MIAMI – It’s a hard job and often educators tell us they feel like they’re neither seen nor heard. As part of a nationwide effort, celebrities are participating in an event called Celebrity Substitute to raise awareness of our amazing educators.
Actor and musician James Maslow recently took over the classrooms at Miami Coral Park Senior High and was a huge hit with students.
“A lot of people know me from Big Time Rush, originally from the TV show and the band. Now just the band. “I’ve done quite a bit of film and television as well,” Maslow said.
Educator Nicholas Ferroni started the Celebrity Substitute program. He says the celebrities highlight how much teachers contribute on a regular basis and the sacrifices they make to educate our youth.
“I currently work in three jobs. You can’t call teaching a career if you have to do other jobs to have a career. Teaching is the only profession where we have to beg for materials online or buy materials ourselves. That’s what I’m going to do.” “Honestly, you can’t say you care about the children and not advocate for paying money to people who have the most children. If we don’t support teachers, we don’t support students,” Ferroni said.
Maslow says being a teacher was challenging back then, and he has a new respect for the work educators do.
“I always felt like teachers were underrepresented and definitely underpaid. But actually being in that environment was a side that I never really experienced and it just reinforced that. It is such a difficult task. It’s crazy to me that this is the case.” It’s a bigger issue and a more pressing problem. When we think about the education of our youth, it is literally the future of this country. The future of the global economy and the world. For some reason it feels like it’s last on the list, if it’s at all “It’s very frustrating. I have great compassion for teachers,” Maslow said.
As part of the day, Maslow took over theater teacher Leia Cole’s class. She said she is grateful for this program because it raises awareness of the work of educators and their investment in youth. She said educators need our support now more than ever
“I was once a child and teachers saved me. That’s why I want to make sure someone is here to save these children. That’s what I try to do and despite the challenges we face, I’m here for them every day,” Cole said.
Cole says teaching is truly a labor of love.
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