In a world full of very sad news, use this to help you bounce back on your feet at least for a few minutes.
Shannon Mann, a first grade teacher in Campbell County, Kentucky, used former National Player of the Year and two-time Wildcat, Oscar Tshiebwe, as inspiration to teach her students throughout this year in her classroom. Mrs. Mann posted a video to her YouTube channel on how she incorporated "Big O" into her teaching lessons, and it's truly one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time.
'Our first grade class just finished a multi-disciplinary unit using Big O as our inspiration. From measurement activities to language arts and writing, to cultural studies, Oscar Tshiebwe helped us meet countless learning goals over the past two weeks. Thanks Oscar! Lots of love from Mrs. Mann and her Mouseketeers!' said the YouTube caption.
In the video that Ms. Mann uploaded, you can see the students cutting out a life-size picture of the men's basketball player and taping him to the wall to stand next to for comparison. You can also see the unique ways that he was incorporated into her lessons that deal with his in-game statistics, as well as some of his personal background. A few projects included counting the amount of rebounds Oscar had in a single game, his height and wingspan versus the students' height and wingspan, his biography of living in The Dominican Republic of the Congo, and some other fun facts.
As I have always preached for many years online, being a Kentucky fan isn't just a hobby, it's a lifestyle. Clearly this teacher is a die-hard UK fan and she loves her Wildcats so much that she has found an amazing way to mix both of her passions into one. The special part about this is, this doesn't seem odd to us that live here in the state... it's actually kind of normal. Our passion runs deep 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and when we aren't watching the Cats play we are either thinking about them or talking about them. Outsiders might call it an obsession but they just simply do not understand. They never have and they never will. I'm sure there are dozens of examples like this across this state that don't get the attention they deserve, but I feel responsible to help give this one some light because this lady deserves it. Once I saw it in the comment section of one of Oscar's social media posts (yes, I was there), I knew I had to write something about it.
I'd love get Mrs. Mann to a basketball game this year if possible. If Oscar was to return for another season, we must get them to meet each other. This is now a goal of mine and I know we can make it happen. Oscar is one of the most genuine players to ever play here and I know he'd jump at the opportunity to do so once finding this video. Help get it to him, please.
You can watch the video below as I have linked it. I ask that you share her video to at least one more platform to help sprinkle just a little bit more of positivity on your timeline as there seems to never be enough nowadays. I think this is something everyone can find joy in while showcases how passionate our fans are year-round.
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