Most of us can probably think back to at least one teacher that we had in school that inspired us to do something better. Perhaps they helped us to get a better grade or maybe, they give us some direction in life that helped us in ways that we may never have even considered before. Although we think that their job is only inside of the classroom, they actually offer so much more to their students.
The problem is, the efforts that are put forth by the teachers are not always recognized by the parents or the students. They may receive some type of recognition from the local community but is only if they are involved in something special. For example, a teacher may go above and beyond when it comes to helping with extracurricular activities but if they aren’t involved in some type of national competition, it is unlikely that they will receive much recognition. That was the case with one teacher but he did something noteworthy and it went viral.
It happened in Valdosta, Georgia when a phys ed teacher was taking the lead in a basketball game. This was an elementary school and one of his students approached him to ask him a favor. She is a kindergartner named Kristin Paulk and she wanted her hair tied in a ponytail. It was to get her ready for a game they were about to play.
Jonathan Oliver is both a teacher and a coach and he knelt down behind the young student and started tying her long hair into a ponytail. What he didn’t know is that a teacher named Kandice Anderson was secretly taking a video of the entire thing. She then uploaded it to Facebook with the following caption:
“When your job goes beyond teaching… #CoachO #Love”
The video went viral once it was posted. It received more than 3 million views and when the coach learned about it, he was shocked. He didn’t think that what he was doing was enough to make him famous.
The 34-year-old coach even received some kudos and was featured on Good Morning America.
“It was shocking to me that it got that much attention because we all do it.”
He didn’t realize that somebody was shooting a video and to him, it was just what he does. Millions of people that were watching, however, and recognized his dedication and the dedication of other teachers who make the school systems a good place for students.
The coach also has three children so he knows how to make a ponytail. He does his daughter’s hair on occasion but that is where his expertise stops. He said that if Kristin wanted something more complicated than a ponytail, she would have had to go to her mother.
Kristin’s mother was also on Good Morning America and she thought that what the coach did was very touching. Kristin’s father would do her hair on occasion when her mother was busy so the girl knew she would be in good hands when she asked her coach Rachel.
It’s funny how what you do can touch others and this coach certainly has touched millions.