Teachers play a vital role in shaping society, yet they are often underpaid and overlooked. Their influence extends far beyond academics, touching students’ lives in countless ways. Jonathan Oliver, a physical education teacher at WG Nunn Elementary in Valdosta, Georgia, showed this beautifully during a kindergarten basketball game. When young player Kristen Paulk asked for help tying her ponytail, Oliver knelt on a basketball and carefully fixed her hair. Another teacher filmed the moment, and the video quickly went viral. Oliver later said it wasn’t extraordinary—just love and care. His small act highlights the heart of true teaching.
“It was a good thing she asked for a ponytail. Anything else, I’d say, ‘You better ask your mom,’” he joked.
Miyah Cleckley, Kristen’s mother, told the outlet that the video struck her deeply and that she knows her daughter is in good hands whenever she is with him. “I always know that Kristen is in very good hands with him. I thought it was really cute because her father he 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.”
