their lives — positives and challenges,” he said. “The moment I hit that ‘meet live’ button, it’s about the students and making sure they have the best day ever.”
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