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Pop Culture

'She's a hero.' 4-year-old's quick thinking saves her teacher's life after she collapsed

"It was a shock to me to see that she knew exactly what to do in a situation like that," her mom shared.

Kids have better instincts than we give them credit for.

We do our best to teach our kids everything they need to handle what life throws at them, but sometimes they are simply born with the right instincts.

When four-year-old Kyndal Bradley saw her daycare teacher collapse due to a seizure, leaving the entire classroom alone without an adult, she knew exactly what to do. Rather than freezing up or crying, she immediately went to get help.

Without this fast action, her teacher would have been in serious trouble—as in, a life or death situation. But luckily paramedics arrived in time to take the teacher to the hospital.

As reported by WSMV Nashville, Taylor Moore, Kyndal’s mom, had no idea of this brave feat until she went to pick her little girl up that afternoon.

“They were like, ‘She’s our hero for the day,’ and I’m kind of looking like, what happened?” Moore shared.

Understandably, this news was unexpected. Though Moore had been teaching Kyndal a few basics, like her phone number and home address, she “never thought to introduce what to do if an emergency arises, so it was a shock to me to see that she knew exactly what to do in a situation like that.”

At the same time, Moore told WSMV that Kyndal has a natural "nurturing spirit,” and is always taking care of her fellow classmates, so in some ways, it’s not that much of a surprise. Regardless, Moore is “very proud” of how Kyndal handled the situation.

And how’s this for heartwarming? When asked if there’s anything she’d like her recovering teacher to know, Kyndal simply said, “I love you.” What pure sweetness!

  - YouTube  www.youtube.com  

Down in the comments, viewers also hailed Kyndal a hero.

“I have epilepsy, that little girl is so brave. I know adults who are petrified by the thought of a seizure occurring near them. She’s gonna be a caretaker of some sort when she grows up. Good job baby. Keep up the good work, keep helping people in need.”

“Great job mom. What an amazing little girl you have.”

“What a great example of great parenting! Teaching this precious little girl to be nurturing and caring to others! Her caring and concern for the needs of those around her and her mom teaching her emergency skills amazing! This little lady is a little hero !!! God bless her and her mom for teaching her to care and what to do in an emergency!!!”

“What a heartfelt story!! This is what the world needed to hear because of the chaotic times that we are in. Not only is she beautiful and quick on her feet, but she is very intelligent.”

Moore hopes that this moment acts as a reminder for parents to “not underestimate” how their own littles might fare in a crisis, and to start teaching them skills sooner rather than later.

“They’re little, but they may be our saviors, so they need to know how to react.”

Preparing kids for emergencies

 nashville, nashville news, positive news, good news, daycare, emergency preparedness A child dialing 911Photo credit: Canva

In most emergency situations involving kids, a major skill to learn is how to successfully handle a 911 call, even when nerves are at play. That means making sure they know how to give their phone number and address correctly (just like Moore taught Kyndal), to state whether someone is ill or hurt, and to know if they need to leave the area before calling (in the case of a fire, for example). In this day and age, it’s also super important that they know how to unlock a mobile phone and dial on it.

It’s also vital for kids to understand how to recognize when a medical emergency might be happening, whether it be a person collapsing, like in Kyndal’s story, or simply gasping for air.

On the preventative maintenance side, families can do emergency planning together, including bringing the children in on creating emergency kits and doing practice runs.

And, as Moore said, it's equally crucial to trust that kids will know what to do with the lessons we try to bestow onto them.

Image via Canva

Elementary school teacher Alice Yates does hair for student who lost a parent.

Teachers play a much larger role than simply being educators. And elementary school teacher Alice Yates (@missaliceinteacherland) understands what it means to go above and beyond for her students, especially those in need.

In a new video shared on Instagram, Yates shared an emotional video about a student who recently lost a parent. After noticing she was coming to school with her hair unbrushed most days, she decided to step in with kindness and help take care of her by doing her hair everyday.

