Stars Who Have Praised Teachers Amid Quarantine: Jimmy Fallon, Shonda Rimes and More

Credit: Gregory Pace/Shutterstock

Stars Who Have Praised Teachers Amid Quarantine: Jimmy Fallon, Shonda Rimes and More

Real-life superheroes! As kids were forced to turn their homes into classrooms amid the coronavirus quarantine, parents realized they had a newfound appreciation for teachers. Celebrities such as Jimmy Fallon, William Daniels,  Kim Kardashian,Will Ferrell, James Corden and Shonda Rimes have praised educators for their hard work ranging from a funny song to a heartfelt statement. Fallon showed his appreciation in a musical ode that he penned for Teacher's Appreciation Day. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon host — who shares daughters Winnie and Franny with his wife, Nancy Juvonen — performed the song on his late-night talk show on May 5. “Teachers should make a billion dollars and get more vacation time,” the Saturday Night Live alum sang while strumming his guitar. People couldn't help but agree that the coronavirus pandemic made them realize the importance of teachers. "I'm gonna contact all my old teachers and apologize to them for being a little monster all those years. Heck, I got the time," one user commented via YouTube. Another person wrote, “As a teacher, I couldn't stop smiling watching this. I 100% agree!” Fallon admitted during a March interview on The Howard Stern Show that he's been struggling with balancing homeschooling his daughters and producing the stay-at-home version of his talk show. [jwplayer 7BqLYHWN-l3ahXupL] “Homeschooling is just … I don’t remember Spanish, I don’t know Spanish,” he explained. “I’m learning as they’re learning. I’m like, 'Wow, I don’t know what that word is! … Right now it’s insane, I go between that and the show. It’s a lot. The whole day is packed. I feel like I’ve never worked this hard in my life.” Daniels, for his part, wanted to remind people how teachers can influence people's childhoods and even gave a shout-out to his Boy Meets World character, Mr Feeny. “I’m here to encourage you to show some appreciation for the unsung heroes that help shape the future generations,” Daniels said in an E! News video on May 5. “Our teachers provide us with so much. They’re there for you in your formative years, supply the knowledge you need to take on the world and even give you unsolicited advice from behind the fence in their backyard. I’m talking to you, Mr. Matthews (played by Ben Savage).” Scroll down to see celebrities who have praised teachers amid the quarantine. [podcast_block]

Credit: Gregory Pace/Shutterstock

Stars Who Have Praised Teachers Amid Quarantine: Jimmy Fallon, Shonda Rimes and More

Real-life superheroes! As kids were forced to turn their homes into classrooms amid the coronavirus quarantine, parents realized they had a newfound appreciation for teachers. Celebrities such as Jimmy Fallon, William Daniels,  Kim Kardashian,Will Ferrell, James Corden and Shonda Rimes have praised educators for their hard work ranging from a funny song to a heartfelt statement. Fallon showed his appreciation in a musical ode that he penned for Teacher's Appreciation Day. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon host — who shares daughters Winnie and Franny with his wife, Nancy Juvonen — performed the song on his late-night talk show on May 5. “Teachers should make a billion dollars and get more vacation time,” the Saturday Night Live alum sang while strumming his guitar. People couldn't help but agree that the coronavirus pandemic made them realize the importance of teachers. "I'm gonna contact all my old teachers and apologize to them for being a little monster all those years. Heck, I got the time," one user commented via YouTube. Another person wrote, “As a teacher, I couldn't stop smiling watching this. I 100% agree!” Fallon admitted during a March interview on The Howard Stern Show that he's been struggling with balancing homeschooling his daughters and producing the stay-at-home version of his talk show. [jwplayer 7BqLYHWN-l3ahXupL] “Homeschooling is just … I don’t remember Spanish, I don’t know Spanish,” he explained. “I’m learning as they’re learning. I’m like, 'Wow, I don’t know what that word is! … Right now it’s insane, I go between that and the show. It’s a lot. The whole day is packed. I feel like I’ve never worked this hard in my life.” Daniels, for his part, wanted to remind people how teachers can influence people's childhoods and even gave a shout-out to his Boy Meets World character, Mr Feeny. “I’m here to encourage you to show some appreciation for the unsung heroes that help shape the future generations,” Daniels said in an E! News video on May 5. “Our teachers provide us with so much. They’re there for you in your formative years, supply the knowledge you need to take on the world and even give you unsolicited advice from behind the fence in their backyard. I’m talking to you, Mr. Matthews (played by Ben Savage).” Scroll down to see celebrities who have praised teachers amid the quarantine. [podcast_block]

