Educators are vital pillars of our community, yet their contributions are often underestimated. It takes a special person to dedicate themselves to teaching, mentoring and motivating young minds.
Jonathan Oliver, a physical education teacher at WG Nunn Elementary in Valdosta, Georgia, is one example of this commitment. He recently earned recognition for a touching moment of kindness during a children’s basketball game.
When kindergarten teacher Kristen Paulk asked for help with her ponytail, Oliver didn’t hesitate. He knelt on a basketball to be at eye level with her and carefully tied her pigtails to make sure her hair didn’t fall into her face. This tender gesture, captured on video, was shared on YouTube by Kandice Anderson, a fellow teacher
The video, aptly titled “When Your Job Goes Beyond Teaching!” quickly went viral and captured the hearts of many. It eventually caught the attention of Good Morning America, which interviewed the 34-year-old father of three.
“I was surprised by the attention because that’s exactly what we do,” Oliver told Good Morning America, unaware of the recording. “We want students to feel at home and loved. For me, wearing a ponytail just helped.”
Oliver mentioned that while Kristen’s request was for a ponytail, his hairstyling expertise was otherwise quite limited. “If she had asked for something else, I would have said, ‘You better ask your mom,’” he joked.
Kristen’s mother, Miyah Cleckley, expressed her appreciation for Oliver’s gesture. “I always know that Kristen is in excellent hands with him. It was especially touching because my husband helps us a lot with our daughters’ hair, as we have five girls and a son.”
There are many stories of teachers going the extra mile, and Jonathan Oliver’s story is a beautiful example of everyday heroes in education.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this touching story, share them in the comments!
Kelly Clarkson and John Legend Receive Backlash After Criticizing “God Bless The USA
Although Kelly Clarkson and John Legend, two of the judges on The Voice, are known for emphasizing singing quality over politics, a recent event involving them generated controversy. After criticizing the song selection itself, Clarkson and Legend faced criticism during competitor Gyth Rigdon’s performance of “God Bless the USA.” Fans on Twitter reacted angrily to criticisms of Rigdon’s performance that were accurate, but questioned the song’s appropriateness given the current political atmosphere.
It was difficult for the judges to criticize Rigdon without coming out as unpatriotic because of his patriotic performance. Clarkson acknowledged the delicate nature of evaluating a song of that caliber and even cracked jokes about how hard it was. Although they gave Rigdon credit for his emotional connection to the song, the judges were candid about his vocal performance.
However, several viewers believed that their criticisms were excessively harsh or unjustified. This incident serves as a reminder of the careful balance judges must strike between providing helpful critique and honoring the music selection of a performer that holds emotional value for them. In the end, it emphasizes the audience’s diversity of viewpoints and the subjective character of art.
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