In the start of the video, Yates shows herself brushing out a little girl's hair as she tells her story in the captions. "A few months ago one of my student's parent died pretty suddenly...she was coming to school with her hair not even brushed most days," she writes. "I just wanted to help where I could. So I bought a cheap comb and hair ties so that I could at least do a basic pony for her to get her hair out of her face."


The small act of love did not go unnoticed. Her other students noticed Yates doing the student's hair, and wanted to get their hair done, too. "Then the other girls in the class started asking if I'd do their hair too. Now during breakfast, we have chitchats while we do hair! I wouldn't trade this time for anything. It has helped us all become so much closer.❤️"

She goes on to explain that she wasn't sure if parents would be okay with it, but was put at ease after getting a thankful message from one.

"I was a little nervous some parents might take it the wrong way that I'm doing their kids hair, but then I got this message: 'I just FaceTimed with [student's name] and saw her hair. It was adorable. Thank you for being extra sweet to my girl while I'm away. I don't even know what her hair looked like when she came in lol."

Yates offered more details as to why she treasures the personal interactions with her students. "I love being the teacher that I needed growing up...when I was a kid many of my teachers didn’t take the time to get to know us. They didn’t really show us love, tell us about their family, or even ask about ours," she writes. "They showed up, taught from a McGraw Hill Teacher Guide and went home. I think back on school and I hated it most years. I can count on one hand the teachers that I felt safe and happy with."

It was that experience that made her want to be a different teacher. "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," she writes. "I find so much comfort in looking into a parents eyes and telling them that I will take care of their baby, and they look back and me and know I mean it. ❤️"

Yates' emotional video got an incredibly supportive response from viewers. "And that’s a vocation right there & exactly the teacher our children need 💕," one wrote. Another shared, "This is beautiful bc when I was in 3rd grade my dad almost died in a motorcycle accident. Needless to say with no family nearby, most days I was barely dressed much less brushed. My teacher would bring barrettes to put up my hair and ill never forget the difference it made in my life ♡." And another viewer added, "They will never forget you and the time you took for them ❤️."

If you would like to contribute to Miss Alice's classroom, you can shop her Amazon Classroom Wishlist here.


This article originally appeared in March

Community

Teacher shows what it's like to live right next to his students in heartwarming video

"There’s an extra level of care and understanding when you not only love the children you serve but you also live among them."

close_ties/Instagram

Teacher who lives in same neighborhood as students develops special relationship with them.

Certain teachers earn the adoration of their students for going above and beyond their professional role in the classroom. It's something Atlanta teacher Brandon K. Martin has clearly earned.

Martin is the founder and CEO of Close Ties Leadership Program, a nonprofit organization created to "equip Black boys with the skills and experiences necessary to lead in the pathways of their choice by providing early exposure to college and career opportunities, in-school mentorship, and individualized social-emotional support."

He shared a heartwarming video with his followers on social media capturing his experience as a teacher who lives in the same neighborhood as his students. Even outside the classroom, his pupils are eager to see him and spend time with him. "When a teacher walks the same streets, hears the same sirens, sees the same sunsets the lessons run deeper," he captioned the post.

In the video, Martin films his students running towards him as he is parked in his car. He's happy to see them, and more and more student start to assemble, some trying to jump in his car.

"When you live near the kids and they just run to you when you ride past them," he says. "Hello kids. Oh my god, Adisa! Get out! Oh my gosh, ridiculous! I'm about to sell my house so I don't live in the neighborhood anymore, because I'm driving home and look what happens."

The camera pans to the trunk of Martin's truck, and a gaggle of students have piled in to catch a ride and just be close to him. "When I decided to become a teacher, there was no doubt that I wanted to return to my hometown of Southeast Atlanta to do so. Eleven years later, I still share the same neighborhood with the kids I serve which makes moments like this a normal part of my routine," he added in the caption.

He went on to explain the power of living close to his students. "There’s an extra level of care and understanding when you not only love the children you serve but you also live among them," he wrote.

Martin adds that his role as an educator and mentor is one he holds with great weight and zero resentment. "From checking the mail to grocery shopping to grabbing dinner… I will always hear 'Hey Mr. Martin!' I couldn’t get away from them even if I wanted to!"

