Principal Jason Smith felt that something was off about one of his students. What the boy had done was a minor infraction. However, it was the way he responded that made the principal question everything.
There was only one way to determine if his gut instinct was right.
Principal Jason Smith
Smith stood in front of the school as groups of students ran past him. It was a good day. Everyone was smiling and laughing.
Stonybrook Intermediate and Middle School in Warren Township, Indiana, was your average educational institution, but Principal Jason Smith had enthusiastic ideas for change.
Strange Reaction
That day, one boy had been sent to his office by his teacher because he didn't want to take off his hat. Now, this was a common occurrence at the school, but the boy's reaction seemed off.
Smith had a difficult choice to make.
Traditional Response
The "traditional" response to this behavior would be to call his parents and give him a detention.
But Smith didn't think this was fair. After all, his job was to help, educate and guide his students, not to punish them. So what did he decide to do?
Questions
“Why won’t you take your hat off?” Smith asked the boy. The student looked down and gave a slight shrug as if he was preparing himself for the punishment.
Smith walked over to him and asked: “Did anything difficult happen today?” By that point, he knew the young man was hiding something.
New Haircut
The boy looked up at the rim of his cap and mumbled something under his breath. It took some convincing, but in the end, the boy agreed to remove his hat.
Smith looked at the boy and then at his head, trying to figure out what the problem was. The boy explained that he had just got a new haircut, and he thought it looked "horrible."
Embarrassed
It was clear to Smith that the young man was embarrassed by his haircut and didn't want anyone else to see it. That's why he chose to wear a hat to school.
Smith didn't think there was anything from with the cut. However, he knew how important appearance was for students at his school.
Important Identity
Hairstyles are a part of someone's identity, especially at that age. Smith knew exactly how he could help his student.
Even if Smith himself thought it was fine, the young man just needed a confidence boost.
Making A Deal
“If I can fix it, will you go back to class?” he asked the boy, smiling. The young man gave him an enthusiastic nod.
Fortunately for him, Smith had been cutting hair for many years, and he knew exactly how to fix his cut.
Experienced Stylist
Smith was styling his own son's hair and used to give trims to his college basketball teammates. He had over 12 years of experience in cutting hair.
Smith fixed the boy's hair with his profession-grade trimmer in less than half an hour. So, did the boy like the result?
Taking Photos
The young man was so happy with his new cut that he ran back to class. The school's staff had taken a photo of Smith doing the haircut and had posted the story online.
How did people react to the post?
Above And Beyond
People were going on and on about how Smith was an amazing person and how he had “gone above and beyond” for the young man.
But to Smith, what he did for his student that day was an “extra kindness” that didn't deserve praise. He explained that he was just doing his job.
Nothing Special
He believed it was far too easy to just punish the boy for refusing to take off the hat and call the parents. It's far too simple to give someone detention and move on with your life.
The next day, Smith followed the boy to class.
Problem Solved
Smith looked out the window and saw his student sitting tall and confident. After that, he never wore his hat to class again.
“He really was not trying to get out of class. He just thought that he would be laughed at, so we took the time and did what we could to help him,” Smith explained.
Difficult Job
Being a teacher is tough, but it's one of the most fulfilling jobs someone can ever have.
Some children can be very difficult to deal with, but it's important to stay calm as you never know what they are going through.