A teacher at a Bronx school is using Gov. Andrew Cuomo's daily COVID-19 briefings to help students to participate in class.

Michelle Gabriel, who works at Grand Concourse Charter Academy in the Bronx, says initially there were technical issues trying to get everyone online. She says the problem then turned to trying to keep the students engaged.

Gabriel says her idea of involving the governor has seen attendance reach 100%.

The ELA and social studies teacher says having something visual like video of the governor's daily briefings helped.

The briefings are posted daily to the governor's YouTube page. His PowerPoints lay down the groundwork for better understanding of what's going on, the teacher says.

The students collectively stop on each PowerPoint slide and analyze the data, statistics and other information right in front of them.

Gabriel says there wasn't any more discussion on what they saw on social media on what may be true, but instead they looked at facts presented by the governor.

They then reflect on what they got out of that day's briefing on Google Classroom.

"They post, they feel involved, they feel like they're a part of society. They know what's going on. They're not as fearful anymore. And now they would be teaching their parents and family and friends about what's going on,” she says.

During the governor's daily updates, he's brought up disagreements he's had with the president and mayor, so Gabriel was also able to tie in new lessons about the Constitution and how different levels of government work.

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