Bullying is an epidemic that takes place in schools across the country. While some kids experience it on the playground – others are ridiculed in the hallways, cafeteria, or even during class. Sadly, approximately 1 in 5 students report being a victim of bullying.
As we know, the effects of being bullied can be life-changing. Anxiety, depression, and a decrease in academic achievements are just a few to name.
Overall, it’s extremely harmful to a child’s psyche— so when a Georgia teacher discovered it was happening in her classroom, she knew she had to make it stop.
Kinsie Johns is a third-grade teacher at Arnette Winn Elementary School. When she learned one of her young students was being bullied, it broke her heart.
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A hairstyle that caught her classmates’ attention
The girl had been sporting a new hairstyle that had prompted a few mean comments from her peers. In an interview with Fox5 Atlanta, Johns explained:
“One of my students had begun to wear her hair in what is now referred to as ‘space buns’.”
“She wore her hair like this on Tuesday and by Wednesday, she was being called ‘space girl’.”
She decided to step in.
Johns couldn’t believe the behavior of her students and knew she had to help the student. After a bit of thinking, she came up with a plan. She was hoping to make the kids question their behavior; there’s never an excuse to be so rude.
When it was time for class the next day, the students were surprised when they saw their teacher.
Mrs. Johns walked in with a totally new look.
Instead of her usual hairstyle, she was sporting funky space buns.
“She [the little girl] was beaming when she saw me, and the students noticed that our hair looked the same,” Johns recalled.
Upon seeing their teacher’s hairstyle, the students started asking questions. When they asked why she had styled her hair in that manner, she simply told them: “It’s okay to stand out and be different.”
Johns decided to take a photo with her student, and in it, both girls are rocking their space buns.
Upon uploading the picture to Facebook, she wrote:
“She told me yesterday that some students were making fun of her hair and picking on her. So, after a little planning with her and written reminder on my hand, today, we showed up with the same hair just to prove a point. It’s okay to be different.”
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10213176280746120&set=pb.1368309715.-2207520000..&type=3
She also added the classic Dr. Seuss quote: “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?!”
When people caught wind of Johns’ story, the teacher immediately went viral. Even better, however— other kids started showing solidarity too.
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Teachers often ignore bullying in the classroom, so it’s refreshing to see a teacher stand up in such a unique way. People love that Johns helped teach the kids about bullying while also showing solidarity with the little girl. The following comments were left:
“What an awesome teacher you are! So sweet of you! That’s what we do when we love our students so much!”
“That’s awesome— and probably a more important lesson you taught her than anything else in her day. Love it!”
“That’s awesome! More students need someone like you!”
Thank goodness there are teachers like Mrs. Johns who help make this world a better place for our children.
Wanna learn how to do space buns so you can rock them too? Press play on the video below for a hair tutorial!
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