And the joyful video earned Martin heaps of praise from viewers. "Thank you for calling them CHILDREN! They are giggling, laughing, smiling, and playing like children. Thank you for not adultifying them. They deserve a childhood," one wrote. Another added, "That's trust. That's comfort. That's security." And another viewer shared, "I love this for ALL of you. These are the same children that will never forget you and take care of you if anything were to ever happen. THANK YOU for loving on those babies!" And another touched viewer summed it up perfectly: "Look at these kids!! These young boys KNOW they have a great teacher that loves and cares about them!! Kids like them need a village behind them and you sir are obviously leading the village ❤️ I can’t even imagine them impact you have these children’s hearts and minds."

Parenting

Teacher shares the one thing parents need to teach kids to prepare them for kindergarten

Kindergarten teacher Emily Perkins says avoiding this can make them "unteachable."

Image via Canva

Kindergarten teacher shares #1 thing parents should teach kids.

Sending your kid to kindergarten for the first time is a milestone parenting moment. For parents looking to prepare their kids for attending school for the first time, kindergarten teacher Emily Perkins (@emmymckenny) from Kentucky has spilled her wisdom.

In a new TikTok video, Perkins shared the number one thing parents should be teaching their kids before sending them to her classroom—and it's slightly controversial.

"No. No no no. No," she captioned the video. In it, she explains that parents need to teach their children the meaning of 'no,' and telling them 'no' when necessary.

@emmymckenny

No. No no no. No. #teachersoftiktok #momsoftiktok #gentleparenting #controversial

She says in the video, "A lot of people ask me all the time when they figure out that I’m a kindergarten teacher: What can they do to prepare their kid for kindergarten? What can I do—help them open their snacks? Help them tie their shoes? No, no, no, not that. Tell your kid, 'No' ... Tell them ‘No’ as a complete sentence."

The mom of two continues to add that if parents fail to tell and teach their kids "no," it can make them "unteachable" once they get in her classroom. "Do not teach them that telling them, 'No' invites them to argue with you, because if I can’t tell your child 'No' as an adult, and they don’t respect the 'No,' they’re basically unteachable. Let me tell you something: I will open their snacks, I will tie their shoes, I will help them blow their nose, I will teach them how to wash their hands properly."

@emmymckenny

I went viral #teachersoftiktok #viral #no


Perkins does not mince words when explaining the importance of teaching kids "no," and takes a stand against gentle parenting that she argues has turned many parents into pushovers. "The term gentle parenting gets thrown around like a reward—'Congratulations, you’re a pushover.' You can validate your child’s feelings without being a pushover. I heard a parent tell me that they don’t tell their child, 'No' because it triggers them," she explains.

Perkins adds that if parents cannot tell their children "no," neither can teachers—which can lead to disaster in kindergarten. "And if your child’s teacher can’t tell them, 'No,' it’s really hard to help them learn," she concluded.

@emmymckenny

IDC #teachersoftiktok #controversy #thingsidontcareabout

In an interview with TODAY, Perkins shared that "'No’ is not a bad word," and added that “‘no’ is not an invitation to an argument." She added, "My whole job is explaining. Think of logistics—if we’re lining up for a fire drill, it’s, 'No, you may not stay inside if the building is on fire' or 'No, you may not climb on the table because it’s not safe.'"

While she notes that further explanation of "no" to kids is certainly important, it's more crucial for kids to not to question or argue right away if they are told, "No." "I love to explain why, but if I can’t right then, kids still have to hear and accept 'no,'" she told the publication.

Perkins' video got a lot of support from fellow teachers and parents in the comment section:

"Preschool teacher here. you are 10000000000% correct. Let them struggle a bit so they can ACTUALLY do hard things. Let them experience disappointment! make them resilient!" one wrote.

"THIS!! I’m a first year kindergarten teacher and some of this littles just don’t get no… it’s so wild to me."

A parent viewer wrote, "True gentle parenting is about telling your child no and sticking to it. If you can never tell your child no it’s permissive."

And another parent shared, "Not a teacher just a mom, but YES. Not everything needs to be a lesson…sometimes because I said so is a complete sentence."