Teacher saw a grieving student come to school with tangled hair — so she started a healing morning ritual

Teaching, as a profession, requires calm, composure, and a tolerance for relentless curiosity. Especially in kindergarten, guides have to deal with unique, recurring issues that shape a child's emotional growth. For Alice, who goes by @missaliceinteacherland on Instagram, the dream of becoming a teacher comes rooted in her childhood memories — the years she spent wishing for a gentle soul in the classroom.

In an overwhelming video, she shared how in the last quarter of 2024, one of her students’ mother died suddenly. The child would continue to arrive at school looking disheveled, with her hair completely out of place. Recognizing this as a silent marker for the void her mother had left behind, Alice quietly decided to take things into her hands. She bought a cheap comb along with some hair ties, and started doing the kid's hair every morning, making a basic ponytail so that it would get out of her face. Soon, other girls began requesting the same treatment. Always excited to help, what started as a single act of kindness transformed into a daily morning ritual at the kindergarten.

She and the girls spent their breakfast time indulging in chit-chat and hairdos. “I love being the teacher that I needed growing up… but by that, I mean so much more than doing hair. Because I had a wonderful, amazing momma who did my hair every morning. By this, I mean that when I was a kid, many of my teachers didn’t take the time to get to know us. They didn’t show us love, tell us about their family, or even ask about ours. They showed up, taught from a McGraw-Hill Teacher Guide, and went home,” Alice captioned the video. She was afraid of the fact that some parents might take this as an offence; however, upon reading a parent's note thanking her for being extra sweet to their girls, all her fears melted away. Alice shared, “I wouldn’t trade this time for anything. It has helped us grow closer to each other.”

Child educators play a pivotal role in their emotional and social growth. Research by Child Care Aware of Missouri showed that positive interactions with early childhood educators improve children's language development, attention span, and resilience. When educators model respect, empathy, and patience, children learn these essential social and emotional skills. A 2020 United States survey shed light on the fact that 75% of students reported negative feelings about school. The data reflected common feelings of tiredness, stress, and boredom at school. As problematic as it sounds, it was true for Alice as well, as she wrote, “I think back on school and I hated it most years. School filled me with so much anxiety, and I think it’s a huge reason why I pour my heart and soul into teaching now. "

Her post resonated with the audience, and they supported her by sharing their own stories: "Our school has a program called bows & books. Every morning before school starts, they can go get their hair done while reading to teachers who volunteer their mornings," shared @breannarunningmom. Another user shared, "I had a guidance counselor like this in high school, we’ve kept in touch via Facebook. Wasn’t my hair that she did, but she was a listening ear. A light during dark times and my biggest cheerleader when I got pregnant during senior year. The school wanted me to transfer out to a different school that offered parenting classes. I had all honors. She fought to keep me at my school. My baby is 13 now. I’m a nurse and we’re both thriving," @shan_win93 wrote. 

@mag_ddv said, "Sometimes grief looks like unbrushed hair, and healing can look like a room full of fresh ponytails." @mayaaah._ chimed in, "I had a teacher do this for me once. My mom passed from AIDS when I was 5. Before that, she was extremely sick all the time. It was picture day, and my hair was not presentable. My teacher did a high slick back bun with my bangs out. I looked so cute lol."

You can watch more such inspiring stories by Alice on her Instagram, @missaliceinteacherland