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Teachers are some of the most important pillars of society, yet their work is often undervalued and underpaid.
It takes a special heart and a lot of dedication to spend years guiding, inspiring, and shaping the future of children.
Many educators go above and beyond their duties to support their students, and one recent story from Georgia is a perfect example.
Jonathan Oliver, a physical education instructor at WG Nunn Elementary in Valdosta, captured hearts online for a small but touching gesture during a kindergarten basketball game.
While coaching the little team, one of the young players, Kristen Paulk, asked him for help fixing her hair. Without hesitation, Oliver grabbed a basketball, kneeled down to her level, and carefully tied her ponytail so she could continue playing comfortably.
Unbeknownst to him, another teacher, Kandice Anderson, recorded the sweet moment and later shared it online. The video, titled “When your job goes beyond teaching!”, quickly spread across social media and was flooded with praise.
Soon after, the story caught the attention of Good Morning America. Speaking with them, the 34-year-old father of three admitted he was surprised by the reaction:
“I didn’t even know I was being filmed. Honestly, we all do things like this because we want our students to feel at home here,” Oliver explained. “For me, it was just a ponytail.”
He added with a laugh that while he often does his own daughter’s hair, his skills don’t go much further:
“Good thing she only asked for a ponytail—anything else, I’d have told her to ask her mom!”
Kristen’s mom, Miyah Cleckley, later said the video meant a lot to her. With a busy household of five daughters and one son, she appreciated the coach stepping in with such kindness.
“I always feel my daughter is safe and cared for with him. It was such a sweet moment—especially since her dad also does the girls’ hair when I’m working. It really touched me to see that,” she shared.
