Jonathan Oliver thought he was just helping a student with her ponytail. The WG Nunn Elementary PE teacher had no idea someone was filming when kindergarten student Kristen Paulk approached him before her basketball game. But the brief video of this interaction has now been seen by millions, becoming a powerful symbol of what teaching is really about.
The clip shows Oliver’s complete lack of hesitation as he gathers Kristen’s hair with the same focus he brings to coaching sports. There’s something profoundly moving about seeing this large-framed male teacher performing such a tender, traditionally feminine task without a second thought.
Oliver’s story went viral because it represents the hundreds of small, unseen acts teachers perform daily. “We do whatever our kids need,” he says modestly. Whether it’s tying shoes, wiping tears, or in this case, fixing hair, great educators understand that teaching extends far beyond academic subjects.
