As more Pennsylvanians rolls up their sleeves to get the vaccine, so are educators in Erie County. 

"I want to be able to walk through the halls and walk up to a kid and not worry about my six feet proximity," says Michael Zona, a Special Education teacher in Girard. 

"Like give them a high five?" Erie News Now asked. 

"High five, elbow, fist. That's the kind of teacher I am," says Zona. 

And the kind of teacher that rolls up his sleeve to get the COVID vaccine. Micheal Zona is a Special Education teacher at Girard High School. He received his first dose of the vaccine in hopes he can see all his students face to face again.

"It's hard to see their face, I can tell by people's facial reactions if they're getting something, if they're having problems. It's hard to see somebody on a screen in the back of the room or the front of the room if they're not understanding something," says Zona. 

For him, and many others in the Girard School District, they knew getting the vaccine was what they have to do so they can see one hundred percent of their students back in class.

"I want to see these kids get back to normalcy as soon as possible and I'm kind of willing to do whatever it'll take," says Zona. 

150 teachers at Girard School District did what they felt was best thing for their students.

"The shot itself was incredible. I feel a sense of relief," says Cindy Reichret. 

Relief is how many teachers and staff described getting the shot. For Cindy Reichret she's been working as the support staff in Girard for 29 years.
This year was unlike any shes ever worked before and all she wants everyone to get vaccinated.

"Get the vaccine. So we can all return to a safe, safe school," says Reichret. 

Lauren Staszewski is a first grade teacher in Girard.

"To me the weirdest thing is just how quickly they adapt I mean they absolutely are resilient," says Staszewski. 

She saw first hand how much her young students live changed. Staszewski says she remembers asking her students what they couldn't wait to do once the virus goes away.

"It was all normal stuff like go to friends houses, have birthday parties and that made me really sad. I went home that night and thought they're just missing out on so much stuff," says Staszewski. 

This last year has been challenging for everyone, and Staszewski like most, just want things to go back to normal.

"I don't want them to get to high school having to wear masks, having to stay apart from each other, not being able to see each others faces. For me it's important to do it so they can experience normality on some level as they get older.

High School Principal Eric Louis is waiting on his second shot. Although he wants students back in class one hundred percent, he says Zoom is here to stay.

"It's going to be apart of modern education," says Louis.