Don't you just love those viral videos of teachers being awesome? Like the one of Kathleen Fitzpatrick — Ms. Fitz — swishing a long jumper, which led to her third-graders at Holy Trinity School in Washington, D.C., getting hot chocolate. This weekend I repeatedly watched a clip of a special education teacher helping a student enjoy recess by holding him in his arms as they hopped on a trampoline and jumped rope. The joyous smile on the child's face epitomizes everything that's good about us when we are good to each other.
I imagine that's why "Abbott Elementary" is such a hit. The new mockumentary sitcom follows a group of passionate teachers in Philadelphia who do the best they can to help their underserved students despite a shortage of funding.
Quinta Brunson, the creator and star of the show, named the fictional school after her real-life sixth-grade teacher, Joyce Abbott. When Brunson was recently on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," the host surprised her by bringing Abbott on the show via satellite, and the actress immediately started crying. That's how important one teacher was to her. I'm sure many of us have a Joyce Abbott whom we invited into our hearts long ago and who has never left.
