Pioneer Elementary School teacher chosen as KTVB’s innovative educator

While growing up in Weiser and throughout her previous ten years of teaching at Pioneer Elementary School, the annual Christmas programs have always been a highlight of the year for music teacher Tori Thomas.
 The pandemic still in full swing this December, families were not able to come to the Christmas programs. Thomas decided to bring the Christmas program to the families.
 The program, which can be viewed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThDWOShMWfU&t=31s, is more than a virtual concert. Thomas used green screens to show students singing and dancing together in a variety of fun locations from a tropical island to sledding in a winter wonderland.
 Each student was recorded individually to ensure safety and social distancing and then through editing brought the students together on screen. The result was a magical experience for both students and families to enjoy.
 Thomas said that she learned about video production in college and had knowledge of running basic equipment such as sound and lighting, however editing video was a new ballgame.
 Over the years she learned from doing small videos for her music studio. She started with Facebook commercials and this last spring, when teachers were asked to teach virtually, Thomas took her  music class online and it became a crash course in video editing.
 “It has been so fun learning a new skill, and being able to apply it in a creative way to meet the needs of my students,” Thomas said.
 While the end product is only a little over 16 minutes long, Thomas said that she could not begin to estimate the amount of time the whole process of recording and editing took. The audio and video were recorded over the course of three weeks at school during music classes, however Thomas was editing as soon as she got home until late at night.
 Thomas said that while it was not an easy process, individually recording each student and bringing them all together digitally meant they could show smiling faces to their parents. She knew their smiles and happiness were a priceless gift they could give to their families. For Thomas, it was all worth it for one reason.
 “Plain and simple, for my kids. They have sacrificed so many experiences all in the name of COVID, and the Christmas program was just one more thing added to that list. They deserved to have something they could show their families and be proud of. They didn’t get to have Grandma and Grandpa come to cheer them on and watch all their hard work. Some of them haven’t been able to see Grandma and Grandpa since all of this started. We needed to think outside the box to not only reunite our Pioneer family, [our virtual kids and classroom kids] but other families throughout the community. This was one small way we could do that,” Thomas said.
 Thomas said that her favorite part was watching the response of the students when they watched the video on YouTube at school.
 “The laughter, the excitement, and the joy. You can’t beat it. Worth every moment of editing,” Thomas said.
 After seeing the Christmas program on YouTube, a few Weiser residents wanted to recognize Thomas for the amazing job that she did, and chose to nominate her for KTVB’s innovative educator program which recognizes educators from around the state for going above and beyond.
 KTVB responded to one of the emails written by local resident Julia Nash explaining Thomas had been chosen as the innovative educator and they had received several emails nominating Thomas for the recognition.
 Thomas said that being chosen for the award has felt surreal.
 “There are so many educators all around the state of Idaho right now going above and beyond, including my colleagues here in the Weiser School District. To even be nominated by my neighbors and friends in the community as an Innovative Educator humbles me to my very core,” Thomas said.
 Thomas said that her teaching has two main focuses, her love for music and her love for her students. However the importance of music can be overlooked at times.
 For Thomas, music helped her grow and develop as an individual and helped her find her place in the world. Passing down that  knowledge and providing another way for a child to shine can help a child build confidence and self worth.
 Pioneer Elementary School Principal Susana Dickman shared that she is very excited for Thomas to receive this much deserved honor.
 “It is a magical event when a passion and a career align. Mrs. Thomas not only teaches music, she incorporates sensitivity that our students transfer to other areas. Pioneer is truly blessed to have her guiding our students. She not only inspires students, but also everyone who crosses her path,” Dickman said.