LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — College professors are known for giving long lectures to hundreds of students, and one metro Atlanta professor had an unlikely guest last Thursday.
A photo of a Georgia Gwinnett College professor, Dr. Ramata Cissé, has gone viral after she stepped in to help a student who had to bring her baby to class.
The photo shows Cissé teaching her early-morning biology class with a baby tied to her back for the duration of the three-hour course.
"The student called me around 10 p.m. the night before and told me her babysitter was feeling sick," Cissé told 11Alive.
“I told her to bring the baby, and we’ll figure out what we can do.”
She told 11Alive that the student had already missed a class before and there was an important test coming up, so she did not want the student to miss another class.
“When she came to the classroom, she had the baby in her lap,” Cissé said.
There was one slight problem. The mom had difficulty writing and paying attention in class while holding the baby.
Noticing that the mom needed some assistance, Cissé stepped in.
“The baby was moving so I went to the back and told her that I’ll hold the baby,” Cissé said.
But there was another challenge. Cissé could not write on the board and teach while holding the baby. So, the mom-professor duo had to get creative.
“I was standing next to where we hold the lab coats for class, and I told her to put the baby on my back. Then, I took a lab coat and tied the baby to my back.”
Cissé told 11Alive that she incorporated the baby in her early-morning biology lesson, but this was not only a science lesson. It was also a lesson about serving others.
“I am a professor, but I am a human being before it all,” she said. “When I’m teaching my students, I try to instill in them compassion, love and respect for humankind."
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