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Kimora Lee Simmons

“It's crazy,” the Kimora: Life of Fab alum told Us exclusively on May 7. “I mean, I have five kids and it's a lot being home with them. I have a new found respect for all the teachers. … I think it's about keeping your kids obviously entertained and also inspired as you're getting up there to go to school and do everything online.”

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Kim Kardashian

The mom of four detailed her struggles homeschooling her children during her appearance on The View on March 31. “The kids just got on spring break thank God, being their teacher too,” Kardashian said. “My newfound respect for teachers ... It’s like, they deserve so much. It’s been tough juggling it all and you really have to put yourself on the back burner and just focus on the kids.”

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James Corden

The Late Late Show With James Corden host admitted that school closures had been rough on his family in an interview with ET on March 30. “The homeschooling thing is a nightmare. My respect for teachers is through the roof. I mean, look, it's here now,” he said while holding up a math textbook. “Honestly, I know nothing in here. I know nothing.”

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Wendy Williams

The Wendy Williams Show host praised Riley High School Principal Shawn Henderson during her show on May 4 for making their senior class feel special despite being unable to graduate in person together. "That's really, really big. You went from house to house and acknowledged every senior, acknowledging also social distancing but that was just the nicest thing ever and they did not expect it," Williams said.

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Will Ferrell

The Step Brothers star showed his appreciation for teachers when he was photographed in April wearing a T-shirt that read, “Pay teachers more money."

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Jimmy Fallon

The late-night talk show host performed a song dedicated to teachers on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on May 5. “Teachers should make a billion dollars and get more vacation time,” Fallon sang as he played the guitar. “They spend their days wranglin’ all our crazy kids. When they go out, they should get free bottomless wine. At the bank, they should just throw money at them. And at Chipotle, they should always get free guac!”

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William Daniels

The Boy Meets World alum honored teachers in a heartfelt statement to E! News on May 5, which included a nod to the sitcom's emotional 2000 finale. "So thank your teachers today and every day and remember, as much as you learn from them, they learn from you," Daniels said. "As my final piece of teacherly advice, believe in yourselves, dream, try, do good. I love you all. Class dismissed."

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Shonda Rimes

The Grey's Anatomy creator had nothing but praise for teachers as she revealed that she was struggling to teach her kids, Beckett and Emerson. "Been homeschooling a 6-year old and 8-year old for one hour and 11 minutes. Teachers deserve to make a billion dollars a year. Or a week," Rhimes tweeted on March 16.

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Hilaria Baldwin

"That's kind of been the hardest thing," the Living Clearly Method author told Us Weekly on March 30. "I'm great with them one on one, but then when I have them all there, it's really challenging. So, I'm figuring it out. I mean, I had a ton of respect for our teachers before, but this just brings it to a whole new level of how amazing these people are and how they should get paid a lot more than they make."

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Craig Melvin

The Today show host became emotional on air after hearing a story about an elementary school librarian in Lincoln, Nebraska, helping children amid the pandemic. "As someone who gets to see his kids' teachers on Zoom, the story's so moving this morning because the kids miss their teachers so much right now, and teachers miss their kids just as much," he said. "For us who have small kids and you're seeing this every day, it's just, it's hard, man. It's hard. So little things like that, just thanks to all the teachers out there who are going the extra mile."

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