Teachers play a crucial role in our community, yet they often don't receive the appreciation they deserve.
Being a teacher who helps educate, acts as a good example, gives advice, and guides younger generations is something special.
We often hear stories about teachers going the extra mile to assist others, especially the kids they look after.
One such hero is Jonathan Oliver, a P.E. teacher at WG Nunn Elementary in Valdosta, Georgia. He got noticed for doing something kind for a kindergartener while coaching a basketball game.
When one of the little basketball players, Kristen Paulk, asked Oliver for help with her hair, he didn't hesitate.
Oliver knelt down on a basketball court to be at Kristen's level. He carefully tied her hair back, not knowing someone was recording him.
Kandice Anderson, another teacher at the school, captured this nice moment on video and later shared it on YouTube. People on the Internet showed a lot of support for what Oliver did.
Here's the viral video:
The video ended up on Good Morning America, and they got in touch with the 34-year-old dad with three kids for an interview.
“It was shocking to me that it got that much attention because we all do it,” Oliver said when talking to Good Morning America. He mentioned he didn't know someone was recording him.
“We [teachers] want to make them feel like they’re at home and that they enjoy being here,” he added. “We try to love on them as much as possible. To me, it was just a ponytail.”
Source: Kandice Anderson
Oliver shared that Kristen had asked him to help with her hair during a basketball game. But he admitted he's not very skilled with hair, even though he often offers to help his own daughter with styling her hair.
"It's a good thing she asked for a ponytail. If she asked for anything else, I'd tell her, 'You better ask your mom,'" he joked.
Source: Kandice Anderson
Kristen's mom, Miyah Cleckley, said the video touched her heart. "I always know that Kristen is in very good hands with him. I thought it was really cute because her father does their hair a lot. We have five girls and one son, so when I’m working, he has to pick up the weight of doing their hair.”
Source: Kandice Anderson
This story is just one of many examples of teachers going above and beyond for their students. They truly are heroes!
We're curious to know what you think about the sweet story, so feel free to leave a comment below!