Kindergarten Teacher Goes Viral For Joyous Zoom Trip To The Zoo

Kindergarten teacher Garrett Talcott goes viral for taking his class on a remote field trip to the zoo

For many kids across the country, they’ve just passed the one-year mark of going to school…at home. Though kids in many states are back in classrooms, so many are still at home and teachers have had to reinvent everything about learning this year. Case in point: The adorable Kindergarten teacher in Seattle, Washington who “took” his class along with him to the zoo and it turned out to be a huge hit with his kids.

Garrett Talcott teaches kindergarten at Ella Baker Elementary in Redmond, Washington, and since he’s been teaching remotely all year, he thought, why not take my students along with me on a virtual Zoo trip? When Talcott got to the zoo and his partner Michael Rivera-Dirks saw how animated and how enthusiastic Talcott — and the students — were to see the zoo, he knew he had to post the videos online.

Not only does Talcott seem like a fantastic teacher, the best part is how joyful these little kids are to see a zoo, even through a computer screen.

These Kindergartners have probably never been on a regular field trip, so when Talcott holds his laptop up to the rhino cage so they could watch over Zoom, these delightful little kids screamed “Best trip ever!” “We can still see the animals!” and “That was awesome.” So pure, so much joy.

https://www.tiktok.com/@vividmichael/video/6942129720570023173?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.today.com%2F&referer_video_id=6941569610378513670&refer=embed&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v2

“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’s partner actually started filming Talcott’s school lessons and uploading them online back in September 2020 because he couldn’t get over how joyful and ebullient the lessons were, with Rivera-Dirks saying that Talcott and his student’s positivity were so infections he had to share it with more people.

“You hear these kids, (and) they’re not seeing a dark time. They’re kids,” Rivera-Dirks also told Today. “Knowing they are our future — it’s gonna be OK. I knew I had to put it out to the world.”

Mr. Talcott’s enthusiasm looks exhausting, proving this man truly has a gift.

“We’re all going through different feelings and emotions so when I get on there, whether I’ve had enough sleep or I’m ready or not ready, BOOM! The moment I hit that live button I have to be ready and there for those students and make sure it’s the best day of their life,” Talcott told local news station King 5.

BRB gonna watch some of Mr. Talcott’s lessons and let the joy wash over me.