Woman Teaches Class While Stuck on Pa. Turnpike

McNulty taught about Napoleon III and the Crimean War.

Friday's massive pileup on the Pennsylvania Turnpike created a traffic nightmare, sending drivers to the hospital while leaving others stranded for hours.

One of those stranded drivers was Lynn McNulty, a teacher at the Hun School of Princeton. Despite her situation, the determined teacher refused to let one of the worst highway accidents in recent memory stop her from teaching her AP European History class. 

While sitting at a standstill at the Willow Grove exit, she managed to conduct her planned lesson using Face Time.

She quickly posted a message through the school’s communication system instructing her students to contact her through video chat when they got in to class.

McNulty explained to NJ.com that all freshman and sophomore students had been given tablets by the school making a virtual classroom a real possibility.

“I think they giggled at first but they’re so used to technology around here that they knew I meant business,” McNulty said. “I could see all the kids, and could see all the kids discussing with one another.”

McNulty taught about Napoleon III and the Crimean War. She also explained to her class the severity of the situation around her by flipping the camera around and showing them all the other stranded cars.

McNulty waited for four and a half hours before she got off the Turnpike. Thanks to her passion for teaching however, she was able to partially pass the time while educating her students.

"She was on the screen and we were conversing regularly," said one student. "We had a great class!"

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