Coach Unknowingly Recorded By Teacher Tying Girl's Hair, Mother Sees Footage Online & Comments

Jan 31, 2020 by apost team

Being a teacher is often a thankless job, and elementary teachers, in particular, are superheroes when it comes to the work they do. More often than not, teachers are not only in charge of students' learning but their well-being. When teachers are leading a class of students that are in their earlier development years, teaching often means not only a certain subject but also life skills. Elementary teachers are responsible for their students' education but also their health and safety. When it comes to this important task, gym teachers are often presented with the unique challenge of doing this all while engaging kids in physical activity. In the case of this PE teacher, he was not only the teacher, the coach, but also the hairstylist. In a video originally posted to Facebook back in 2019, PE teacher Jonathan Oliver was secretly filmed by a fellow teacher as he tied a girl's hair into a ponytail. The request was made while he was coaching a game during the class, and after it was posted, the mom of the daughter and kindergartener, Kristen Paulk, decided to speak up about the kind gesture. The video was filmed WG Nunn Elementary School in Valdosta, Georgia, and gained millions of views before it was picked up by national news stations, such as Good Morning America. The PE teacher, Jonathan Oliver, who was 34 years old at the time, got the chance to tell the news outlet his side of the story.

Read on to learn more about the heartwarming act of kindness that was caught on camera. 

Jonathan Oliver, a PE teacher at WG Nunn Elementary School, was recognized for his random acts of kindness while coaching a basketball game. When one of Oliver’s students approached him with a simple request, he was happy to oblige.

Kristen Paulk, a kindergartener on Oliver’s basketball team, kindly asked him to tie her hair back in a ponytail.

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Coach Oliver promptly took a knee, getting down on her level so he could fulfill her request. Unbeknownst to Oliver, he was being recorded at that very moment by one of his fellow coworkers.

Kandice Anderson, another educator at the elementary school, documented Oliver's noble deed via video. Anderson eventually took the clip online to share the small yet sweet moment with others. After she shared the video on Youtube, Oliver received an outpouring of public support and adoration. The video was originally posted to mom Miyah Paulk's Facebook. Anderson's Youtube caption read:

"Coach Oliver casually puts this students hair in a ponytail so that she can continue her PE activities." Viewers commented on the video to express their support for the sweet gesture. One viewer wrote:

"Adorable" 

Another commented:

"You are awesome" 

The title read, "when your job goes beyond coaching." Oliver was shocked to find that his gesture wowed so many people. According to Oliver, who told Good Morning America, "it was just a ponytail." To the public, however, it was far more than a simple hairdo.

The clip of Oliver garnered so much attention that Good Morning America featured his story. Kristen's mother joined Oliver's segment so she could publically thank him for assisting her daughter. Oliver again stated that he was happy to help out and admitted to doing his daughter's hair when his wife was tied up. The PE teacher said:

"It was shocking to me that it got that much attention because we all do it. We [teachers] want to make them feel like they're at home and that they enjoy being here. We try to love on them as much as possible. To me, it was just a ponytail."

Oliver, a father of three himself, told GMA that Kristen approached him to put her hair in a ponytail. Although Oliver has daughters and styles their hair, he said he was relieved it wasn't a more complicated hair request. He said:

"It was a good thing she asked for a ponytail. Anything else, I'd say, 'You better ask your mom.'" 

Luckily, this humble PE teacher was able to use his own parenting skills to help a student in his class feel comfortable. 

Do you think educators like Jonathan Oliver deserve more attention for their generosity of spirit? If your child was in this position, would the coach's actions have warmed your heart? What acts of kindness have teachers done for you or your children? Let us know your thoughts, and don't forget to pass this along to your friends and family.