CEDAR HILL, Texas — Our educators go above and beyond to teach our youth. A Cedar Hill elementary school teacher’s classroom went viral after she created a mock trip to Mexico in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Experience makes the best lessons. Sonja White is a first-grade teacher at Trinity Leadership at Cedar Hill Elementary School. She planned a lesson that took her class by surprise.
“We were doing circle time, which is where all the kids sit in a circle around me. The question was what is something you hadn’t done that you wish you had done. A lot of them said take a flight or go on an airplane,” said White.
In response, White planned a mock international trip to Mexico celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.
“I have one student that is Hispanic and when I said we were going to Mexico, she just lit up. She was very excited. She said she was going to show us around. It was very important that she felt like we were honoring her,” said White.
The goal was to teach students about the culture while also still learning reading, English, math and science. White created play passports and turned her classroom into an airport. They even made a line for customs and a gift shop.
White made a video of the day and posted it to TikTok. It went viral.
WFAA spoke with White’s students, Lorenzo Harper and Nyah Vazquez who shared what they liked most about the mock trip.
“I had so much fun. My favorite part was all of it and my teacher with me,” said Vazquez.
Harper said, “My favorite part was the gift shop. I like souvenirs.”
They also learned a lot about planes. White turned her classroom into a plane and showed a video of takeoff and landing.
“We learned that they can fly so so high,” said Vazquez.
“And they’re aerodynamic,” added Harper.
They are excited for their next big adventure. Vazquez wants to do a mock trip to Paris. Harper’s choice is New York. Regardless of where they venture to, they want to experience it with White.
WFAA asked what White meant to them.
Harper said, “Everything.”
Vazquez said, “I love Ms. White because she loves us.”
That brought tears to White’s eyes.
“It’s important to me that I give them everything I have,” she said.
By far, the biggest lesson of this experience that she gave is love.