Dr. Stacy Carlock welcomes her young students at LaDue Early Childhood Center in St. Louis, Missouri, in a rather unconventional way … on roller skates.
This type of greeting isn’t new — in fact, Carlock has been skating at school for almost four years — but when the school staff encouraged her to post a skating video on social media, “it blew up overnight!” Carlock tells TODAY.com, even leading the “edu-skater” to an appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
“I get tons and tons of messages every day, and I’m so humbled by it and grateful that I am inspiring somebody because that’s what I really love to do,” she says.
When one of Carlock’s teachers asked her to join her on a roller skating outing, she immediately said yes. “I love getting to know my staff and their hobbies,” she explains.
“We went skating, and I just fell in love,” Carlock continues. “So from that one time of me going skating with her, I probably am skating every weekend now, in addition to here at school. She brought me a new hobby and it really brings me joy.”
Carlock brought her skates to school for the Halloween parade in 2021. “It didn’t even go with my costume,” she laughs. Some of the teachers were dressing up as M&Ms. Carlock was the orange M&M and decided to throw her skates on at the last minute.
“All the kids were looking at me like, ‘Oh my goodness. What is she doing?'” Carlock says. “The parents are looking. Everybody’s just smiling. And that’s how I started roller skating in the building. “
Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty Images Carlock’s skating led to an appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
These days, Carlock incorporates roller skating in school in a few different ways.
Because the students are between 2 and 5 years old, teachers are assigned to be morning “walkers,” making sure that the kids travel safely from their parents’ cars to their classroom. Carlock, however, is a “roller.” She skates the kids to their classrooms three or four days a week.
Through Carlock’s influence, the school also offers “skate breaks” for the students.
“Teachers can sign kids up to get a skate break, which is really like a motor break to get the wiggles out,” Carlock explains. “They will come down here, they’ll put skates on, and we have these walkers or trainers that they can hold onto. And I’m usually helping them.”
Carlock wants other educators and principals to know that being a leader “doesn’t mean you always have to be formal and stern or confined to your desk.”
She adds, “Just a simple authentic act of fun, like me roller skating through the halls, builds genuine connections, and it makes for a school, where everyone, staff and students alike, feel excited to come to work and come to school.”
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
