A 91-year-old professor from Houston, Texas, has warmed hearts everywhere after he was photographed in the middle of a remote teaching lesson with his students.
As Good Morning America reported, Julia Krohn snapped a pic of her father, Charles Krohn, proudly capturing the seasoned educator’s dedication to learning, even amid the ongoing pandemic.
In the photo, Charles can be seen seated at a makeshift desk, looking incredibly concentrated while guiding his students through a lesson.
“My father has been a professor of English at The University of St. Thomas for 50+ years,” Julia captioned the photo on Facebook . “Here he is, at 91-years-old, embracing virtual teaching like a BOSS.”
“Listening to and watching him teach Homer’s The Odyssey is a true gift. He’s been teaching it for decades, and yet he has the passion and excitement for the text as though it’s the first time. These kids have no idea how lucky they are.”
As of writing, that photo has received over 63,000 reactions online and has been shared by more than 28,000 Facebook users.
The comment section was filled with praises for Professor Krohn and his ability to adapt his teaching methods to suit these new, uncertain times.
“Dedicated to his role as a teacher,” one person wrote. “I hope his students will appreciate his effort.”
Another added, “Lucky those who could and can enjoy his classes!”
Many of the comments actually came from Charles’ former students who shared memories of their time spent in the educator’s classroom.
“Professor Krohn was my UST English professor in Fall ‘92 and Spring ‘93,” one person shared. “And right now he is my daughter’s UST English professor. Awesome.”
Another added, “My first professor at UST. & it was such a blessing to have him for 2 semesters straight. He taught me so much & opened up a new world of literature. His passion and dedication were not unnoticed. I’ll never forget my experience w/ Krohn.”
Some of those former students ranged all the way back to the 1960s, with one such person sharing a photo of Charles from back in the day.
Alongside the vintage snap, they wrote,
“Julia, please give your dad my kindest regards. I was a student of ‘Mr. Krohn’s’ at Jefferson Davis High School c/o 1960. He was an amazing teacher then as well and left a lasting impression on our lives. He even made diagramming sentences fun! Blessings to you and your family.”
Charles’ daughter, Julia, said these comments prove that her father is the type of man who leaves a lasting impression on his students.
“[There were] all these memories of him in the classroom and how they may not remember much about St. Thomas, but they remember so much about Professor Krohn … that he’s the most kind-hearted, most compassionate person you’ll ever meet,” she told GMA .
She also shared that her dad has read every single one of those comments on her Facebook post, and many, particularly those from past students, brought tears to his eyes.
When classes switched to online, Charles sought Julia’s help to work his computer, and has since conducted his classes from his daughter’s home.
Julia admitted that it’s been 20 years since she actually witnessed her father teach students, and the experience has proven to be quite the treat.
“The fact that [he’s teaching] virtually and still engaging and so smart and so quick ,” she admitted, adding of the picture she snapped, “[It] was just this beautiful moment that I just had to capture.”
h/t: Good Morning America
