LA VERGNE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A music teacher in La Vergne wrapped up a crazy school-year with a fun challenge for her students learning at a distance.
Michelle White, a teacher at La Vergne Lake Elementary School, challenged her fifth-grade students to make a ukulele with materials they could find around their homes.
"They are such a big part of my art and my everyday life that I hated to not get to do some cumulative activity with them," White said.
White teaches 100 fifth graders. This year she introduced ukuleles into the curriculum but was unable to finish her lesson before COVID-19 hit.
"We were in it for about four weeks before COVID started which was disappointing because they were really starting to shine," she said.
The teacher heard back from seven students. She said given the challenges of teaching an extracurricular from a distance, she considered this a win.
"I would love to have all of them, but it was a big step for me," she said.
White rewarded the children who participated with their own, real ukulele. She asked relatives and friends to sponsor each student.
"I have always believed that no matter where you set the bar students will step up and they did that again here," she said.
